Crossing the Mackinac Bridge - St. Ignace to Mackinac

The Mackinac Bridge is a suspension bridge that spans the Straits of Mackinac, connecting the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of the State of Michigan. It is named after the Straits of Mackinac, which is the waterway that separates Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

Construction: The bridge construction began in 1954 and was completed in 1957. It was designed by engineer David B. Steinman and is considered an engineering marvel.

Length: The total length of the Mackinac Bridge is approximately 26,372 feet (8,038 meters), or approximately 5 miles. It is one of the longest suspension bridges in the world.

Design: The bridge consists of two main towers, each standing at a height of 552 feet (168 meters) above the water. The total length of the main span between the towers is 3,800 feet (1,158 meters).

Toll Bridge: The Mackinac Bridge is a toll bridge, and motorists are required to pay a toll when crossing the bridge. The toll helps fund the maintenance and operation of the bridge.

Importance: The bridge serves as a crucial transportation link, connecting the Upper Peninsula with the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It is a popular route for travelers and tourists, offering scenic views of the surrounding Great Lakes.

Annual Bridge Walk: On Labor Day, the Mackinac Bridge Authority organizes an annual event called the "Mackinac Bridge Walk." During this event, thousands of people walk across the bridge, starting from St. Ignace on the north end to Mackinaw City on the south end.

The Mackinac Bridge is not only an important transportation infrastructure but also a prominent symbol of Michigan. It has become an iconic landmark known for its beauty and engineering excellence.

SONG CREDIT GORDON LIGHTFOOT

"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is a song written and performed by Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. The song was released in 1976 and became one of Lightfoot's most popular and enduring compositions.

The song tells the tragic story of the sinking of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter that went down on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. The Edmund Fitzgerald was a large iron ore carrier and one of the largest ships on the Great Lakes at the time.

The ship was caught in a severe storm with hurricane-force winds and high waves. Despite efforts to reach safety, the Edmund Fitzgerald eventually sank, resulting in the loss of all 29 crew members on board. The exact cause of the sinking remains unknown.

Gordon Lightfoot's song, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," pays tribute to the crew members and captures the haunting and mysterious nature of the tragedy.

LYRICS

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy

With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty
That good ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early

The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland

And later that night when the ship's bell rang
Could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too
'Twas the witch of November come stealin'

The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashin'
When afternoon came, it was freezin' rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind

When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'
Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya
At seven PM, a main hatchway caved in
He said, fellas, it's been good to know ya

The captain wired in he had water comin' in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Does anyone know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searches all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her

They might have split up or they might have capsized
They may have broke deep and took water
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams
The islands and bays are for sportsmen

And farther below, Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the gales of November remembered

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral
The church bell chimed till it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early