In June of 2023, we spent an afternoon in St. Ignace and Mackinaw City. Our first stop was St. Ignace which is located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The 5-mile drive over the Mackinac Bridge (that connects the Upper and Lower Peninsulas) is usually picturesque with water views all around serving as a glistening backdrop to the tall towers of this famous suspension bridge. On this day, however, the visibility was very low. This was due to smoke that was blown this way from Canadian wildfires that had been raging for weeks hundreds of miles away. We could barely see the towers even from a short distance.
Once over the bridge, we stopped in at Manley’s Fish Market to grab a snack for lunch. The market had the look and feel of what you’d expect in a rustic, fish-town shack. The inside was tiny with room for only a few people and a large glass case that featured their signature smoked fish and dips. Scott had been craving whitefish dip so we picked up a tub of that along with some saltine crackers. They had three types of fish available on this day and we went with a hefty filet of smoked lake trout.
We drove a short distance to the St. Ignace Public Marina where they have a spacious dock with benches and picnic tables. There we settled in and spread out a blanket and our feast of delicacies. The dip and fish were delicious!
The sky was still a bit hazy but the visibility was much better compared to earlier. On one side of the dock is East Moran bay where we watched the ferry boats come and go. On the other side were sailboats and speed boats parked in rows of boat slips with the Wawatam Lighthouse a little further in the distance. After we were done with lunch, we took a short stroll down the street and browsed around a couple of the gift shops.
Before heading back to the Lower Peninsula, we stopped at Bridge View Park to see if we could get a glimpse of the bridge. We could see one tower and just a little bit of an outline of the second tower.
We drove back on the bridge into the Lower Peninsula to Mackinaw City. We didn’t have much planned but to walk the shopping area in the Village of Mackinaw City, although there is plenty more to do such as Fort Michilimackinac and the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse. It was getting a little warmer out so we cooled off with frozen drinks from Dairy Queen before walking the square shaped area.
I loved the eclectic decor and crammed shelves at Sign of the Loon Gifts. And Caitlin was in “ty” heaven at Sharky’s Mackinaw Outfitters. Among the multiple racks of stuffed animals she found a new “Zippy” for her stuffed animal collection. We came across a place called The Forge. It’s a blacksmith shop where you can make your own knives. The owner was a contestant on History Channel’s show “Forged In Fire”. We watched as a customer hammered away under the watchful eye of the instructor.
I don’t know the name but there’s a souvenir shop at the corner of Louvigny and W Straits street. I really wanted to go there because they have a good selection of quirky and unusual things. But unfortunately, they were closed. So instead, we went next door to the Fort Gift shop and Fudge shop. Caitlin found a snow globe to add to her collection and also posed for a picture in front of this life-sized stuffed bear.
There’s so much more to explore in St. Ignace and Mackinaw City. Here are links to help you plan your visit:
Thanks for stopping by! Have fun should you plan a visit to St. Ignace and Mackinaw City!
JoAnn’s journey as a parent and caregiver to an individual with disabilities started when her daughter was born pre-maturely with multiple health issues resulting in cognitive, physical and speech disabilities. Over the years, JoAnn discovered that recreation, travel and social experiences can bring happiness and relief to a life that is often stressful and frustrating. She loves to seek out adaptive, accessible and fun activities for her daughter and the whole family to enjoy. She started the blog www.OurSpecialFunOasis.com to share her uplifting stories and positive ideas to help and to inspire others.