Pure Michigan

Mackinac Island

The “Great Turtle”

 Traveling south across the Mackinac Bridge, again on a windy day, we return to the Michigan “Mitten”.

Mackinac Island is reached by ferry from Mackinaw City. On the island, transportation is by horse-drawn carriage, bicycle or saddle horse only. So while exploring this beautiful but very busy island on foot, we had to be ever aware of where we stepped.

     
Mission in 1670                                                    Indian Mission 1823 – 1834

   
The Grand Hotel                                                                      Tack room

   
Victorian Carriage                                                    Carriages and bicycles only

Private home

 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

These “dunes” are the product of several glaciers that left rock, sand and silt as they melted. Rugged bluffs rise as high as 450 feet above Lake Michigan.

We follow Sleeping Bear Point Trail for about 3 hilly miles over sand dunes and through the woods.

    

Walking in the sand dunes

A scenic drive provides us access to the high dunes of the plateau and the trail head for 1.5 mile Cottonwood Trail.
 

That night we shared the campground with a group of restored vintage travel trailer enthusiasts who were starting a weekend convention.

    
Restored travel trailers from the 1950s and 1960s.
 

Ludington State Park

 Big Sable Point Lighthouse, within the state park, is reached by a 2.5 mile woods and beach walk. The 112-foot brick structure was clad in steel plate in the early 1900s giving it a unique ribbed look.

 
Big Sable Point

With two breweries in town we had some very nice choices for porter and stout.

    
Ludington Brewery                                                          Jamesport Brewery

 

Grand Rapids

 
Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park

 The highlight of our stop at this park was the carnivorous and tropical plants in the Tropical Conservatory.

    
Fang Pitcher Plant                                               The American Horse

   
???                                                                            Marching Band

The Founders Brewery was our final stop in Grand Rapids.

Yes. They had an excellent porter and Bavarian pretzel
.

Lake Erie Shores & Islands

 
Fun on Lake Erie

Departing from Marblehead, we travel by ferry to Kelleys Island, a summer resort in Lake Erie. After renting a golf cart at the ferry dock, we explored the island sites which include a huge abandoned limestone quarry, the original source of the islands economy, and the Glacial Grooves. At 396 feet long, a maximum depth of about 15 feet and width from 25 to 30 feet, these grooves are considered to be the finest glacial carvings in America.

    
Glacial Grooves. Notice Jim standing in upper left center      Cedar Point Park roller coasters viewed across Lake Erie

 

Ashtabula County

Wine – Covered Bridges – Barn Quilts

Following the county self-guided driving tour brochure we locate numerous covered bridges and barn quilts as well as a winery. A barn quilt is a large piece of wood painted in a single block quilt pattern displayed on an exterior wall.

    
Harpersfield Covered Bridge – 1868                                                  Bridge with barn quilt

   

Very large (18 ft) barn quilt                                      Smolen-Gulf Bridge & pedestrian bridge

   
The RV fits nicely                                                      Ready for harvest

 

Grand Army of the Republic Highway

Also known as US 6

This highway, from Bishop, CA to Provincetown, MA honors veterans of the American Civil War. In several Pennsylvania towns along this highway the Main Street is lined with well cared-for Victorian mansions build by former local timber barons.

 

Kinzua Bridge State Park

The Kinzua Viaduct near Jewett, PA was originally built in 1882 to transport timber. At the time it was the world’s highest (300 feet) and longest (2053 feet) rail viaduct. Originally built of iron, by 1900 it became necessary to rebuild the entire structure with steel to accommodate heavier trains. Freight traffic was discontinued in 1959. By 2002 excursion trains were barred from the bridge. In July of 2003, as work to restore the bridge was in progress, an F1 tornado struck the viaduct and eleven towers from the center of the bridge were torn from their concrete base. Today a pedestrian walkway leads to a very popular 225-foot-high observation deck.

    

Skywalk                                                                    Result of the tornado

 

Pine Creek Gorge

AKA Grand Canyon of Pensylvania

The 62-mile Pine Creek Trail, along an abandoned rail bed, is a multi-use trail for hiking, biking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing. Additionally, a variety of hiking trails lead to vistas and waterfalls over rugged terrain and close to steep cliffs above the gorge. As it was a wet, rainy day when we were at the park, we opted for a short, rim trail in the Leonard Harrison section of the gorge.

 
To early for fall foliage

 

Although we are now close to home, this is not our last posting for this trip. Stay tuned for a “Travel Extra”.

 

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