Mackinaw City, Michigan.

Nicknamed The Mighty Mac, the bridge connecting Mackinaw City to St. Ignace Michigan over the Straits of Mackinac is the fifth longest suspension bridge in the world. According to the Mackinac Bridge Authority website, the bridge is also the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere.

A wealth of bridge information is on the website. Construction details and a complete history of the bridge can be found here. The bridge opened to traffic in 1957 and is about 5 miles long (26,372 ft or 8,038 m). The suspension bridge section, including the anchors, is 8,614 ft (2,625 m). For those who are really detail-conscious, check that link. You’ll find other facts there including the exact number of rivets and bolts used in construction. Those numbers are almost 5 million, and over one million, respectively.

Near the southern end of the bridge at Mackinaw City, a museum featuring the Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse (part of Fort Michilimackinac State Park) is a worthy visit. The lighthouse museum closes each winter but it will reopen on May 11, 2023. I featured a couple of views of this lighthouse in a photo challenge here.

About the photo: This panoramic image was created by joining two photos from my Samsung S20U cellphone via Adobe Lightroom. After basic edits there, the image was exported to Luminar Neo for further processing. To view the photo in 2K HD via my Flickr site, click on the image.

I encourage fellow bloggers to create their own Cellpic Sunday posts. I never have a specific topic for this feature, and the only rules are that the photo must be captured with a cell phone, iPad, or another mobile device… If you have an image from a drone or even a dashcam, that’s acceptable as well. The second rule is to link your challenge response to this post or leave a comment here with a link to your post in the comment. Oh, and, you don’t have to post it on a Sunday.

John Steiner

More than a decade ago, I had occasion to visit friends while they were visiting the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It was my first trip to the Mitten State (so named because the southern portion looks roughly like the shape of a mitten on a map). The above image is a view of the Ottawa National Forest from Copper Peak.

Surrounded by four of the Great Lakes, Michigan is home to some unique landscapes. Mackinac island and Isle Royale National Park to name only a couple of scenic places.

At the western edge of the Upper Peninsula, the Black River meanders through the Ottawa National Forest before finding its way to the largest of the great lakes, Lake Superior. There, at Black River Harbor you will find a campground and plenty of parking for boat trailers. A public ramp is available for launching most any boat trailered to the harbor. From there, it’s a very short distance past the breakwater and into Lake Superior. In my research for this article, I discovered that the Black River Harbor is in the midst of a major reconstruction project. Camping is closed for the 2015 season and there will be no water available due to the rebuilding of the harbor’s water system. More details here. Please plan accordingly.

One of the nearby attractions is a ski jump at Copper Peak. The artificial ski jump is the largest in the world. The opening shot in this post was taken from the top of the jump.  Originally built and used in competition in 1970, the last competitions were held in 1994. The upper observation platform is 1782 feet above sea level and 1180 feet above Lake Superior.

Amazingly, the structure was open to climb the stairs to look down from the top. If i wasn’t supposed to be up there, I’m sure the statute of limitations has expired. Besides, this picture was taken by a friend who’s name I forgot. Unused for many years, the jump is being refurbished and readied for competition again. Today, visitors to Copper Peak can ride a ski lift up the hill and ride the 18-story elevator to the main observation deck. From there, it’s only another 8 stories to the top starting gate. The Adventure Ride is open on a varying schedule from mid-May to mid-October. Check their website for latest dates and hours of operation here.

Another view from the top of the ski jump features a fire watch tower and other National Forest facilities. The view from the top is a 360-degree expanse that, on a clear day, provides a glimpse of our Canadian neighbor to the north. The Ottawa National Forest consists of nearly a million acres (4046 sq. km), and is a spectacular place to visit in the fall when the leaves are turning. The rolling hills, lakes and rivers provide plenty of opportunity for wildlife photography as well. You can find out more about the Ottawa National Forest here.

Looking up from the base of the jump gives one a perspective of the sheer height of the competition ski-jump. As of this writing, the adventure ride is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.