We first visited Mackinac Island in 2009 with our RV buddies George and Jan, and we loved it, so we were pleased to return to the island on the Yankee RV tour. We took a Star Line ferry from Mackinaw City to Mackinac Island (Mackinac is pronounced the same as Mackinaw). The ferry went under the Mackinac Bridge, giving us good views.
When the ferry landed, we were met by horse drawn carriages to tour us around the island. We rode down the main street by shops, passed by city hall and other landmarks, and beautiful homes.
Our first stop was at Arch Rock where we saw two people writing a message in the water with stones: “Marry me.”
We continued our ride in the horse-drawn carriages, changing carriages at various places along the route. The man standing in the photo below is Rod Coe, the Yankee RV Tours wagon master.
The horses were beautiful and I loved seeing them pull our carriage. The drivers stopped for them to rest after an uphill pull.
Since the only motorized vehicles on Mackinac Island are emergency vehicles and the doctors, it’s not just people being transported by horse-power. All freight is also carried by horse-drawn wagons which emphasized the “back in time” feeling of the island.
Also from back in time is the Grand Hotel, our destination for lunch. It it truly grand and was a pleasure to see. The buffet lunch was pretty grand too! And the lobby as well.
The 660 foot long porch is filled with rocking chairs to enjoy the beautiful views – of the lake, flowers, boats. We had our photo made there.
Incidentally, if you are a guest of the Grand Hotel, you are transported by their own grand carriages.
After lunch George and I rented bicycles from Mackinac Wheels and rode the eight mile trail around the island with cool breezes from Lake Huron. It was a fun ride and a repeat of our ride in 2009 with George and Jan.
When we returned our bicycles to Mackinac Wheels, we enjoyed this view of their sign and one of the two resident dogs:
We had a great day on Mackinac Island – sightseeing by horse-drawn carriage, lunch at the Grand Hotel, and a fun bike ride. We were “happy campers” as we returned to Mackinaw City on the Star Line.
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