Escaping the Heat and Tourist Traps on Mackinac Island

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Some people say summers by the ocean are getting more and more brutal.  Who can blame them – forest fires, atmospheric rivers, hurricanes, shark attacks, and crimes by our own species seemingly on the rise…  Maybe it’s time to check out something a little different, a little calmer, and little more… blue.

 

We are back in one of the coldest states of the contiguous US, the one and only water-winter-wonderland, Michigan.  If you love your deep blue views, but don’t want your ice cream to melt much, consider visiting the famed Upper Peninsula this summer.  At the tip of the oven mitt is an area surrounded by some of the clearest and bluest waters in the world, which rival the Powerade-like azure of the Keys or the Caribbean.  Of note, there is one island that seems to draw the most attention in the UP.  Imagine being in the Bahamas, surrounded by endless, crystal waters, but the entire island is air-conditioned.  Yes, this is our trip to Mackinac Island, the country’s second ever national park (shortly after Yellowstone), and we only scratch the surface on the many things you can do here!

 

 

Best Place to Stay

 

First, I must start with a correction I learned from my former elite-grade adventurist roommate years ago.  It is pronounced Macki-NAW, not Macki-NAC, though there is a city spelled Mackinaw on the other side of the strait with the same pronunciation.  Second, I should also point out probably the best place to camp in the UP would be next to the Mighty Mac (Mackinac Bridge) at Straits State Park, where you can get some insane views of Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, the strait that barely separate these two Great Lakes, and the bridge itself. 

 

A few things to note about Straits SP, and sites of the UP in general.  There is a toll to cross the bridge, which is why staying at a campground on the UP instead of near Mackinaw City on the lower peninsula is a better strategy for saving time and money.  The toll is determined not by the number of vehicles, but the number of axels, so prepare to spend more per crossing with an RV or large truck, etc. 

 

Approaching the beginning of July, there are also lots of bugs.  If you thought the Jurassic-level bugs of Georgia were bad, you are in for a reality check.  The bugs of the UP are harmless compared to the swarm of no-see-ums, horseflies, exotic mosquitoes, and other winged biters of the South.  However, they are so numerous that at times, it may be hard to see through them.  You will inhale them.  You will taste them.  You will see them trapped between your eyes and your glasses, and in you will see them in your dreams for a couple of days.  Even your dog will probably choke on them if you run through a patch of bugs.  Better to come prepared with as much bug spray as legally possible.  But, this is only a problem as you approach the water (which is probably where most people want to be).

Clear cold waters at Straits State Park.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

 

Another great thing about Straits is its vicinity to Saint Ignace (pronounced Saint Ig’nis around here).  Saint Ignace is one of the oldest cities in the US that has been continuously inhabited by non-native Americans for lack of a better term (here’s lookin’ at you for the true title, Acoma Pueblo).  It is a quaint little harbor town that mostly serves as one of the two ports to Mackinac Island, the other being all the way down in the lower peninsula at Mackinaw City. 

Unlike its LP counterpart, however, Saint Ignace is not as commercialized, lacks shopping districts and malls, and it feels less tailored to tourists.  You can still see what life was like when native Americans and settlers France and other European nations intermingled during the fur trade, before the States were formally organized.  The town has all the basics – fudge shop, local restaurants, a small grocery store, tiny museums, and docks for ferries shuttling visitors to Mackinac Island by the hour.

 

 

Best Way to Get There

Kitty and Stella on Shepler's Ferry over the Great Lakes.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

The coolest way to get to the island during the summer is of course none other than over those crystal-clear waters.  We chose Shepler’s, whose ferry service has been shuttling visitors to and from Mackinac Island since the end of World War II, well before the construction of the Mighty Mac and the appearance of competing ferry lines. 

Stella after meeting the crew.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

The crew is welcoming and knowledgeable.  Especially during less crowded departures, you can have some relaxing conversations and learn more about the history of the ferry fleet, the bridge, and the area.  They are also very accommodating towards furry friends of all sizes.

Families crossing Huron with their pups.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

You’ll have to hunt a little for a discounted fee per person for each round trip – however, pets always ride for free, a big bargain when your dog weighs as much as you!  If timed correctly, multiple departures in the morning and immediately after noon will take you under the Mighty Mac – also for free!  Just keep an eye on the schedule, which varies from season to season.  At peak season, you can expect there to be a ride every 30 minutes to every hour, with a gap in a few time slots, mostly near dinner time. 

