Mackinac – On the Road with Don and Paula

(One word says it all.)

**Early morning sunlight shines on the Wawatam Lighthouse on the jetty of St. Ignace harbor** **where the ferry for Mackinac Island is berthed.**

This could be the ultimate “Final Jeopardy!” question of all time.

Answer: “This destination resort was designated as the second National Park in the United States in 1875” (three years after Yellowstone)

Question: “What is Mackinac Island.”

“Now just hold on there Donny, everyone knows that Sequoia in California is our second oldest National Park! (1890) Besides…. no one even knows how to spell or pronounce Mackinac/Mackinaw! And on top of that, what’s the deal with the no cars thing?“

No worries mates!

All of these queries and observations will be handled in this Post as you all will become Mackinac experts by the time that we’re finished here.

Let’s deal with the obvious first.

Mackinac? or Mackinaw?

Both are correct spelling depending on which side of the huge Mackinac Bridge you are on. The Lower Michigan folks spell it Mackinaw and the Yoopers (the phonetic contraction for U.P. short for Upper Peninsula) spell it Mackinac, but still pronounce it with the aw sound at the end.

Confused?

So were the early French explorers that came here in the late 1600’s and conversed with the local Anishnaabek folks that resided here. To confound this entire phonetical pronunciation problem is the original name of the Island….. Michilimackinac.

Ha! Easy for you to say!

But the translation of which, while it may be easier to say, it is not that easy to use, it is…. “Land of the Great Turtle”.

And while we all love turtles, and yearn for the days gone by, it is just better to refer to this island as Mackinac. (The marketing folks were also quite happy with it)

Let’s settle that question about the second national park. Yes, it is true that Mackinac Island was the second National Park, but it lasted only for twenty years and was then turned over to the State of Michigan which in turn made it a State Park. But that Jeopardy! question still stands!

**The relatively quiet Main Street before the rest of the visitors arrive. We were on the first ferry to get in. The one with all of the workers who live ‘off island’ on it!** **There will be another photo a little later showing how busy things can get!**

Here are three friendly faces, two of which are just starting their workday. They will be clomping around town delivering everything from food supplies for restaurants to tee shirts for the retail shops.

Now we’ll tackle the “No Cars” restriction on the Island. Not only are there no cars, but there are also no motorcycles, scooters, delivery vehicles, buses, street cars, golf carts, skateboards, roller skates, or wheelchairs. (only kidding about the wheelchairs!) Here’s the backstory:

The year is 1898 and the horseless carriage is becoming a more frequent sight wherever you go. Someone was “zooming” along the main drag on Mackinac and scared someone else’s horses attached to their carriage. A petition to ban said “horseless carriages” was hastily drawn up and presented to the Village Council who approved it. Ever since that fateful encounter there have been no motorized vehicles allowed on the Island. In fact, Mackinac has the only State Highway in the nation, the M185, that bans all motorized vehicles! Now, let’s be a tad practical here and readily admit that some powered emergency vehicles are a good idea, so fire trucks and ambulances are tucked away for their use if needed.

I have to admit that it was a little strange when disembarking on the Island to find only horse drawn carriages and carts along with 15 billion bicycles to rent, as the only transportation.

Quiet?

You bet!

Better?

In this case I would have to agree with that 1898 Village Council and their ban. Mackinac Island has a mission and that is to provide a resort experience that is a throwback to the late 19^th century, that is replete with the customs and service of that era.

And they do it nicely.

**Row of large homes set on Main Street just across from the water.** **Home prices start at about $5,000,000 and top out a mere $20,000,000. That’s all well and good, but most are strictly summer residences and cannot be used most of the year.**

**Quaint and well-preserved would describe all of the buildings that are on the Island. This is Market Street, one block off of Main Street.**

Even the deliveries that go to all of the hotels and restaurants here have to be delivered by a horse drawn cart. I watched the local Sysco delivery come in on a barge, to be met by the cart, and then proceed on a delivery route as if it was a hundred years ago. Even the garbage trucks are the horse drawn carts!

