Thursday, July 9 – We jumped on the Arnold Mackinac Island Ferry first thing this morning to sail to Mackinac Island. Arnold Ferry is $18 per person compared to the others costing $23 per person. Still a pretty hefty ride for the thirty minute trip – but then again, it's a round trip fare.
Bye St. Ignace.
Hello Mackinac Island.
Round Island Lighthouse.
The Island was bustling at our 9:30 arrival with people lined up for carriage rides ($28 per person) and tours of Fort Mackinac ($23 per person). I guess we're cheap because we refused both. Nice that families could get a family pass for $75 though.
Awaiting the hoards of people.
We walked over 5.33 miles and 12,457 steps according to Paul's iPhone health app. We strolled down main street checking out all the fudge shops and salt water taffy stores. Of course there are hundreds of touristy souvenir places selling every t-shirt imaginable and other things for folks to take home to remember their day at Mackinac Island.
Not your run-of-the mill weathervane.
No visit to the Island would be complete without a visit to the 1887 Grand Hotel….but wait….taken from the website: To enter the hotel and explore our grounds, there is a $10 admission fee. Nope, we will pass on that one. But here is a photo taken from the ferry. It is an amazing place.
We enjoyed several of the old churches, especially Trinity Episcopal Church and Sainte Anne Catholic Church. There is also the Missionary Bark Chapel made from tree bark, being the first church on the Island.
For those of you unfamiliar with Mackinac Island, there are no motorized vehicles permitted on the island. Bikes and horse drawn vehicles are the only mode of transportation, other than walking. There is a circular road around the entire island that tons of families enjoy biking with the kids. You must be cautious when crossing the street, there's bikes flying everywhere and horses too!
Paul's fishing buddies made rest stops on the Island for some beverages and lunches. We stopped some of the familiar taverns like the Pink Pony and the Old Town Tavern. We even sampled a couple brews in memory of the old gang.
Paul really doesn’t drink his beer with a straw, but it was pink. Go figure.
Marsha especially enjoyed the flowers and landscaping. Hundreds of hanging baskets and every historical house and bed and breakfast were surrounded with amazing flower beds all in full bloom. Paul believes Marsha would have made the trip just for the flowers.
By 1:30, we were ready to jump aboard the return ferry to St. Ignace, MI, and return to the Kewadin Casino for a little rest and relaxation. Don’t mess this gem of an island. We had a fantastic day. There is tons and tons to see. The weather is absolutely marvelous with highs in the mid 70’s and lows in the 50’s and best of all no humidity. Makes for good sightseeing and even better sleeping!
Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon. Have a great day!
