Adventure Date: 08/31/2024
Being on Mackinac Island is like taking a trip back in time. No vehicles are allowed on the island other than emergency vehicles, so traveling is often done by foot, bicycles, or horse. For anyone, it’s a good first time experience. The island with it’s old school architecture like Victorian and Colonial adds much to the charm as you walk around with horse-drawn carriages roll through the streets.
Getting around
Traveling there is easily done by ferry with Shepler’s Ferry service, and getting around the island is pretty easy if you like to walk or bike. But it’s even easier if you hop on a horse carriage tour instead!
Our group consisted of 10 people including children so we opted to take a horse carriage tour with the Mackinac Island Carriage Tours company to see the popular sites on the island. The tour stopped at the following places:
- Surrey Hills Museum
- Wings of Mackinac Butterfly Conservatory
- Arch Rock
- Fort Mackinac
At the Surrey Hills Museum, you will transfer to a different carriage for the rest of the tour, but before doing so, you can check out the museum and the Wings of Mackinac Butterfly Conservatory. The conservatory is on the smaller side but still a sight to see with hundreds of butterflies of different colors flying around.
Once you stop at Fort Mackinac, you’ll get a pretty good view of the town, lakeshore, and marina down below the fort. Plenty of spots to take pictures!
Points of interest
If you’re with kids, there is an arcade on the island that you can visit to pass the time called Carousel Arcade. A good place to enjoy the lakeshore is Windermere Point across from the Windermere Hotel. Enjoy some refreshments and snacks at the Doghouse while looking out towards the lake. Be careful sitting on the lake shore here because the dust on the white rocks will wipe off on your clothes. See below for all the places we visited!