What I love about Mackinac Island, Michigan

When we think of wonderful destinations that are filled with white sand and crystal blue water with gulls flying above us, most people do not think Midwest. I mean what the hell is in the Midwest besides corn, bonfires, flannel, and diesel trucks? I will most likely get hunted down for sharing this secret, and I probably shouldn’t, but here goes Michigan! That’s right, Michigan!

Who the hell wants to go to Michigan you ask? Well many people go every year,
and everyone should. It is in my top 5 states that I have seen so far, and I would put it in the places I would move to if I thought I could handle 125 feet of snow every winter.

I have been many places in Michigan, however today we are going to go straight for the main event, Mackinac Island. Who knew there was a beautiful island in the northern part of this outdoorsman’s paradise.

Mackinac Island, if you do not know, is an island that is in between Michigan’s lower and upper peninsula. This island is only accessible by ferry, private boat, or seaplane. We opted for the ferry service.

There are two different ferry services, Shepler’s and Star Line. We went with Shepler’s, mainly because White Star Line owned the Titanic and my husband believes since the name was similar we would experience bad juju. I am not giving Star Line a thumbs down at all, I am just saying we are weirdos. My parents used Star Line from Mackinaw City and lived to tell the tale.

Tickets for the trip are pretty reasonable at $30 dollars a person for round trip. There are many tickets add on as well, there are too many to mention so you will have to check out the site referenced at the bottom of this post. There are several departure times to and from the island. This was my first time on a ferry and it showed. I was in awe that this operation was kind of like a flight. You check bags, bikes, wagons, and whatever else you are bringing. We only had backpacks, but there were some serious bikers getting on that ferry.

We really wanted to do the Mighty Mac tour, this was a 25-minute tour under the Mackinac Bridge before you went to the island. Unfortunately, due to the large swells that Lake Michigan and Huron were throwing around, we could not go. But that did not stop me from riding topside. If you are going to go big, go all the way. I may need to mention we were going in October. My husband is still pisssed at me for this decision. But more of that later.

The ride was about 20 minutes or so of crisp Lake Huron air. The times may vary depending on weather conditions and which harbor you depart. We left from St Ignace in the UP, but there is also a service in Mackinaw City. Once you come into the bay you are greeted by a quaint village. It gave me vibes of Demark, if I had ever been to Denmark. Once we departed the ferry we were transported to the land that time forgot. There are no cars on the island. The only modes of transportation are carriages, bikes, and legs.

We are only on the island for the day, so we must make the most of our time. We took one of the first boats in and we will take the last one off, be mindful, if you miss the boat you are stuck. There are over 1800 different types of lodging on Mackinac Island so maybe you will not have to sleep on a bench by the bay.

Here is a disclaimer, if you are afraid of horses, you will need to get over that fast. There are horses all along the streets. I am a horse lover, so I had to maintain the constant need to talk to everyone of them and try to pet them all. We opted out of the carriage ride due to time constraints. If you are not a big walker or bike rider you should really opt for this tour. They will take you all along the island to all the “must go destinations,” they are also used as a taxi service to take you where you need to go. You cannot hail the carriages as a taxi, there is a number you must call, so be prepared.

Our first stop was a bike shop. We rented bikes, so we could look around at our leisure. When renting a bike be aware there are several to choose from and prices vary from store to store. We ended up renting ours for $60 bucks per person for the whole day. I also had a bitchin basket on mine for all my junk. You can also rent tagalongs to pull behind if needed at some spots.

To ride around the island, you are going to peddling 8 miles, that is just around the perimeter and not going down any side streets. If you are not an avid biker, never fear, it is not that hard of a ride and, after all, I survived. There are several stops when you first start, there are coffee shops, restaurants, retail stores, and let’s not forget the fudge shops! Mackinac Island is famous for fudge.

