historic bridge tour ugly anne

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Ugly Anne – Straits Area Tour Company

Mackinaw city cruises.

Mackinaw City/Mackinac Bridge History Cruise- 5:00pm Daily Learn the history of shipwrecks as you travel over them, local Native American Lore, learn about living in the north country and the maritime history of the area while cruising under the “Mighty” Mackinac Bridge. Get up close to this awe-inspiring piece of architecture. 5:00pm $24.00 Adult $12.00 Children (Approx. 1 Hour) $24.00 adults/ $12.00 ages 3-12. (No Tuesday History Cruises)

Mackinaw City Sunset Cruise- Departs 45 Minutes Before Sunset Daily Take in the sunset over Lake Michigan aboard Ugly Anne. The cruise will take you under the magnificant Mackinac Bridge then give you the best seat in the house to see one of the most beautiful sunsets in North America. (Approx. 1 hour) $24.00 All Ages. (No Tuesday Sunset Cruises) *Cash bar available on all cruises

Private Charters

Mackinac Island History Cruise – See the sights of America’s 2nd National Park and learn the maritime history of the Straits of Mackinac from the water aboard Ugly Anne. Included is a live narrative and historic video footage. 1 Hour $375 Under the Bridge Cruise- See the Mackinac Bridge from a perspective few are able, the underside, watching cars drive 200 feet above. Live narrative and historic video footage available upon request of the guests. 1.5 Hours Mackinaw CIty $450 Mackinac Island $500

Around the Island Cruise – View Mackinac Island from the water seeing all of the sights from America’s 2nd National Park. 1.5 Hours Mackinac Island $500 Bois Blanc Island Cruise- Take a ride to the largest island in the Straits of Mackinac. We will take you to Bois Blanc where local residents will pick you up at the marina and take you to the Boblo Tavern for cocktails and a meal. Total trip is around 4.5 hours. Cocktails and the meal are an additional cost along with alcoholic and N/A drinks on the boat. 4.5 Hours Mackinaw CIty $850 Mackinac Island $900

Les Cheneaux Islands – We will take you to beautiful and historic Hessel, Michigan aboard the Ugly Anne. We arrive in the Hessel marina and it is just a short walk to the Islander Bar for cocktails and a meal. Total trip is around 4.5 hours from Mackinac Island and 5.5 hours from Mackinaw City. Cocktails and the meal are an additional cost along with alcoholic and N/A drinks on board. 5 Hours $900

Customized Charters – Other charters are able to be customized to fulfill the request of the group. Pickups available in Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island (other pick up locations may be available if notice is given).

Visit Ugly Anne Website >>>

Daily Cruises Under The Mackinac Bridge

Mackinaw city and mackinac bridge history & sunset cruises.

We have three public cruises; each is around an hour-long and they all travel under the Mackinac Bridge.  The history cruise and Mackinac Bridge cruise provide a lot of info about the area and events of yesteryear.  We try to stay away from the facts and dates you can read about in the many books published about the area.  Instead, we tend to tell stories and give 1st hand accounts and obscure info that we found interesting.  The sunset cruise takes the same route as the 5 pm and 6:30 pm cruises.  We share information and history, play music, answer any questions guests have and just let you take in whatever beautiful sunset mother nature provides us with that evening.  We ask that customers arrive at least 30 min before departure on both cruises.

Mackinaw City & Mackinac Bridge History Cruise

Mackinac bridge sunset cruise, mackinac bridge cruise, ugly anne gift certificates.

Home / Do / Ugly Anne Tour Company

Ugly Anne Tour Company

The Straits Area Tour Company offers tours out of Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island along with charter opportunities from anywhere in the Straits of Mackinac. Explore the history of the Straits of Mackinac on our United States Coast Guard certified charter boat to explore under the Mackinac Bridge and around Mackinac Island.

• Phone: (231) 436-5094
• Website: http://www.mackinawtour.com/#!/Home
• 229 S Huron Ave, Mackinaw City, MI 49701

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The jewel of the Great Lakes. Enjoy beautiful vistas, shopping, and carriage rides during the day, and watch the city transform at night with its happening music and bar scene. Mackinac Island has something for everyone.

Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau 7274 Main Street Mackinac Island, MI 49757 (906) 847-3783 www.mackinacisland.org

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Straits Area Tour Company (Ugly Anne Boat Tours)

• Come take a ride on Ugly Anne and experience the Straits of Mackinac and Mackinac Bridge like never before. Learn the about the over 80 shipwrecks, about the building of the Mackinac Bridge and the islands that are scattered throughout the Straits of Mackinac. Learn some obscure facts that we have learned over the years on the water while enjoying beer, wine and N/A beverages.
• On board is a tour guide that can answer any questions you have.
• Ugly Anne will start cruises for the season in mid-June and run until mid-October. We will have a daily 5:00PM history cruise, 6:30PM Mackinac Bridge Cruise and sunset cruise both going under the magnificent Mackinac Bridge.
• We depart from 201 S Huron Ave in Mackinaw City (Behind The Hook Restaurant).

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Departs daily 45 minutes before sunset.

Open May ~ October

Departs daily 45 minutes before sunset.  Each evening Ugly Anne will set sail, giving you the best seat in the house to watch the sunset over Lake Michigan while traveling under the Mackinac Bridge.

Ugly Anne boat tours will open the Thursday before Memorial Day.  We will have a daily 5pm history cruise and sunset cruise both going under the Mackinac Bridge, departing from Mackinaw City. Mackinac Island cruises will be scheduled by reservation only.  Charter opportunities are available from both Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island.  Other charter locations may be available upon request.

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Spanning History

Locals call them the Cadillacs of covered bridges. Painted white, with brackets at the roofline and decorative scrollwork near the entry, the clapboard spans built by the Kennedy family in the late 1800s and early 1900s offer sturdy paths across waterways and picturesque hallmarks of Rush County.

The Kennedy family holds status as one of the state’s three most prolific bridge-building firms, in the same rarified circle with J.J. Daniels and J.A. Britton and his sons. Yet, of the 58 bridges credited to A.M. Kennedy, his sons, and grandsons, only a handful remain, with six located in Rush County where the family lived.

In the ‘90s, when Rush County officials proposed razing four of the Kennedy bridges, local preservationists used a festival near the Moscow Covered Bridge to rally support for the spans. The group, now known as Rush County Heritage Inc., prevailed, with the bridge preservation issue a deciding factor in the county commissioner election.

Offutt’s Ford Bridge, Rush County (Photo: Lee Lewellen)

In 2008, the Moscow Covered Bridge again faced extinction after a tornado sent the span crashing into the Flatrock River. Just days after the event, the Rush County Commissioners voted to rebuild the 1886 bridge, an effort that drew statewide publicity and support. Rebuilt with 40 percent of the original timbers by Dan R. Collom & Sons, the Moscow Covered Bridge reopened in 2010, replicating the distinctive Kennedy look.

The remains of the Moscow covered bridge stretches across the water Wednesday June 4, 2008 after the historic landmark was destroyed by an overnight tornado in the small Rush County town. (Photo: Mike Fender, Indianapolis Star)

Dedicated and reopened in September 2010, the Moscow Covered Bridge was rebuilt to resemble the signature Kennedy bridge look. (Photo: Marsh Davis)

Learn more:

http://indianacrossings.org/builders/kennedy.html

http://www.in.gov/history/files/coveredbridges.pdf

Stay up to date on the latest news, stories, and events from Indiana Landmarks, around the state or in your area.

Historic Structures

Moscow Covered Bridge, Moscow Indiana

The Moscow Bridge is the longest covered bridge ever constructed in Rush County, and is the longest Kennedy bridge extant in the state. It is also the state's only surviving multi-span Kennedy bridge; nine others were built but they have all been demolished. This bridge is particularly interesting in the way that it demonstrates Emmett Kennedy's engineering expertise, as he devised a variation of the Burr arch truss to cross a 330-foot gap in only two spans. Various technical problems, most notably the weight factor, prevented him from building a traditional Burr arch truss in a length exceeding 155 feet; therefore, he divided each truss in the center and inserted a ten foot long Queenpost truss section. This novel solution proved to be entirely satisfactory and has remained sound for more than ninety years.

The decorative detailing on the portal facades included all the hallmarks of the Kennedy bridges: rounded arch portals, scroll-sawn decorative trim; the plain frieze boards with ornate paired cornice brackets, and pilaster corner boards (since removed).

