Mackinac Island and the Mighty Mac

Oh, where do I start?  Today was filled with so many great things and experiences that I don't know where to start!

We left Mackinaw City at 11 am on Star Ferry Lines bound for Mackinac Island.

Star operates hydro jet ferrys, which mean that they are faster and more impressive that the standard prop job!

We sat on the top deck, which meant that we had a bit of wind to contend with:

But it also meant that we got a close up of the Mighty Mac bridge.  The 11 o'clock ferry makes a slight detour to go under the bridge and around one of the towers.

As we got closer,

It became evident that we would get a view of the bridge exactly opposite from the one we had yesterday as we drove across:

Yes, Virginia, those are cars on the metal roadway above!

Now I know why Donna didn't want to look down!
Then it was goodbye to the Mighty Mac, the eleventh longest suspension bridge in the world, and one of the most beautiful.

A few minutes later we docked in the harbor at Mackinac Island.  The shoreline is dotted with luxurious vacation homes, most dating back to the 1800's.

The Island does not allow motorized vehicles of any type to be seen by tourists.  We did notice some behind the scenes tractor work being down in the "backcountry", but only by the tracks left in the mud. In any case, this is the first view we had of the main street of the City.

Unfortunately, some of the ambience was lost as we passed by what seemed like a hundred souvenir shops!  I haven't read the T shirts in the pic, so if some are off-color, I apologize.

Donna did find a sign that she liked:

Then it was off to the Fudge shop.  There were at last count, a dozen fudge shops in town, not counting ice cream shops and the like that also sell fudge. Wow!
A slab (or two) from Rybas's seemed to be just the thing!

We soon came across the required horse-drawn carriage concession located just below the old Fort.

But, an inquiry into the pricing, the adjacent beautiful old buildings, the wonderful weather, and a neat-as-a-pin yacht harbor led us to decide to walk for a bit.

The road/trail around the perimeter of the island is about eight miles, so off we went. At about mile two, we decided that maybe eight was too much for us, so we peeled off on a trail to Arch Rock. Unfortunately, that meant climbing these stairs

to this rock.

Another trail took us to Sugar Loaf, a stone obelisk left behind when the water receded after the Ice Age.

Here we go with the stairs again, on the way to Point Lookout.

Point Lookout gave us another view of Sugar Loaf.

The path led us toward Fort Holmes, the highest point on the Island.

Fort Holmes isn't much any more, just the breastworks that surrounded it are left.  The reproduction blockhouse inside has been recently demolished in anticipation of a new repro building.  This is where we saw the tractor tires, of course.

But they certainly had a commanding view of the Straits of Mackinac!

Leaving the old Fort, we found more stairs, but these were descending, not ascending. This is a good thing, right?

Stair and more stairs led us eventually to Fort Mackinac and the adjacent golf course.  The Fort is uniquely restored and maintained, and each hour on the hour a period cannon is fired.

Another half mile or so led us to our objective:  The single most visited landmark on the Island, the Grand Hotel sits above the city as if keeping a casual watch over its loyal subjects.

We were allowed to approach the portico where guests were arriving and leaving, but could not visit the interior without paying a $10 fee or waiting until six o'clock, when formal attire would allow entrance without the fee.  Neither option appealed to us, so we strolled the grounds below the hotel and marveled at the landscaping.

A group of guests playing Croquet barely acknowledged us mortals as we hastily walked by.  A strategically placed bench gave us a place to marvel at the Grand Hotel!

A half mile down the road toward town, we decided that lunch/dinner was the next item of business!  We stopped at Cawthorne's Village Inn because the menu noted a specialty of Planked Whitefish.  This is the home of Whitefish, so why not?

Donna ordered Blackened Whitefish on a roll, while I ordered the Planked Whitefish.

As you would expect, Donna's sandwich was mostly bread, and my fish had absolutely no taste whatsoever.  The piped potatoes were a nice touch, and the vegetable medley was great.  Neither were priced at anything like reality, but, hey, it's a tourist town, right? And, it's all about the experience that tell me.

We were fortunate to be able to eat on the veranda and to be able to see some of the most beautiful matched teams and shiny carriages.

On our way back to the ferry, we stopped in to Douds, billed as America's Oldest Grocery Store.  The quaint shop was stacked to the ceiling with groceries, and had a great selection of items.

Our visit to Mackinac Island was over.  We caught the 6:30 ferry back to Mackinaw City, knowing that this trip would also be under the Mighty Mac, and hoping for a sunset photo.  The overcast skies prevented a good picture, but we were able to get our fill of crisp, thirty mile an hour wind!

At eight thirty, we scooted back into town to catch a glimpse of the Mackinac Bridge at night.  Lit up from one end to the other, is was even more beautiful than in the daytime.  Apologies for the ridiculous nighttime shot.

So ends our visit to Mackinac Island.  It was a spectacular day, with a brisk three mile or so walk, some great weather, and extraordinary people watching!  It was definitely worth the trip!