Thursday September 7, 2023 - Today we are going to do some meandering. We don't have a campground reservation because I was thinking we'd stay at the Kewadin Casino in St. Ignace. They have about 30 first come first serve sites with electric for $20 and it's only 10 minutes from there to the Mackinac Island ferry which we're planning to take tomorrow. It's a 2 hour drive from Bay Furnace to St. Ignace and we don't want to get there too early, so we have to find some fun things to do. Kev had talked to a guy, while pumping gas who recommended Kitch-iti-kipi in Palms Book State Park. He said there is a beautiful clear spring there with a viewing platform that the group takes turns wheeling out into the middle of the spring. After the spring we'll take the self guided tour of a fish hatchery and our final adventure of the day is a tour of the Seul Choix Lighthouse in Gulliver Michigan. But before leaving we will take a walk to see the Furnace that our campground, Bay Furnace is named for.
Bay Furnace was only used from 1870-1877 when it was abandoned after a fire. It then went into further disrepair until 1992 when the USDA forest service stabilized the structure
These furnaces were used to melt iron ore which would flow through channels into sand molds where it hardened into bars. These bars were called pigs because the rows of bars and channels looked like suckling piglets lying next to their mothers
These furnaces are located on the shores of Lake Superior. This was an ideal place because of the Munising protected harbor and large supply of trees in the area to fuel the furnaces. Iron was shipped from here on boats that crossed Lake Superior
Christmas, Michigan
We took a long slow drive to Kitch-iti-kipi on a gravel washboard covered road (google can find us some crazy routes!) It felt like we were back in Alaska
We made it to Kitch-iti-kipi
We had to wait a few minutes for the platform to make it's way back across the spring
This was the view in the middle of the platform
We saw some Walleye and Pike swim by
Here's the wheel that people took turns with, to move the platform out and back
The next group is headed out behind us
The Thompson State Fish Hatchery in Manastique had a nice self guided tour
We only saw the Manastique lighthouse from afar
The Seul Choix lighthouse in Gulliver Michigan
The historical society had rescued the property from deteriorating and had set up the house as a museum. 3 families (up to 16 people) lived in the light house residence (which originally had only 3 bedrooms).
The kitchen was shared by all that lived there
We got to climb the 96 steps to the top of the lighthouse
It was a beautiful 360 degree view of Lake Michigan. The lighthouse is still in use, but the light has been replaced with the electric light, seen here
Tiny and Lep are waiting in the parking lot
One of the lighthouse keepers' sons made a bird house that is a replica of the lighthouse and residence
Aunt Gerry is looking for pirates
headed down
The old lighthouse light
The lighthouse is peeking over the lighthouse residence
I love the line of clouds behind the lighthouse
lighthouse and birdhouse
Friday September 8, 2023 - We took the 10:15 Shepler Ferry to Mackinac Island. The ferry made a 10 minute detour under the Mackinac Bridge and it was fun to get some nice photos of the bridge from the lake. This bridge spans the Mackinac Strait which connects Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, so now we've seen 3 of the Great Lakes on this trip (but we've only gone swimming in Lake Superior!) I had heard that cars were banned on Mackinac Island but didn't understand that that meant they used horses to move things around on the island. It was pretty strange to see horse-drawn wagons full of luggage and horse taxis taking people from place to place. And this also meant of course that there were LOTS of bikes. No electric bikes are allowed on the ferry and the bike rentals will only rent an electric bike to someone with a disability that makes an E-bike a necessity. We had brought a picnic lunch which we enjoyed with the view at Windmere Point. We spent a few hours walking around downtown shopping and having ice cream and fudge. There were quite a few fudge shops.
There's the Mackinac Bridge
View from under the bridge
The Mackinac Bridge is 5 miles long
Mirabelle wasn't sure what to think of the ferry ride
The Grand Hotel
Lots of flowers
Lighthouse view from Windmere Point
Such a pretty fence
Another lighthouse view
wooden sidewalks
lunch with a view
I loved the flowers growing in the bike rack
A Grand Hotel carriage
the roads are filled with bikers and parked bikes
and horse taxis
and horses pulling wagons with supplies
Traffic on Mackinac Island
Marquette Park with Fort Mackinac on the hill above it. The fort was built by the British during the Revolutionary War. And it was captured by the British during the War of 1812.
more flowers
Kevin among the dahlias
The lighthouse from the ferry
Mackinac Bridge in the distance
It was windy on top of the ferry!
Our drive over the Mackinac bridge to Petosky
Dinner at the Petosky Brew Pub. Kev and Uncle Gene loved the Oktoberfest
Our sites at Petosky State Park
Last campfire of the trip
2-fisted drinker
Saturday September 9, 2023 - We took the bike trail out of Petosky State Park this morning and walked about a half mile to a bagel shop. The walk had some nice views of Lake Michigan and it was nice to have a bagel for breakfast. In the afternoon we hung out on the State Park beach and looked for Petosky stones, which are a specific type of fossilized coral. We all found a few Petosky stones (as well as lots of other favorites).
View of Lake Michigan from the bike trail
An afternoon game of corn hole
It was a short walk from our campsites to the beach
the beach has sand
and lots of rocks
Kev's looking for Petosky stones
I lined up my faves
The Petosky stones are easiest to spot when they are wet. It's back-breaking work!
Kev found this really nice Petosky stone. We will sand it and spray it with polyurethane when we get home
people leave painted rocks at this entrance to the beach
Sunday September 10, 2023 - Aunt Gerry and Uncle Gene are headed home this morning. We have one more night at Petosky before heading to my Mom's for a few days before going home. We drove to Boyne to check out the ski mountain there and then walked around Boyne City and Charlevoix. Both are cute typical Michigan lake towns. It'll be a 7 hour drive to Sebring tomorrow.
We walked down to the beach before sunrise to do some stargazing, but it was a foggy morning
Boyne City is on the southern tip of Lake Charlevoix
The town of Charlevoix is on Round Lake which connects Lake Charlevoix with Lake Michigan
Charlevoix had a pretty downtown
We of course walked out to the Charlevoix lighthouse
The Charlevoix drawbridge
The drawbridge opens on the hour and half hour for larger boats going to and from Lake Michigan
