Mackinac Island State Park - MI

Mackinac Bridge

On July 9th of this year we had the opportunity to revisit Mackinac Island.  Our friends, Bill and Janice, came from Texas via Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula to meet us at Mill Creek RV Park in Mackinaw City.  This was their first visit to the island and we were excited to act as their tour guides.

 Ready for the Star Line Ferry ride to the island

In Mackinaw City in the Star Line Ferry parking area, we purchased tickets to ride the Star Line Ferry, to transport our bikes, to ride a horse-drawn carriage on the island, and to dine at the magnificent Grand Hotel.  The ticket also included transporting us under the Mackinac Bridge (opening photo).

Mackinac Bridge seen from the Mill Creek Campground

The bridge, which was about 3.5 years in construction, opened in 1957, connects Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsula, and is breathtaking.

This is a view of the Grand Hotel from our ferry.  The National Historic Landmark has welcomed guests since 1887.

Once we arrived we quickly claimed our bikes/trikes and found parking in town.  The bike ride around the island would wait until the afternoon.

Our Carriage Ride through town

This photo was taken around 10 am and the streets are not too crowded.  Motor vehicles are not permitted on the island.  Carriage taxis are available, bike rentals are available (if you don't want to bring your own), or there is sightseeing by walking.

Our carriage next takes us past the Grand Hotel where we will enjoy lunch after our carriage tour.

The carriage tour is quite informative and allows various stops for photos and close inspection of our destinations.  We passed by an old cemetery.  The remains of an old fort are nearby but we did not visit it.  Our carriage driver did tell us a ghost story while winding our way through a wooded area.

This is Arch Rock and makes for a stunning photo.  

We rode past the green and red stables for the Grand Hotel.  All horses we observed throughout the day seemed  healthy and well cared for.
Our carriage driver dropped us off a few blocks from the Grand and we walked the short distance to enjoy an elegant lunch buffet.

Have you seen Somewhere in Time?  If not, I recommend seeing it before visiting the hotel.  The setting for the movie is Mackinac Island.  The movie takes us back in time and we get an idea of what life might have been like in the 19th century.

Grand Hotel Carriage

Inside the hotel

The Grand Hotel dining area

There are signs out front that alert visitors to dress up for evening dining.

World's longest porch

Enjoying the view with Bill and Janice

It was 2:00 pm when by the time we had lunch, looked around the hotel, and made our way to town to get our bikes for our 8 mile ride around the island.  The entire trail is paved and most is along the water.

The Straits of Mackinac surround the island and are crystal clear near the shore.

A popular stop on the trail is a stairway to view the Arch Rock.

Bill and Janice lead the way

 We made frequent stops to enjoy the beauty around us.

Kites in the afternoon breeze

It took just over an hour and a half for the bike ride as we made frequent stops for pictures.  By 3:30 we had pulled away from the dock and were headed back to Mackinaw City.

 In Mackinaw City there is a shuttle for the Star Line that will deliver us and our bikes to our campground.  The process is seamless.  A fun day was had by all.

Mackinaw Island (MI)

Our trip to Mackinaw Island in July of 2014 was full of new sights and breathtaking views. The picture above is the Mackinaw Bridge (the 5th longest suspension bridge in the world) connecting Michigan's upper and lower Peninsula.  
Being a southern girl I did not know that the folks living in the UP are called Yoopers (pronounced YOU-PERS) and those folks living in the lower peninsula are called TROLLS (because they live "below" the bridge.  So much to learn!  LOL  Also heard that those of us who partake of the Mackinac Island fudge are called FUDGIES by the locals.  I was particularly fond of the fudge from JoAnn's Fudge Shop.  Yip, I'm a Fudgie!

Our ride to the Island

View from under the bridge

We drove our RV to Mackinaw City and camped at the Mill Creek RV park. The park is huge! At check-in time the rigs are lined up in 2 lanes to enter the park. Multiple windows are open in the park office to make the check-in process go quickly.  Upon check in we learn there is a shuttle which comes into the park to pick anyone (and their bike) up for transport to the Mackinac Island Star Line Ferry.  We registered for the next morning's shuttle service and purchased our tickets for the ferry.

The next morning our friends and us (along with our tandem bicycle) board the shuttle and head for the ferry.  It is July and it is northern Michigan so we layered up. Several layers of light clothing should be plenty.  It is July!  We boarded the ferry and began our ride to the island.  Oh my goodness!  It is flat out COLD!  I zipped anything I could zip. Buttoned anything that would button.  Raised my hoodie over my cap and thought I was going to freeze!  I should note that we sat "outside" so we could get good pictures. There was an inside area of the ferry we could have ridden. It would have been warmer but not as scenic.                          

The sun was shining and we quickly adjusted to the cool temperature.  The ferry ride to the island included a view from under the bridge and a look from the other side of the bridge.  All for no additional charge!

There are no motorized vehicles permitted on the island.  Therefore, travel is limited to carriages, horses, or bicycles.  The temperature warms up and the sun is bright.  We decided to make our ride around the island our first objective!

The streets were not all that busy when we arrived

Chris and I on our tandem

Our friends ride ahead of us

A beautiful and very comfortable 8 mile ride around Mackinac Island. 

The names Mackinac (used for the island) and Mackinaw (used for the city) are both pronounced with the "aw" sound at the end. The "ac" ending was the way the French spelled the name.  When the British heard the word they spelled it the way it sounded -- with the "aw" on the end.

We make occasional photo stops as we ride around the island.  Sometimes it is difficult to take in all the beauty.  

We are not in any particular hurry to finish the ride.  It took about an hour.  Next we parked our bike and walked to the Grand Hotel where we enjoyed a delicious buffet lunch.  After lunch we walked around the hotel taking in all the sites, sounds, and smells of the area.

The Grand Hotel seen from our ferry

The Grand Hotel is magnificent!  So elegant.  Not by today's modern standards, but because it maintains the grandeur of the early 1900's.  The Grand Hotel is the setting for the movie "Somewhere in Time" starring Christopher Reeve.

We walked the 1/4 mile down the hill from the Grand Hotel to find that it is "rush hour" on Mackinac Island!  People are to use the sidewalks so the carriages and bicycles can have the road.  I'm not sure where all the people came from in such a short time.  Guessing the ferries must have been busy while we were sightseeing.  We took about 30 minutes for shopping in town, then located our bike to catch the next ferry back to Mackinaw City.  It was a fun day.