Here we are on the U.P. (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan, in the delightful Lakeshore RV Park, right smack on the shore of Lake Michigan. Here is the view from Homer's perspective.
The Mackinac Bridge looks kind of familiar, doesn't it? But it's painted beige and green. It's the third longest bridge in the world, the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere, with a total suspension of 8,614 feet, and a total length of 26,372 feet, just shy of 5 miles. The deck could move as much as 35 feet east or west in severe wind conditions. They say the weight of the cars would bring it back to its position.
I kind of don't want to be one of those cars.
Yesterday we took the ferry to Mackinac Island, where they don't allow motorized vehicles. Everything is done by horse (500 of them, many the gigantic Clydesdales - did you know they are from Clydesdale, Scotland?) and carriage or cart, or bicycle. It's beautiful and peaceful, but the season doesn't begin until June Only 600 people live there year-round, but in the summer that number increases drastically with tourists and workers who tend them. There are more fudge shops than a girl could visit in one day,
but that doesn't stop one from trying.
The Grand Hotel is the crown jewel of the island, high on the hill. It opened in 1887 with room rates of
$3 to $5. Today the range is $254 to $723. It has the longest Front Porch in the world at 660 feet. Each season they serve more than 83,000 pounds of prime rib, 23,500 pounds of ham, 83,500 pounds of potatoes, 14,000 pounds of strawberries. More than 50,000 Grand Pecan Balls,
the hotel's most popular dessert, are served each season.
Nope. I'm not going to say it.
Do you notice a pattern of enormous amounts of food served?
I need Jenny Craig to come slap me upside the head.
Some here spell it Mackinac, with the French silent c. (What's the point of that? No wonder French is so hard to learn.) Others use the English spelling of Mackinaw.
But it's always pronouced Mack-in-aw. Now you know, doncha.
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