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Published: July 20th 2013
Round Island Light in the Fog
Also known as the "Old Round Island Point Lighthouse" is located on the west shore of Round Island in the shipping lanes of the Straits of MackinacDay 13 – July 9
th We awoke to fog as heavy as or perhaps heavier than we had in Duluth; we couldn’t see much out our hotel window. We thought the weather might cause us to change our plans, but we decided to give it a shot. After a breakfast of self-made waffles in the hotel’s breakfast room we fired up the faithful Caravan and headed south on I-75 for about 50 miles through national, state, and privately owned forests and marshlands. In about an hour we reached our destination, St. Ignace, MI.
St. Ignace is a town of about 2,400 people and the county seat of Mackinac County. It also hosts the northern terminus of the
Mackinac Bridge. This bridge is worthy of so many superlatives that I can’t list all the attributes here. Please click on this
link for more information.
We weren’t here to see the bridge however (good thing, it was hidden in the fog), we were here to catch a ferry to Mackinac Island. The plan was to catch this particular boat because on the way to the island it made a side trip to “Mighty Mac” (Mackinac Bridge’s nickname) so
Taking a step back in Time
Main Street, not a car in sight we could get an up-close-and-personal view of this monster.
After being on the water for about 10 minutes, the captain came over the PA system telling us we were now about ¼ mile from the bridge. What? Where? It was absolutely invisible through the fog. The entirety of its five mile length was absolutely hidden. It was about this time I started thinking, “Thank God for RADAR,” especially since there were at least two other tour boats/ferries around us – someplace – doing the same thing we were doing.
After about another 15 minutes cruising through the fog we saw a small lighthouse on a craggy outcropping, then, just beyond that, there were white houses on a hillside overlooking the water. We were there, the harbor of
Mackinac Island known as Haldimand Bay. This beautiful island, like its namesake bridge, can’t easily be described here in a few sentences; I highly recommend you follow the link above to the Wikipedia page for all the details. Having said that, I’d like to list a few facts about this little island in the extreme western area of Lake Huron.
Motorized
vehicles have been banned on the island since 1898. I was funny seeing UPS parcels being delivered on a horse-drawn wagon.There is a paved road that hugs the shoreline and completely circles the island. This is state route M-185. It is the only state route in the United States without cars or trucks.There is an exception to the motorized vehicles prohibition however. Since the lake freezes in the winter, no boats would be able to make it to the island. Therefore, snowmobiles are allowed. They travel to the mainland via an “ice road” created each winter.
Ok, sorry, this is one beautiful place and all I’m talking about are the roads and the fact there are no cars allowed. Being the car guy I am, I’d find it very difficult living here. But, “When in Rome . . .” The first thing we did after getting off the ferry was rent bicycles. We rode around M-185 and got away from the hustle and bustle of the town with its carriages, wagons, and tourists. This eight mile two lane paved road gave us a better feel for the island.
People mover
This was a shuttle to one of the many hotels on the island Despite the still heavy fog, it was a pretty place and we were almost glad it wasn’t a beautiful day since even out on this road, on a crappy weather day; there were traffic jams of bicycles at points of interest.
One of the most popular stops along M-185 was “Arch Rock”. It is an arch formation made from limestone and stands 145 feet above the ground. Speaking of rocks, there is a tradition here of stacking rocks into sort of “towers”. There were dozens of them along the rocky shoreline, erected by as many tourists. They are more than just a pile of rocks since they seem to have structure and form. We actually saw one that was built into an arch shape. Perhaps it’s more of a Canadian custom since we saw the same type of rock piles along the Trans-Canadian Highway the next day.
There were many Geocaches on the island so we took a few minutes to find one located near a nature trail just off M-185. It was our first find in Michigan.
After our circumnavigation of the island we had lunch in one of the many eateries. This one had entertainment
Jill Cycling on M-185
Poor day for sightseeing but great weather for cycling in the form of a lone guitarist/singer backed up by recorded tracks. We also picked up some fudge at the shop next door, which came highly recommended.
