Mackinaw City

Crossing the Straits

First let me make one thing perfectly clear.  There is a Mackinac and there is a Mackinaw.  Mackina-C is a geographic feature; the junction between Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, an Island with a fort on it, a fort, and a bridge.  The other, Mackina-W City, is the new location of Gatlinburg.  Apparently Tennessee asked it to leave.

Both Mackinac and Mackinaw are pronounced "mack-n-cheese aww."  

Mackinaw City is located on Mackinac Point; the southerly terminus of the Mackinac bridge, (known locally as the Mighty Mac, or the Big Mac; presumably named after the sandwich.)

Mackinaw City is also a very nice little town to take a walk through, once you get off the Gatlinburg Trail main street and away from the t-shirt discount huts and fudge factories.

Walking Mackinaw City

Mighty Mac

Shorty with a quarter.

Slugg-O there insisted on trying out the pay-view binoculars, and because we are ugly Americans with more money than brains but not more money than credit, we said yes.

She was too short to make the quarter investment worthwhile, however.  There was no refund button either.

Sitting on the sand.

There were nice features all along the footpath north of town.  Lots of picnic tables and benches, all just sitting in the sand on the shore.

Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. On the east side of the Mighty Mac.  On the west is the restored and reconstructed Fort Michilimackinac.  Fort Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City should not be confused with Fort Mackinac, on Mackinac Island.

We did not visit Fort Michilimackinac because I do not visit places the names of which I cannot say.

The ferry service we would use to visit the island the following day.