Mackinac Island Travel Guide

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Mackinac Island (pronounced Mackinaw) is a little 3.8 square mile slice of heaven located in Lake Huron, just north of the Michigan "mitten." Besides being an island situated in a gorgeous body of water, it derives much of it's charm from two main things: the fact that cars are not allowed, so horses and bicycles fill the streets, and the Grand Hotel is located there, which is just as stately and grand as it sounds. We took a day trip to Mackinac from Bay View, MI and explored all this wonderful island has to offer! Here's a quick guide:

  • Getting there. We took Shepler's Ferry from St. Ignace. This route allowed us to drive over the five-mile long Mackinac Bridge, which I highly recommend, no matter which direction you're coming from. Several of the early morning ferries also take a fun detour and drive under the bridge.
  • Where to eat. Head to the Hotel Iroquoise award-winning restaurant for their unbeatable water views, or The Gate House, an affordable and quaint dining option offered by The Grand Hotel.
  • How to get around. Renting bikes is a popular way to see Mackinac. There are more than 20 miles of trails across the island, and it's only an 8 mile trek around the entire outer rim. Or, you can saddle up a horse and ride around town. Or, take a horse-drawn carriage ride. We opted for Mackinac Island Carriage tours, which will take you to hot spots Arch Rock and The Grand Hotel.
  • What to do. My top pick is to tour The Grand Hotel. Before 6pm, there's an admission fee, and after 6pm there's a strict dress code - but only for some areas of the hotel, so go ahead and poke around. You could also tour the fort, visit the governor's house, or head to Main St. to shop and sample the fudge that Mackinac Island is known for!

My outfit details are below. When dressing for Mackinac Island, keep in mind that you'll likely do lots of walking or biking, and there are plenty of "road hazards" from horses that you'll want to avoid. Otherwise, the sky is the limit - dress as casual (bike or athletic gear) or as fancy (cocktail attire, for the Grand Hotel) as you'd like! 

Top: H&M, $35
Skirt: ModCloth c/o, $60 (old gift card)
Shoes: Dolce Vita c/o Amazon, $33
Purse: Mud Pie c/o, $36
Earrings: Amazon c/o, $18 (fair trade, similar)
Hat: ModCloth c/o, $34 (similar, similar)
Approx. dates: Belt is 4 years ago. Hat is 1 year ago. Purse, shoes, earrings, top are this summer. Skirt is new.