Mackinaw or Mackinac? Either way, a great place!

Wednesday, 5 June 2013.  We left our campground in Milan, MI, around 9:30am, quickly picked up US Route 23, and headed north toward Ann Arbor.  US Route 23 is virtually in interstate condition in this part of Michigan, a four-lane divided highway with limited access and periodic rest stops. We took I-475 around Flint, MI, and finally picked up I-75 in Saginaw.  That meant we were very close to Saginaw Bay, part of Lake Huron.  We followed Saginaw Bay for several miles before heading northwest into the center of Michigan's Lower Peninsula.  I-75 finally straightened out and began an almost "due north" direction toward our destination for today -- and for the next few days -- Mackinaw City.  We finally reached Mackinaw City by mid-afternoon and found our campground, Mackinaw Mill Creek Camping, just a few miles south on SR 23. Fellow campers in South Carolina this past winter -- who hail from Michigan -- highly recommended this campground for our stay in this part of the state.  The campground is situated right on Lake Huron with a beautiful view of the Mackinac Straits suspension bridge.  With over 800 sites for tent camping, trailers, 5th-wheels or big rigs like ours, this campground is an ideal place to stay for a few days while visiting this part of Michigan.  Here's a couple snapshots of our campsite, which, BTW, was quite large by the campground standards we've been using during our travels.

The cabin behind us is a rental unit; the campground has several cabins to rent of various sizes.

A head-on view of LynDenHaus at our campsite.

And a view from the other side.  Turned out to be a nice quiet campsite.

An aerial view of the campground with a view of the Mackinac Straits and suspension bridge in the background.  Mackinaw City is to the left on the bridge, and St. Ignace to the right.

After getting our campsite all set up, we decided to drive into Mackinaw City and check out this small village and try our luck for dinner.  One note: some of you may notice I'm spelling this area two different ways; Mackinaw and Mackinac.  Both are correct and pronounced the same way with the ending as "naw."  The French were here first and named the area Mackinac.  When the British arrived, they heard "Mackinaw" since the "c" in the French version is silent. Thus, both spellings are correct and the words are pronounced exactly alike.  Mackinaw City is certainly geared for tourists with several different businesses offering any number of boating and ferry options, such as a lighthouse tour or ferry rides over to Mackinac Island and other destinations both in Lake Huron and Lake Michigan.  We spotted several fudge shops (more on this later) as well as three different wine shops offering tastings; we stopped in at one later during our stay and bought a couple bottles.  Quite nice, I must say.  For dinner, after spotting several possibilities, we opted for the Dixie Saloon in the center of town and situated just off the waterfront.  And was it ever busy!  Must be a popular place.  Lynette ordered their "Basket O' Shrimp" and a glass of Pinot Grigio, while I opted for their #1 best seller, the Fish & Chips using cod, washed down with a local brew.  Excellent chow and a great beginning to our stay in the Mackinaw City, the gateway to Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

The Dixie Saloon in Mackinaw City, Michigan