Where We Be
Mackinac Island, Michigan
On our way to Mackinac Island, we visited the quaint town of St. Ignace and strolled its historic boardwalk
Robin stands on the verge of Main Street with its plethora of fudge shops
Beautiful gardens brighten up the Victoran homes and hotels
Mackinaw Bridge connects the Upper Peninsula to mainland Michigan and "divides" Huron & Michigan
We tried a hearty beef pastie, a traditional Yooper treat
Homes on the outskirts of town are filled with interesting architectural touches like this curved entry gate
Horse-drawn carriages make you feel like you've gone back in time on Mackinac Island
No cars are allowed on the island, so all transport is by horse, bike, or on foot. What a charming concept!
Local delivery of supplies is by horse-drawn cart
A liveried carriage driver takes a Grand Hotel VIP for a spin
Memorabilia from the movie "Somewhere in Time," filmed at the Grand Hotel
Our first view as we arrived by ferry was of this charming hotel on the water (not the Grand Hotel, which is much larger)
Mackinac Island feels a bit like Amish Country with its horse-drawn carriages and carts (and they do in fact purchase their horses from the Amish)
Two sides of the same day -- it started out blue and sunny during our walk on Main Street, then turned misty and cool during our carriage ride through the park
The high-speed ferry (with its signature "rooster-tail" plume) takes you to the island, then a much slower form of transportation gets you around
This costumed interpreter did a great job of bringing the fort to life
Misty view from Fort Mackinac down to the town
Here he is firing an 1800s rifle (plug your ears, it's loud!)
Fort Mackinac was built by the British in 1780 and changed hands several times between Britain and America. Most of its original buildings are still intact.
We had a fun day visiting Mackinac Island, one of
Michigan’s premier attractions. Mackinac Island
(pronounced Mack-i-naw despite the spelling) is a
completely car-free island. Folks get around by horse
and buggy or else by bicycle or on foot. We paid $52
each for a combo ticket that included high-speed ferry
transport to and from Mackinac Island on the Star Line
Ferry, carriage ride tickets, and entry to Fort Mackinac.
The 10 am ferry made the journey in only 15 minutes.

It was a morning of blue skies, and we counted
ourselves lucky since this was our one day to see the
island. We walked along a quiet stretch of road that
bordered the water. The silence of no cars was
wonderful. One or two horse-drawn carriages clip-
clopped past us, and several people pedaled by on
bicycles. We enjoyed seeing the pretty Victorian
houses and the fancy hotels with their flower-filled
gardens. On the main street we tried some fudge,
which was worth every penny. Fudge has been an
island specialty since the turn of the 19th century. We
also saw the Grand Hotel (site of the movie
Somewhere
in Time
), took a carriage ride on a 1½ hour tour of the
carriage roads, and visited historic Fort Mackinac.