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In July we had visitors all the way from California! Dan's brother Larry and his friend Mary Ann were nearing the end of a cross country trek and since they were relatively close to our neck of the woods, they did a swing by before heading back home. They were here for three days, and we tried to fit as much in as we could during that time. We went on the Elk Viewing Ride & Gourmet Dinner one night, and we took one full day to visit Mackinac Island, across the Mackinaw Bridge, and both Mackinac and Mackinaw are pronounced the same (Mack-In-Ah). That was confusing until someone on the Island explained it to us - then it was even more confusing!
Mackinac Island is 8 miles in circumference, and covers 3.8 square miles on Lake Huron. It is located at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan. To get there, you can go by private boat, ferry, small aircraft, and in the winter, after the lake freezes over, by snowmobile. The Island has a ban on almost all motor vehicles, so once there, you must get around on foot, bicycle, or horse drawn carriage. We hoped a ferry in St. Ignace and set out on foot for our tour. The crowds were amazing! This is quite the tourist attraction, and the number of ferries coming and going, along with all the people, is enough to make you dizzy!
Most of the main street is lined with retail shops, candy stores (the Island is famous for its Mackinac fudge, and tourists are sometimes referred to as "fudgies"), gift shops, and Victorian style hotels. We battled the throngs to explore this for a while, then took off for a hike up a hill and to the outer perimeter of the Island where we found Arch Rock, a natural limestone arch standing 146 feet above the Lake Huron Shoreline. We passed on touring Fort Mackinac, too pricey, and I'm tired of visiting memorials to war, in any case. (Where are the memorials to Peace?) We hiked a little in the woods, and then headed back down to Main Street for some lunch, then back on the ferry for the trip home.
Here are some pictures of our day on Mackinac Island.
Mackinac Island is 8 miles in circumference, and covers 3.8 square miles on Lake Huron. It is located at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan. To get there, you can go by private boat, ferry, small aircraft, and in the winter, after the lake freezes over, by snowmobile. The Island has a ban on almost all motor vehicles, so once there, you must get around on foot, bicycle, or horse drawn carriage. We hoped a ferry in St. Ignace and set out on foot for our tour. The crowds were amazing! This is quite the tourist attraction, and the number of ferries coming and going, along with all the people, is enough to make you dizzy!
Most of the main street is lined with retail shops, candy stores (the Island is famous for its Mackinac fudge, and tourists are sometimes referred to as "fudgies"), gift shops, and Victorian style hotels. We battled the throngs to explore this for a while, then took off for a hike up a hill and to the outer perimeter of the Island where we found Arch Rock, a natural limestone arch standing 146 feet above the Lake Huron Shoreline. We passed on touring Fort Mackinac, too pricey, and I'm tired of visiting memorials to war, in any case. (Where are the memorials to Peace?) We hiked a little in the woods, and then headed back down to Main Street for some lunch, then back on the ferry for the trip home.
Here are some pictures of our day on Mackinac Island.
