3 days in Mackinac Island, Michigan

On Monday, August 10, we left Drummond Island on a cloudy morning at about 8:00. We passed De Tour Village and the ferry that goes across to Drummond Island before heading into Lake Huron. It was a pretty smooth ride and we passed a couple lighthouses and saw some large ships before heading into beautiful Mackinac Island. There were many boats arriving at the same time (including multiple ferries)  but all went well and we were checked in by about 1:30. The marina is very nice and in a great location!  We decided to do a horse carriage tour to get an overview of the island and really enjoyed it. It took us through downtown, past the famous Grand Hotel, The Surrey Hill Museum and the butterfly sanctuary called Wings of Mackinac, through the state park, Arch Rock and Fort Mackinac. After that we saw the Governor's summer residence, went to the Grand Hotel's Cupola Bar(amazing views)  and the Jockey Club. We also stopped at the Gate House, Mary's Bistro and Patrick Doud's Pub. Scattered through the town were art work copies from the Detroit Institute of Art. We saw a lot on our first day!

Tuesday, August 11 was our second day on Mackinac Island. I perused almost every shop there was while Tim worked on projects. I bought a huge cookie from the Mackinac Island Cookie Company.  I also took a lot of photos of the beautiful flowers, butterflies, buildings, and even a "secret garden" at the Grand Hotel. It was interesting to see how things get done on an island with no cars. There are horse-drawn carts (drays)  that deliver all of the packages and even furniture. There are lots of people cleaning up after the horses frequently, although you still need to watch your step when crossing the street! We toured Fort Mackinac where we had lunch at the Tea Room which is in the former officer's quarters. The view from there was incredible. There were cannon and rifle demonstrations we saw. (The fort is just up the hill from the marina so we could hear the cannons from there quite frequently which was a little unnerving while docking as it sounds like you are hitting the dock when the cannon goes off! ) We also toured a few other museums that come with admission to the fort: the American Fur Co. and Dr. Beaumont Museum, the Blacksmith Shop, the McGulpin House, and the Biddle House. We had a delicious whitefish dinner and stunning views again at the 1852 Grill Room at the Island House Hotel located right in front of the marina. On the way back to the boat we got some ice cream from Ryba's. There is lots of fudge and ice cream in Mackinac! 

Our last day on Mackinac Island, August 12, we rented a tandem bike to ride the 8.2 mile flat route on the perimeter of the island. It was a very pretty ride with trees and hills on one side and Lake Huron on the other. We got a different perspective of the arch rock from below. Following this we had breakfast at the popular Chuckwagon. I also took a few more photos of churches and hotels past the marina I hadn't seen before. I bought a print of the Island Hotel and the marina at The Landing Gull gift shop on Market Street. We did some grocery shopping at Doud's Market which is said to be America's oldest grocery store.  After getting cleaned up we had lunch at the Carriage House at the Iroquois Hotel, a beautiful setting right on the water. From there we could see our friends Lance and Sue (boat The Dash) arrive! If was fun being reunited with them, even for a day. We hope to see them again on the Illinois River and possibly "cross our wake" together in Grafton, Illinois since that was their starting point also. We had dinner together at the Ice House at the Island Hotel and then walked around Main Street before having a drink at The Pink Pony at the Chippewa Hotel. It is right next to the marina and so is especially popular with boaters. There is a lot to do and see on Mackinac Island and we hope to come back again some day, although this time was unique since we came by boat! Next we will head to Charlevoix, Michigan!