Michigan Road Trip - Day 2 - June 12th

Michigan Road Trip - Day 2 - June 12th

Well, today was planned as a 'down' day as the forecast had shown rain for June 12th over the last two weeks whenever we checked. In fact, we nearly postponed the trip until later on in the month. However, we decided to go ahead and thought we could read in our hotel, go out for lunch, and then take in a movie on the one rainy day of the trip. 

When we woke this morning, the sky was overcast and the ground a little wet, but we decided to head out to explore a few towns in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Not only were we blessed with gradually improving weather (which blossomed into a perfect, cloudless, sunny day), but we were totally unprepared for the sheer beauty we would discover along the way. 

Crossing the magnificent Mackinac Bridge into the Lower Peninsula, we turned off to visit Mackinaw City - a lovely town with unique buildings and one-of-a-kind shops that lined both sides of the wide street. People here are so friendly, and will greet you in the street!

Gateway to Mackinaw Island

Tribute to a Soldier

We'd love to stay at this B & B!

The ONLY time I'll put my hand in a shark's mouth!

You never know what you're going to find among the irises!

Surprised to see 'The Canada Store'!

All Smiles!

Part of the Mackinaw Crossings Shopping Centre

The blossoms were breath-taking

From here, we opted for a route to Charlevoix that would follow the coast line as closely as possible. The first stop was a lighthouse at McGulpin Point. Although surrounded by trees, it has been relisted as a working lighthouse, using LED lighting. 

What really surprised us was that the coastal route took us through a scenic area called, 'The Tunnel of Trees', which was so aptly named. So many times, the canopies of both sides met over the top of the well-maintained, narrow roadway. (This is going to be a 'must return in the Fall' event for us!)

With the sun emerging, it was a resplendent sight with some very interesting homes dotted along the way; and all the time, we were accompanied by Lake Michigan on our right, shimmering in the same sunlight. We were so lucky to have stumbled upon this little gem of a route, and would thoroughly recommend it to anyone as an alternative to the highway. 'The road less traveled...' comes to mind!

I think this may be 'Indian Paintbrush' - but I was surprised to see them this far east. Am I right? 

As we were quite high up above the water level, we marveled at this mini 'funicular' that enabled the occupants of the home across the road to reach the beach area at the bottom of the cliff without the complication of climbing hundreds of steps. I bet they were grateful for the ascent after a refreshing swim!

Frolicking lambs added to the ambience of the surroundings

The route took us to the picturesque town of Harbor Springs. The approach affords terrific views of the town, and when you reach water level, it is a place that invites you to stay in order to appreciate. Unfortunately, we had to move on to reach Charlevoix before the Chamber of Commerce closed for the day. We needed a particular map from there which would give us the directions to our reason for traveling there. As we had stopped so many times along the way for photo-ops, we told ourselves that a return visit to Harbor Springs would also be added to our ever-growing bucket list. 

Finally, we reached our chosen destination - and were in time to pick up our map. Charlevoix is a superbly attractive town, positioned in between Lake Michigan, and the Round Lake, which leads into Lake Charlevoix. As such, it lends itself to continual clicking of the camera, with vista after vista. We had noticed how litter-free it had been along our journey - and this town was certainly no exception. People seem to really take pride in their town, and we remarked to each other about how the homes and gardens were so well-kept, and picture-perfect! We were pleased to be given the opportunity to express our appreciation to one person who was planting in her garden, and who stopped for a while to chat with us. 

These flower beds lined the roadway along the entrance to the town

Where the waters of Round Lake join Lake Michigan

Mark shows where we had our picnic lunch

After a picnic lunch by the harbour, we made our way to the Mushroom Houses, following the map we had obtained at the Chamber of Commerce. These homes were all constructed by Earl Young, who used large stones to create buildings that are reminiscent of the Hobbits of Middle Earth. We've just included a few pictures here, but will create a slide show to share the many pics we took of these pretty abodes. 

Having fulfilled another item on our wish-list (the Mushroom Homes), we began our return to St. Ignace, traveling along the South Arm of Lake Charlevoix, through East Jordan, Wolverine, and the I-75. 

Crossing the Mackinac Bridge back into the Upper Peninsula, we quickly visited a viewing spot to take some shots of the bridge, now bathed in the evening sunshine. 

Click the picture above to listen to an audio about facts and figures on the Mackinac Bridge (2:30 minutes)

It was a fitting end to another perfect day - in spite of the weather forecast! 

Looking forward to visiting Mackinaw Island tomorrow!