St. Ignace, MI

The drive to St Ignace was supposed to be easy and it was. We left Frankenmuth about 9:30 AM and the first stop was for fuel at the I-75 intersection. Gasoline was on the east side and diesel was on the west side of the interstate. Larry and Mem went west and we stayed on the east side. Fortunately, we finished about the same time and met at the I-75 northbound ramp.

St Ignace is 210-miles from Frankenmuth via I-75. The highway passes through some uninhabited areas as it snakes its way through forests and widely dispersed small communities. We enjoyed another sunny and warm day. The wind increased intensity as we moved north and the coach was buffeted occasionally from the driver’s side. The Mackinac Bridge (“Mighty Mac”) awaited us just south of St Ignace.

The bridge is phenomenal! It is five miles long and crosses the Mackinac Straits connecting the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan. We were required to cross at 20 MPH because of the cross-wind. Later we learned that the bridge opened November 1, 1957 and that it is the third longest suspension bridge in the world. The straits connect Lake Michigan and Lake Huron both very impressive bodies of water.

Our campground has the unusual name of “Tiki” which seems strange for the Upper Peninsula. The campground is not among the best or worse we have seen, and we can accept its shortcomings for one night. Tomorrow we will journey west to Munising, MI.