Accessible only by air or water, park your vehicle, grab your bags and hop a boat or jump a plane to one of Michigan’s most beloved summer vacation destinations: Mackinac Island. Confusing even to spell, Mackinac is technically pronounced ma-kin-aw (saying mac-kin-ac, is the equivalent of pronouncing the “s” in Illinois). Known for the complete absence of automobile traffic, you’ll find horses, bicycles, and strollers a plenty on the 5.6 square mile island (that’s 8.2 miles around the perimeter, for those of us challenged by even basic geometry).

On a mission to re-live fond childhood memories with grandparents, eating fudge, and trying to interest my little sister in “road” apples, we spent two full days on Mackinac Island with our family last week. Having never slept on the island or traveled there with children of my own, here’s where we went and what we learned:

Upper Deck, Shepler's Fairy

Getting There: A sixteen minute ride from Mackinaw City to the Island dock, Shepler’s Ferry was no three hour tour. The luggage was tagged, our car valet parked, and the rooster tail of water behind our boat that had the boys jumping and punching the air. You can sit on the upper deck (cooler and breezier with better views) or lower deck (less crowded, padded seats, enclosed), depending on how windblown you like your hair-do (see photo). Shepler’s Ferry also transports passengers to and from the St. Ignace Dock, north of the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Lodging: Our luggage was magically loaded onto one of many horse-drawn carriages shuttling people and their belongings to-and-from the Island’s handful of resorts and hotels. We poked our way along Main Street, out of the bustling downtown and past the colorful sail boats in the marina. Caution: about ten minutes into the walk, a feeling of relaxation may overtake you. Rush hour is gone. The air is clean. Kites strings, tourists, and Adirondack chairs are probably your biggest obstacles.

Mission Point Resort, Mackinac Island

Upon arriving at Mission Point Resort, we found that our bags had again been magically deposited in what can only be described as the diggity dog suite. Located slightly away from the more popular (read: somewhat crowded) attractions, Mission Point Resort is an oasis in its own right. Over the course of the resort’s almost 200 year history, it has grown from a mission house to a convention center and a even a college. A lodge, grand hall, theater, sound stage, restaurants, and tower museum have been added to the resort over time, and it’s improving in the spirit of casual elegance even today. Let’s face it, if I come back as a seagull in my next life, I’m nesting somewhere between the mini golf course and croquet green.

An Evening Bike Ride on Lake Shore Boulevard

Adventure: Without the hum of air conditioning units to interrupt chirping birds and waves lapping on the shore, you may want to locate the swimming pool and take your own version of the Nestea® Plunge (brisk, baby!). Because we arrived in the evening, we promptly ordered from the Round Island Bar & Grill (selected purely based on the name, the Redneck Taco was hands-down my favorite item on the menu).

Refreshed, re-fueled, and not yet tired, we walked the short distance to the on-site Activity Center and rented two bicycles, a burley trailer, and a tag-a-long kids bike by the hour. Well after main “traffic” hours, cooler, and around the corner from panoramic views, the bike rates were competitive, helmets were complimentary, and we finished right back where we started. In fact, Mac the Moose met us in the main lobby for story time with free cookies and milk. Mac was a bigger hit than the cookies; always a sign of success!

Butterfly Owen

Ready for more spontaneity, we didn’t have far to walk the next day. As it turns out, Mackinac Island’s Original Butterfly House & Insect World was a short (downhill) walk from our room. With one girl and two boys, we had plenty of butterfly and insect action to hold their attention. I let the younger two kids snap photos with the camera, while my first grader used a printed butterfly guide to identify many of the different species in the conservatory. A great idea for a rainy or sunny day, you can come back and tour the center as many times as your heart desires in one day. Here “Butterfly Owen” is seen testing his new wings. Connected to speakers on the ceiling, different music plays as you tap the butterfly photos on the wall (secretly, I was hogging the display in a vain attempt to impress a non-existent talent scout).

At this point the kids got crabby. Once again I had underestimated the shortness of their legs, and they wanted to be carried. Shortly thereafter, the adults also got crabby. If you are smarter than us, you may want to pack a stroller with shade awning, underneath storage compartment (good for holding lots of taffy and fudge), and water bottle holders. Fortunately, we found strollers to rent at a reasonable $3/hour (honestly, I probably would have even sold a kidney for a stroller at some point). Note that you can also bring your bikes (if you have them handy) onto the island. Weighing the cost of renting bikes over investing in a bike carrier, you may want to check Island bike rental rates and plan ahead. Bike shops employing bike mechanics are also available if you encounter a flat tire or need another type of repair.

Mackinac Island Carriage Tours

Mackinac Island Carriage Tours to the rescue! Like the hum of an automobile engine, the clop clopping of twelve horse hooves will eventually lull any over-tired toddler to sleep. In my opinion, the best way to get a feel for the lay of the land and the different “parts” of the Island, your carriage tour guide will impress you with random trivia, island history, and the occasional bad pun. If groups or tours aren’t your thing, consider venturing out on foot or wheel using a local map as your guide. As our carriage passed by the romantic Grant Hotel, beautiful Arch Rock, and historic Fort Mackinac, we were thankful for our trusty steeds. Truly, we felt like royalty heading off to parliament the entire time.

Private First Class Calvin

And let’s not forget Fort Mackinac, shall we? With scheduled programs, historical talks, demonstrations, and fourteen buildings to explore, set aside at least two hours to fully appreciate the historical significance of the Fort (not to mention, torment kids with plenty of educational opportunities). Maintained by the Michigan State Park system, Fort Mackinac proudly sits high atop the main bluff, meticulously maintained and ready to defend the the Island from enemy attack at will. Most of our time at Fort Mackinac was in the Kids’ Quarters, dressing up, sending telegraph messages between rooms, and even learning to march in formation with wooden rifles (A handy “show-and-tell” topic for any Kindergartner, don’t you agree?). And if you do feign injury from cannon fire, make sure the tourist next to you is not a medic in real life. What are the odds, really?

Chophouse Restaurant: Fine Dining

Eating: Out of the barracks and back in our hotel suite, we showered, groomed, and sauntered over to the fancy Chophouse Restaurant for our evening meal. As illustrated by this photo, cloth napkins, soup spoons, salad forks, and butter knives clearly fall outside the realm of daily dining at the Henning household. That said, the Chophouse Restaurant is completely worth the trip from any corner of Mackinac Island. For purposes of this review, I tucked the Menu for Little Ladies & Gentlemen into my purse (leaving the warm loaf of bread and honey butter on the table, but only because we were hungry). Between $5 and $9, kids entree choices included broiled whitefish, pan roasted chicken, macaroni and cheese, and filet mignon. Perfectly portioned for tiny tummies, we also enjoyed locally harvested basil and tomatoes on fresh mozzarella. A grand finale of Mackinac Island fudge atop vanilla ice cream with a bowl of fresh berries, I’d ride the ferry back out to the Chophouse Restaurant just for a meal.

Perfect weather, a carefully-constructed itinerary, and modern-day conveniences were certainly instrumental in the overall success of our road (er boat, bike, and horse) trip to Mackinac Island. Not the thriftiest vacation destination by any stretch of the imagination, pack snacks, plan ahead, and look for free (and fun) ways to spend your day. Spending two nights at Mission Point Resort really cut back on feeling rushed and having to be back to the ferry dock at a certain time of day. Whatever your budget or your overall mission, Mackinac Island holds a special place in people’s hearts, season after season.

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