Vacation On Mackinac Island
Vacationing on Mackinac Island is a unique opportunity to explore the best of Michigan in a fun, leisurely setting. This exciting vacation vacation is perfect for anyone looking to blend pleasure with business while exploring a beautiful area.
Before I go into all the reasons why Mackinac Island, Michigan is such a great place to visit and a must see place in America. I want to give a little history on it as well.
Mackinac Island is located in the heart of the Straits of Mackinac, between Michigan’s lower and upper peninsulas. This unique vacation destination is located only 70 miles from any major metropolitan city — Detroit, Chicago, Milwaukee and Toronto — and can be reached by boat or plane. The island’s natural beauty and sense of history will provide you and your family with the perfect vacation getaway.
Bring a loved one, or a friend along! We can cater to any budget. It’s the perfect opportunity for you to reconnect with a significant other. And who knows — that special someone may become more than just that.
The first sign that you’ve left the 21st century behind and entered some sort of delightful time warp comes as soon as you step off the ferry dock on Mackinac Island.
Instead of being met with taxis and the sound of traffic on the busiest street on the island like you might expect in other locations, here you’re met with the sight of luggage being loaded on to the back of horse-drawn carts, lines of bicycles, and “taxis” in the form horse-drawn carriages.
Vacation On Mackinac Island
The “city sounds” here are one of ferry horns, bicycle bells, and the clippity-clop of big draft horse hooves.
Yes, visiting Mackinac Island in Michigan is like stepping back in time.
Mackinac Island history
Long before Europeans “discovered” the northern part of Michigan, Mackinac Island was an important spot for the Anishinaabe people. They came to Mackinac Island during the summer months to fish, and also used the island as a meeting place and burial ground.
The name of the island even comes from these Indigenous peoples; the name “Mackinac” comes from the Ojibwe word Mishimikinaak or Mitchimakinack, which means “Big Turtle.” No one is sure if this comes from the shape of the island, or because the Anishinaabek believed that the island was home to a great turtle spirit.
Regardless, the name more or less stuck. (And, for the record, it’s pronounced “Mack-ih-naw,” in case you were curious.)
Mackinac Island was eventually colonized by Europeans in the mid-1600s, and by the early 1700s the nearby Straits of Mackinac which connect Lake Michigan to Lake Huron were an important part of the local the fur trade routes.
The British built a fort on the island (Fort Mackinac) in 1780 during the American Revolution, and this fort still stands today. It was used by US forces during the War of 1812 (when it was re-captured by the British during a battle), and was loosely used again during the Civil War years.
Throughout the 1800s, Mackinac Island became an important outpost for the fur trade (at one point being the headquarters for John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Trade Company), and then the commercial fishing trade.
After the Civil War ended, the island turned to tourism. Americans were desperate to escape congested cities in the summer, and were eager to put the war years behind them. Mackinac Island became a popular resort island, and remains so today.
Except that, while the rest of the world evolved, Mackinac Island has basically remained in the Victorian era.
Victorian hotels and grand homes still abound on Mackinac Island. Fudge shops started in the 1880s still operate today. And “horseless carriages” (AKA cars) have been banned since 1898.
So when I say that visiting Mackinac Island is like stepping back in time, I’m not exaggerating!
When to visit Mackinac Island
There are a few hundred permanent residents on Mackinac Island, so the island is technically “open” year-round. However, it does have a distinct tourist season, which runs from mid-May to mid-October.
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The season is in full-swing by Memorial Day, and begins to wind down once the winds start to turn cold in October. While you can technically visit outside of these months, not all the hotels, restaurants, and shops stay open once the tourists leave. (For example, the hotel where we stayed closed up shop on October 11 in 2020, and several other places were already closed by that time.)
You’ll find the nicest weather on Mackinac Island during these months, too. To avoid the worst of the summer crowds, I would avoid holiday weekends (and, actually, weekends period if you can). And if you can visit before school lets out or after it’s back in session, you’re also likely to find a quieter island.
My husband Elliot and I visited in early October, and while the weather was a bit chilly during our stay, we loved the added pop of fall colors around the island.
How to get to Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island sits in the Straits of Mackinac, technically in Lake Huron. It’s not far from mainland Michigan, however, and can be reached by boat, small aircraft, and even snowmobile in the winter months (snowmobiles are one of the few exception to the “no cars” rule on the island).
My recommendation for getting to Mackinac Island is to go by ferry. During the tourist season, ferries are run by both Star Line Ferry and Shepler’s, and both have docks in Mackinaw City (Lower Peninsula) and St. Ignace (Upper Peninsula).
The ferry crossing only takes 15-20 minutes (Shepler’s quotes exactly 16 minutes), and there are multiple sailings every day from morning until well into the evening.
Elliot and I went over with Shepler’s, which cost us $27 per person round-trip, plus $10 to park for 2 nights in Shepler’s surface lot at the dock in St. Ignace. (Star Line’s prices and parking options are different, though.)
