Michigan's Mackinac Island Welcomes Summer
Horses, History, Golf and Bicycles Highlight Activities On This Island
Jul 16, 2009
Much of the charm of Mackinac Island is due to the more than 600 Belgian and Percheron horses and their carriages that are the primary means of transportation around the 22,000-acre island. (However, electric carts are available for people with limited mobility).
Only four motorized vehicles exist on the island and those belong to the police, fire and ambulance departments. But there’s not far to go. Mackinac is only two miles wide and three miles long. The perimeter road is a mere 8.3 miles and takes about an hour to ride on a bicycle.
Almost the entire island was at one time the United States' second national park, designated by Congress in 1875 to protect many of the natural limestone formations on the island. After troops left around 1895, the federal government gave the property to the state of Michigan, which now preserves the Victorian era and the history of the French, British and Native American occupations of the area.
Fort Mackinac Michigan
Much of that history is told during a tour of Fort Mackinac on the highest point of the island. Built by the British during the American Revolution, Fort Mackinac has 14 original buildings today and costumed characters daily that bring the grounds to life in the 18th century. Rifle and cannon firings take place on a daily basis throughout the summer. Children’s programs allow them to play the fife and drum and participate in a military parade.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the Fort Tea Room and few places on the island offer as splendid a view of the harbor and the Straights of Mackinac.
The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island
One of the biggest attractions on the island is the magnificent Grand Hotel, whose elegant white façade is visible to all who cross the Straits to the island. Built in 1887 and now a National Historic Landmark, the Grand Hotel is famous for many things, including the 660-foot long front porch, considered the largest in the world.
The signature red geraniums, inviting over-sized wooden rocking chairs and the view of the harbor make your time spent on this front porch among the most memorable of any vacation activities.
But not just anyone can walk up and rock a bit on this grand front porch. Guests of the Grand Hotel are often those of means whose experience includes the atmosphere as much as the quality of the 385 individually decorated guest rooms and suites. Therefore, hotel management controls the flow of traffic by asking a $10 cover charge for a tour of the property and a quiet moment on the front porch.
Many who don’t choose to stay at the Grand Hotel may also experience its elegance by enjoying the famous Grand Luncheon Buffet in the opulent Main Dining Room. This is an event in itself, one requiring at least two hours. This will allow plenty of time to explore four dessert tables, dozens of offerings of smoked meats, sautéed and fresh vegetables, soups, salads, and a few more desserts.
Activities on Mackinac Island
The golf course at the Grand Hotel and the public Wawashkamo Club both provide fabulous views of lighthouses, the Great Lakes and the preserved natural beauty of the island on greens swept fresh with lake breezes and accented by the cries of seagulls.
Otherwise, bicycles of all shapes and sizes transport visitors of all shapes and sizes around the island. Many shops in the villages provide picnic lunches to carry along.
Less strenuous is a visit to the Mackinac Island Butterfly House where as many as 500 butterflies float lazily around in an enclosed park-like setting, inviting you to sit and absorb their gentle pace and tranquil beauty.
The butterflies are among the many creatures that enjoy the lilac bushes, for which the island is also noted. Many of these bushes are 200 years old or more and are celebrated in an annual festival the second week of June that includes a music concerts, parades and educational workshops on this gentle cultivar.
Living on Mackinac Island
500 or so people live year round on Mackinac Island. The majority of those residents live in Harrisonville, a community located in the center of the Island. Others live in their businesses downtown.
One of the most important people is the year-round veterinarian who specializes in horses, of course, who is sometimes called on to meet human needs. The high school graduating class averages around five students a year, and limited ferry service and the local airport keeps everyone in touch with the mainland throughout the long winter.
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