Mackinac Island State Park is a Hidden Treasure. Most people have never even heard of Mackinac Island, let alone it's Wonderful State Park. Mackinac Island does not allow any Motorvehicles. Getting areound is either walking, a Bicycle, and Horse and Buggy. To get to Mackinac Island you must take a Ferry. The State Park is Beautiful and the day we visited I even was able to swim in the Lake.

This is one of my favorite places. I've been a few times as a child/young adult, and have always wanted to be here for the Lilac Festival (my favorite flower) so this past June I came with my husband, kids as well as my mom and sister. To get the obvious out of the way - yes, it is touristy, can be crowded and some things are more expensive. I personally think it is worth it to save up and stay in one of the nice inns/hotels on the island for a few days as that gives you some breathing room and it's also nice to enjoy the island in the morning/evening when the hordes of day trippers aren't there. We also were able to eat leftovers/quick meals which saved some money. My son is sensitive to smells and a few times noticed the horse smell, but otherwise it wasn't that bad. They are pretty responsive to cleaning it up. Some of my favorite things to do are bike around the island (gorgeous), hike to Arch Rock, hike around the bluffs near the fort and Mission Point and get views of the Bridge. If you come in May/June the lilacs are AMAZING. There are 200 varieties all over the island. There are also a lot of interesting historic exhibits as this island was an intersection of Native, French, British and American cultures. The Fort is worth visiting. The Butterfly House is a nice rainy day activity. The Grand Hotel and its secret garden are worth a visit. Food wise, it is pricy and I did find most of the menus fairly similar and this is not what I would consider a foodie destination, but if you like whitefish that is fantastic here. There is also a LOT of fudge (which, ironically, I don't really like, except in ice cream!) so try at least a sample! If you can go off peak, it will probably be a calmer experience.

This was so beautiful! We enjoyed a carriage ride into the state park, biking around the island and part of the state park, and hiking into the state park up to the crack in the island, too! I think the hiking and biking might have been our favorite parts of our stay. To get the crack, we followed Troop 327's instructions (along with Google to Cave of the Woods, which is right nearby the crack. Google currently says the cave is "closed," but we don't know what that meant as you can just go and look at it): "From the Barracks: Go left on the road behind the Barracks to its end and continue on British Landing Road. Pass the airport, go left on State Road, and take a dirt trail on the left." Be aware that there is lots of poison ivy on the island. It doesn't grow much where we live, but thanks to Google, we were able to easily know what to watch out for! We got our bikes from both Ryba's and Mackinac Island Bike Shop. Both shops have good bikes, but I'd say Ryba's is a little cheaper. However, Ryba's doesn't have adult trikes, which was a must for someone recovering from two sprained ankles (me).

When doing research for this summer trip, I stumbled upon this and the Mrs was overjoyed and couldn't wait for this day. We are not bike riders, so be prepared to walk quite a bit. I would suggest a tour of some type just to get off your feet for awhile. We didn;t get our first choice of lunch place to eat, but the pizza we chose was good. We took a taxi up to the Grand for ice cream and that was a treat to use that taxi method. It was a good day overall and would go again if given the chance