Monday, July 26, 2010

Mackinac Island

As promised, more on our trip to Mackinac Island.  This place is SO cool!  The day we were there we had perfect 70 degree weather, sunny.  It was beautiful.  The thing that makes the island so unique is that there are no cars allowed.  There are ferry services that take you the short 15 minute ride over from either Mackinac City (in the lower peninsula) or St. Ignace (in the upper peninsula).  The 5 mile long Mackinac Bridge connects the upper and lower peninsulas and is quite a sight to see itself.

Travel around the island is by horse, bike or walking.
We rented bikes and rode the 8 miles around the outside of the island.  My nephew had fun riding up ahead --- freedom!
And the big kids had fun, too...
The view of Arch Rock from the road:
One of the must-sees on the Island is The Grand Hotel.  It was built in the late 1800s. 

Just a friendly reminder... ha ha.
The grounds of the hotel are impeccably manicured and lush.  So much green grass and flowers!  A real treat for us coming from the desert.  If you look closely in the middle of this picture, just to the left of the clump of trees is a little bunny!  It was just stretched out, relaxing.  Life at The Grand is good for bunnies, too, apparently.

Love the full size horse and carriage topiary!
And no trip is complete without famous Mackinac Island FUDGE!  As you walk down the sidewalk of main street that is all you can smell.  Mmmmm. 
I wanted to take this entire slab home!  But I settled for a mere pound of it.

The next time we go back we have other things on our list to be sure to do, like going inside Fort Mackinac.  This time around we only took pictures from the outside.  Lots of history here.
What a great trip we had. If you ever get a chance to visit here, I highly recommend it.

11 comments:

Apron Senorita said...

I have heard of Mackinac Island. It must be amazing to be there in person. The pictures are gorgeous and thanks for sharing them.

Yoli

Cherinda said...

I've never been there, but I've got a feel of it now from your pictures. It looks like a beautiful place. Thanks for sharing!

The JR said...

Luv the rock arch.

Too fancy a place for me....

The horse topiary is fantastic.

Looks like a great place to visit.

Christina said...

Just looks beautiful and a great escape from summer heat. I would never make it home with a pound of fudge, I would have it eaten up in no time.

The Fab Furs said...

You know, this makes me think that a trip to Michigan is in order, I could not only see this intriguing place, but visit The Geek Group and check out Ann Arbor too.

Tara said...

I am a Michigander :) And, yes, it is our pride and joy. So glad you enjoyed it.

Amy said...

I love mackinac island! I grew up in MI and we visited there ever since I was a baby. I learned how to ride a bike there, well kinda I was sent down a hill and went right off the boardwalk into the lake...lol. Anyways of all the places I have been too Macknac Island is my favorite place. I could go a hundred times and still want to do it again. I am so glad you got to experience the island. It is truely unique. To the previous poster the island itself is not fancy that is only the hotel you have to dress up for.

Heart of a Cowgirl said...

Yes, we Michiganders are quite fond of "our" island. This was probably my 4th trip there, my very first time was when I was about 7 years old and I went with my Brownie Troop. :)

Liz said...

I live on Mackinac Island year-round. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your visit!

Gail said...

Wonderful pictures. I know now why they have the bikes...to work off that fudge!

Angie @ thejunkranch said...

Beautiful place for sure! Makes me want to create a life size topiary like that one. Thanks for letting us take a peek.