Mackinac Island is often called “The Jewel of the Great lakes”, and I can understand why. This place really is a gem! We’ve had an absolutely amazing day 😊
We needed to walk down into the town to find some breakfast this morning and we were surprised when we walked out to discover that the fog had rolled in! We tucked into bagels with cream cheese, orange juice and coffee at one of the cafes and spent a little time reorganising our plans for the day. One things we’d definitly wanted to do was to rent bikes and ride the 8.2 miles along M-185, the road that rings the island. We decided to do it later on when the weather was reported to be better.
So our first stop for the day was Fort Mackinac, which sits at the top of the hill overlooking the main town. As we walked towards it we suddenly heard the sounds of trumpets playing reveille! Five trumpeters stood at the top of the fort wall waking up the town and announcing that the fort was open for the day – they followed up with the Stars and Stripes and most of the Americans in the town below stood to attention with their hands on their hearts… except the guys driving the horse carts!
We climbed up the long ramp and worked our way through each of the buildings, which faithfully record the lives of the officers, soldiers and families that lived in the fort back in the 1800s.The Fort is managed by the Michigan State Park Service.
At regular times throughout the day, the staff put on a series of costumed displays. First we watched a rifle demonstration.
Up at the top of the fort walls there are some great views back down to the town and the lake.
At 10.30 they announces the Cannon firing demonstarion, which was interesting and LOUD!
We wandered down through the town to Windermere point and tucked into a couple of hot dogs to sustain us for our upoming exercise.
The weather was starting to improve by now so we headed back to the hotel to rent a couple of bikes and set out for our ride. Naturally with Neil in charge, we recorded the fun on two GoPros, one on the front of my bike and the other attached to Neil’s cap ( much to the amusement of at least one American that we passed by). He was just frustrated that they have restrictions on Drone use here!
It was so much fun! The sun was shining, the water of the lake was a glorious blue and the woods were green and cool.
In one spot we stopped so I could stick my toe in the water and this time I tasted it, I’d been keen to prove to myself that these lakes really are freshwater and, indeed, the water was NOT salty at all.
It took just over an hour to ride all the way and it wasn’t long before we were heading back up through the busy activity of Main Street.
We went up past the hotel and detoured onto a shoreline trail that hugs the shoreline in front of the huge Mission Point Hotel grounds.
As we rode back towards the bike rental store we decided to take a well earned break and enjoyed a couple of drinks at the Bistro on the Greens – a restaurant/bar attached to the 18 hole Putting Course. The view out across the water was lovely.
We decided to go back up the hill to the fort to take a few more photos of the town and lake with the sun shining on them, it had been so gray in the morning!
I was keen to take alook at the Grand Hotel so we took a shortcut out the back of the Fort and down some quiet roads to get there. On the way we passed the Givernors Residence. The Governor of Michigan can come and use the 13 bedroom manshion whenever he feels like it!
The Grand Hotel is enormous! We decided to admire it from the front rather than pay the US$20 required to simply walk in the front door. I told Neil the next time we come to Mackinac Island we’ll stay at the Grand even if they do have a strict dress code. 😂
Back at the hotel we sat for a little while on the porch rockers before having a rest in the room. Then later we set off back down the town for dinner at Mary’s Bistro – chosen because they advertsied 50 Michigan beers! We enjoyed dinner inside ( it was chilly tonight) with a view out to the ferry dock.
Finally we walked back down past the end of town to watch the sunset. A lovely end to the day.
Mackinac island is an extraordinary place, and I’m so grateful that I’d read about it in one of Bill Bryson’s books because otherwise we’d never have come here. I recorded the video below while we were sitting on the porch – the place really is almost too good to be true.