Mackinac Island is like a tropical paradise that will have you amazed at the beauty.
If you haven't been to Mackinac Island, Michigan, United States, or haven't heard about it, then you are missing out. I didn't know about it until a few years ago through my dad. He used to drive for a tour bus company and got to visit there. He kept saying we needed go there for a family vacation so we could experience it.
So, we finally took a family vacation to Mackinac Island and I was so amazed at the beauty. You literally feel like you're in a tropical paradise without the palm trees and hot weather. I had never imagined the waters of Lake Huron to be so beautiful, clear and blue. Then what's also cool is the only motor vehicles allowed on the island are emergency vehicles. Everyone gets around via foot, bike, or horses. Everywhere you look, it's just beautiful!
Mackinac Islandis an island covering approximately 3.8 square miles of land that sits in Lake Huron, part of the Great Lakes, and is in between the Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan. It's only accessible by boat or plane. There are no roads leading to the island. It is also one of the most popular summer tourist attractions in the United States.
A lot of the island has been preserved and restored putting the whole island on the list of the National Historic Landmarks. Fort Mackinac was established there by the British during the American Revolutionary War and during the war of 1812. There were two battles fought on the island.The entire island was considered a national park from 1875 - 1895. Mackinac National Park was the 2nd national park in the US after Yellowstone. After the fort wasdecommissioned in 1895 it was handed back to the state of Michigan making Mackinac Island State Park, the first State Park in the state.
There's so much history on the island with the fort, and then there's the victorian style Grand Hotel
which opened in 1887. The 332,500 square foot hotel has had several famous visitors including 5 presidents, Thomas Edison, Mark Twain, and many many more. It has the world's largest porch with lots of rocking chairs and after a specific time each day, only formal attire is allowed. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
M-185 is a narrow road that goes around the entire island along the shoreline of Lake Huron. It's just a little over 8 miles around and is also called Lake Shore Drive. It's the only state highway in the nation, since the 1890's, that has a ban against motor vehicles (except emergency vehicles). If you've been on that road, it's a view and experience you'll never forget. If you haven't, you'll want to be prepared for the 8 miles. If you go by bike, they will tell you it'll take a couple hours, but if you're anything like us, you'll make a lot of stops to enjoy the scenery, take photos
and see all the little sightseeing stops along the way. It took us about 4 1/2 hours for us to go around the island and we were so exhausted but it was so worth it. It was the most memorable and enjoyable experience we had there.
One of the most popular stops along M-185 / Lake Shore Drive is the natural arch bridge known as the Arch Rock. It's a natural limestone formation and is one of the most photographed places on the island. While we were there, we were lucky enough to have a group of canoes go by and I was able to snap a few fine art photos of them as they were centered in the opening of the rock bridge. If you want to go to the top of the arch bridge from M-185, beware, there are 207 steps that will really give you a workout, especially if you've just rode a bike 3/4 away around the island. There is also the option to take a tram there too, which we didn't know this until we got to the top and saw them. This location is truly amazing and is a must see if you visit the island.
According to the 2010 Census, the population was only 492 on the island. During the summer tourists months, there can be as many as 15,000 visitors each day! Now that's a lot of people on a small island but it's so worth the visit! When you go, make sure you bring your camera!
If you like videos, here is a youtube
one I created showing a sample of photos from my Michigan collection(or scroll to bottom of blog for embedded video).
If you've ever been to Mackinac Island feel free to comment on what you loved about it.
To see my Michigan photo collection click here: Michigan
To see gift items, which make great souvenirs too, with my Michigan art click here: Michigan Gifts
Be blessed,
Jennifer White - Timeless Moments Photography
