Kevin's Insider Guide to Mackinac Island

The Ferry Ride to Mackinac Island

The Mackinac Bridge: In Profile

The Lighthouse

Arrival (not to be confused with the 2016 film starring Amy Adams)

Mackinac Island is a neat little place - the circumference is only about 8 miles in total. If I’m not mistaken, it was first inhabited in 1670 when a Jesuit priest wintered there. Most of the southern and western edge of the island is built up and touristy, but the north, east, and center of the island is a largely uninhabited state park. There are no motored vehicles on Mackinac Island - just bicycles, horses, and a ton of road apples (horse manure). 

The Main Drag of Downtown on Mackinac Island

Horses on the Main Drag - The evil empire of Starbucks/Corporate America has found a way to infiltrate even this idyllic, lost-in-time island

I got a couple recommendations if you visit Mackinac Island. 

The first relates to fudge. Mackinac is probably most famous for their fudge, but they charge a lot of money for it and make you buy large quantities of it. Some places will not sell quantities smaller than a pound (who can even eat a pound of fudge in one sitting??). I found that approximately 75% of fudge shops on Mackinac will give you free samples though, and there are a lot of fudge shops on Mackinac Island - I recon I got in excess of half a pound of free fudge. Joann’s was definitely the most profligate with the samples. Ryba’s was less effusive in their free samples but they got an interesting pistachio walnut flavor I enjoyed.  

In addition to giving out the most free samples, Joann's also had the best ambiance plus a view into live fudge making

Another interesting thing about the fudge shops is that almost the entire staff is seasonal workers, and many aren’t from the US. At my second Joanne’s location on the island (yes, there are 2 less than half a mile from each other), I met a girl from Bulgaria who has house in the woods with farm back in Bulgaria. She said she feels like everyone in US is in a rush all the time, whereas Bulgaria is "chill" - the people are very free spirited and spend less time working and more time in nature. She also said Bulgaria is about 50 years behind the US from a technological standpoint due to communism. She hopes to come back to the US to work seasonally next summer, but wants to go somewhere warmer, like Montana. (I’m skeptical as to whether Montana is actually warmer than Mackinaw Island, but hopefully by next summer I’ve made it to Montana and can say for sure). 

Some solid views from the hiking trails

My second recommendation would be to get out of the city and see the nature on the island. Renting a bike on the island is pricey - if you’re a capable hiker and get out on an early ferry though, you could likely see most of the island in a day. And some of the best views can only be reached by hiking, like Lover's Leap and Arch Rock: 

Lover's Leap - Ok, you can actually reach this one without hiking

Arch Rock - probably the most famous scenic vista on the island

In case you wanted an update on where the beard is at

Some of the best views on the island are off the (official) paths though. On an unmarked side trail near arch rock, I found this gem of an overlook that just might be the best view on the island: 

I'll send you the coordinates for this secret vista if you text me - don't want to put them out on the Internet for all the world to find though

As you can tell from the pavement in these shots, they can also be reached by bicycle

Can’t say it for sure is the best as I only spent an afternoon on the island and ran out of time to see it all. When I go back to Mackinac Island (and my recommendation if you’re feeling more adventurous), I plan to stay overnight and hammock camp off the hiking trails on the northeast side of the island (the ground is covered in roots and tree cover is pretty dense so tent camping would be difficult, but the set up is ideal for hammock camping). Spending the night on the island will give you plenty of time to explore: 

The city culinary scene:

Word on the street is that Chappell Roan actually wrote the song about THIS Pink Pony Club

The history:

 

They got these landmark placards everywhere

A missionary chapel - If you want to know its story, go to Mackinac Island yourself, cause I didn't read the placard

And the nature of the island:

Look at the chompers on this fella

Yours in fudge, 

Kevin