We crossed an imaginary line

I know that there is a subset of potential readers interested in this sort of thing, so, here is the view out our window this morning in Rhinelander.

Indeed, it was a splendid morning in the Home Depot parking lot.

Just in case anyone wasn't keeping track, here was the view out the window of our housing accommodations on the first morning of our last trip, 2012.

We had a long hard drive today, about 8 hours of driving.  This day, and another semi-daunting one scheduled for tomorrow are a result of my decision to come around Lake Michigan the long way.  The long way around is a long trip.

We drove most of the way across Wisconsin yesterday but we were still a long ways from where we were to where we needed to be by this evening.  We started off today on a two laner passing through lots and lots of small towns (and an indigenous people's nation) meaning we still had a couple of hours to get to the Wisconsin-Michigan state line.  At oddly enough a town called Norway, Michigan.  There was a Swedish  bakery.

From there it is a long, long haul across nearly  the entire Upper Peninsula.  The worst part was that we failed to realize that at some point along there we would cross an imaginary line and lose an hour.  I actually saw the small green informational sign along the side of the road informing us that we had entered the eastern time zone.  Oops, planning  had sort of skimmed over that one tiny detail. We had only intermittent cell phone service out there in the near wilderness but soon enough our cell phones informed us that they were no longer going to report the same time as that displayed on our wrist watches or on the trusty Toyota's dashboard clock.

Darn, this thing just got harder.

There were some pleasant parts, we bought gas in Hermansville from a guy who happily reported that he had been selling (and pumping) gas in that location for 48 years.  He was chubby and plump, a jolly old elf, lively and quick as he offered us the first full service gas station experience either of us have had for maybe 30 of those 48 years.  He self described himself as 77 years of age.

The scenery has lots of parts that are pretty pedestrian but there were also some very pretty bits and the last 35 miles or so into Mackinac City are very, very pretty.

We came this way because it seemed to me I had to add this thing to my list of civil engineering accomplishments that I have seen.

It is the suspension bridge at the Strait of Mackinac, a slightly less than 5 mile in width passage that separates Upper from Lower Michigan and Lake Huron from Lake Michigan.

We deviated from the toll paying lane and zoomed down the scenic bridge view lane.

Well, duh, I, like, guess so.  It is indeed a major accomplishment.

Longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere.

Nobody show that picture to Teri.

Later on that day on the Lower Peninsula.

So tonight we are in Bay City, Michigan.  Bay City is the birthplace of Madonna Louise Ciccone.  Many local residents believe that Paul Bunyan was based on an infamous lumberjack, Fabian "Sagninaw Joe" Fournier, who frequented the Bay City waterfront.  The second bit is, of course, completely not correct, Paul Bunyan is an advertising creation related to the Red River Lumber Company of Northwestern Minnesota.  The first bit is, of course, just Madge.

Tonight we have another iconic across the street business establishment but having lost an hour earlier on we are in Bay City too late for much in the way of photography.  I will try to get something in the morning.  By evening tomorrow we hope to be in a foreign country.