To
see the whole island, you'll want to rent a bike (or bring your
own). There are a variety of things to see and do on the island:
-
Visit Fort Mackinaw, a restored 18th century fort built
by the British during the American Revolution
-
Check out all the gift shops (and fudge shops!) on Main
Street
-
Bike around the island to see the sites including: Arch
Rock, Skull Cave, and The Grand Hotel
There is also a beautiful butterfly
house to check out, plus a historic church and other historic
buildings.
Mackinac Island is most famous for
its FUDGE!!! You'll find a variety of fudge shops on the island
serving just about every flavor you can imagine! Our favorite
was the Oreo Cookie fudge. YUM!
While
on your biking trip, be sure to climb the steps to Arch Rock.
This is a natural arch perched on a cliff high above Lake Huron.
The view from the top is just gorgeous! The easiest way to bike
the island is to take the road that goes around the island along
the shoreline. It's about 8 miles around, and can be completed
(with several stops for rest and photos) in about two hours.
If you're feeling real energetic you can try the main road that
goes through the center of the island. There are a bunch of
big hills, and you'll find yourself getting off to walk your
bike several times.
Don't miss Mackinac Island's Grand
Hotel. Although you get a good view of it from the ferry as
you
approach, nothing compares with seeing it up close! Unless you're
a guest, you'll need to pay to go inside, but you can get a
sense of its beauty from the road that wraps around the hotel.
We were able to find a path through the woods that brought us
to the edge of the Grand Hotel's "front yard" which
gave an even better view.
There are plenty of places to stay
on the island, but to save a little money you'll want to stay
in Mackinaw City instead. The town is small and clean, and offers
a variety of little shops. There's a cool mall called Mackinaw
Crossings that you shouldn't miss. They also have a awesome
water park called Thunder Falls! The park has 12 waterslides,
and boasts the largest wave pool in Michigan!
Be
sure to check out Colonial Michilimackinac too. Older and smaller
than the fort on Mackinac Island, it's a neat place to see the
musket demonstrations, cannon firing, and several restored buildings
that you can walk through. It's located at the base of the Mackinac
Bridge, so you can't miss it.
One final place to stop is historic
Mill Creek. Located a couple miles outside of town, this 1790's
era sawmill offers demonstrations and a guided tour. There are
also many scenic hiking trails to check out. Check
out more pics and puzzles on our Mackinac
Island puzzle page!
Saw demonstration at
Historic Mill Creek
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