Our first recommend must see spot is Arch Rock. It is in Mackinac Island State Park. This is where most of the tourist’s head to and with good reason. It is an rock formed arch that has the beautiful aqua blue water of Lake Huron shining through it. Be aware. We rode our bike to the perimeter trail and walked up 6000 steps (not really but it felt like it) to the top. Once there, we discovered we could have ridden our bikes directly to it or taken the carriage. Don’t be like us, be better researchers, your calves will thank you.

The road through the park is riddled with rocky shoreline and glorious views of the water. There are some spots that are sandy as well if you want to walk along the shore. Tree canopies line part of the road and there are several opportunities to take photos of the Mackinac Bridge.

If you get road rage in the grocery store driving a cart, you better woosah before you get here. Although the island is littered with sidewalks for pedestrians there are still those people who will choose to walk in the street. They will also give you the side eye or a few unfriendly words when you almost run them over for stopping in the middle and making you almost fly over the handlebars of your bike. This may trigger some sort of PTSD from your youth when you thought you were Evel Knievel. We did yell “SIDEWALK” a couple times while we were there after almost mowing over a few with our bicycles.

The island is littered with amazing architecture, if that is your thing. This includes churches, homes, landings, and even forts. There is a tour of Fort Mackinac that you can take if you are able. We were under time constraints so again we took pictures of it but did not get to go inside.

The fort is what feels like at the highest point of the island even though it is not. If you are walking, be prepared to feel the burn. If you ride up the steep hill, you are mutant and should get a prize immediately when you get to the top.

One of the coolest tours that also filled me with absolute culture shock was The Grand Hotel.  This is a must see.  If you are feeling real bougie you can book a room at this historic hotel.  However as nice as this place is, and as much nostalgia as it provides I just cannot pay it.  I will stick to the $10 dollar tour and pretend to be part of the elite.

Walking up the pathway to the hotel you can see why it is iconic and why it has grand in the name.  The drive is lined with beautiful flowers and trees.  Also, for all of us peasants there is a disclaimer.  Men, don’t you dare show up to dinner service without a tie and dinner jacket, and ladies, there is no progressive thinking here, leave them pants at home.  This sign made me laugh so much.

I do not know what the dinner service is like, however if it is anything compared to the midday tea that was happening you are in for an experience.

There were towers of sweets on display along with waiters with trays of sparkly drinks.  There was also live music, a HARPIST!  My mind was blown, and I suddenly realized how underdressed I was in my trail leggings and hoody.  I also was suddenly sad that I was just too cheap to indulge in the festivities, it looked amazing.

When we entered the hotel you are greeted by the luxury of the Victorian Era. The bell hops are even in full uniform.  I did sneak a picture of one like any real tourist.

You can tour a few floors and see some movie memorabilia while you are there.  Several movies were filmed at The Grand Hotel.

The most impressive part for me was the porch.  I know it is hillbilly to call it a porch, but that is what is.  The views are outstanding at this vantage point and you can only imagine how people lived in the early 1900’s who came here to stay.

Sadly, we had ran out of time.  There was plenty we missed and more we wanted to do, but that will have to be for our next adventure north.

A side note, we went on this trip the second week of October.  This is the end of the season.  Weather can be sketchy and some stores could be closed so please check out Mackinac Island website before going so you know in advance if what you want to see is closed.  I have added the link at the end of this post.

We took the last ferry home.  By now the water is a scootch choppy.  I neither mind or care, we are sitting on top just like we came and we are going to enjoy the experience.  Well life beat our faces off.  There were gale force winds and huge swells.  This was not threatening enough for the crew to make us go inside, but intense enough to make me think we were on the jet boat at Niagara Falls.  We would hit waves with such force that we were soaked by the time we made it to land.  We coved up with our rain parkas as good as we could and I laughed all the way to shore.

Mackinac Island can take your breath away. There is something majestic about being here and looking across the historic buildings, carriages, and the bay. One day is not enough here. We missed so many things that I wish we would have had time for. I feel like we need 2 days to fully amerce ourselves into the island and to see what all it really has to offer.

My advice when going, sit up top, let life beat your face off and enjoy the ride!