Northern Michigan-- it just keeps getting better!

Oops. Always one out-of-order pict. See below re "mushroom houses".
Hello Fellow Cruisers,
We got to the Straits of Mackinaw last Friday, with wonderful views of the 5mile bridge, connecting the Lower and Upper Peninsulas of Michigan with I-75. Built in 1957 (finally), it replaces ferries and makes possible 365-day crossings (ice blocks the whole strait area in many years). As we walked around the area, we discovered mini-parks, all with great landscaping and flower beds plus wonderful and varied views of the straits and the bridge.
On Saturday we took one of the fast-ferries to Mackinac Island (pronounced as if it were spelled 'Mackinaw'). Some of them make big spray tails, but all of them make huge wakes. The island is vehicle-free, so the only transportation is horse-drawn carriages and bikes, which are for rent everywhere: singles, bikes for two, children's, and the attachments for children: pedal and carriage. Or you can bring your own on the ferry for a fee. (We brought ours.) There are literally thousands of bikes, and a wonderful 8mile bike path that circles the island (with an ice cream stop midway!).
We went first to the Mackinac Island fort--- which was a real sleeper of an assignment. The only time it was attacked, the 60 soldiers surrendered immediately. :) As we approached the fort, we found this missionary chapel. Rough on the outside, but with a formal altar area any chapel would be pleased to have.
From the fort, this is the view of Mac Island Harbor. Slips at the marina are hard to come by... and the ferries' wake can make it a rock'n'roll experience. The fort 'soldiers' do a great job of interpretation. This young man was adept at several drum, violin, bugle, and penny whistle. Others lead songs of the period, a dance (audience participation), a courts martial reenactment, and a canon firing display.
The displays were well-done, and we had lunch at the tea room with a wonderful view of the harbor.
One of the many highlights of the 8mile bike ride is this arch, a natural stone formation that overlooks Lake Huron. You can see the colors of the water, and the stone beneath the shallow water. Water depths are down maybe 2-3' from the early 90's.
Mackinac Island is known for its Grand Hotel... with the longest/largest porch. It is a landmark, set on the hill with great overlooks and wonderful landscaping. But, it has also become known for charging $7-$10 just to walk in front of the hotel and to sit on a rocker on the porch. Us peons decided to look from afar. The view from the fort was just as good.
Mac Island is definitely pricey, and even the humble homes are beautifully landscaped. This is a view of the backyard between 2 smaller homes close to downtown. The commercial area is a mix of gift shops, restaurants, B&Bs, and fudge/ice cream shops. And swarming with people in the tourist season: 1 million in the summer, and 500 island residents the rest of the year.
Since Sunday, we've been in 3 small towns as we moved down the coast: Petoskey, Charlevoix, and now Leland. Each one is beautiful, with a wonderful marina system run by the State of Michigan. At Petoskey, we were so busy getting to the Walgreens (prescriptions) and the grocery that we forgot to take picts.
But at Charlevoix, we anchored out one night, waiting to get a slip. The wait was worth it...
great waterfront area, beaches both on the Lake Michigan AND the Lake Charlevoix side, and the 'mushroom houses' ---built with stone and erratic roofs. See pict above.
We were there on the right night to hear the Community Band concert at the shell right on the waterfront, well done, in keeping with Michigan's strong music and band tradition.
This photo from the visitors center shows Lake Michigan at the bottom, connected by a channel to Round Lake (where the marina is), connected by a channel to Lake Charlevoix, which extends 14miles. Reportedly, Michigan has the most registered boats of any state.

Charlevoix also has massive boat houses, many with living quarters above. This is a view as we left at 6:55am on Wednesday. We traveled the 35 miles to Leland, starting out with 2' swells,
which happily decreased as we traveled. Leland is a serendipity: a surprising delight. Sometimes called 'Fishtown', it still is a major commercial fishing port. In addition, many old fish houses along the narrow river have been turned into gift shops and outside restaurants, making
it a wonderful area. Here, like Charlevoix, there are beaches on both the big and small lakes, accessible from the marina(but a dam keeps boats from going between). And, keeping the Michigan music tradition, last night we were treated to a string quintet concert. Just as we left, we found the sun setting... a much brighter orange than the pict shows... and everyone just seemed to stop and watch it go down.
All the guidebooks say that with Lake Michigan, one gets to travel one day and then wait 2 days for good travel weather. So we're waiting for the 3-5' waves with gusts to 30mph to settle down before moving on. In the meantime, Leland is another of Michigan's great places to spend some summer.
Our son Jeff asked if it's still fun: YES. Every new location is another great experience.

Be safe, know God is with you, and keep in touch.
nan and jack