Mackinaw Bridge Labor Day Walk

So, on Labor Day we walked this bridge....

It's 5 miles long and 450+ feet tall.

So, why did we walk it?

25 years ago, my hubby and I spent our honeymoon on Mackinac Island. While we were waiting for the ferry, he was watching the making of the Mackinaw Bridge. I pulled him away before the movie had ended. He was fascinated with it still. So, when I found out that this year was the 60th anniversary of the bridge walk, I wanted to do it.

We did!

Thank you God, we did!

The forecast that morning was storms. There were gusts of wind up to 25 miles per hour. I wasn't sure what to do as I didn't want to show lack of faith in m prayers for nice weather, but the night before we bought emergency rain ponchos. Well, turns out when you have an emergency rain poncho, it doesn't rain.

The weather was perfect - cool breeze and only a few drops of rain toward the end of the walk.

It is estimated that it takes the normal walker 2 to 2 1/2 hours to complete the walk. We finished in about one hour 45 minutes. My son finished in less than 1 1/2 hours. He hurried on ahead and actually made it back to the hotel and was ready to take a shower before we returned.

The walk was really well set up, and the hotel we got couldn't have been better. We had a view of the bridge from our window, and it was so close to the finish line that we just walked around the corner and up a few blocks to get back.

In the morning, we walked about .7 of a mile to catch a shuttle (school bus) to take us to the St. Ignace side of the bridge to start the walk.

The whole experience was really cool.

Mackinaw or Mackinac? They Both Spell History, PE and Fun

There may be some confusion around the words Mackinac and Mackinaw - both places in Michigan.  They both mean the same, but one refers to the city and the other the island.  According to the official Mackinac Bridge site, the French pronounced it "aw", but they spelled it to end with an "ac".  When the British heard the "aw" pronunciation, they spelled it as it sounded.  The original meaning for Mackinac is great turtle, as the island was thought to be shaped like a turtle.

Last weekend, we had the privilege of showing the island to our three children.  It was amazing!  The kids were very excited, and now old enough to appreciate the island.

The day started with a ferry boat ride to the island, and we had to capture some pictures of the B&B where we stayed!

 When my husband and I got married, we spent part of our honeymoon on Mackinac Island.  For those unfamiliar with the island, it is a magical place where no cars are allowed, and there is a Grand luxurious hotel.  We did not stay at the Grand Hotel on our honeymoon.  We, instead, enjoyed a bed & breakfast called the Bay View Inn, right on the beach.  It was amazing.  When the last ferry boat of the day, filled with daily tourists, would leave; all we would hear is the clip clop of horse hooves on the streets.  What a delightful sound!

We took a carriage ride through the hilly portion of the island, and rode our bikes around the 8.3 mile edge by the seashore.

The kids kept up well, with the youngest in a bike trailer.  We ate at the same hotel where we ate on our honeymoon.

Words cannot describe how magical this place is.  And, among all of the magic, there is tons of history to be learned.  A British battle, the construction of the Grand Hotel which took around 90 days, with 600 workers (not all truly carpenters, but those who answered an ad for a high-paying job - so, some of the this Grand Hotel is actually crooked in structure).  There is a fort on top of the island, and the nation's second national park (following Yellowstone).

And, of course, Mackinac would not be the same without some of their famous fudge.