The last couple of days have been filled with chores (laundry, groceries, some business stuff for Steve). While each day did not warrant its own blog post, the images of Michigan are worth sharing.

Michigan has 103 state parks covering over 300,000 acres of public land. Finding a campsite for the evening wasn't hard especially this time of year. Indian Lake State Park is 567-acres of beauty. The lake is 6 miles long and 3 miles wide making it the fourth-largest inland lake in the Upper Peninsula. Our spot was just to the left of the steps leading up from the lake.

The location provided us with a sunset view that was spectacular.

We then found ourselves traveling along another lakeshore. This time we're on the Lake Huron Circle Tour, a scenic 1,059-mile road trip route that travels around Lake Huron through Michigan and Ontario. Again, we're staying in the USA.

Our home port for two nights is St. Ignace. It is where we will embark on our ferry to Mackinac Island tomorrow. In the meantime, its scenic boardwalk gave us ample views to ogle while strolling its shoreline.

It  was here, too, where we were able to learn some local history. On display was a Mackinaw boat. These unique vessels were versatile, double-ended workboats developed in the Straits of Mackinac during the early 19th century, serving as the essential "pickup trucks" of the upper Great Lakes for over a hundred years. Prominent French-Canadian boatbuilder Hyacinth Chenier, who moved to St. Ignace in the 1830s, is heavily associated with standardizing the traditional Mackinaw design, building notable vessels like the Wabesi in 1845. Wide at the waterline but narrow at the bottom with a shallow draft, these were fast, remarkably seaworthy, and stable in rough Great Lakes waters.

No visit to this area is complete without at least thinking about fudge, a staple here since 1887. Newton Jerome (“Rome”) Murdick and his wife, Sara, developed and perfected the recipes and process of cooking fudge in copper kettles, pouring the fudge onto marble slabs to quickly cool, and then gently folding the fudge until it set. This process allowed for a very smooth and creamy concoction. It also was very theatrical and the tourists ate it up.

Everywhere we go, it seems, we are one step ahead of the "Closed for the Season!" signs. We're hopeful that we continue our success.

Michigan is dotted with signs like this. I appreciate it when we can slow down and read what's inscribed, "July 31, 1923 marked the beginning of a Straits ferry system, when the converted river boat “Ariel,” landed 20 autos at the St. Ignace center. Annual traffic increased to about one million cars, requiring 470 employees, new docks and a fleet of larger boats – the Vacationland, ice-breaker of 150 car capacity being specially built."

It was 45 years earlier when commercial passenger and visitor transit service to Mackinac Island began (1878). Up until then, island-goers had to find, and pay, a local willing to transport them. Originally it was in birch bark canoes, then in other larger private vessels. We are very excited for tomorrow's high speed, 5 mile trip across the Straits of Mackinac.

Our home was right on the boardwalk, overlooking those amazing Straits.

St. Ignace is the second-oldest European-founded city in Michigan, with a rich heritage rooted in Indigenous culture, the French fur trade, and pivotal Great Lakes transportation. I think we chose well for our two nights on Lake Huron. Here's to the adventure.