Although @mrsbozz and I have camped for nearly the entire 15 years we have been married, I would have to say that our trips lately are a bit different than they used to be. It's not that we never went on adventures before, but our dog Jovi had a high amount of anxiety which specifically manifested in the form of separation anxiety.
While we assume she loved to camp with us, being left alone in the car or in the trailer at the campsite was never really an option. We did it a few times, but we could tell it took a toll on her. For that reason, many of our camping trips were spent just lounging around the campsite enjoying the surroundings. Still not a bad way to spend your weekend, but if you are camping with other people, it can be a bit of a downer for them.
As Jovi got older, she stopped coming on as many trips with us, and now that she is gone, although we miss her dearly, there is still a nice amount of freedom that comes with not having to worry about her anxiety. Make no mistake, I'd have her back in a heartbeat if I could, but getting out and exploring has its perks too.
On our recent trip to Mitchell State Park in Cadillac Michigan, I notice that we were going to be very close to a location they call the Little Mackinac Bridge. For as much of the state as I have explored as a youth with my family, I'm not even sure I have visited this location before today.
After @mrsbozz and I played a round of disc golf (more about that another day), I figured why not make the short 30 to 45 minute drive over to Mesick, MI to check out this engineering feat. The bridge spans the Manistee River in the north western portion of Michigan's lower peninsula. The Manistee River is actually one of the prettiest in the lower peninsula. I have always been impressed by it and wish there were more state park campgrounds along it's course.
I feel the same way about the Muskegon River too. It's just beautiful, wide, and decently deep.
We started at the north west portion of the Manistee River Trail and it was actually a bit hard to find. I didn't have my map handy and I wasn't sure where the trailhead started to get you to the bridge. There is a small parking area, but you can't actually see the bridge from that spot.
We got down to the water just as a large group of kayakers were passing by. I wish I could have gotten some shots of them, but they were around the bend and long gone by the time we got there.
The bridge was also a lot busier than I would have expected for a Saturday morning. Sure, the weather was amazing, so I shouldn't be shocked that so many people were out for a walk.
Really though, beyond the bridge, there isn't much else to see in this area. We basically just walked down to the bridge, walked across it, then turned around and walked back dodging all the people who were standing in the middle of the bridge looking at the river.
It always amazes me how many people have those hiking poles with them. We tend to make fun of them, but I am sure they serve a purpose and as we get older we might find ourselves also using them.
While not nearly as long as the actual Mackinac Bridge, the construction of the "Little Mac" is still quite impressive. There are a couple suspension foot bridges spread across Michigan, but I think each of them are unique in their own way. This one definitely has its own charms.
Ultimately, I'm glad we stopped to check this out, but as I said, if you find yourself in this area of the state, don't expect to spend a lot of time here. It's basically a 15 minute sightseeing run unless you plan on throwing a line in the water or standing on the bridge and taking in the surroundings for a while.
The bridge is right near a dam, so as you can see from the photo above, there are a number of powerlines around. In fact, one of the roads we had to go down to get to this part of the trail is also used by the power company to access their facility I think.
As we were leaving I took a couple more shots highlighting the engineering marvel of this bridge. You can see the turnbuckle that goes into the ground where the suspension cables are anchored. It's pretty impressive how much tension there must be on those cables and how deep they must be anchored to support the bridge.
As I said, if you get a chance to visit, it is definitely worth it and it really won't take up too much of your time. I definitely recommend it.
@mrsbozz and I still have at least one more trip this year before our season is finished. We might try to squeeze two in if we are lucky. I can't wait to share them with you.
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