Mackinaw City, MI


Our second and more exciting stop in the US was Mackinaw City.  The journey from Drummond Island to Mackinaw City didn't take on much excitement until we were playing dodgeball with the FAST transport ferries between Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island.  Wow, they throw quite a wake and do not care!! No pictures - we were just holding on.


Again, we like marinas with Captain's Lounges!


Wall décor in the marina office and Captain's Lounge. Always nice to be reminded of the tragedies at sea when you are cruising!!




I guess it is really difficult to get the cold Michigan water to heat up so they offer suggestions. I bet you have great water pressure in the shower when all the sink faucets are on!!



You guessed it, another ice cream shop!  Moose tracks is the flavor of the month!


Across the street from the marina was a cute village area with multiple t-shirt shops, fudge shops, popcorn shops, and ice cream shops.  


A mime amongst the shops.  The last one of these that we saw was in Ft Myers.


No, the dog isn't a mime.


We've been really impressed with Michigan so far. The water is crystal clear.


Fudge was huge here in every flavor imaginable.


This is the result of a really bad day! The granite in the area is unforgiving.


We toured the Icebreaker Mackinaw.  It is a USCG vessel known as the Queen of the Great Lakes.  She was built as part of the war effort during WWII to meet the demands of war material and transportation during the winter months. She was decommissioned in 2006 after 62 years of breaking ice on the Great Lakes and is now open for tours. By the way, she has an ice maker in the galley!




The are some of the items on display inside the ship. Above is a sample of the hull thickness and below a link from its anchor chain.



Below are details of the ship's propulsion system. There are three propellers; two protrude from the stern as is normal but the third is on a shaft sticking out from the bow of the boat. The forward prop (aside from propulsion) produces an air pocket into which the ice sheet sinks and is then crushed by the bow.


Even the U.S. Coast Guard has the Employee of the Quarter!


We meet again, howdy Viridian!!



Many of the communities that we've visited go to great lengths to create a vibrant downtown and public space. Mackinaw City is certainly no exception. The grounds are beautiful. Below is a reproduction van Gogh on permanent display in the park beside the marina.


Keyhole Bar & Grill 
Notice all the motel keys hanging from the shelf.  They were everywhere in the restaurant. Brought back hotel memories from the early 80's for Brent.


Parmesan Crusted Walleye - Yummm


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