Bridge Description

The Moscow Bridge, erected in 1886 by Emmett Kennedy, crosses the Big Flatrock Creek at Moscow, Indiana, southwest of Rushville. It is a two-span structure of wood timber construction protected by a gable-roofed enclosure. The structural system of the bridge consists of two Burr arch trusses, each specially adapted to span a distance longer than normal, by the insertion of a ten-foot-long Queenpost truss section in the center of each arch. The total length of the truss system is 330 feet; the enclosure is 16 feet longer so as to provide an additional eight feet of protection at either end. The bridge deck is 15.8 feet wide; vertical clearance above the deck is 12.8 feet. The portals have a rounded arch configuration. The portals are flanked by pilaster corner boards which serve as the impost points of the portal arches. Elaborate scrollwork is applied to the siding in the spandrel areas immediately above the corner boards. Vertical siding is used in the gable areas above the portals; horizontal shiplap is employed in the north and south sides. Wide, plain frieze boards are used below the gables with ornate cornice brackets used in pairs. This bridge is in fair condition, suffering from some deterioration of the arch bearing points and the cut stone abutments.

East end of bridge (1977)

Looking east inside bridge (1977)

Additional information.

• Built: 1886
• Address: Intersection of County Road 875 South and County Road 625 West over Big Flatrock River
• City: Moscow
• County: Rush

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The Mackinac Blog

• News & Specials
• Calendar of Events
• Music In The Park – 2024
• Fourth of July
• Featured Lodging
• Hotels, Historic Inns and Suites
• Bed & Breakfast Lodging
• Waterfront and Water View Lodging
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• Entertainment
• Mackinac Island Fudge
• Latest Updated Photos
• Mackinac Island Instagram Photos
• Photo Albums
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• Winter on Mackinac Island

Ugly Anne – Straits Area Tour Company

Mackinaw City Cruises

Mackinaw City/Mackinac  Bridge History Cruise- 5:00pm Daily Learn the history of shipwrecks as you travel over them, local Native American Lore, learn about living in the north country and the maritime history of the area while cruising under the “Mighty” Mackinac Bridge. Get up close to this awe-inspiring piece of architecture. 5:00pm  $24.00 Adult  $12.00 Children (Approx. 1 Hour)  $24.00 adults/ $12.00 ages 3-12.  (No Tuesday History Cruises)

Mackinaw City Sunset Cruise- Departs 45 Minutes Before Sunset Daily Take in the sunset over Lake Michigan aboard Ugly Anne.  The cruise will take you under the magnificant Mackinac Bridge then give you the best seat in the house to see one of the most beautiful sunsets in North America.  (Approx. 1 hour) $24.00 All Ages.  (No Tuesday Sunset Cruises) *Cash bar available on all cruises

Private Charters

Mackinac Island History Cruise –  See the sights of America’s 2nd National Park and learn the maritime history of the Straits of Mackinac from the water aboard Ugly Anne. Included is a live narrative and historic video footage.  1 Hour  $375 Under the Bridge Cruise-  See the Mackinac Bridge from a perspective few are able, the underside, watching cars drive 200 feet above.  Live narrative and historic video footage available upon request of the guests.  1.5 Hours Mackinaw CIty $450 Mackinac Island $500

Around the Island Cruise –  View Mackinac Island from the water seeing all of the sights from America’s 2nd National Park.  1.5 Hours Mackinac Island $500 Bois Blanc Island Cruise-  Take a ride to the largest island in the Straits of Mackinac.  We will take you to Bois Blanc where local residents will pick you up at the marina and take you to the Boblo Tavern for cocktails and a meal.  Total trip is around 4.5 hours.  Cocktails and the meal are an additional cost along with alcoholic and N/A drinks on the boat. 4.5 Hours Mackinaw CIty $850  Mackinac Island $900

Les Cheneaux Islands –  We will take you to beautiful and historic Hessel, Michigan aboard the Ugly Anne.  We arrive in the Hessel marina and it is just a short walk to the Islander Bar for cocktails and a meal.  Total trip is around 4.5 hours from Mackinac Island and 5.5 hours from Mackinaw City.  Cocktails and the meal are an additional cost along with alcoholic and N/A drinks on board.  5 Hours $900

Customized Charters –  Other charters are able to be customized to fulfill the request of the group.  Pickups available in Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island (other pick up locations may be available if notice is given).

Visit Ugly Anne Website >>>