The campground is located right on the the straight of water that connects Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. The five mile long Mackinac Bridge connects lower Michigan with the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and can be seen from the campground. Technically, the campground is east of the Bridge, and therefore located on Lake Huron. The blue dot in the photo below shows where I am.
Zoey and I pulled out of Mary Ann and Eric's driveway about 8:00 this morning. My original plan had been to drive straight to Macinaw City, which is about a four hour drive. But they convinced me that I should take a diversion and also check out Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The Sleeping Bear Dunes region is in northwestern part of the state, along the shores of Lake Michigan. I'm glad I did! I took Rt. 127 north to Rt. 10 west to Rt. 115 northwest to Rt. 22 at Crystal Lake, and finally to the village of Empire where the National Park Visitor Center is located. I know all the route numbers are boring, but it helps me plan trips in the future. :-)
Since today is 9/11, many businesses along the way had flags out at half staff. I saw this one HUGE flag flying.
The dunes are a windswept region along the western shore of Lake Michigan. Some of the sand dunes rise over 450 feet above the lake. Since most of the time the prevailing winds blow from west to east, this region is constantly buffeted by strong winds. In fact, when I visited today the blowing sand was so strong you had to cover your eyes. I shook sand out of my hair for the rest of the day.
Despite all the blowing sand along the shoreline, once you go inland a bit, there are lush hardwood forests.
After leaving Sleeping Bear Dunes, I followed Rt. 31 along the Lake Michigan shores through the tourist towns of Traverse City, Charlevoix, and Petoskey. These villages are full of condos, big boats, gated marinas, premium RV (motor coaches only) resorts, and golf courses. I finally arrived in Mackinaw City about 4:30 and settled in.
On Wednesday, I'll head for my good friends Dave and Ann Wright in Amherst, Wisconsin, where I'll stay for several days. They are always a good time. Stay tuned........
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ReplyDeleteHi Dave!
ReplyDeleteI took time today during my lunch break to have a look on your blog. Great Lakes are so stunning! They are supposed to be lakes, but look like seas. IMG_3899 for instance: the sand, the blue color of the waters,... Say it has been shot along the Atlantic ocean nearby Arcachon, France, and I would trust you without any uncertainty ;-)
Take care,
Thierry