Make a Trip to Mackinac
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A few years back, Mackinac Island and its premier landmark, the posh Grand Hotel, served as the set for the film "Somewhere in Time." That title, my son and I discovered, could also serve as the slogan for this postcard-perfect Great Lakes island. Stepping off the ferry, we were met not by traffic (cars are banned here) but by horse-drawn carriages, which leisurely clip-clopped past the old-fashioned storefronts. Locals rambled by with belongings tucked in the baskets of well-worn bicycles, pedaling off to quaint Victorian homes.
Fortunately for us pedestrians, Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) is just 3 by 2 miles. Still, it packs a recreational wallop and offers everything from sight-seeing and fudge-tasting to in-line skating and hiking (80 percent of the island is Mackinac Island State Park). Ironically, one activity that's not popular on this rocky island is swimming, though a short ferry ride can take you to the mainland's sandy beaches.
First on our sight-seeing list was Fort Mackinac, built in the 1700s and now a National Historic Landmark. We spent hours watching fife and drum performances, trying on old-style uniforms and cringing at the cannon firings. Hopping on a horse-drawn carriage, we crossed the state park to Arch Rock, which features curves that rise some 150 feet above Lake Huron. Back in town, we browsed the famous fudge shops and watched as batch after batch was poured from large copper kettles onto marble cooling slabs and folded into loaves. The aroma alone was intoxicating.
No trip here would be complete without a stop at the Grand Hotel. Opened in 1887, it boasts a stunning 700-foot-long veranda. Rates start at $185 per adult; just looking around costs $10. Think of it as the price of going somewhere in time.
Best Beaches:
Take the 20-minute ferry ride (906-643-7635) to St. Ignace for a dip in Lake Michigan. Beaches just outside downtown are public and free.
Best Family-Style Seafood Restaurant:
The finest Great Lakes whitefish I ever had was at the Village Inn (906-847-3542). My culinary landlubber son ordered a huge burger. There's also a special kids' menu.
Best Places to Stay:
Mission Point Resort (800-833-7711) offers hay rides, bikes, free kids' meals, a pool, movie theater, 3,000-square-foot activity center and an action-packed kids' club (8 A.M. to 10 P.M.). Rates for a Family Double begin around $300 in the high season. A good no-frills option is Hart's (906) 847-3854, where rooms start at $125 in the high season.
Best Breakfast:
The Pancake House serves rib-sticking blueberry pancakes all day. Other hearty breakfasts available.
Best Fudge:
We particularly liked Rena's Fudge Shop, but this is one area where you may enjoy doing your own extensive research.
Best FreebieLooking around the Grand Hotel (906-847-3331) costs $10, but there's no fee for visiting the hotel's stables, which house more than a dozen antique carriages.
Best Bargain Attraction
Hail a horse-drawn taxi and see the sights on the inexpensive ride from most hotels into town.
Best Rainy-Day Refuge
Butterfly House. My son was mesmerized by 300 butterflies soaring around a profusion of flowers amid the music of Strauss; (call 906-847-3972 for rates).
Best Sundries Store
Doud's Mercantile Company (906-847-3551) has whatever you'll need, from sunscreen to snacks.
Writer Janine S. Pouliot lives in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change.
