mackinac island
- Thread starter clif12345
- Start date
snowdancer
New member
All depends on how fast you can walk!
polarisrider1
New member
I love the Island. Rode my sled across the ice from the main land to the island and then rode the whole island. Drove my boat there and stayed in the Marina. Took the ferry boats over, but never took an airplane. You can spend a summer there. (I would). 3 days will work if you go to read most of the plaques and go into the fort and rent bikes and eat fudge and visit the Grand Hotel and play a round of golf and read all the boat names at the marina and look at the shops and walk out on the rocks in the water and see the old fort in the center of the island and go to that rock formation that you can see thru to the water and check out the Govenors mansion and check out all the cool looking houses and eat some salt water taffey and pet a horse and hang out in the park at the base of the fort and visit each and every bar on the island and people watch and eat more fudge............ I think you need more time than 3 days. Because I just touched the tip of what to do on the Island. As far as a tourist trap, well it is if you want that to. I like to sit on the boat facing the fort and wait for the cannon to go off.
chords
Active member
I saw all I wanted to see in a day trip.
Did the Island loop on bikes, visited shops, lunch, carriage ride. Stayed in Mac City. That was many yrs ago. Worth doing once.
anonomoose
New member
I second this.....but would shorten the trip to an afternoon.
This used to be a pretty cool place to go, but nowadays....it is like coney island.....been there dun that.If you like carnivals and such....maybe it's Okay, but it is expensive and outside of the view and hordes of foreigners.....it has little appeal when compared to other things that Northern Michigan has, and the good ole U.P.
polarisrider1
New member
I second this.....but would shorten the trip to an afternoon.
If you like carnivals and such....maybe it's Okay, but it is expensive and outside of the view and hordes of foreigners.....it has little appeal when compared to other things that Northern Michigan has, and the good ole U.P.
Please list some of those places.
Clif,
It also depends if you have wee little ones. My boys where mid teens and we always stay at the Stonecliff, free huge breakfast, Dinner between 6pm and 8pm ONLY @ $25. a plate(ouch). If you rent bikes, you will have to have them back by I think 10pm, or you get charged for an additional day. They lock up the bikes at 10 pm sharp, plus they are only 1 speed(granny bikes).
The Stonecliff is about 1/2 mile north-west of the Grand with a beautifull view of the lake. You can chose to have a room in the original Stonecliff hotel or have rooms with air in the addition. They have a pool, can't remember 'bout the hottub.
The wife and I enjoy looking at the wonder craftmanship of the homes near the village in the center of the island, and explore from there, follow the foot paths on your bike. The locals in the village are really friendly and give you tips of more to explore that you don't get from the college kids working in the business district.
Me and my boys ride our mountain bikes out the back side of the hotel and take every path we see, you won't believe what you stumble across doing that.
Good luck, have fun, and take lots of money.
It also depends if you have wee little ones. My boys where mid teens and we always stay at the Stonecliff, free huge breakfast, Dinner between 6pm and 8pm ONLY @ $25. a plate(ouch). If you rent bikes, you will have to have them back by I think 10pm, or you get charged for an additional day. They lock up the bikes at 10 pm sharp, plus they are only 1 speed(granny bikes).
The Stonecliff is about 1/2 mile north-west of the Grand with a beautifull view of the lake. You can chose to have a room in the original Stonecliff hotel or have rooms with air in the addition. They have a pool, can't remember 'bout the hottub.
The wife and I enjoy looking at the wonder craftmanship of the homes near the village in the center of the island, and explore from there, follow the foot paths on your bike. The locals in the village are really friendly and give you tips of more to explore that you don't get from the college kids working in the business district.
Me and my boys ride our mountain bikes out the back side of the hotel and take every path we see, you won't believe what you stumble across doing that.
Good luck, have fun, and take lots of money.
HardwaterHoosier
Member
worth doing at least once.
we went last summer and spent 4 hours.
Then we went back up last week with a group of friends and 5 kids. We rode bikes and ate lunch. (I avoid historical forts like the plague; if you've been to one, you seen them all)
we went last summer and spent 4 hours.
Then we went back up last week with a group of friends and 5 kids. We rode bikes and ate lunch. (I avoid historical forts like the plague; if you've been to one, you seen them all)
anonomoose
New member
Last edited:
I was there last weekend for a wedding. I would tend to agree with the people that said one day would do it (for me). I'd rather be much deeper up in the Yoop and thought the island was just one big tourist trap. Most of my growing up we lived in the LP, then Indiana and Ohio and crossed the bridge LOTS..... When I was in high school we moved to Texas and after college i've lived in Ill-annoy so it's been a LONG time since I have been across the bridge and my wife never had as our 10-12 times up a year involve driving through Wisconsin not the LP. Anyways as luck would have it we drove across the bridge and took the boat out of St Ignace so we could drive across the bridge (and I couldn't imagine being SO close to the UP and not setting boots on ground there) and we accidentally caught one of the couple boats a day that they go drive under the bridge prior to going to the island. That was the highlight of the day for me without a doubt. Been over it lots (not in almost 20 years) but had never been under it. Very cool.