Stella and Kitty on the lower deck of Shepler's Ferry.  | Shepler's crew. / SHIROOKAMI

The upper deck sure gets wind and freshwater mist in your hair, and gets doggie scratches from the crew, with unbeatable views.  Glen enjoyed the unobstructed and immersive view from the upper deck, especially when you go under the Mackinac Bridge during Mighty Mac departures.  Interestingly enough, Stella enjoyed riding on the lower deck, which has a calmer atmosphere, despite the engine rumbling louder there. 

 

Once you dock, you’ll be funneled through an amusement park style gateway that leads you smack dab in the middle of downtown Mackinac Island, replete with horse carriages and pedestrians.

The only mode of transportation on Mackinac Island doesn't seem to interest the equine-accustomed Stella.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

 

 

Best Thing to Do on the Island: Bike Your Legs Off

As you know, we are fans of tandem cycling.  It is hard to beat the dream-like cycling on the sands of Hilton Head.  Mackinac doesn’t disappoint, offering a completely different but equally majestic 8-mile cycling experience.  Rentals are available for both single and tandem bikes, but you’ll have to bring along your own e-bikes, which are surprisingly allowed.  Although you can ride your bike around various destinations in town, a common place to start is near the island’s visitor center (Mile 0), under the gaze of Fort Mackinac.

Thousands of bikers on the island - that's an understatement.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

Pedal past Michigan’s Statue of Liberty and the sprawling Great Lawn, the most scenic and relaxing part is the long ride on M-185, which wraps around almost 8 miles around Mackinac’s periphery.  Since M-185 is the only highway in the country that doesn’t have cars on it, you can take your time as you pedal through mostly level and smooth asphalt, flanked by some of the bluest waters in the world.  At any point in time, you can stop and walk over the rocky shore to get your feet wet, but it might be a bit too rough and unstable.  You can take in the sight of Great Lakes, which we learned during our nap at Sleeping Bear are inland seas.

Seagull resting on a glacial erratic, Lake Huron.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

View of the cyclist highway past the main town.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

It is important to note that almost all of Mackinac Island is skirted by steep bluffs as a result of glacial melting and freezing.  Huge, clean-cut boulders known as glacial erratics  litter the shore and peep out of crystal clear waters, perfect perches for gulls.  Even larger glacial erratics can be seen on British Landing, which makes you wonder how far glaciers pushed such large rocks from their mysterious origins.

Captain Glen against Lake Huron.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

As Donkey would say, that is a nice boulder.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

The ride takes about an hour or less, depending on how many things you see on the side of the road.  Of course, there’s the hike to Arch Rock, atop which you can clearly see Michigan and Canada.  Arch Rock was one of the main reasons Mackinac Island became the nation’s second national park for a time, with its unique brecciated composition and bridge-like structure.  The appearance and texture of the Arch Rock is like a mosaic of mismatched, angular pieces of rock from different origins and time periods, swirled together and cemented by wave scouring, dissolving, collapsing, and whirling of inland sea waters.  Of the brecciated limestone structures on the island, though, I would have to say the Devil’s Kitchen was our favorite. 

Arch Rock, looks nothing like the golden ones.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

Legends as to its mythical origin are mixed and unconfirmed, involving alleged cannibalism by mythical giants, Red Gee-bis, or baking humans using the cave as an oven.  What’s really interesting, though, is its formation along with other structures of Mackinac Island.  Devil’s Kitchen is actually a former prehistoric brecciated sea cave created by glacial-wave erosion of the Labradorian Glacier, predecessor of the famously blue Great Lakes and other lakes in the region. 

 

Simplified geological schematic of Mackinac.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

Glaciers melted and refroze for thousands of years, creating prehistoric Lake Algonquin, which submerged the island so much that Sugar Loaf was a rocky island east of the original Ancient Island, now Mackinac’s highest point.  After much melting, receding, and isostatic rebounding, the waves of prehistoric Lake Nipissing cut dramatic bluffs and cliffs into Ancient Island, carrying away softer materials of Arch Rock and Devil’s Kitchen to form hollowed and pocked sections.  Eventually, modern Lake Huron with comparatively depressed lake levels revealed the entirety of what we see today, still experiencing isostatic rebound at a foot per century, allowing us to walk into Devil’s Kitchen today.

As a fan of Hell's Kitchen, Kitty explores Devil's Kitchen.  | Glen B. / SHIROOKAMI

By the time you pass Devil’s Kitchen, you’re on your way back to the main hub of the island.  It takes a lot less to bike your legs off here, rather than hike your legs off – mostly uphill – on the numerous trails that take you deep into the island. 

