Steve have you been to this island?
This is interesting. Stay tuned to see the hotel cost per night.
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If you have FB
Turns out I can not add a FB reel here. FB is saying no just in case there is IP involved.
Yup. Been there once or twice. Last time was in 64. There is another fort, on the south side of the strait. The Brits decided the earlier fort was not very secure, so, iirc, they dragged their weapons and supplies across the strait over the ice during the winter, and built the fort that exists now. The fort is not at the highest point on the island however. During the war of 1812, the Brits landed and got some artillery up above the fort, where they could shoot down into the fort, and the USian garrison surrendered.
My aunt was up there often. Always came home with boxes of Murdick’s fudge. Implicit in that video piece, motor vehicles are banned, with the exception of emergency vehicles. There is a small airport on the island too. I remember going through the fort, and noticing a film crew working on a piece about the place. I went through a doctor’s office where 19th century instruments were on display, including a device for removing tonsils: a handle with a loop of wire on the end, to snare the tonsil.
I have also been to Frankenmuth, which the piece mentions. Not for the tourist nonsense tho. I was there for a Volkswagen show.
Steve
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I and a friend were there in summer 2021.
We stayed in St Ignace and ferried over for the day.
The town around the docks, is very “theme park” touristy. Not as fake as Disney or Six Flags, though.
Away from town is more relaxed.
We rented bikes from a shop near the ferry dock. Bad bikes. REALLY BAD. They were wobbly, and hard to ride.
We toured the island, did the required arch photo.
At one stop, a well off couple were taking harassment due to having e-bikes. The haters were complaining that “no mechanized vehicles allowed”.
I stepped over and asked the couple if they liked the bikes, how long they’d had the bikes, if they’d buy the bikes again, etc.
The couple said yes, yes, yes.
My intrusion broke up the harassment, at least while I was there.
We rode on around, and eventually spied the fort. We skipped that tour, opting instead to return to the town, turn in the bad bikes, and eat lunch, at a decent, but unremarkable fast casual place.
The hotel is spectacular. Opulent. Lots of beautiful, vibrant flower beds. We got mediocre lattes and sat on the veranda overlooking the town, the docks and the lake.
Most of the crowd stayed in town. Those that ventured out, often were on horse drawn tour-wagons (20 people per wagon).
Away from town was not crowded, lots of green, had a rural vibe. Nice homes with nice landscapes. More or less friendly vibe.
It was a very pleasant outing. I don’t remember thinking the day was over priced. It seemed “normal”.
The horses were nice, the horse biscuits were not. We passed several flatbed trailers whose job was to clean up after the horses. The smell was mildly unpleasant.
Overall, a pleasant environment. If I were in the area, I’d be willing to do it again.
$&$&$&
I visited Put in Bay, on Lake Erie, near Sandusky OH, last summer. It was less theme parkie, a bit more blue collar commercial?
I’d recommend it, too, for a pleasant Great Lake excursion.
ralph
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But here’s the really important question and answer.
Is it Mackinac or Mackinaw?
The name Mackinac or Mackinaw is always pronounced as “aw”. The area was originally called Michinnimakinong by the Ojibwa Indians. The word is translated as follows:Mish: Great
Inni: Connecting Sound
Maki: Fault
Nong: Land or PlaceThe Island has a large crevice or crack and the term was used by the early Indians as an identifying description to fellow travelers. The world MICHINNIMAKINONG was later shortened to Mackinac by the French. The British wrote it as it was pronounced, thus MACKINAW CITY.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mackinaw City | Mackinaw City Chamber of Commerce
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I luv Mac Island, have been over there many times. We had a Central Office on the Island, so would go over every day for about 5 workdays to test and maintain the power equipment and alarms. The field techs had bikes that they used to go on their service calls, and they were the biggest pieces of junk I’ve ever seen. They were laughably bad. But they’d let me borrow one of the spares, and I’d do a loop of the Island on my lunch break. It was almost totally flat on the perimeter road, so not exciting, but a beautiful ride.
When I went to the Island for fun, we’d bring our own bikes, and ride the interior of the Island, and that was a lot of fun. Pretty big hills, great views up top, hardly anyone else riding up there because the rental bikes were so bad it would be questionable safety wise. Could definitely get a sense of how the Straits could be controlled by a few cannons from the heights of the Island in the 1700 and 1800’s.
I hate fudge, and the little downtown is so packed with tourists that the first rule of order was to get out of the downtown, and that is where the Island is pretty awesome.
For anybody that hasn’t gone, it is well worth checking out.
Great region for outdoor lovers, too. The Island is technically in the Upper Peninsula, some great attractions within an hours drive are Taquemenon Falls, and Sault Saint Marie. On the Lower Peninsula, Wilderness State Park is close by, the Tunnel of Trees starts in Cross Village about 30 minutes away, lots of really nice inland lakes and rivers close by too.
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Let’s mix another island retreat to this conversation.
This is our local version.
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Has anyone played the golf course on the island. I’m looking for a review or commentary.
JimA
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I’ve not.
FWIW, I do not remember any signs of a golf course, either. It’s buried behind some island vegetation, and “private access” signs.
Google Maps says Saunders Golf Course, 4.5/5 with 19 reviews, many of which include some variation of “needs work”.
From the reviews, if I were to play it, I would have a wonderful time. Cause it would match my “needs work” golf skills. 
The island is quite nice, though.
Perry’s Peace Monument for the War of 1812, US vs British, is impressive and intombs 4 US and 4 British military combatants, and a plea for peace.
ralph
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I was actually asking about Mackinac Island and not Put-in-Bay! I should have been clearer.
JimA
LOLOL
Change a couple pronouns and my comments would be similar.
ralph
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For those who missed it, the Grand Hotel was sold a few years ago, to a Private Equity group. The same group has also bought a second hotel on the island. What is the MTBF for PE operations? If inclined, better book your room for this summer, before the PE group takes all the silverware and linens.
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