After a short stay In De Tour, MI we got up at 0630 and were met with a beautiful sunrise and headed out with Jagger for our 34 NM run to MacKinac Island. The weather was clear with strong winds out of the south. After clearing the De Tour Passage and passing the De Tour Reef Light we turned west into Lake Huron as the wind and waves came at our port bow make it a little rock. There was a lot of Looper traffic on the lake with boats heading to either Mackinac Island, Mackinaw City or St. Ignace. Once we got on the north side of Bois Blanc Island the water laid down a little making entry into the Mackinac Island Harbor more pleasant.
Mackinac Harbor is protected by east and west breakwaters extending from Mission Point and Biddle Point respectively and the major exposure is from the south entrance. As we entered the harbor the view of the city is spectacular with church steeples and the rising hill leading up to Fort Mackinac.
Mackinac Island sits in Lake Huron, between Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas. Mackinac Island State Park, with trails, woods and the limestone Arch Rock formation, covers most of the island. Founded in 1780, Fort Mackinac is a walled cluster of military buildings on a coastal bluff. Your only transportation options on Mackinac are bicycles, your feet and horse drawn carriages. The only motor vehicles on the island are for the EMT’s, fire fighters, police officers and construction workers.
After securing Sea No Evil in the western most slip with a stern view of the downtown area it was time to give her a bath and a full cleaning. The only problem with the location is we were directly across from the ferry boat dock. When the ferries come in and spin next to the slips we all get a good rock.
We finally got off the dock and took an exploratory walk to the downtown area. The city looks like a postcard out of the 1800’s with shops and restaurants adorned with flowers big porches and horse drawn carriages carrying passengers and wagons carrying goods and luggage to the various inns and hotels. The curns were littered with bicycles all lined up with very few having a lock on them. There were several bike shops next to the ferry docks where you can rent a bike by the hour, day or week. We stopped for lunch at Mary’s Bistro Draught House which had waterfront views and great food. On the way back to the boat we stopped and watched the local Girl Scout Troop muster at the flagpoles and ceremonially recover the flags while Taps sounded from the fort.
On day two on the island we broke out the bikes for the eight mile ride around the island on a great path. You are not allowed to use electric bikes on the island unless you have a medical need so we took the batteries off the bikes which lightened them up a bit. The bike path has a dotted yellow line separating the two lanes of traffic and a small walking section to the outside. This however doesn’t stop the cyclists from running four wide or stopping for photos in th middle of the path or. the pedestrians from walking down the middle of the path. After one mile on the ride we stopped at the Arch Rock staircase that take you up 200 steps to the top of Arch Rock where we took photos along with the other tourists. It was early enough that we got good pics. Arch Rock is a geologic formation on Mackinac Island in Michigan. It is a natural limestone arch formed during the Nipissing post-glacial period, a period of high Lake Huron levels following the end of the Wisconsin glaciation. Arch Rock stands on the Lake Huron shoreline 146 feet above the water. As the tourists flood the island there will be a long line of people vying for their photos so we picked a good time. As we circled the island counter clockwise we had great views of the shoreline with the water having a tropical feel with aqua blues and greens white sandy shores. We stopped of on the northwest side of the island at the snack bar for a chili dog and cold drink before heading into the southerly winds and stopping off at Devils Kitchen. Local stories allege that the Native Americans of the Straits of Mackinac considered the cave to be a numinous location inhabited by bad spirits. Allegedly, the spirits were cannibals who would capture and eat victims who ventured too close to the ill-omened location. This is another spot to get to early before the crowds.
After turning the south corner of the island we rode up the long hill on Cadotte Avenue and stopped at the Grand Hotel. The hotel opened on July 10, 1887, after taking a mere 93 days to complete. Grand Hotel’s front porch is the longest in the world at some 660 feet in length, overlooking a vast Tea Garden and the resort-scale Esther Williams swimming pool. These areas are often used by guests on a casual family vacation, for larger conventions, or concerts during the hotel’s annual Labor Day Jazz Festival. The hotel has drawn some criticism for its policy of charging a $10 fee for non-guests to enter the building and enjoy the view from the famous porch.The hotel overlooks the south eastern end of the island with a grand front porch where you can sit and have afternoon tea or other beverages of choice. If you decide to have dinner at the hotel you must have a jacket and tie. If not they will gladly loan you one with a hefty refundable deposit.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Hotel_(Mackinac_Island)
On day three we were joined by “Beachside” for another long ride around and over the island and stopped at The Yankee Rebel for lunch. On day four we again took a long bike ride with more loopers as I felt like the tour guide telling stories about the island as if I was a local. We did visit the Secret Garden below the Grand Hotel that was adorned with beautiful flower gardens and walking paths. We attempted to get into the hotel but we got stopped by the alert bell hops and sent on our way. On day five it was another trip around the Island and a happy hour stop at The Pink Pony which had a great view of the harbor and our boat.
Day six has arrived and we excited to greet Tab and Yvonne who made the trip from California to ride with us for a few days. We visited Fort Mackinac in the pouring rain and The Mackinac House a small museum and then lunch at Mary’s Bistro.
Day seven we took a horse drawn carriage tour of the island and visited Surrey Hills and the Grand Hotel Stables where they displayed several old carriages and where all the horses spend their nights. We did finally get into the hotel and enjoy a cold beverage on the Grand Porch.
After a long stay in Mackinac it was time to plan our next few days and retire to the deck of the Sea No Evil for a docktail and rest.