 

Glen viewing the Statue of Liberty... in Michigan.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

 

Best Thing to Do for Foodies: Gorge Yourself with Fudge (and other eats)

Biking around Mackinac takes a lot of energy.  Luckily, there’s no shortage of options for carb loading or carb replenishment.  The best-known staple on the island is surprisingly not fish, nor Midwestern pasties, but world-famous, creamy, rich, melt in your mouth, delicious, delectable, decadent FUDGE.  Even though fudge wasn’t invented here, it certainly has been perfected here since the 1800’s.  While an already established Murdick family had been crafting sails and confectionaries, a WWI sugar ration forced the family to experiment and use maple syrup in place of sugar, giving the fudge a unique taste not found elsewhere in the world at the time. 

Famous fudge - the scents on the island are insane.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

Now that several fudge houses have popped up, you’ll get a variety of tastes and textures.  The Original Murdick’s Fudge is located downtown, and is rivalled in store numbers by Joann’s Fudge and Ryba’s Fudge, the latter of which also rents bikes.  Just walking near the store fronts downtown is enough to give you a sampling, since the fragrance of fudge is so overpowering as you pass the open doors.  Out of all the fudge shops in town, though, I would say the most obscure and unique-tasting fudge is from a hotel that can only be found on the island.  That’s right, while all other fudge shops have stores at St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula, and Mackinaw City in the Lower Peninsula, there is only ONE Hotel Murray, which has a hidden fudge shop.

View of downtown from Murray's Hotel.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

You can try free samples at the front of the hotel, and enjoy a block or two on the patio overlooking the main street, or in the hotel itself, which has a small restaurant with cold drinks.  The blocks are cheaper when bought in bulk of two or three, and they freeze well.  Even kept at room temperature for a while, they will taste as fresh as they were in the hotel.  The staff is also lively and shares stories, and is surprisingly Caribbean.

Glen in Murray's Hotel lobby.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

Most fudge on the island is amazing, chocolatey, and flavorful, but Murray’s fudge takes a more subtle approach.    Because of the cake-like texture, every bite can be savored without the need for drinks.  The fudge here is moist, firm, and has a hint of sweetness, almost like marzipan.  The texture is between fudge and cake, and the flavor dissolves slowly while the fudge melts.  In fact, because of the subtle sweetness, all other flavors are enhanced, especially chocolate, and any other ingredients depending on the.  The ingredients meld so perfectly that even the notes of the traditional chocolate walnut or chocolate pecan are not drowned out in sweetness.  The chocolate coconut is also something hard to find elsewhere on the island and is probably the best non-traditional flavor to date, with its moist layer of marzipan-like coconut sandwiched between chocolate.  The carrot cake was an unexpected surprise, and tastes like a condensed version of the cake.  Other flavors like creamsicle, s’mores, and peanut butter are strong and surprising.

Unique Murray fudge flavors.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

If you’re more into the savory rather than sweet, you’ll still find great eats on the island.  Any fish dish is amazingly flavorful, since they are freshly caught right in the straits!  The whitefish on the island is tender, clean, and delicate, with a moist flakiness and freshwater taste that beats any store-bought or frozen fillet.  There’s also the local burger like the Mighty Mac which rivals the Big Mac on the mainland and has somehow survived the infamously relentless legal team of a certain chain.  Lastly, if you’re not into seafood (or inland seafood), you must try the regional specialty, gravy-laden steak pasties, the greatest of which can be sampled on Mackinac Island, St. Ignis, and Mackinaw City.

Delicious white fish at the Seabiscuit.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

 Glen watching the making of pasties.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

 

Best Thing to Do Beyond the Island: Sail Away, Sail Away, Sail Away (bridge, transport, lighthouses, shipwrecks)

One of the most thrilling things to do around Mackinac Island is literally around the island.  Exploring Lake Huron by boat allows you to get a feel of how truly sea-like the blue waters really are.  The Great Lakes that touch Michigan are truly large beyond measure.  Despite not being anywhere close to the ocean, Michigan is home to the most lighthouses in the country AND has some of the highest concentration and number of shipwrecks in the country, giving Michigan the nicknames of “Lighthouse Capital of the World” and “Shipwreck Capital of the World.”

 14ft Shoal Lighthouse.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

Let me reiterate and put these titles into perspective.  In the world, the US has the most lighthouses, with a total of 779 known lighthouses.  The next most lighthouses are in Brazil (138).  Michigan made the Guiness Book of World records with 250 active lighthouses, though the total hovers around the 130’s these days.  A state of 96 thousand square miles has as more lighthouses than a country of over 3 million square miles, though shoreline is also an important consideration.  Michigan has the longest shoreline in the contiguous US (3,288 miles, and 4,344 miles if the shores of islands are included), equivalent to the length of the Atlantic Coast from Maine to Florida.

