Mackinac Island, Michigan, is a 19th-century escape from the contemporary world

Crashing waves struck the prow, the cold water of Lake Huron splashing those of us braving the top deck of the small ferry. My lifelong friend, Arielle, shielded her face with her hat until the vessel eased into calmer waters on its approximately 20-minute voyage to Mackinac Island. Miles of blue stretched toward the late-morning horizon, the green Mackinac Bridge prominently featured as its 5-mile span connected Michigan’s peninsulas.

A small island situated in northern Lake Huron, Mackinac Island is a popular northern Michigan destination that offers the experience of a bygone era. Horse-drawn carriages taxi visitors; parked bicycles line the streets, situated tightly like a row of parallel parked cars downtown. What is notable at Mackinac is the lack of automobiles.

Preserved is this tiny tourist destination as it was during the early wars between the U.S. and Britain. Fraught with conflict beginning pre-Revolution, many of the island’s structures date back to the 18th and 19th centuries.

Of course, the history of the island began long before Europeans arrived. The Native peoples of the region considered it a sacred location, and the pristine waters of the Straits of Mackinac offered an excellent source for fishing. As Europeans colonized the region, the straits would prove a strategic location in early U.S. history. It wouldn’t be until the Victorian Period that tourism would emerge.

And here I was, disembarking with my friend who I hadn’t seen in a decade – 21st century tourists excited to revisit a beloved childhood destination, now walking the wide dock. On the hill was Fort Mackinac, an impossible-to-miss stronghold with white walls and yellow umbrellas; people relaxed in the cool green field of Marquette Park below the fort on what would be a humid 80-something-degree August day.

You can ask nearly any Michigander and they’ll laud the island as a must see. Whether you’re looking to make it a day trip or a weekend getaway, Mackinac has a lot to offer travelers.

Together, Arielle and I compiled a list of things to do, including buying Mackinac Island’s world-famous fudge.

Arranging accommodations

Before traveling, you’ll probably want to arrange for a place to stay. While Arielle and I opted to stay at an AirBnB in St. Ignace, several hotels and bed and breakfasts are available on and off the island.

Most notable is the historic Grand Hotel. Constructed in 1887, its green roofs, white walls and yellow-striped awnings are notably visible from the water. The hotel’s resident historian, Bob Tagatz, confirmed via email that the resort was completed “in a mere 93 days.” At the time, rates to stay at Grand Hotel were $3 to $5 a night, Tagatz wrote. Today’s season rates begin in the $500 range and can exceed prices of more than $4,000 per night depending on accommodations and time of year, the hotel’s website shows.

According to Tagatz, with 388 signature rooms and suites, no two rooms are alike. The hotel offers 13 dining options, with breakfast, lunch and dinner served in the the Main Dining Room, and in the Parlor, guests can enjoy afternoon tea. Grand Hotel offers various packages and activities throughout the season, which runs May through October.

Guests at the Victorian-era hotel are expected to adhere to a dress code. While during the day casual attire is permitted, after 6:30 p.m., “Grand Hotel transforms into a place of timeless sophistication, where every night is a special occasion,” the hotel’s website reads. “… Ladies are asked to wear dresses, skirts, blouses, dress sweaters, or dress slacks, while gentlemen are required to wear a suit or sport coat, necktie, and dress pants – denim and shorts are not permitted.”

This rule, the website states, helps to “honor the elegance and history that make Grand Hotel so unique.”

Of course, Grand Hotel isn’t in everyone’s price range. Lake View Hotel in the heart of downtown has rates starting in the $200 range, with the most expensive options exceeding $600 per night. The Murray Hotel offers rates beginning as low as $139 and creep into the $500 range depending on the room and time of year.

Getting to the island

Michigan’s tourism is largely supported by state residents “going up north” for vacation, so don’t be surprised if the tourist standing ahead of you in line for a ferry ticket just so happens to be from a few hours’ drive south.

Getting to the island is relatively easy. Two companies operate travel to and from the island and from two ports: Mackinaw City in the Lower Peninsula and St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula.

(It’s worth noting to enter the Upper Peninsula after crossing the Mackinac Bridge will cost a toll.)

After arriving in Mackinaw City and finding our way to the port, Arielle and I were redirected to free day parking for Shepler’s Ferry and rode the shuttle – a blue tractor pulling a train of carts with two American flags rippling in the wind at the caboose – to the lake shore.

