Mackinac or Mackinaw? It's still the great debate! Mackinac Island is located in between Michigan's upper peninsula and lower peninsula on Lake Huron (one of the Great Lakes!). Mackinac Island is world famous for their fudge and car-free streets (the only way around the island is by horse drawn carriage or by bike!). If you are looking for a long weekend getaway, Mackinac is the getaway for you.
Where to Stay
It is cheaper to stay in Mackinac city and take the ferry over to the island (the ride is only 20 minutes!). If you're willing to splurge - stay at the famous Grand Hotel. The Grand Hotel was built in 1887 and still continues the traditions of afternoon tea, dancing with a live orchestra, and has the world's longest porch! You won't be disappointed.
Day 1
My friend Kayleigh and I arrived in Mackinac city late afternoon, so we took the night to explore the downtown! We window shopped, explored the marina, Colonial Michilimackinac, and enjoyed the up north air.
We arrived to Mackinac HUNGRY, so we ate at Nonna Lisa's Italian Ristorante. The inside resembles Cabela's dead zoo, with the cabin feel and taxidermy animals everywhere! My one critic on Mackinac city is that all of the restaurants are just alright - the island has better food! We were exhausted from the drive up north, so we decided to call it early and head back to the hotel.
Day 2
Good morning!! We woke up eager to explore more of Mackinac city and the other side of the famous Mackinac Bridge! Since we decided to save money, we stayed in the city; we will be heading to the island the next day. Of course, coffee first. Mackinac city has great bakeries for a morning pastry as well!
We headed straight to the beach to snap a few pictures of the Mackinac Bridge and enjoy the view. We went in October, so it was too cold to get in the water, but in the summer, Lake Huron is very clean and is perfect for a beach day. Afterwards, went to the Old Mackinac Point Light House. Unfortunately, it started to rain, so we decided to head across the bridge and into St. Ignace, otherwise known as the upper peninsula!
There is a fee to go across the bridge, but the experience is worth it and St. Ignace is beautiful. We first went to Castle Rock, which is an old lookout point with an incredible view, once you hike to the top!
We started to get hungry, so we ate at Mackinac Grille and Waterfront Pub (when in the upper peninsula, you must order a pasty or whitefish!). Right by the restaurant is the Wawatam Lighthouse, so after our meal, we took a walk around the area; Michigan is known for their lighthouses, in case you haven't noticed!
Checkout St. Ignace's website before your trip, they always have events going on, including farmer's markets!
Day 3
Today is the day we decided to take the ferry over to Mackinac Island. This is my third trip to Mackinac; the last two trips were back in 2012 and 2013, where both times we did the horse drawn carriage tour, which is such a cool experience, I highly recommend! This trip, we really wanted to rent bikes to ride around the island.
It was another rainy cold day in Michigan - we did NOT pack correctly for the weather and we were thankful we wore layers and our Mackinac Island sweatshirts we purchased on day 1 (classic tourist move!). We were too impatient to wait for the next ferry, which ended up being a big mistake. We sat on top of the ferry, which in the summer is fun I am sure, but in the rain, wind and splashing of waves over the sides of the boat, we were holding on for dear life!
And alas, we made it to the island! Our first priority was to find bike rentals (which wasn't hard, the bike shop we rented from was right as you exit the ferry! The bike shops charge by hour).
We took our time biking around the island, but we knew we wanted to hike Arch Rock! We were lucky that the bike rental came with gloves - it is windy while biking around the island. Arch Rock is a must see - although I recommend going early to avoid crowds. We took a few pictures, then found a bench to eat the sandwiches we packed!
As we biked, if we saw a trail, we took it! We biked to Friendship Rock, through the forest past the Wawashkamo Golf Club, and ended at the Grand Hotel.
We turned in our bikes after a few hours of exploring the island. Now it was time to explore the shops and try a few bites of fudge! Mackinac Island has a main strip where all the shopping and restaurants are located. We tried some of the world famous fudge, window shopped, then headed for dinner. We really wanted to eat at the Pink Pony but the wait was too long! We settled for some delicious nachos at Seabiscuit Cafe then headed back to catch the ferry back to Mackinac City for the night.
Day 4
We were so sad to check out of the hotel, but I believe a long weekend is the perfect length of time to spend in Mackinac. We stopped at Audie's Restaurant for breakfast, which was fantastic, then headed home. Until next time, Mackinac!