 Lighthouses are on every corner for good reason.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

These shores are mostly shallow and treacherous, unforgiving to the many ships that attempt to traverse it.  It is estimated that about 6,000 shipwrecks are in Michigan.  To compare, North Carolina has 5,000 shipwrecks, at least 1,000 of them at Cape Hatteras in our beloved Outer Banks.  Many of the Michigan shipwrecks are historic and can be found in Thunder Bay of Lake Huron.  Because of the purity and coldness of the lakes, these shipwrecks have been well-preserved and are considered underwater cultural resources that contain history, provide shelter for freshwater fish, and serve as sites yet to be explored.  There are also several ships that have never been found, making the Great Lakes a gold mine for explorers.

That being said…  Taking a ship around the Shipwreck Capital of the World is even more thrilling – all jokes aside, there are many professionals who can safely navigate these waters offering cruise and scuba tours.  

 Message in a bottle found here in the Great Lakes, covered by national news.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

We joined the famous Nautical North Family Tour on a glass-bottom boat tour to see five secret wrecks in Lake Huron.  The captain is famous for finding a message in a bottle from 1926, and was featured in Inside Edition – so we knew we were in good hands with the crew!  We won’t spoil it for you here, but those of you who are fans of Walkabout Mini Golf will be pleased to know you can find the dead body here.  Although you can already see these ships up-close, you can also scuba dive to actually swim through them, if you are tough enough to survive the chilly depths of one of the Great Lakes.

 Captain Glen for once being a passenger.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

 Shipwrecks in Huron.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

 

We also stopped to see several lighthouses, including the infamous Fourteen Foot Shoal Lighthouse, which is under threat of destruction from acidic cormorant droppings.  Despite its desolate and abandoned appearance, this lighthouse is indeed active and is difficult to see from any shore.  It operates remotely with another off-limits lighthouse, the Poe Reef Lighthouse, to mark the South Channel of the Straits, allowing larger boats to navigate Lake Huron at the turn of the century.

 

 

Best Free Low-Impact Experiences

 The famous Grand Hotel.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

Now, if you just want to take it easy and avoid hiking up ancient trails, biking around the entire island, or sailing in cold waters, there are plenty of other things to do which don’t require an admission fee.  One of those is getting shooed off the steps of the Grand Hotel.  This hotel accommodated such figures as Thomas Edison during the unveiling of the phonograph.  The porch, which is the longest front porch in the entire world, overlooks well-manicured gardens including a secret garden, for free.  There’s also an ice cream parlor named after the 2010 Westminster AKC champ, Sadie, nearby.

 Not so secret gardens of the Grand.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

 Pools of the Grand, more like Mar-A-Mackinac.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

Even though the Grand is the most recognizable and iconic hotel around, there’s also another hotel that is perhaps even more historic.  On the other side of the island, near Robinson’s Folly, is the Mission Point Hotel.  Mission Point has seen great transformations as a meeting place for native tribes, specifically Huron natives who guided the first Europeans through the straits in the 1600s.  The Jesuits who landed here built Catholic missions, and the area would see involvement with Fort Mackinac, native-American boarding schools, a college campus, and currently, a restored hotel.

 Grand view of the Great Lawn at Mission Point.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

It's a great place to end our journey on Mackinac Island.  After ferrying on and off and around the island, we just needed a place to relax.  Mission Point’s Great Lawn is a true vacation spot and sums up the coolness of Mackinac because it’s near a lot of things.  It overlooks the beautiful blue Lake Huron, just steps away, where you and your dog can wade and return to the Adirondack chairs.  Maybe some Canada geese and seagulls will join in as you take in the sights and enjoy some fudge.  Directly behind the lawn is the Mission Point resort.  To the right of the view is Saint Anne’s church, and downtown Mackinac, the bustle of downtown tapering out just in front of Mission Point resort.  And lastly, to the left, up high is Arch Rock, and the beginnings of the scenic trail flanked by pale boulders basking in crystal blue waters.  Of all the places on the island, it’s the perfect spot to chill, reminisce, take a nap, and enjoy the intersection of natural history and changing times. 

 

  Stella and Kitty leaving Mackinac Island.  | Kitty L. / SHIROOKAMI

 

 

 

 

 References:

 

North-Central Section of the Geological Society of America

The Geological Survey of America 1987

Randall L. Milstein, Subsurface and Petroleum Geology Unit, Michigan Geological Survey,