More than a million vacationers a year take the familiar ferry ride to this remote island in the Straits of Mackinac between Upper and Lower Michigan. Here they find an idyllic haven with horse-drawn carriages (no cars allowed), elegant shops in the old downtown area, plenty of fudge and historic connections dating to America’s fledgling period during the War of 1812.
Having the island as a sailing destination for 20 years, our family every summer has whiled away from a few days to a month on the island’s harbor facility, so we have developed several favorite activities.
Here is a baker’s dozen of less practiced Mackinac Island activities that will help make your stay less ordinary.
1. Favorite of residents (only 476 of whom live here year-round), boaters and other visitors is the trek up to Ft. Mackinac at dusk. Fort guides march tourists through a fascinating period study during the day, but evenings the fort rests peacefully. Climb the 113 steps to a terrace of tables overlooking the Straits of Mackinac and the island’s main thoroughfare. Bring fruit and cheese, and, while listening to the soft, distant clomp of horses’ hooves, peacefully enjoy the deep blue of Lakes Michigan and Huron, while 1,000-foot freighters coast through the narrow straits under the Mackinac Bridge and past the old Round Island Lighthouse.
2. Around 6:30 p.m. each Monday during the tourist season from April through October a fever sweeps the island. Most residents mount their bikes; knowledgeable visitors begin a lemming-like migration to the eastern end of the island, ending at the Mission Point Resort Theater. At 7 p.m. the island has its one movie, shown just once. The theater has an old-fashioned sense of a bygone era, and a similar feeling pervades the gathering as Jack Loeks, a Michigan theater-chain owner who provides the weekly feature as a special favor, introduces the movie. The theater reflects the Great North, with pine logs 2 feet in diameter forming the theater’s cathedral ceiling. Balcony seats are prime. Get there early. Features generally are new releases.
3. A beach campfire overlooking the Mackinac Bridge roasts hot dogs and marshmallows better than you have ever tasted before. At the north end of the boardwalk of the island’s main thoroughfare and below the sandstone cave known as Devil’s Kitchen, many fine spots are ideally situated for the occasion. A fire permit is required and can be obtained from the local fire department on Market Street, one block north of the main thoroughfare. You can get picnic accoutrements at Doud’s, the island’s only grocery, across from the Visitor’s Center at the southern end of town. While cooking a hot dog, watch freighters cruising past a few hundred yards offshore and ferries flitting back and forth.
4. Bring a wildflower book from your local library or buy one for $14.95 at the Visitor’s Center and enjoy identifying the island’s wildflowers. My favorite places are on the cliffs along West Bluff Road amid the splendid Victorian mansions above the Grand Hotel, the paths along Manitou Road on the south end of the island near Robinson’s Folly lookout and the pine-cushioned paths of the inland trail leading to the island’s historic cemetery.
5. Visitors to the island can rent a horse-drawn carriage for $50 an hour for up to four people. Or they can rent drive-it-yourself carriages for $28 an hour (two-person carriages) or $35 an hour (four-person carriages).
For something different, approach Joe Plaza, a carriage owner and the main dispatcher for carriages, at the intersection of Fort and Huron Streets (next to Doud’s), where taxis are dispersed. Charter his services for a private tour or evening picnic.
6. One way to avoid being a tourist is to cross the line and become a tourist watcher. People-watching from one of the island’s great porches perfectly suited to this endeavor can begin at the Island House directly above the marina. The great Victorian porch extends out toward the marina like the bridge of a sailing vessel, elevated for perfect observation of bicyclers, carriages and the yacht harbor.
In the center of the island’s bustling Huron Street (also known as Main Street-and Michigan Highway 185, the only highway in the state on which motor vehicles are banned) is the Murray Hotel where you can get fudge and yogurt and prop your feet on the railing of the hotel’s porch at street level amidst the activity. Most afternoons you can listen to the gossamer tones of a dulcimer being played at one end of the porch. It goes without saying-but not without paying $5 admission for non-guests-that the world’s longest porch, at the Grand Hotel, suits this activity most elegantly.
7. Mackinac Island’s place in history is vividly re-created with a tour of old Ft. Mackinac, which was captured by the British during the War of 1812. One way to immerse yourself in the island’s fascinating history is to stay at one of the family residences that has been operating over the last several decades. At McNally Cottage, a bed-and-breakfast on Huron/Main Street, Carmen Golden, granddaughter-in-law of builder Michael McNally, will relate little island details from the 104 years the family has lived on Mackinac, most not available in the travel brochures. Family antiques appoint this handsome cottage, and with a lake view room for $60, listening to Carmen’s accounts from the porch while watching the bustle of Huron/Main Street or the tranquility of the lake may be one of the best bargains on the island. (Room rates at island B&Bs range from about $45 to $175 a night; the Grand Hotel is even more expensive, though meals are included.) A bulletin board with hundreds of family photos supplements mental journeys to the past.
