Is It Mackinac or Mackinaw?

Sunny and hot but the drive up Rte 31 along Lake Michigan was beautiful. We stopped at a roadside park for lunch right on the lake. These are great places to get out and walk around and gives Ken a break from driving. On the way to Mackinaw City we went through Traverse City. This is a really pretty area and very popular for summer vacationers. They have a lot of shops, restaurants and resorts right along the lake. Cherry wine is popular here and there are a number of good wineries. (We visited these during my consulting assignment in Detroit so we didn't stop this time.) As we drove north through Petosky we had another Coach House pass us going South. First one we've seen on our trip.

Arrived at the Mill Creek Campground about 1PM . It is a huge place and our site is perfect! Right on Lake Huron with a view of Mackinac Island, Mackinac Bridge, and the Mackinac Straits. We had heard a lot about the Mackinaw area .This is one of the key places we wanted to visit on our trip. We drove into Mackinaw City to check it out. Driving along the waterfront we stopped to get our ferry tickets for Mackinac Island tomorrow. The man at the counter suggested a tour package (ferry, carriage tour, and fort tour) all included. He suggested we leave our bikes home and take the tours. So that’s what we will do. We followed the main street along fishing piers and came to the historic part of town. Very quaint little shops and “eateries”.

By now you are probably thinking “Is it Mackinac or Mackinaw?”….The name Michilimackinac, the place of the "Great Turtle", was first given to Mackinac Island for its shape and was eventually given to the entire Straits of Mackinac region. By the 1820s, it was shortened to Mackinac. The founders of Mackinaw City decided on the phonetic "aw" spelling, probably as a way to distinguish their town from Mackinac Island. Today Mackinaw City retains the "aw" spelling while the bridge, straits and island steadfastly cling to the "ac" spelling. No matter how it is spelled, however, it is always pronounced Mackinaw!　

At the end of the waterfront we came to the Mackinac Point Light Station which was in operation from 1890 until 1957. The lighthouse is located within Michilimackinac State Park, just a few hundred feet east of the Mackinac Bridge. It’s a beautiful state park with picnic tables and benches. We followed the path down to the water and over to “Old Mackinac Point“. From here you have great views of the bridge and the Mackinac Straits. It’s a popular place for watching sunsets.

Behind us was the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. German-born John Peter Schmitt and his crew built Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse in 1892. Its light guided ships on the Straits of Mackinac for 66 years. Its steam-powered horn steered ships clear from shore in fog and darkness. Lighthouses were extremely important (and still are) in this area to keep the ships safe in the heavy fog and storms as they pass through one Great Lake and into another. "Old Mackinac Point is one of Mackinaw City's oldest original buildings that maintains its original late 19th century castle-like architectural integrity.

Time to head home for dinner and sunset viewing from our campsite. We are really excited about going to the Island tomorrow.