Fort Macinac on Mackinac Island

View of the Mackinac Island harbor from the walk up to Fort Mackinac.

Mackinac Island's business district along the waterfront. The town bustles with activity during the more temperate non-winter months, however only 600 or so hardy souls live there year round due to the hard winters. Although it has not happened in the past five or six years, the lake will freeze over in cold winters allowing residents to ride sleighs to the mainland.

Fort Mackinac blockhouse

A view of the harbor lighthouse from Fort Mackinac.

The Fort flies the United States flag today, but it was hotly contested by the British, French, and Americans in the 1800s. Beautiful sky.

The Fort's main entrance was eash to defend -- entry was through a tunnel in the cliff face at the white area in the lower right portion of the picture. The walkway leading to the tunnel was in full view of the cannon at the rear of the picture.

The main street in the business district. Transoprtation on the island is by bicycle or horse drawn carriage - no vehicles in sight (although we understand a few are on the island for emergencies).

One of our day trips from St Ignace, the town in which we camped while in the Mackinac Island area, was to the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, MI. The locks enable ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes. Prior to the advent of the locks, ships had to be portaged from Lake Superior, greatly inhibiting the flow of raw materials mined along its shores.

The ship in the lock to the right is being locked up from Lake Huron to Lake Superior. Note the height of the ship in the lock for reference as you look at the next pictures.

If I recall correctly, at its height over 300 great lakes freighters carried freight between ports on the great lakes. Today fewer than 150 are active.

The ship is the Arthur S. Anderson, a 748' long great lakes freighter. She was the closest ship to the Edmund Fitzgerald when she sank in 1975 with a loss of all hands. The Arthur S. Anderon was unable to rescue any of the crew. The Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck was memorilaized in song by Gordon Lightfoot.

Watch the tour boat be locked through, and note the difference in water levels between Lake Superior and Lake Huron.

Jan catches up on news at the St Ignace city pier while we wait for July 4th fireworks.

Taquamenon Falls

Jan and a new friend.

90 steps down to the falls viewing platform, and 90 steps back up. Jan made them all.

Jan feeds a bear cub at the Osborne Bear Ranch. The ranch specializes in rescuing and caring for bears that cannot live in the wild.

Bill is normally fearless, but kept a respectful distance from the cub's claws.

Whitefish Point is known as the Graveyard of Ships as more vessels have been lost here than in any other part of the lake. Hundreds of vessels, including the famed Edmund Fitzgerald, lie on the bottom of the bay and the approaches. The lighthouse marks the end of an 80 mile stretch of shoreline known as Lake Superior's Shipwreck Coast. This light has shined onto the big lake for over 150 years except for the night when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down.

For more about Whitefish Point see http://www.exploringthenorth.com/whitefish/whitefish.html

The museum displayed information on notable ship sinkings in the vicinity of Whitefish Point.

The Edmund Fitzgerald's bell. It was raised from the ship and replaced with a replica on which is engraved the names of the 29 crew members who perished when she sank.

A lighthouse light. The exhibit illustrates how its prisms are able to magnify a low power light so it can be seen for miles.

The lighthouse keeper's kitchen.

This stove is like the one Jan's family used when she was young.

The beige structure was the original lighthouse.

Jan (left) at the top of the lighthouse.

A lifeboat used to rescue crew from sinking ships. Nicely built.

Ian and Andrew, we liked the great lakes freighter built from Leggos. The picture of the Edmund Fitzgerald hanging on the wall was taken from a small craft crossing its stern not too long before she sank.

One of our campsites.

Pictured Rocks is named for its colorful sandstone cliffs that have been stained by minerals in the rainwater leaching through the ground.

Miners' Castle from the top of the cliff.

We toured the cliffs from the water in a tour boat like the one in the background.

A retired lighthouse.

Another new friend.

Sunset Bay on the Keweenah Peninsula. The Keweenaw Peninsula is the northernmost part of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Our campsite at Sunset Bay RV Resort & Campground.

The shore consists of small smooth rock like the ones we brought Ian and Andrew. The various colors are caused by the minerals in the rock.

Lukonich started Sunset Bay RV Resort & Campground in 1944. It is one of the oldest continuously operating campgrounds in the Michigan's Upper Peninsula. I loved the place but Jan was only lukewarm due to its isolation.

Historical marker describing the taming of the Upper Mississippi River. The marker was located close to Dam 7 on the Great River Road in Minnesota.

Mississippi River Lock and Dam No. 8 is located near Genoa, Wisconsin on the Upper Mississippi River.

For more about our visit to Decorah Iowa and the Decorah eagles, see the companion photo album.

Mississippi River Lock and Dam No. 10 is located in Guttenberg, Iowa on the Upper Mississippi River.

More of Jan's new friends.

Chicago's waterfront on the south side of the city near the Museum of Science and Industry.

Looking north to the Chicago skyline.

Chicago History Museum

Lincoln Park's Formal Gardens

Jan and the Von Schiller Monument in Lincoln Park. Jan is the one who does not have a pigeon sitting on her head.

Lincoln Park Conservatory

Lincoln Park's Bates Fountain

Lincoln Park's Alfred Caldwell Lily Pool

Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. This is the International Space Station display.

Chick incubator and its newly hatched chicks.

The Science and Industry Museum's farming display.

Won't Ian and Andrew be proud!!

Science and Industry Museum's Transportation display.

Bill being watched over by the railroad engineer on the engine in the previous picture.

A diorama depicting the rail linkage between Chicago and Seattle Washington. Very nice. Here trains approach the mountains of Montan, Idaho, and Washington State.

Diorama depiction of rail construction through the mountains.

Diorama depiction of Seattle. ...

... and Chicago.

An exhibit designed to teach about formation of tornados.

Chicago's skyline from the Navy Pier.

One of our campsites in Illinois Beach State Park in Zion Illinois.

A peaceful conclusion to a wonderful trip.