Dominick Miller, the chief of marketing for Mackinac State Historic Parks, said that, during the summer months, the island sees as many as 1 million visitors each year. Even as tedious as getting to the island may seem, the process is well-planned and operated to compensate for the large numbers of travelers. The company operates multiple boats that dock about every 15 minutes. Passengers, their personal effects such as luggage and bikes are loaded, then whisked away for another ferry to appear just as that one left. Fifteen to 20 minutes later, and the boat is docking at the port.

Once there, you’ll disembark at the town of Mackinac Island, walking into a bustling street of horse-drawn carriages, bicycles and pedestrians, flanked by buildings suitable for the 19th century. It’s a little overwhelming at first, so it’s good to arrive with an idea of what you want to do or visit the state park’s visitor center, which is easily accessible from where the ferries dock.

Our first stop was for a bite at Mary’s Bistro Draught House, which served sandwiches, delicious sweet potato fries and a wall of beers on tap, all of which were brewed in Michigan. I ordered the Rubaeus, a raspberry ale from Founders in Grand Rapids, as a nod to my home city.

Fort Mackinac is great for all ages

Be prepared to get in a good workout on the hilly island; the path to the 18th-century Fort Mackinac is a long climb.

Tickets to the fort can be purchased at the gate or travelers can buy access by purchasing a ferry ticket that includes an added-on cost. Arielle and I took this route, making our individual tickets to adjourn to the island and to access the fort for $50 apiece through Shepler’s Ferry.

After taking a short break halfway up the trail to catch our breaths and reapply sunscreen, we crossed the threshold of the main gate.

Here you’ll enter a well-shaded area with a spanning lawn, trees and period buildings, one of which had its white slats partially removed to reveal the original, aged logs the fort’s first inhabitants had placed in the 1700s.

Tourists are welcome to tour the fort’s buildings. Some notable spots include the Soldiers’ Barracks, built in 1859, which contains exhibits; the Post Commissary, built in 1878, which is now a gift shop; and the Tea Room Restaurant. Operated by the island’s historic Grand Hotel, the Tea Room a popular lunch spot with a picturesque view of the port and Lake Huron. This is located near the Officers’ Stone Quarters, built in 1780, where you can find activities for children. Center of all this is the Parade Ground, which offers various demonstrations.

This wasn’t the first fort the British occupied in the region.

“The French originally built a fort in present day Mackinaw City,” Miller said. The British claimed the fort in the 1760s. After the Revolution ignited a decade later, the British strategically moved the fort from the mainland to Mackinac Island. The move was completed in 1781.

The British “burned what they couldn’t take with them in the fort at Mackinaw,” Miller said, to keep the Americans from taking any of the supplies that were left behind.

The fort at Mackinaw City, Michilimackinac, that tourists can visit today is a reconstructed version of the former British stronghold, and one of many locations Mackinac State Historic Parks operates.

In 1796, “American forces moved up to Fort Mackinac (on the island),” Miller said. “The British took over during the War of 1812 … (and) landed on the island in the dead of night after Americans declared war.” British forces dragged a cannon from what is now called British Landing to the back side of the island’s fort and demanded control.

“Americans tried to retake it by force by 1814,” he said of what was an unsuccessful attempt. “They tried to mimic the British’s strategy.”

After the war ended, the fort was returned to the U.S., and as the fur trade declined throughout the 19th century, tourism began to pick up on the island and has thrived since. But it wasn’t until 1895, after 115 years of service, that the U.S. Army removed soldiers from the island’s fort, transferring the fort and national park – the second in the nation behind Yellowstone – to the state. Mackinac Island would go on to become Michigan’s first state park.

It’s along the fort’s walls where the cannon demonstration takes place with actors donning 19th century attire. “Specifically that of the 23rd infantry regiment stationed at Mackinac Island from 1884 to 1890,” one of the two demonstrators said of their costumes.

In the heat, Arielle lounged on a soft tuft of grass behind the gawking crowd. At the front, rows of children sat legs crossed on the wooden platform, gaping as one demonstrator explained more of the island’s history and details of the cannon and the other demonstrator prepared the long-range weapon, a model 1841 6-pound field gun. Its bronze, sunstruck sheen seemed unaged despite it being nearly 200 years old.

“This (cannon) has a maximum range of 1 mile … with an effective range of a half-mile,” the demonstrator said.

The cannon, because the fort had little use for weapons by the mid- to late 19th century, was used instead for ceremonial purposes. It was fired off at least twice daily for the raising and lowering of the flag.

“They would (also) fire off what is called a national salute,” the demonstrator explained, for the Fourth of July and Declaration Day, which is now Memorial Day. That means one shot for each state in the union. In 1889, for example, the U.S. had 38 states.

