Mackinaw Island

January 26, 2021

Mackinaw Island

The only way to get to Mackinaw Island is on a ferry. We homeschool so we were able to get the educational discount. You just have to call the education office and book in advance. Once you get off the ferry the best things to do is visit a fudge shop. There are no shops outside of the main street where the ferries drop you. You can try all different types of free fudge samples then pick your favorite one. Once you arrive on the island there are no cars. The only way to get around is by walking, bike riding, or horse. The horse carriages are VERY expensive. And bikes can be pricy too. You can pay to bring your bike on the island or rent one. The best way to get around is the horse taxi. You call the line and the taxi will pick you up. The taxi doesn't take you all over the island but it gets you pretty far for $5. The taxi takes you pretty close to arch rock. You have to take a lot of stairs to get to the top but it's worth it. My 6 your old conquered those stairs. It's doable it just that you'll defiantly be burning off the fudge you ate downtown. From Arch Rock we walked to Sugar loaf. It's a lime stone formation in the middle of a forest. It's pretty cool to see. After Sugar Loaf we walked Fort Holms. It is the highest point on the island and it's free to enter. The view is spectacular! Next we went to Fort Mackinaw. You have to pay to enter this fort. There are demonstrations to see and buildings to explore. Their is also a café that looks out on the lake. It's rather expensive so we only got a hot chocolate but it's a great place to sit and enjoy a meal or snack. The last stop was a visit to the Grand Hotel. It has the largest porch in the world and the grounds are beautiful. You can pay to enter the hotel or it's even fun just to take a trip up to see it.