After a brief wait, our ferry was at the dock and we hopped on. We hoped that by now the bridge would be visible. Unfortunately, it was not. On the mainland it was hazy but certainly not what I would consider foggy. Before heading back to Sault Ste. Marie we wanted to find another Geocache in Michigan so we thought we’d look for one here. Jill found one listed nearby and we headed toward it. Turns out it was in a cemetery (seems this is a trip of cemetery visits). It was located in high overgrowth and we decided not to go after it since we weren’t really dressed to go “off road”. However it turns out that this cemetery overlooks Lake Huron and the Mackinac Bridge. And there was “Big Mac” (another nickname for the bridge) in all its glory. The bottom of the uprights were shrouded in fog, but the rest of the bridge was there in all its glory. This little side trip to this little cemetery paid off
Mackinac Bridge
"Mighty Mac", "Big Mac", whatever you call it, at five miles long, it's the longest bridge in the Western Hemisphere. big. What a view!
After taking a few pictures of the bridge we found our way out of the cemetery and back to I-75 for the hour–long trip back to Sault Ste. Marie.
From one boat ride to another . . . Back to the rapids on the St. Mary River. We got to the dock of the
Soo Locks Boat Tours just as the tour boat started to load, timing couldn’t have been better. Although we were some of the last people to board, the choicest seats were still available – top deck, front row. The captain of the vessel was a woman which I found surprising. Ok, ok, settle down, it’s not that I don’t think a woman can do the job, it’s just that they aren’t normally inclined to choose such a career. I would have loved to talk to her and get her “back story” to find out how she got to be a boat captain on the St Mary’s River. Was she following in the footsteps of her father and grand-father before her? We'll never know.
The narrator on the trip was quite knowledgeable and answered more questions about the river, its history, and its
The Locks from Above
Picture on the wall in the Visitors Information Center. A schedule of ships coming into the locks is also posted here. That way you can plan your day around "freighter watching." Not an activity for those with cardiac problems. ;-) industry than I would have thought to ask. The highlight of the trip, of course, was going through the locks themselves. I highly encourage you to follow this
link for more technical information regarding the locks.
There are a few interesting facts I’d like to mention however:
The Soo Lock fact that surprised us most is that the use of the locks is FREE. Regardless of the size of the vessel, there is no charge for passage through the locks!About 10,000 vessels pass through the locks every year.There are a total of four American locks and one Canadian lock.Only two American locks are used regularly, one is used very infrequently, and the fourth is obsolete and never used. The single Canadian lock is much smaller and used for recreational and tour boats only.There are plans to eliminate the under used/unused two American locks and replace them with a single “super lock”. Ground breaking ceremonies have been held, but funds have not yet been approved for the project.
Steady as She Goes
The Kaministiqua enters MacArthur lock, the same lock we were through earlier The locks operate on gravity only, there are no pumps used whatsoever. It is said the system was designed by a man with a 3
rdgrade education.The locks only operate nine months a year. They are closed January through March due to ice. The Corps of Engineers (operator of the locks) takes this time to perform maintenance on the locks.
After our tour of the locks we went back to our hotel to recharge our batteries (i.e. take a nap). It was a long day! After an hour’s rest we headed to “downtown” Sault Ste. Marie for dinner.
While cruising down Portage Ave, the place where it’s all happenin’ in Soo, I looked to my right and there was a big ship less than 100 yards away. It was the MV Kaministiqua, a bulk materials vessel heading “downbound” (eastward, from Lake Superior into Lake Huron).
There is a city park, complete with a very nice Information Center, next to the locks. The city has also built a two story viewing platform less than 30 feet from the edge of the MacArthur Lock. We managed to secure a
Sinking to a New Level
The Kaministiqua has now been lowered 21' spot along the railing on the second level to watch the Kaministiqua come through. The lock is 80’ wide, the ship is 76’ wide – do the math – it was a tight squeeze. Not a problem however, this ship comes through the locks about once a month so they know how to do it.
Sunset comes late this far north in the summer and it was now getting very dusky. We grabbed supper at a disappointing Irish pub then headed back to the hotel after topping up our tank with “cheap” US gas. Tomorrow: Canada.
Thanks for reading,
Don and Jill
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Thanks for sharing
I grew up in Ohio and have always wanted to go to Sault Set Marie and Mackinaw Island. Loved the photo of the locks and bridge. Thanks for sharing.