Travel - Stepping Back in Time on Mackinac Island
Mackinac is an island in Lake Huron where no motorized vehicles are allowed, only bikes, horses, and carriages. It was originally the home for a number of Native American tribes, later a Fort used by the British in the War of 1812, and now a very laid back tourist resort and National Historic Park.
I was visiting friends in Michigan a few years back and we decided to drive up and spend a couple of days at The Grand Hotel on the island. If you are ever headed to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, stopping for a night or two on the Island is worth the time.
You have to take a short ferry ride to get to the island, but it is a very scenic ride.
As the ferry approached the island we could see a horse drawn wagon waiting to retrieve and haul the supplies from the mainland into town.
The ferry docks in downtown and there are plenty of shops and restaurants to occupy your time. You can also climb the hill behind the main downtown street to see the old British Fort at the top. You can rent bikes or pay for a horse drawn carriage to take you to your hotel or bed and breakfast. We rented bikes and took a ride all the way around the island that runs along side the water. With no vehicles to worry about, it was a very relaxing bike ride.
The next morning we played golf and a horse drawn carriage arrived at the hotel to take us to the golf course. The course had some beautiful views.
Before we left we had time to take a walk to see the huge cliff side Victorian mansions looking out over Lake Huron.
Given that the name Mackinac is derived from a Native American word meaning Big Turtle, I assume that has to do with the sculpture on this property's entry way.
There was obviously old money on the Island based on the size of some of the Victorian homes.
It was a great visit. I hope you enjoyed the tour!
Great post! Lots of history in that area. I love places with horse drawn carriages, reminds me of Solvang, Ca (used to live there)
Thanks. It was a very relaxing spot on the trip. Where is Solvang?
Solvang is in Santa Barbara County, CA. It's a small Danish town, people visit it from all around. They have a quaint little trail near it too, called Nojoqui Falls.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33103-d2069283-Reviews-Nojoqui_Falls_Park-Solvang_California.html#photos;geo=33103&detail=2069283&ff=31821480&albumViewMode=hero&aggregationId=101&albumid=101&baseMediaId=31821480&thumbnailMinWidth=50&cnt=30&offset=-1&filter=7
That's wild. It looks like somewhere in Denmark!
With all the bakeries to boot. You should definitely check it out. I used to work for the Chumash Casino which is right down the street. If you ever plan on coming down there let me know and I'll tell you all the local places that are the best to visit.
Thanks. Appreciate the offer!
I would love to visit this place, so cool.. so much green and carriages, like a fairy tale.
👍
Looks like my kind of town. So much beauty in one place. Thanks for sharing.
You're welcome.
You really captured some of the beauty of "Pure Michigan" Bravo!
Thanks!