**The local Sanitation Engineers on their ‘Garbage Truck’ and making their rounds.**

Our original plan was to rent some bicycles and pedal around the Island, but I ended up with some old knee issues flaring up, which ixnayed the pedaling around. So, I hired a horsedrawn carriage (no fringe on top), and Melanie, Trigger, and Daisy spent two hours driving us around to the most popular sights, which also included Melanie’s running commentary. The back carriage roads of the Island are gorgeous and wind their way through many a wooded area of Mackinac Island which is over 80% covered by that Mackinac State Park.

**Melanie (red jacket), Daisy (dark one), Trigger (the only one left!)**, **and our Carriage that brought us around Mackinac Island for two hours.**

Trigger and Daisy are just two of the over five-hundred horses that are on the Island. That is a one-to-one ratio as the full-time population of the Island is just over that five-hundred number. With all of those horses comes the inevitable results of eating lots of hay and transitioning that hay into fertilizer. No worries there either as there were innumerable Manure Magnets pushing their little carts around sweeping up the evidence of horses gone by.

We did not see any flies either!

(I think they were banned with the cars!)

Mackinac Island has been on my Bucket List for as long as I can remember mostly because of seeing images of the Grand Hotel. I’m afraid that those wonderful images, no matter how great they were, cannot do the real Grand Hotel justice.

In front of the longest Porch in the world at 660′. There are over 100 of the famed white rocking chairs and they are now offering them for sale at a mere $699.00! Why not get a dozen for your porch!

**The Flags, the Geraniums, and the Chairs have not changed in over a hundred years.**

**A final glance at the Porch as we go around the corner.**

We were only able to ride by and see it up close as they certainly restrict access to their guests only. This ensures that a return visit is in the offing for another trip here in the future.

And the next time will include a stay at the Grand.

**The Esther Williams Swimming Pool that was constructed for her when they filmed *This Time for Keeps* here in 1947. The movie also starred Jimmie Durante and Johnnie Johnston**.

Flowers are everywhere, especially at the private residences around the Grand. It is not unusual for these homes to coordinate their florals with that of the Grand, which makes their presentation all the more stunning.

**This home is named *Wonder View* (see bronze plaque) and judging by the way it sits above everything else we will assume that its name is apropos**!

**Ranking third behind the Verrazzano Narrows, and the Golden Gate, the Mackinac Straits Bridge at 8344′ takes a solid third-place position.** **This view is from the Grand.**

**Well, if you need a carriage to get around then one must obviously have a Carraige House! Not everyone has a Carraige House, but the ones that do spare no expense in the quality of their decor!**

**Especially if you are the Grand Hotel!**

**The interior of the Island is the Mackinac Island State Park which has many hiking and carriage trails. This is Arch Rock, and you can glimpse the shoreline and the clear waters below.**

**Almost looks like the Carribean doesn’t it?**

Yes, there is a fort on the highest point of the Island. This area was contested in both the *Seven Years War* and the *War of 1812.*

**Coming back down into the Village you can see the waterfront where the ferries dock and most all of the commerce takes place.**

**A few hours later.**….now take a look at the many visitors that come over for the day, or maybe stay for a few more. You actually need to watch out and not get run over by Amateur Bicycle Riders!

**This was our spot for lunch, *The Pink Pony.* Our table was up on the blue covered porch and looked out over the harbor. The wait for an outside table was about an hour and a half so we went shopping!**

**Not just one, but two lighthouses guide visitors to the waiting harbor of Mackinac Island.**

Our ferry ride back to St. Ignace was as nice as the one outbound in the morning. We really did not know what to expect with regards to our visit. My only previous experience were some photos of The Grand and the movie Somewhere in Time which given the nature of the timelessness of this Island was filmed in the perfect location. I will tell you that not one aspect of this venture disappointed and only whetted our appetites for a return visit that will last a bit longer!