Sunday at Mackinac Island

I can see why Mackinaw Island is the top tourist attraction in Michigan. This is one of the best places we have seen since we have started full timing!

No motorized vehicles are allowed on the island, but it is a great place to see on bikes. So we decided to load ours up give it a try.We drove from our KOA site to the Arnold Ferry dock in downtown St. Ignace. The roundtrip cost of the ferry ticket and admission to the island($30 each) was a bit pricey but it was definitely worth it.

The ride across the Straits took about 15 minutes and it was a beautiful, breezy day.Once we got there, it was crowded with people and bikes and horse carriages. I have never seen so many bikes in one place. A few like us took their own, but hundreds rented bikes on the island.
Our plan worked well: we packed a lunch, stopped for a picnic and took the 8 mile bike trail around the island, saw the fort and called it a day.

One of the highlights was a stop at the Arches. We had to walk about 200 yards up a series of steps to get to the overlook, but it was a very beautiful and scenic spot.Another one was a stop on the north side beach. We took off our shoes for a refreshing little wade into the crystal clear waters of Lake Huron.
It took us about two hours to get around the island. We ended where we began, back in town. ext, we went up the top of the hill near town to see the fort overlooking the city.
Fort Mackinac (now on Mackinac Island) was established by the French and later occupied by the British and Americans, exchanging control until after the War of 1812. It remained occupied until 1895. Mackinac Island was a strategic center for fur trading during the latter part of the 1800's and now is a major tourist attraction.

It was a great day on the island and time well spent. That wraps up another entry of the Roadrunner Chronicles. See you next time.