Vacation Day 1: Super Spooky Mackinac Bridge & Seney Wildlife Refuge

After a night of horrible storms, I, along with cousins Mike and Alyssa, left for 5 days of fun in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Wednesday, June 22. We finally hit the road about 10am  as I wanted to stay ahead of the next (even worse) round of storms expected that afternoon. The sky that morning and early afternoon was quite bleak, very overcast and occasionally little spits of raindrops. Traffic flowed quite nicely and everyone enjoyed playing our favorite car game, "Rubberneckers", its a card game based on getting points for spotting things such as a smokestack, certain licence plates, swimming pools, bikes,etc. It's really pretty fun, especially when you have to make gestures, like thumbs up or ok sign, at other cars and get them to acknowledge you....so if you see a car full of folks trying to get your attention while making odd gestures...please, wave at them or do the gesture back....we're not weird, just having fun! Just so you know, I don't hold my own cards while driving...I just act as a "helper" to the player in the front seat...trying to spot items for them.

The trip was just going ducky, and even though I was pretty sure I conquered my fear of driving on the Mackinac Bridge last year, I had made up my mind that if the weather was severe, I would pull off at the exit and call for an escort (a really nice local person who will drive your car across the big scary bridge for you). But, the weather SEEMED acceptable, no rain or strong winds. So, I figured it would be a pleasant, but cloudy ride to St. Ignace. As soon as we passed the point of no return, I saw the sign about poor weather conditions on the bridge that were being monitored. Uh oh. So I turned the radio onto the "bridge station" as they warned of unusual wind currents and dense fog in the Straits of Mackinac and that they were closely monitoring the situation from multiple points along the bridge. Really, I had NO indication prior to this that I was in for a 5 mile white-knuckle drive!

Mike was in the front seat and held my camera and decided to document our 5 mile drive of....well, for me terror, for them..well, they didn't seem to upset about it, but the car was PRETTY QUIET , except for my hyperventilating and occasional muttering certain words that I will not repeat here! So normally at this point, you have a glorious view of the magnificent suspension bridge connecting the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan.....Looks like just another foggy road...so I figured I would DEFINITELY choose the inside lane, farther from the edge.... 

I can honestly say, that in all my

 years of going up north as a child,

 even in November, I have NEVER

 seen the bridge like this!

It was sooooo spooky!

 Signs were posted, and the radio warned, not to exceed 20 mph!

 Well, not too long after starting across, I realized that the inner lane has grating, not solid pavement. The wind currents were coming up through those grates and causing my Durango to actually "wiggle" and sway! I REALLY did NOT like what those winds were doing to my vehicle! So, I VERY cautiously eased into the outside lane where there was normal pavement! Visibility was maybe only 3 or 4 car lengths at best, and the kids did comment that they couldn't even see the water only a few hundred feet below! To say that I was quite relieved when we reached St. Ignace is an understatement!

We stopped at a few turnouts on Hwy. 2, it was mid-afternoon but we could hardly see a thing. But it was a good leg-stretcher nonetheless. I felt sorry for the freighter I spotted out in Lake Michigan. How eerie for them as well.  

Finally, about 5pm we reached Seney National Wildlife Refuge. I had planned on stopping here last year on my way to Isle Royale, but a late start put the kibosh on that. We checked out the visitor center, normally closed it was open late because it was Wildlife Wednesday! In another hour and a half, they would load up a bus, and take folks on a 2 & 1/2 hour foray deep into the heart of Seney NWR that cars (and most people) simply are not allowed! We thought about this, but we still had to travel to Grand Marais and I was reminded that we had picked up perishables nearly 2 hours ago, that were in the cooler. So, we wisely declined, but did choose to do the 7 mile auto route through the refuge.

There was a nice short hiking trail just beyond the parking lot, and a family of  Canadian geese seemed to be leading us down the trail!

When they reached their departing point,

 we also decided to head back to the safety of the car....we were being eaten alive my mosquitoes and the insect repellent was packed away!

Driving along the wooded paths, we didn't see too many mammals....a few chipmunks and we did spot a few muskrats swimming.

We mainly saw birds! Which was quite a delight to me! we had to stop the car while we had a "standoff" with these two Sandhill Cranes! After about 5 minutes of them going nowhere, I gently eased the car up a few feet, that resulted in a GREAT deal of squawking from them, I definitely had invaded their territory! But being a one way street, I had no option, they eventually flew off.

We saw dozens and dozens of loons! I was hoping one would "speak" to us, so that Mike and Alyssa could hear their lonely call, but no luck on that one. We were also fortunate enough to see several nesting Trumpeter Swans, Ring Necked  Ducks, a Northern Flicker, an Osprey and even a Bald Eagle sitting on the top left branch of a dead tree near its' nest!

 

It was just after 8 pm and we really had to get on the road! Not 5 miles out of the refuge, I see a car heading south pulled over and the occupants looking deep into the woods. This can only mean 1 thing...something interesting. So, I backed up and inquired as to the nature of their excitedness.....a black bear had JUST sauntered across the road, right in front of them! I scanned the thick brush for movement or noise, but no suck luck. It was a "nature moment" that they will treasure forever! I just wished I had got there to see it too!