The Mackinac Bridge takes center stage on Labor Day
September 3, 2012
Bridge at Twilight 1562-12, photo by StacyN – MichiganMoments
Right now thousands of people are participating in the Mackinac Bridge Walk, an Michigan tradition that began on Labor Day of 1958 and has continued every year since then. While just 68 people made that first walk, it now averages over 50,000 people. You can tune in for some shots from the Mackinac Bridge Cam and see one from this morning on the Michigan in Pictures Facebook.
If you’d like a little Labor Day reading, I heartily recommend How Labor Won Its Day from the Detroit News Rearview Mirror.
See Stacy’s photo bigger and see some more cool shots of this Michigan icon in her Mackinac Bridge slideshow.
Much (much) more about the Mackinac Bridge on Michigan in Pictures!
rolling fog at the mackinac bridge
December 21, 2010
rolling fog, photo by Through My Eyes. [nicole wamsley]. astra_amara.
Much more of Mackinac and the Mackinac Bridge on Michigan in Pictures.
Check this out bigger in Nicole’s if by sea… slideshow.
Mackinac Bridge Sunset
December 4, 2010
Mackinac Bridge Sunset, photo by GLASman1.
From high above the Straits of Mackinac…
Check it out background big and in Mark’s slideshow.
More Michigan aerial photographs from Michigan in Pictures.
2010 Labor Day Mackinac Bridge Walk
September 2, 2010
Mackinac Bridge Walk, photo by mackinacbridgerun
Every year, thousands of people come to the Mackinac Bridge on the morning of Labor Day for the annual Mackinac Bridge Walk. They’ll do it again at the 53rd annual walk on Monday, September 6, 2010 from 7-11 AM.
Get all the history of the Mackinac Bridge Walk from Michigan in Pictures and click that button for tons more info on the Mackinac Bridge.
View the photo larger in mackinacbridgerun’s slideshow.
High Speed Internet – the new Mackinac Bridge?
June 4, 2010
Mackinac Bridge…..I-75, photo by bitsorf.
In this week’s Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce e-News, Laura Oblinger wrote :
In 1957, the Mackinac Bridge connected the state to new economic and social opportunities. More than a half-century later, high-speed Internet service (broadband) can have a similar impact by connecting all regional businesses to the global marketplace. Statewide broadband deployment is projected to result in a $400 billion increase in the state’s gross state product over 10 years.
If tourists can remain connected to their work, it could mean an additional $52 million to the Traverse City area economy due to stays being extended by just two days.
You can check out the Chamber’s Regional Broadband Initiative page and learn a lot more about Michigan’s Broadband Initiatives and even check connectivity across the state through Connect Michigan.
Check this out bigger!
Much more about the Mighty Mackinac Bridge from Michigan in Pictures!
Before the Mackinac Bridge: City of Munising
November 21, 2009
Mackinac MI UP Great Lakes Passenger and Auto Ferry City of Munising connecting Mackinaw City and St Ignace before the Mackinaw Bridge was built, photo by UpNorth Memories – Donald (Don) Harrison.
Before the Mackinac Bridge was built (check Absolute Michigan for lots more on that), going to or from the UP was by ferry. The City of Munising was the last of the breed:
Built by the American Ship Building Company of Cleveland in 1903 for the Pere Marquette Railway Company, the “Pere Marquette 20″ became the “City of Munising” in 1937. The Michigan Department of Highways used the ship to ferry autos across the Straits of Mackinac until 1959. The ship was used for potato storage by a Washington Island, Wisconsin firm until 1973.
Michigan State Ferry Album has some photos of the City of Munising and other ships that plied the Straits.
Check this out bigger and see some shots of the old ferry docks in Don’s slideshow of old Mackinac photos
52nd Annual Mackinac Bridge Walk ~ September 7, 2009
September 1, 2009
2008 Mackinac Bridge Walk, photo courtesy Michigan Department of Transportation & Mackinac Bridge Authority
The annual Mackinac Bridge Walk is a Michigan tradition that has been held every year since the Bridge opened in 1957. This year is the 52nd annual and it takes place (as always) on Labor Day (September 7) from 7-11 AM. The walk is free and you can get all the details from the official Mackinac Bridge web site.
There’s more info available on Wikipedia and you can learn all about the Mackinac Bridge over at Absolute Michigan.
51st Annual Mackinac Bridge Walk
August 26, 2008
While this year’s annual Labor Day walk across the Mackinac Bridge isn’t getting nearly the fanfare of last year’s 50th anniversary walk across the Mighty Mac, it’s still the one day each year that you can walk across Michigan’s engineering wonder.
The photo above is from the Opening Ceremony gallery at the Mackinac Bridge Authority web site where you can also find a Bridge Walk gallery and more information about the bridge. For a ton more photos and stories about the Mackinac Bridge, click the button below!
Canadian Freeze Ray encases Mackinac Bridge!
April 1, 2008
Canadian Freeze Ray encases Mackinac Bridge!, photo by farlane.
Unfolding details of this shocking story at Canadian Freeze Ray wreaks havok on Michigan!!
(and yes, we mention Kwame so it qualifies as news)
The Annual Labor Day Mackinac Bridge Walk
August 23, 2007
The 2010 Mackinac Bridge Walk takes place on Monday, September 6, 2010!
2000 Mackinac Bridge Walk, photos courtesy Michigan Department of Transportation & Mackinac Bridge Authority
The annual Mackinac Bridge Walk has been held every year on Labor Day since the Bridge opened in 1957, so, like the Mackinac Bridge itself, The Bridge Walk is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Strangely enough, Wikipedia seems to have the most historical information on the walk (which is not much). They say that the first walk took place in the early morning hours of Labor Day, 1958. and that just 68 people took that first 5 mile walk across the Mighty Mac. In the early years, it seems that the walk was sparsely attended and viewed as an annoyance until the governor was brought in to lead the walk. The walk averages 50,000 to 65,000 attendees and the record is estimated to be 85,000 when George H. W. Bush led the walk in 1992. Will we break the record this year? Seems like we should, but I wonder.
The Governor’s party leads the way at 7 AM (I think) with registered and pre-qualified joggers (details from the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness). Important things to note (according to the official site) are that traffic still moves across the bridge during the event, that it starts on the St. Ignace side, that they really recommend you figure your return transport out, that it’s FREE (my capitalization) and that there are NO RESTROOMS ON THE BRIDGE (their capitalization).
The Michigan Department of Transportation has a photo gallery from past Mackinac Bridge Walks. A photographer named Chuck contributed one of his photos from the bridge walk to Wikimedia, and he has a nice gallery of Mackinac Bridge Walk photos. A search of Flickr finds some bridge walk pics as well (hopefully more after this year’s walk!). Do you have more links? Post ‘em in the comments and please share your story/photos if you walk this year!
I should add that on September 16 from 7:00 – 7:30 AM, there will be a “Bike Across the Mighty Mac” event sponsored by Mackinaw City Chamber of Commerce. If you’re up in the area, there’s also a Truck Parade of Lights from 8-9 PM on September 15th.
