Mackinac Island, MI to Petoskey, MI

We pass the Round Island Light, built in 1898. It lies on the west coast of Round Island within the shipping channel of The Straits of Mackinac. The Straits of Mackinac connect Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. This iconic lighthouse, often likened to a schoolhouse, along with Biddle Point on Mackinac Island, serves as the finish line for the Chicago Yacht Club’s annual Race to Mackinac, run since 1898.

We also pass by the Grand Hotel. Constructed in the late 19th century, it prides itself on having the world’s largest porch, measuring 600 ft. Unlike most porches however, one needs to pay $10 to sit on a porch rocker, unless you are a hotel guest, then you pay in another way ($550 for a Saturday night stay).

We head under the Mackinac Bridge which transverses the Straits of Mackinac, connecting the Lower Peninsula of Michigan at Mackinaw City to the upper peninsula of Michigan at St. Ignace. The bridge was opened in 1957 and is part of interstate I-75. There is a $4.00 toll to cross the bridge and no pedestrians or bikes are allowed. There has been two cars that have gone off the bridge, one by suicide and one by reckless driving. For those suffering from gephyrophobia, or the fear of bridges and tunnels, someone will drive you and your car over the bridge. Every year about 1,000 people use this service. As we approach closer to the bridge, the vehicles crossing the bridge do not appear to be cars.🤔

What are the chances that we cross under the bridge as the annual antique tractor parade over the Mackinac bridge is occurring? 1,105 tractors is the official tally of the participants in this year’s antique tractor parade from Mackinac City to St. Ignace.

We leave the tractors, Mackinac Bridge and Lake Huron in our wake and head into Lake Michigan.

We pass by Grays Reef Lighthouse. Standing at 65 ft. high, it was first lit in 1936. Since its automation in 1976, it is no longer manned but remains under the Coast Guard jurisdiction. For a couple days in July, the Coast Guard gives permission to the Chicago Yacht Club to use the station as an observation platform to monitor contestants’ progress in passing through the Grays Reef Passage during the annual Chicago to Mackinac Yacht Race.

We finally enter into the inlet at Petoskey. We see the break wall and the marina basin.

As we pass the break wall, we view lots of young boys jumping into the water. Although it is not illegal, it is definitely not recommended, as the water current and boat traffic in this area presents a very real danger to the jumpers. Despite this, it is promoted as one of top 70 things every Michigander should do. I will later see t-shirts in the local stores bearing the logo “I survived the jump”. Another reason I am happy to be an Ohioan. I don’t need to have this experience.😊

We arrive to our slip where we will stay for a few days. Petoskey is a quaint small town of roughly 5,900 residents. It sits on the shores of Little Traverse Bay. It is unique in its high concentration of ancient fossil coral, now named Petoskey stones, which also happens to be the state stone of Michigan. It boasts of a downtown consisting of 170 unique shops and restaurants in its famous gaslight shopping district.

However, during our visit to Petoskey, the good weather reign ended with rain and wind, limiting our experience of the famed gaslight shopping and dining. The infamous break wall failed to give us any break for several nights and Prime 11, and her crew, rocked and rolled. The only real activity we had was looking out our window, through the rain, to the fuel dock, at the end of our pier

Of course, the day we are scheduled to leave, the sun comes out. The dock master allows us to stay until late afternoon and we explore this charming town.

The rain has finally left and the sun is shining. But it is time, we think, to leave for our next destination. Telling time with this clock, a guess is all we can manage. Apparently, the clock is in the process of being repaired by the renowned Cincinnati clock company, Verdin, at a cost close to $50,000. Although there was dissent from one of the Petoskey council members for fixing the clock tower, citing that the technology is obsolete and the clock has lost its relevancy as people can look at their watches or cell phones, the majority felt the clock tower makes the city iconic and appeals to tourists. So, time for the clock has not run out…yet.

Our next stop is just a short cruise across Little Traverse Bay to Harbor Springs, MI.