The Most Interesting Things To Do On Mackinac Island, MI

Several years ago, I watched a travel documentary about Mackinac Island, MI. Being an avid “dirt-digger”, this lush, green island that didn’t allow cars fascinated me. Mackinac Island hit my bucket list right then and there and I was pretty excited to visit when we got to Michigan. So, I left Danny and the boys behind in Mackinaw City and caught the ferry to Mackinac Island.

Pronunciation Issues

One quickly learns when you visit: no matter how it’s spelled, everything is pronounced “Mack-in-awe”. I found this a difficult change to make, since I pronounced each town name based upon the phonetic spelling. When we edited the videos, I had to remove several mispronunciations of Mackinac Island. I still forget every so often and a “Mack-in-ack” comes out instead of “Mack-in-awe”. I am improving, though!

On to Mackinac Island!

We camped at Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground, right outside of Mackinaw City. One of the “perks” they offer is a free shuttle to and from the ferry that takes visitors to Mackinac Island. I ended up not taking advantage of this. Danny wanted to take a break from work so he and the boys drove me to the ferry station.

Tickets for the 15-26 minute ferry ride are a bit pricey. It costs $36 roundtrip for adults and $24 for children ages 5-12. Leashed pets and children under 5 ride for free. Though the ferry and Mackinac Island welcome pets, I decided to leave them at home for this visit. I knew Winston wouldn’t enjoy the ferry ride, the horses on the island would overstimulate Tommy, and Louie was so new to our family I wasn’t sure how he would react. If I visit again, Louie could probably tag along and have a great time visiting the island with me.

The ferry takes visitors across the Straits of Mackinac. This affords one an awesome view of the Mackinac Bridge, as well as the Round Island Lighthouse.

Ferry riders also get great views of several landmarks on the island itself as the ferry pulls into the docks.

On Mackinac Island, MI Time!

After disembarking from the ferry, I made my way to the main street in town. This is the main shopping area of the island and includes lots of art galleries, restaurants, and stores of every kind. Since it was close to lunch, I stopped in at “Seabiscuit”. This local restaurant treats diners to a view of all things horse racing, and particularly the horse racing career of Seabiscuit. While eating my amazing meal, I was able to look at all the memorabilia and watch part of a movie about the life of this great racehorse.

Delivery By Horse and Wagon?! Only on Mackinac Island, MI

After finishing (most-of) my meal, I continued to explore the island and found myself in the residential part of the island. While there, I experienced a first-hand view of how Amazon (and other delivery companies) deliver packages. It was quite a treat to watch the giant wagon pulled by a pair of draft horses pull up along the curb and the driver hop down, pull the packages off the wagon and deliver them to the door of the house!

While in this area, I also got to see some of the beautiful gardens that had first fascinated me years ago on the travel documentary. The houses here are all very well-kept and the gardens are beautiful!

This turquoise house in particular was one of my favorites!

The Historic District of Mackinac Island, MI

As I wandered further into the interior of the island, I came upon the historical district. This is a group of houses and businesses that were some of the first built on the island. They built most of them to support Fort Mackinac once it moved from its original location near present-day Mackinaw City.

One of the places that I visited in this historical district was the Biddle House. Originally built by Edward and Agatha Biddle in the 1830s, the house saw many changes to the island throughout the years. Today, the house is a museum that includes demonstrations presented by historical interpreters as well as an exhibit highlighting the history and culture of the local indigenous population.

Right next door to the Biddle House is the Benjamin Blacksmith shop. Built by Robert Benjamin in the 1880’s, the shop continued to operate until the 1960’s. Visitors to the shop today can watch live demonstrations of blacksmith work and learn about how important blacksmithing was to daily life in the 1800’s.

The Butterfly House

One place that I wasn’t sure I would have time to visit, but am so glad I did is the Butterfly House and Insect Museum. Located just behind St. Annes Church, this remarkable and peaceful place features over 1000 live butterflies in a tropical setting complete with waterfall and classical music. If peace and waterfalls isn’t your thing, you can also check out the collection of insects ranging from stick bugs to cockroaches that live in the Insect World area. I saw so many different types of butterflies, and even had one land on my shoulder and take a ride!

St. Anne’s Church

If you have been reading my blogs for a while, you know one of my jams is old churches- particularly the old cathedrals. St. Anne’s is one such church.

Originally built in the mid 1700’s as part of the original Fort Michilimackinac, St. Anne’s served as the center of religious life for both fur-traders and indigenous populations in the area until 1780. When the original fort was dismantled and moved, the church was also relocated to its current location on Mackinac Island. It has continued to serve the local population with and without resident priests since that time.

In the 1990’s the church was structurally updated and a porch and peace garden were added. In addition, a mural of Mary, Jesus and St. Anne (Mary’s mother) was painted over the high alter and a museum was added in the basement so visitors could learn more about the history of this fascinating place.

The Steep Climb to Fort Mackinac

The oldest part of the island is at the end of a steep climb to the top of a bluff overlooking the Straits of Mackinac. Here sits the 14 buildings that make up Fort Mackinac.

Several of the buildings, including the stone ramparts, the south sally port and the Officer’s Stone Quarters were originally located at Michilimackinac and are some of the oldest buildings in Michigan. In the 1780s, the British fort commander, fearing that the post was too vulnerable to attack during the American Revolution, ordered that it be disassembled and moved to Mackinac Island. Handed over to the Americans after the Revolution, Fort Mackinac was recaptured by the British during the War of 1812. After being handed back to the Americans in 1815, it remained in operation until 1895.

Today, the fort is a testament to the trade, military and aboriginal history of the area. Daily demonstrations give visitors a first-hand view of daily life in the fort. I enjoyed learning about the daily life of the families and soldiers who lived in the fort. However, the demonstration I enjoyed most was to experience the evening flag lowering ceremony. It was a great way to end a great day on this beautiful island.

The video below has the full experience of my day at Mackinac Island, and some bonus features that Tommy, Winston and Louie will share with you in their first blog post coming soon!

In the meantime, if you would like to experience more Traveling With Terriers content, check out our other Travel-a-Long, Drive-a-Long, Hike-a-Long, and Top 5 Tips and Tricks videos, as well as our other Behind-the Scenes Blogs. For all your TWT swag and to get a copy of our newly released book, check out our Merch store!

Until next time, happy traveling!