The second leg of our 11 day road trip lead us to Mackinaw City, Michigan to go camping with some of Zach’s family. After leaving my parent’s house, we drove to Bridgeport, MI and stayed at his Dad’s house for the night and then took the scenic route along the coast to Mackinaw City.
Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground
We stayed at Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground and it is probably the largest campground I’ve ever been to. It sits right on the shore of Lake Huron and has lots to offer. Hundreds of campsites, cabins, a large camp store, bike rentals, pool, beach, free shuttle to the Mackinac Island Ferry and more.
Due to some planning by Zach’s cousin, we were able to get sites all together and only one row from the water. So I’d say we had prime spots. There was plenty of space to set everything up and trees to separate each site, so you didn’t feel like you were right on top of each other.
Mackinac Island
The one thing on my to do list while we were there was visiting Mackinac Island. I had never been, but I had heard so many good things about the island. One of the benefits of this campground was a free shuttle to the ferry to the island.
On our first full day in Mackinaw City, we decided to take the trip to the island. One of the cool things about Mackinac Island is no motor vehicles, so you can take your own bicycle on the ferry or rent one once you are on the island. Zach had brought his bike with him on the trip and the rest of us rented bikes when we got off the ferry.
I can honestly say that I’ve never seen so many bicycles in one place in my life. It is quite the scene to take in all the streets lines with bicycles. There is one main road around the edge of the island and then one that goes up over the middle of the island.
Our Bike Excursion
The funny part of the bike excursion around the island is that Zach’s mom had told us about one of her visits as a kid and her dad had insisted on going through the middle of the island and not around, so the whole family was exhausted from the bike ride because taking the middle means a whole lot of uphill pedaling. While we were determined to not make the same mistake, we got about a quarter of the way around the island and found out that a section of the road was closed for repairs, so we either had to head back the way we came or go over the middle.
I overheat very easy, so I tried to pace myself when it came to the uphill section. I did end up getting overheated, but I would still say that taking the middle road was worth it. It takes you by the airport at the top of the island that is full of private jets and we stopped to watch a couple take off. It also takes you by Fort Mackinac. The view of the town from the top of the island is also spectacular.
Mail delivery on the island is also a sight to see. There are horses pulling wagons through town that have boxes from Amazon, Chewy and every other company you can think of. Before we left the island, we stopped in some of the cute little shops, looked for some souvenirs and yummy treats.
Camping & Time with Family
The rest of our time camping was spent catching up with Zach’s family. Saturday was beach day, so we staked out some space on the beach, got out the paddleboards and snorkel gear and had a fantastic time. What might be my favorite part of Mackinaw City was the sunsets. They were incredible. There were also fireworks over the water 2 of the 3 nights of our stay.
This road trip was really a great experience, even with the mishaps. It gave us quality time to catch up with family and friends after a crazy 2020. It also allowed Zach and I to share some of our favorite places with each other. I can’t wait to see what 2022 has in store for our family and what places we will venture to.
If you missed out on the first leg of our road trip, you can read about it here.
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