MACKINAC CITY, MICHIGAN

Saturday, July 7th, we left the Casino Island Resort in Escanaba, MI (upper peninsula) hoping for a nicer camp site on down the road. We had been five days without full hook-up though the reservation gentleman had assured us that we would have that. I think that these young people answering phones have no idea what full hook-up means.  I feel that they think water, electric and dump station is full hook-up. Ha Ha!! Other than that the resort was very nice and clean though very narrow sites. We were glad that this trailer to our left was gone before we pulled out!! We couldn't have gotten past his awning. 
The drive across Rt 2 in UP was rather boring until we got to the Mackinac Bridge (I-75) leaving the UP. We had watched a documentary about crossing the bridge, so we were apprehensive about winds and heavy traffic. But we worried for nothing. It was beautiful weather and light traffic that Saturday morning!!

Rt 2 runs along Lake Michigan,
so we know we are not far from Mackinac Bridge.

On the last half of the bridge, and we are now
close to our destination of Mackinac City.

Arriving at our new campground, another site with water, electric and dump station, Tee-Pee Campground. Our site was a nice comfortable width and nice neighbors. 

Their sand beach and swimming area,
looking toward the Island

Our view from the campground to the City
on our side of the bridge.

Our view of the lake on the Lake Huron side of the bridge from our park's beach. 

Hope this is the Ferry that we will take to the Island!

Ship traveling in Lake Huron headed for Lake Michigan
as we watched from our beach.

We began our week here with church in Cheboygan, MI  and dinner at Alice's Restaurant.  Gary's fish was sure much better than the last time at Randy's!! Very good food there as usual for a mom and pop's local restaurant. We were pleased!!

Monday was laundry catch-up since we opted not to find a laundromat at the Casino. The washers were $3.25 each, ouch!! Then Gary had difficulty finding the only fast food in Mackinac City, Burger King, because they were hidden behind the local hot dog shop.

Tuesday, July 10th was our Ferry trip to Mackinac Island. It was very much leisure time and enjoyable!! It began with a narration about the structure of the bridge itself. It was not as high as I had thought it would be, just 180 feet and they said five miles in length.

Shepler's Ferry

The grating in the center two lanes,
was for the expansion and contraction
needed because of the weather.
But it really was not all that noticeable.

Views from Lake Huron - -

I will do a separate Blog of the Tour about the Island itself. So stay tuned!!

GLASS BOTTOM SHIPWRECK TOURS on LAKE SUPERIOR - MUNISING, MICHIGAN

JULY 3rd, Tuesday trip two hours away from Island Casino Resort RV Park where we are located until next Saturday.  We did not realize that it would take us two hours to get there or that their tours would be pretty full.  We were not able to go out until 4 pm so we had to wait four and a half hours!! It was a good thing that we took books as there was only souvenir shops in the area.
It turned out to be a good tour and they were well organized to have everyone observe through the two glass bottom wells. They took us to see a wooden wrecked ship that transported iron ore throughout the great lakes during that boom of the mid 1800's. Bad weather and difficult navigation routes caused thousands of ships to wreck. Since most of the shipwrecks are in deep water, this tour highlighted two vessels that lie just below the surface of Lake Superior.
The "Bermuda", a fully intact wooden schooner built in 1860, was just 8 feet from our viewing glass. The "Herman H. Hettler", a 210 foot steam barge, is in massive pieces on a rock reef after it wrecked there in 1926. Most of the iron ore was later removed.
During the tour we got to cruise along Grand Island in Lake Superior, getting close to a lighthouse, cliffs, and shallow caves.
Enjoy the pictures -

Our tour boat is the one on the left farthest out the dock.

The shore lines. Most along the Grand Island - 

Along the main land of Michigan

Also along the main land of Michigan.

The Lighthouse on the Grand Island.

These privately owned homes on the Grand Island are few,
since there is only 40 acres that are privately owned.

Pictures of the Herman H Hettler shipwreck -

Pictures of the Bermuda were not very clear, not enough to show them to you.

Small caves on Grand Island.

We did not get back to the motorhome that evening until 8 pm and stopped for Wendy's just as we got back to Escanabe, MI. It turned out to be too late a dinner for Gary. So he had a miserable night!
Gary noticed a very wet area in the ground next to the motorhome earlier in the morning. Turns out that there is a pipe problem underground so the water department will be out tomorrow to take care of it.  Hope that it is an easy fix!! We don't want to have to move off the site until Saturday when we are ready to leave the area for Mackinac City, Michigan.