“They would fire off these guns 38 times at the crack of dawn,” he said, “so if you didn’t realize it was the Fourth of July you would quickly find out.”

Cannons were fired for mournful occasions, such as the passing of Civil War Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, with a “shot every half hour throughout the working day and ended with another national salute at the end of the night.”

Shots were also fired for the first tourists coming to the island following the very hard and cold winters.

Outdoor activities aplenty

Michigan has excellent hiking trails, especially along the Great Lakes, and Mackinac Island is no exception. From kayaking Lake Huron’s pristine water to hiking the more than 70 miles of walkable trails, the island will keep outdoorsy people busy. Among popular spots is Arch Rock, aptly named for its shape. The outcropping limestone spanning 50 feet across can be accessed by foot, bike or taxi.

After Arielle and I rented bikes, we began the grueling walk up the hill. Pushing the bikes along the dramatic incline was a workout – with many breaks – but once we reached the top and began pedaling, the freedom we felt riding through the forest to Arch Rock was liberating.

Bike rental prices can vary depending on the type of bike and time of use. The island comfort special for the multispeed option comes with a basket to haul your items, a free water and helmet for $17 an hour. The kids bikes runs $12 per hour, tandem bikes are $25 per hour and motorized special needs carts are $22 per hour. Other options include a tagalong, which attaches to a bike, providing an additional seat; the burley trailer to keep the tots well-shaded while mom or dad pedals; the kids mountain bike; and an adult tricycle.

The ride through the forest to Arch Rock via the Arch Rock Bicycle Trail, from town to the landmark, totals roughly 2 miles, according to All Trails. At the outcropping, you’ll take in the expansive vistas of the green-blue water of Lake Huron.

Perhaps the most popular biking route is Michigan Highway 185, an 8-mile path of smooth asphalt between rocky shoreline and vibrant forests that follows the island’s perimeter. The ride takes roughly two and a half hours to complete; however, with stops to take photos and rest, Arielle and I completed the loop in about three and a half hours.

At British Landing, we came across the Cannonball Oasis selling various snacks. Lounging in the Adirondack chairs under the shade of oak trees, we took in the cool evening breeze. I moved to the stony shore near some thistle and watched a honeybee land on the purple flowers before looking toward the Mackinac Bridge and the Upper Peninsula along the horizon.

The day before we had traveled from the Grand Rapids area to Tahquamenon Falls State Park in the Upper Peninsula, the Lighthouse Museum on Lake Superior – where the bell of the Edmund Fitzgerald is displayed – and ventured to Sault Ste. Marie to see the Soo Locks and catch dinner in Canada. It had been a fast two days, but being able to slow down before continuing the remainder of the loop brought a sense of calm. And after we were done on the island we would head to the Headlands International Dark Sky Park to see the stars. Arielle and I had been eyeing the sky throughout the day with the hope what clouds were there would be whisked away by evening. It was nearing sunset when we returned the bikes, and the skies were clear.

But we had one last stop.

Can’t get better fudge anywhere else

It’s “world-famous” – that’s what Michiganders will tell you about the fudge sold on Mackinac Island.

As a child, I loved it. I have fond memories of sitting along the island’s edge with my grandpa, savoring the treat. After more than two decades since having it, I wondered how much of my love for it and need to call it “the best-ever” was rooted in biases. I’ve had excellent fudge elsewhere in my adult life. But alas, it doesn’t get better than the fudge at Mackinac Island.

On Mackinac Island are 13 fudge shops. The sweet treat’s presence on the island has a history dating back more than a century when Jerome “Rome” Murdick introduced fudge crafted in copper pots and on marble slabs to the island. It was, and still remains, a spectacle. Visitors to the island can see fudge being made in real time behind the counters with the same technique Murdick brought to the island.

According to the island’s website, fudge shops import as much as 10 tons of sugar each week, with 10,000 pounds of fudge being crafted daily during peak tourism season.

To have left the island without fudge would have been criminal. While Murdick’s company continues to operate on the island, Arielle and I popped into Ryba’s Fudge Shops. I opted for an assortment that included a delicious lemon-flavored fudge with chunks of crust akin to a lemon bar’s sprinkled throughout. It was my favorite of the batch, so much so that when I shipped a package of sweets to my brother, I greedily kept most of it.

I recommend checking out more than one shop. Murdick’s or Kilwins, for example, is going to offer different assortments of flavors. And, of course, it’s more sweets to sample.