‘It has the appearance of a fairy island floating on the water, which is so pure and transparent that you may see down to almost any depth, and the air above is as pure as the water, that you feel invigorated as you breath it.’  This description of Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) Island was written in 1837 by Captain Marryatt of the English navy in his ‘Diary of America”.
The island certainly has a magical quality to it.

We loaded up the entire family and headed north to what would be the middle finger of the mitten that is Michigan’s lower peninsula.  Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground was our base, and it is a wonderful spot right on the shore of Lake Huron.  Mackinac Island is located in the Straits of Mackinac where Lakes Huron and Michigan come together.  The magnificent Mackinac Bridge(at 4 miles long it is one of the world’s longest suspension bridges) joins Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas here.

Once you step off the ferry (a chilly 18 minute ride from Mackinaw City), you can understand why the French, British, and Americans all considered this island something worth fighting for.  Its location was ideal for the fur trading industry, with John Jacob Astor establishing The American Fur Co. there in 1808.  The first tourists discovered Mackinac in 1802, and now the number of ‘fudgies’ who vacation here number in the tens of thousands. The Victorian Era is alive and well here, where turn-of-the-century summer homes were constructed by the wealthy.  Today many of these gorgeous homes function as B & B’s. Despite the bustling, crowded downtown, there is one thing that really sets the island apart from all others-there are no automobiles here!  It is still incredibly easy to get around though.  Bike rental shops abound, and there is no shortage of horse-drawn carriages to hire.  We tried to ‘do it all’ on our 6 hours on the island.

Keeping our party of 9 together was a piece of cake, especially in the morning before the crowds poured in.  We poked our heads into some of the numerous fudge and trinket shops, you just can’t leave here without samples of their world famous fudge.  A word of warning-it is extremely rich-one or two bites at a time will do!  Walked along the waterfront where large cruise ships used to dock regularly.  Walked up the steep hill to Fort Mackinac, which is a living history facility.  The view from the fort (which at times in its history was used to defend the island against those pesky Americans) is quite stunning.  There are plenty of Park Service guides throughout the fort to answer any questions and to give guided tours, military demonstrations, and a cannon firing! Took a peek inside Trinity Episcopal Church at the base of the hill, wandered into the old Fur Trading store.  Have definitely decided that my favorite streets are always the ones just a block off the main street!
After a lunch at Sinclair’s (great food) our next stop was Ryba’s Bike Rentals.  We managed to get all 9 of us on 4 bikes of varying configurations!  After many texts and calls, we ran into our group of friends from Phoenix and we all headed off on the 8 mile shore road that circles the island.  Did I forget to mention how perfect the weather was?  It was impossibly balmy, as there is a steady, delightful breeze to keep you cool as you pedal along with the lake on your right and the wooded island hills on your left.  This fantastic ride would not have been possible the day before (rained buckets) or the day after (rained buckets again).  Our buddies peeled off at famous Arch Rock and we continued on after splitting up the oil and water combination of Molly and Jack in the tagalong bike cart.  After redistributing Molly to Jenna’s bike it was much easier to pedal without the WWF action in the cart.    If you have a limited time on the island, this bike ride is the one thing you need to save time for-it was a blast!
Back downtown, William hired a horse-drawn carriage to take us to the Grand Hotel.  This hotel, built in 1887, and expanded several times, is a stunning example of ‘Titanic Era’ opulence.  From the 660 foot long porch, to the airy and inviting lobby, it screams relaxation.  The nightly rate when it opened was $3.00- it’s a bit higher than that now.  Worth the $10 entry fees to wander the floors and wind your way up to the Cupola Bar on the peak of the hotel.   The views of the harbor, town, and Bois Blanc Island from this vantage point are fantastic-you practically feel airborne.
Fun Facts: ‘Somewhere in Time’ was filmed at the Grand Hotel in 1979, a Christopher Reeve cult classic
‘This Time for Keeps’ was filmed on Mackinac in 1947, an Esther Williams/Jimmy Durante film
‘Anne’ a novel of Mackinac Island, by Constance Fenimore Woolson(sister of James) pub.1870
I’ve barely scratched the surface here, but you get the idea.
Signing off from the road,
Cathy & William