![]() Since the vast majority of the island is a State Park, we elected to take a carriage tour to see it. You can even hang out in a parking lot if you’re missing the hustle & bustle of the modern world. Modernists can rejoice in the fact that Starbucks has a presence here, as well. When the hotel was built, the timber brought over for the construction is said to have been as tall and twice as wide as the three story hotel.Īlthough rustic in many areas, Mackinac is not without modern conveniences like electricity, running water, central air conditioning, etc. The Grand boasts the largest front porch in the world, with over 100 rocking chairs on the deck in which to enjoy it. The Grand Hotel is an elegant place of luxury where proper dinner attire is not only encouraged, but required. Perhaps the most famous structure on the island is The Grand Hotel. With so many magnificent structures, it’s hard to fathom that all of the wood required to build them had to be brought over by boat. I told them the late return fees would blow our budget, so we just admired the building instead. My boys were ecstatic to see a public library, and wanted to check out a few books. If this were my summer home, that round sun room would totally be my Chick Cave. However, tourist season brings thousands of seasonal residents to their summer homes, or employment opportunities. Last year the high school had a huge graduating class of six. Just under 500 residents call Mackinac Island home year ’round, with an average high school graduating class of 2 students. The Victorian architecture found on the island is breathtaking. Mackinac Island does not allow motorized vehicles, so all transportation on the island is done either by horse, bicycle, or on foot.Įmergency vehicles are the only exception to the rule. The first thing visitors notice is the abundance of horse drawn carriages on the island. I’d love to have my morning chai on one of those terraces and watch the boats go by. The harbor itself is so quaint and adorable. Victorian architecture studs the shoreline. The approach into Mackinac’s harbor is very picturesque. The US Forest Service has maintained the property as a historical resource since the automatic beacon was installed in 1947. It was staffed by three crewmen, with on caretaker living on the grounds. ![]() The Round Island Lighthouse was the original light house that operated near Mackinac harbor for over fifty years. The installation of this automated lighthouse made the original lighthouse obsolete. This lighthouse signaled our approach into the harbor. ![]() (Don’t worry–the paint removed is being properly disposed of, and not just flaked into the water below.) Mike Rowe did an episode of the Discovery Channel show Dirty Jobs on the maintenance required of the Might Mac, click here to see it. Here the workers are busy removing more than 50 years of lead paint that are beginning to weigh the structure down. The bridge gets a fresh coat of paint each year, and by the time the workers finish, it’s time for them to start all over again. The Mackinac Bridge requires constant maintenance, as evident by the presence of this crane. The bridge also has two concrete anchors comprised of over 368 tons of concrete. They also found it interesting to know that there is over 42,ooo miles of wire comprising the bridge’s suspension cables.Īs impressive as the Might Mac is above water, 2/3 of the structure is below the water, anchored directly into bedrock. The boys thought crossing from one Great Lake to another was exceptionally cool. (It now ranks 3rd.) At 5 miles long, with a maximum height of over 553 feet (168 meters) above the water, the Mighty Mac is an impressive sight to behold.Įspecially from underneath! Here were are cruising on the Lake Michigan side of the bridge.Ī few short minutes later, we were on the Lake Huron side. Nicknamed the “Might Mac,” the Mackinac Bridge held the title of the largest suspension bridge in the world until a few years ago. We chose the ferry option, which took us right under the Mackinac Bridge. The only way to get to Mackinac is by boat or airplane. The entire island is registered as a National Historic Landmark, as up until 1875, Mackinac Island was federal land registered as Mackinac National Park, the second national park registered, right after Yellowstone. More than 80% of that land is preserved as Mackinac Island State Park. Located in Lake Huron between Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas, Mackinac Island covers just 3.8 square miles. And not just because the Christopher Reeve movie was filmed there, either. Mackinac Island is truly a land caught somewhere in time.
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