A block north on Market Street, Thomas Donnelly, Michael McNally’s cousin, and his wife Bridgett built Cloghaun (Gaelic for “land of little stones”) in 1884. Great-grandson James Bond and his wife, Dorothy, run Cloghaun Bed and Breakfast and will share the morning meal with you in a dining room filled with island pictures (Aunt Kitty hoarded them). The room once was sealed for 40 years, and the pictures hang from their original hooks. Folklore is free with breakfast; rooms are $65 to $95.
8. Strolling down to the eastern end of Huron/Main Street, a visit to Haun’s 1830 Inn Bed and Breakfast can prove interesting. Owner Nick Haun, a history teacher from the Chicago suburbs, will provide any adventurous inquirer a special map dating to 1915. Spend a relaxing respite looking for the secret distillery hidden in a cave in the island’s interior. “No one who is talking has seen it recently,” Haun challenges.
9. For a truly spectacular view and private walk, identify wildflowers on a trek about one mile above the Grand Hotel on your way to Stonecliff Manor. Walk through this elegant Tudor mansion, now a hotel. Step onto the expansive rear lawn overlooking the Mackinac Bridge. Bear left and find a little path leading past an old apple orchard, along a soft trail of pine needles, emerging onto a stone porch known as Sunset Rock. This peaceful, secluded spot hundreds of feet above the water offers a beautiful vantage point to witness the brilliant sunsets over the Straights of Mackinac.
10. Hotel registrar Andi Staffan, daughter of Stonecliff’s owner, will provide directions to Sunset Rock and to the fountain, a magical clearing in the same general area. It was selected by Andi’s sister, Suzie, for her wedding site. The fountain rests at the center of a small valley surrounded by lawn. Slopes rising from its perimeters are carpeted with lush wildflowers and giant pine and birch trees. The feeling is that of being in a natural cathedral. Bring a lunch.
After experiencing Stonecliff Manor’s magnificent splendor-the stately oak-paneled dining room, gracious Victorian antiques, stained glass windows and sumptuous rooms-it hardly would be surprising that you would not pledge a return visit to enjoy this imposing retreat. Andi will gladly help. Rooms are $89 to $199.
11. Few events have such extraordinary reputation as dinner at the Grand Hotel, but fewer people know about Woods, a restaurant where meals are prepared by Grand Hotel chefs. Located near Stonecliff, Woods got its Bavarian decor from Carleton Varney, a famous designer. Old oak floors, hand-hewn wooden furniture and moose heads establish the deep Woods feeling. Best of all, Woods has a Grand Hotel quality at more of a backwoods price. Most entrees are around $12, with the grilled venison chops, at $17.75, being the most extravagant, and popular, dish.
However, another favorite reason for a sortie to Woods is the game of 10 pins. That’s right, the island’s only bowling alley was built here years ago when the structure was then part of Stonecliff. You must set your own pins, walking the long narrow antique wainscoting-lined corridor of the solitary alley. It’s quite an experience, a stout ale being the best accompaniment for this activity and the necessary purveyor, a pleasant tavern, is right there.
12. Before you visit Mackinac Island, rent the movie “Somewhere in Time” starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. This sweeping romantic love story is an island obsession that not only captures the essence of a love so deep it allows Reeve to go back in time, but it also highlights many of the island’s prominent and secluded attractions. Much of the movie was filmed at the Grand Hotel, but you will have fun looking for other filming locations. Get help along these lines and inquire about “Insights,” a “Somewhere in Time” fan club that meets at the Bay View bed and breakfast. Owner Doug Yoder will fill you in on the details from the porch of the Bay View, which has arguably the island’s best marina view. See how many pictures of Jane Seymour you can find hanging throughout your island stay.
13. Take a stroll along the marina docks and examine the luxurious boats. A good time is in the morning when the yachts are docking. Watch for the yacht entering a slip across the wind. Watch for the captain’s self-assured confidence. Watch this demeanor transmute into one of panic and helplessness as the wind or captain error gently eases the craft into a piling-crunch! Listen for new sea expletives. Michigan Department of Natural Resource personnel are superb professionals, assisting boats in docking, but owners never refuse an extra hand to toss a line to, or an extra foot to fend their boat from one of the pilings.
Enjoy your stay at Mackinac Island, and don’t take any wooden fudge.
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For more information about the Mackinac Island area, contact the Mackinac Island Chamber of Commerce, Box 451, Mackinac Island, Mich. 49757; 800-225-6225 or 906-847-6418.
