The annual trip to Mackinac Island is a wrap. This year, the crowds were worse and the weather was great, so you get what you get.
On our trips, we stay two nights on the island. Though the daytime is your typical mess of people downtown and clogging the road around the island, the evenings are quite unless you are near The Pink Pony. Years ago, we stayed at the Chippewa Hotel and learned a valuable lesson - don't stay at the Chippewa. For us, who enjoy quiet evenings, staying at a hotel next door to the loudest bar in town was a bad plan.
This year, we returned to one of our regular hotels, Island House. A bit off the main drag, it's still close enough to easily walk and had nice views of the bay and marina. The front yard and porch are wonderful spots to watch the horses go by and enjoy a book and a beverage. I hope you like both of those things.
I particularly like the mornings on the island. You get to enjoy the beauty before the tranquility is smashed by the first boatloads of tourists. This is also the time for my bike ride of the day. I have M-185 almost to myself and I can speed around the island without worrying about running down poorly supervised small children.
We take Shepler's ferry, the same company we have used to reach the island since I was a kid. It is no longer family owned, being bought by the Hoffman Family of Companies in 2022. Being corporate owned means prices have gone up. $75/day to park on "premium days" and $50 for a normal day. Looking at a ticket stub from 2021, the price was $27. In 2025, it is $38. That's a 41% increase in four years. Ah, corporate ownership.
Look at this picture. An hour later, the sidewalks would be filled we people with big dogs and foreigners walking down the middle of the street. But at 8:00 AM, just a smattering of tourists joins the island workers doing their thing.
One of the traditions my mom and I do is walk to the West Bluff, home of the biggest and most beautiful houses on the island, with great views of the Mackinac Bridge and the Straits of Mackinac. During our trip, the Canadian wildfires were causing a haze, and bridge was almost invisible. While we were in the vicinity, we visited Grand Hotel, a beautiful hotel that has aged well. It, also, is no longer family owned, the Musser family having sold it to KSL Capital Partners in 2019.
After a busy day of shopping, biking, walking and eating, I like to end my day on the island with a walk on the Manitou Trail. The trail starts at the end of the East Bluff and goes to Arch rock. I found Arch Rock is more pleasant in the evening when you have the possibility of having the area to yourself for a few minutes. The obligatory picture:
The Tranquil Bluff Trail starts at Arch Rock and winds its way to British Landing. I didn't go nearly that far but stopped at an overlook with great views of the water. The smoke gave an interesting red tint to the sunset.
Despite going to the island every year, I attempt to find something to do that I haven't done before. That is often a new trail - for such a small island, there are many trails that wind through the interior. This year, I went to The Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum. What was once the Indian Dormitory, where Indian tribes received their payment as arranged by the Treaty of Washington for ceding most of Michigan to the Americans, and then became the island's first school, the building now houses a small museum.
The bottom floor held historical pieces related to the island and the people who influenced it. The top floor has a gallery of historical maps. It also contained painting about the island. And I learned that if you are staying on the island, you can access the museum for free. Just show proof, such as a hotel key, and you're in.
It was another pleasant trip to the island. I'm already looking forward to next year's trip.