Americans' default form of travel is the automobile. Most of us drive around in cars or trucks, some in buses, but usually we're in some form of automobile. While Zach and I did take a car to get to our weekend destination, the pier of the Arnold Ferry Company was as far as we could take it. From that point on, you travel by ferry, horse-drawn carriage, bicycle, and foot.
Friday morning we packed up, had some waffles at the Ramada in Mackinaw City, then headed over to the docks to catch the ferry. The ride from Mackinaw City to Mackinac Island takes about 20 minutes. When you ride the Arnold line you ride in a three-story catamaran.
For the ride over to the island, we chose the top deck, which, even in mid-summer, is a cold ride. In October when the temps are about 45 degrees Fahrenheit and the wind is whipping, it's downright cold. But who cares if you get sprayed by the water and your hair is a veritable bird's nest when you arrive? You have the best views.
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| The Straits of Mackinac |
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| The 5-mile long Mackinac Bridge which spans the straits and joins Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula. |
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| The island is in the middle of this photo on the horizon. To the right is Round Island. Further right and out of the picture is Bois Blanc Island. The biggest white spot on Mackinac Island that you see in this photo is the Grand Hotel. |
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| One of Shepler's ferries coming back to Mackinaw City from the island. You can also see the Grand Hotel better, as well as the historic (and expensive) West Bluff cottages. Yep, they're called cottages even though they're enormous. These are where giants of industry from Detroit and Chicago had/have their summer homes. |
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| The Grand Hotel closer up. It boasts the longest porch in the world. (Though, I have read that its length may have been exaggerated by the builder. Valerie, any insight into this?) |
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| Round Island Lighthouse |
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| Zach enjoys the ride. The Mighty Mac can be seen in the background. |
Eventually we pulled into the harbor and disembarked with our bikes.
Downtown the street is lined with bicycles and peppered with manure. (I believe those whose job it is to clean the streets were featured on that
Dirty Jobs show at one time.)
We always bring our own bikes, but many people rent bikes. Island bikes are typically road bikes with fenders that keep water, dirt, and bits of horse urine and manure from spraying up your back on wet days. They usually have wide, comfortable seats and baskets in the front and the back (can't stick your purchases in the car trunk, after all).
I'm struck by how many of them are fixed gear bicycles since there are some steep climbs on the island and many people, especially porters working for the hotels, balance large, heavy loads in those baskets. But islanders must have very strong muscles in their legs and they seem to be able to climb those hills without slowing, whereas I have to hop off and walk my bike at times.
For those who don't want to (or can't) walk or bike around, there are horse-drawn carriages and taxis. Public and private tours via horse-drawn carriage are available. And draft horses pulling large wagons (I believe they're called drays, but I could be wrong) deliver groceries to islanders' homes and supplies to hotels and restaurants.
During the early afternoon on Friday while Zach and I lunched on the porch at Goodfellow's, the sky opened up and the island was washed in a cold shower. It was raining off and on after we finished eating, and we didn't want to get caught on the other side of the island during a downpour, so we put off our bike ride until later.
In the meantime, we spent some time warming up in the Butterfly House and Insect World. Pictures of that adventure tomorrow!
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