Moving on to Frankenmuth MI

Week 5 starts today and its moving day, one of our least favorite times.  We had an excellent day. Perhaps we're getting the hang of this RV Thing.

Dale has not been looking forward to traversing the Mackinac Bridge, across the Straits of Mackinac and the entry into Lake Michigan.  It was completed in November 1957 and is only four lanes wide; no emergency lane or shoulder (eek!). By contrast, the Skyway Bridge, across the mouth of Tampa Bay, is six plus lanes wide (two lanes for traffic each way, an emergency outside lane each way and a narrow shoulder lane on the inside each way.  Mackinac Bridge, four fairly narrow lanes by today's standards - at least Dale's standards. He white knuckled it the whole way and kept muttering something that sounded like Jamey Johnson's song, "You Should Have Seen It In Color."  Something like, "If it looks like he was scared to death; just a husband trying take it all on his shoulder; you should have seen it in color."  You've heard the song, right?  It seems that his incentive was that there was a Starbucks just on the other side of the bridge - first stop in Lower Michigan.

Did you know that I-75 runs from Miami to Sault Ste Marie Michigan and the Canadian Border? Well, we realized that the Mackinac Bridge is on I-75 as we approached it.  Tampa is only 1,450 miles south.  GPS says that if we drove straight through we could be there by about 9 PM on Tuesday.  That ain't happening.

As we drove "down" I-75 South, we stopped to stock up on food, water and other necessities. Camping World has become a place we visit often.  They have everything to make the RV Experience memorable (and expensive).

We've stopped for the next three nights in Frankenmuth MI.  It's a southern suburb of Saginaw MI, on the shores of Lake Huron and home to the World's Largest Christmas Store, Bronner's Christmas Wonderland.  They claim it is 1.5 football fields of retail space.  Guess where we're going tomorrow and Tuesday?  Patti is certain to find at least one thing she can't live without.  Dale's more interested in a restaurant named Zehnders.  They are famous for their family style fried chicken.  He's excited.

We're settled into the Frankenmuth Jellystone RV Resort.  Yogi Bear says "Hey, Hey, Hey."  Sounds a little corny, but it is very nice.  And, home for the next three days.

219 miles today.  

Northern End of I-75

Approach to the
Mackinac Bridge

Where We've Been
the Past Four Weeks

#narrowbridge  #1450milestotampa  #bronnerschristmasstore  #zehndersfriedchicken