"Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings / In the rooms of her ice-water mansion / Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams / The islands and bays are for sportsmen / And farther below Lake Ontario / Takes in what Lake Erie can send her..." - The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, Gordon Lightfoot
August found us in Michigan, on the shores of Lake Huron. The five great lakes of North America hold one-fifth of the Earth's fresh water, and are hosts to shipping, fishing, and recreation. They are infamous for icing over in the winter and for the storms that have been damaging or sinking ships and sailors for hundreds of years. But, oh, are they beautiful!
We spent a week in Port Huron, at the southernmost tip of Lake Huron, where the St Clair River flows out of the lake towards Detroit. Port Huron is a lovely little town, with a history of lightships, lighthouses, and lightstations, and of Thomas Edison's boyhood and early job as a news reporter.
We spent a second week in Mackinaw City, at the northwestern tip of Lake Huron, where the Straits of Mackinac (pronounced "mackinaw") connect Lake Huron westward to Lake Michigan. Our campground was phenomenal: a gorgeous spread of grass lawns and shade trees and swing chairs and fire rings right on the lake. In view was the Mackinac Bridge and three islands: Mackinac, Round, and Bois Blanc. We could e-bike the three miles into the cute town, or take a shuttle from the campground to the ferry landing for the ride to Mackinac Island.
Mackinac Island is a step back in time to the turn of the twentieth century, when the islanders decreed that automobiles would be banned after early motorcars frightened the horses. (Even e-bikes are technically banned on the island.) The architecture, history, and carriages all speak of an earlier way of American life. Fort Mackinac has been beautifully restored and filled with interpretive exhibits. The perimeter road (which we bicycled on a rented tandem bike) is stunning, whether you're breezing along by the sparkling waters or huffing and puffing up 207 steps to the view from the height of Arch Rock. The interior roads climb by such sites as the Grand Hotel, the Fort, and Skull Cave, on a rented bike or a horse-drawn carriage tour. And everyone should pick up some of the sweetest, creamiest fudge we've ever tasted! (And, yes, Alison did rigorously taste-test before settling on Ryba Fudge as her favorite!)
While the landscapes were absolutely stunning in August, there were many historical plaques in honor of those ships and sailors lost to storms in the winter. As Gordon Lightfoot penned after the 1975 (!) sinking of the bulk carrier Edmund Fitzgerald, "That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed / When the gales of November came early". Even in good weather, the Straits of Mackinac can be treacherous, and some 30 lightstations of various types can be found there.
From Mackinaw City, we traveled north through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (the leaves were just beginning to show hints of fall colors) past the Soo Locks of Sault Ste. Marie into Ontario, Canada. We were heading for Lake Joseph to visit with college friends for a long weekend. The weather couldn't have been better, and there was swimming and strolling through the woods, plus a (fortunately not too close!) sighting of a mother bear and her cub.
On our way back into the U.S., we crossed into New York at the Thousand Islands Bridges. More stunning views! So many houses and retreats on little islands in the St. Lawrence River!
Michigan and Canada proved to be even lovelier than advertised. We truly enjoyed spending the waning days of summer on great lakes (and Great Lakes).
Next stop: New York City!
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