Charming Mackinac Island. No, it's not Disneyland!

Downtown. Lots of shops

At first glace of downtown Mackinac Island, Michigan, you might think Walt Disney had a hand in creating it. It looks a whole lot like Main Street, Disneyland.

But, no, this is a real town that came long before Disney.

The ferry takes 15 minutes each way.

Native American's occupied the island from about 1000 BC to 1650 A.D. Europeans appeared in 1670 when Father Claude Dablon established a Christian mission. The British showed up in 1870 to build a fort which was eventually turned over to the Americans. Today, it's a state historic park. Perched above the island's highest hill, it overlooks the picture-postcard main street and its harbor. The fort is open to the public and a busy place on summer days.

About 500 people live year round on Mackinac Island (see location on Google Earth). But on a summer day, tourists swarm the place — thousands a day. If you've ever taken a cruise, you know what a small port looks like when a monster cruise ship shows up. Hold that image because that's Mackinac Island on a typical summer day. High-speed passenger ferries travel to and from the island one after another.

Tour carriage provides a good introduction to the town.

Motor vehicles were banned in 1901. The only ones there today are two fire trucks and an ambulance. The police have one car for emergencies, but primarily ride bicycles.

The main transportation is horse and buggy. Taxis are horse-powered. Tour carriages transport visitors around the town and the surrounding area. Rent your own buggy for $66 an hour.

Five hundred horses live on the island in the summer to pull the hundreds of buggies, carts and freight wagons.  It's wonderful to hear only hoof beats, not engines.

Bikes everywhere and bike racks everywhere.

On any given summer day bicycles outnumber horse and buggies by a long shot— there must have been a thousand (maybe two thousand?) yesterday when I visited. Several companies rent them. Figure $5 to $9 an hour, better deals for longer use.

The Grand Hotel

Michigan State Highway 185 hugs the island's eight-mile shoreline. It's the only Michigan highway that does not allow motor vehicles. It's a great place to bike. Just watch for horses, they have the right of way.

The main drag (see photo at top) is comprised of specialty tourist shops (most selling tee-shirts and souvenir trinkets), restaurants, bars and a dozen "Candy Kitchens" selling fudge. A lot of the stores sell the same stuff.

Horse and cart hauling hay.

The most famous attraction is the Grand Hotel, an easy ten minute walk from downtown. Stay a night if you have money to spare (about $800 a night for two in a lake view room). Or pay $10 and walk around the place and its beautiful grounds. Read what I wrote about the hotel here.

There's a lot more to this island beauty spot. If you should visit, buy a two-day ferry pass. My advice: on the first day, take the carriage tour, then explore the pretty downtown and its shops, visit the Grand Hotel, see the fort, and have lunch or dinner. The next day, bring your bike or rent one and explore the rest of the island.

Don't come here in winter. Most of the businesses close. Only a few restaurants and the grocery store remain open. When the lake freezes over, snowmobiles provide access to and from the mainland.

If you should visit, just remember, how to pronounce the island's name. It's not "Mac-in-ack" but "Mac-in-aw."