Day 33 - 35 - Mackinac Island, MI

We had never been to this area but had heard so much about it. It was a delight in every way possible. We were shuttled from the RV park to the ferry terminal in St. Ignace and took the ferry over to Mackinac Island. The weather was perfect - blue skies matched only by the blue of the Straits of Mackinac.

After we found our hotel, we lunched at historic Fort Mackinac, high on the bluff overlooking the town and the harbor area, and then we toured the fort which was active after the Revolutionary War, through the War of 1812 when it was taken by the British, and then used again by the Americans who repossessed it by treaty. It was vacated by the army in the late 1800's. Much of the Island is now a Michigan State Park, but it was once our country's second National Park.

We took a carriage tour of the town area and through the forest behind the fort. As you may know, the entire island bans the use of motor vehicles. Everything is conveyed by horse-drawn carriages. It makes for a wonderful ambiance and a pace of life that is slower than we are accustomed to.

The other big activity on the island is bike riding. The perimeter road is 8 flat miles along the shore, just perfect for an easy ride. Everyone rides a bike! We heard one statistic (by a reporter for the Weather Channel, stationed on the porch of the Grand Hotel for the first day of summer) that there are 600 horses and 7,000 bicycles on the island!

We didn't want to leave when it was time for us to depart earlier today. The rhythmic clip-clop of the horses' hooves, the breezes and cool temperatures, the very friendly people working on the island and the general summer holiday spirit are very captivating. We'd recommend this place to anyone - spouses, families, friends, companions, whatever. There is something for everyone.