Mackinac Island is accessible by plane or boat, except in the winter when the water freezes over connecting Mackinac with the mainland. There are no motorized vehicles on the island other than emergency or snowmobiles in the winter. Horses are the main mode of transportation.
Mackinac Island
From Pictured Rocks in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, we traversed the Mackinac Bridge to Mackinaw City. Lake Huron meets Lake Michigan in the Straits of Mackinac. Hydrologically, the two lakes are one. In the winter, the straits freeze over, but because of year round shipping, an ice breaker is used to keep the waterway open.
We took the ferry from Mackinaw City. Dogs are allowed, so Jake got to come with, although he preferred the upper deck because there is less engine vibration under his feet.
Mackinac Island is unique. Since no motorized vehicles are allowed, people walk, bike, or use horses to get around. It’s located in Lake Huron and is a popular vacation destination. Much of Mackinac has undergone restoration and the entire island is a National Historic Landmark.
The downtown business strip is loaded with stores and restaurants. A draft horse drawn taxi.
Mackinac Island Carriage Tours
We took a tour of the island. Other options were; to walk it, ride a horse, or rent a horse and carriage. We opted for a guide to provide a bit of history of the island. Jake was allowed on the carriage. The draft horses wear rubber shoes and are well taken care of. The horses weigh around 2000 pounds, need their regular work out, and get two baths a day.
The tour was under 2 hours and a nice carriage ride around part of the island.
Traverse City, Michigan
Traverse City has numerous beaches and things to see and do. We stayed at the Traverse Bay RV Resort which was a very nice luxury rv park with concrete pads, grass, beautiful landscaping and ponds with fountains. The area is known as the largest producer of tart cherries in the United States. There are also numerous other fruits and vegetables grown here. Unfortunately, we wound up with a bunch of gnats inside the RV. Thank God for red wine vinegar.
We were surprised by the number of wineries in the area. Chateau Chantal is on a hill with nice views of Lake Michigan. They had a charcuterie board and an ok selection of red wines. We had to eat fast because the wind threatened to send our salami flying!
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
Sleeping Bear Dunes rise to over 400 feet above Lake Michigan giving spectacular views. Kind of reminded us of San Diego.
A paraglider was entertaining to watch.
Grand Haven, Michigan
We stayed at the Eastpointe RV Park in Grand Haven. They had full service and views of the Grand River. There was a constant stream of pontoon and speedboats going by.
Grand Haven is a beach resort city on the eastern shores of Lake Michigan.
Lunch at the Paisley Pig Gastropub was delicious. The sweet potato fries were the best we’ve had yet. We also went to Culvers restaurant to try frozen custard (tastes like ice cream but melts faster and has more calories) and a butter burger which tasted like a healthy Big Mac.
Monroe, Michigan
We were only here a couple of nights to catch up on things, like getting our teeth cleaned. The Harbortown RV Resort was full service and only about a 1/4 full, so we enjoyed the quietness and good internet.
