More from Mackinac Island, MI

The weather forecast had been for a cooler day today – only about 20C – so we needed a jacket to walk down to the town to find some breakfast. We decided on bagels and cream cheese as a light start. By the time we started back after breakfast there was a fog rolling in so we weren’t sure what the weather would bring us today.

We opted to start with a visit to the fort up the hill in the hope that it would clear up a bit later. The fort was founded during the American Revolution with the British moving it from Fort Michilimackinac (what is now Mackinaw City) to Mackinac Island in 1780 as the original was thought too vulnerable to American attack.  Americans took control in 1796.  In the War of 1812 the British re-captured the fort.  In a bloody battle in 1814 the Americans attempted but failed to retake the fort.  It was returned to the United States after the war.  The fort then remained active until 1895 but was really a bit of a holiday resort for the soldiers during this time. It transformed to a center of the fur trade then into a major summer resort.

The buildings within the fort have displays from the day and there are now re-enactors providing shows at regular internals. We watched a rifle display and cannon firing display.

After the fort we wandered through downtown to the “dog stand” for a hotdog and sat in the park by the water whilst we ate. At this stage the weather had improved so we went back to the hotel to change and pick up our bikes.

The “main road” – M-185 – around the island is about 8.2 km long. With walkers, cyclists and horse carriages it can be quite congested in parts. We stopped every now and then to take photos and look at the scenery and after about an hour and a half we had made it back to our starting point. Near where we started is an area called the Mission District which has an additional gravel shoreline track so we cycled around this also. We decided after all our cycling we deserved a drink so we sat in a bar overlooking the lake and had a couple of drinks.

Refreshed we rode our bikes back to our hotel. With the improved weather we decided to go back up to the fort to get some “blue sky” shots of the town. This time we exited the fort on the other side and walked around the island a bit to the Grand Hotel. By 1886 Mackinac Island had become a summer getaway, but accommodations were limited. The Michigan Central Railroad, Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad, and Detroit and Cleveland Steamship Navigation Company formed the Mackinac Island Hotel Company and purchased the land upon which the Grand Hotel stands and it opened the following year. It is grand – it has the world’s longest porch !

It is also grand in price. They even charge US$10 per person just to walk into the building if you are not staying there. We opted to look from the outside and then wander back to our hotel to put our feet up before dinner.

For dinner we opted for Mary’s Bistro & Brewhouse back in Main Street so we could walk around the island a bit to watch the sunset. We shared deep fried cheese curds for an entre and then Adrienne had Chicken Fried Chicken and I had Mary’s famous Chicken Pot Pie. I also had a couple of beers from the vast selection – they have 50 Michigan craft beers on tap !

So we had a busy day and the weather turned out fine for us. Mackinac Island has been a real experience – lots to see and do and a very unique location ! Tomorrow, on to the U.P. and the shores of Lake Superior …

Today’s Tour Trivia – There are 14 fudge shops on Mackinac Island! So much fudge is made that more than 10 tons of butter is brought to the island every year.