A city of drawbridges

The Saginaw River cuts right through the middle of Bay City, splitting it into an east side and a west side (the west side was its own city until 1905). To get across, you use one of the city’s drawbridges — big bascule bridges that tilt up to let freighters and sailboats pass through, then drop back down for car traffic. During the shipping season they’re staffed around the clock. It’s a genuinely old-fashioned sight, and a reminder that this is still a working river port.

The bridges have some history. The oldest of them was first built back in the 1930s, and one of the newer ones replaced a bridge that was knocked down in 1976 when a freighter hit it. One modern thing to know if you’re moving here: two of the four bridges are now run by a private company and charge a toll to cross, while the other two are free. Locals plan their routes accordingly.