Our good friend Midge Berlow wrote the intro for my Report:

"Dear Ed and Marion,

I want you to know I got out my Rand McNally Atlas and sat down with your last 4 or 5
reports and enjoyed them so much.
 

Now that you are getting close to my home state of Michigan, I thought I would share a couple of things with you.  I am hoping you will stop at Mackinac Island.  It's a wonderful place I've known since visiting there as a child.   It's very touristy until the last boat leaves in the evening, then it's really nice.  No cars.  You bicycle or walk or horseback or buggy around.  Jim and I went there--in  fact, it was the first place we sailed together.

It's right by the Mackinac Bridge.    I always remember the year the bridge was built.  My senior trip in high school was a cruise from Detroit to Chicago and we went under the new bridge.  It was 1957.  So, enjoy Michigan and think of us!  We'll be waiting for the reports.  Love, Midge"

Thanks for the Intro, Midge

We arrived at Mackinac Island on a Saturday and felt we had been dropped onto a busy lane in Disney World. The streets were packed with tourists from all over. There is a thriving bicycle rental business on the island and there are thousands of them on the road.
 

The Grand Hotel is the largest employer and property holder, with several restaurants in addition to the hotel. We had the buffet lunch at the hotel and did the self guided tour of the hotel public areas. Grand Hotel ==>>

The island is 80% State Park and 20% privately owned.  We did the eight mile bike ride around the Island and saw a lot of the park.  The Arch Rock is visible from the road below. Its a favorite. We also did a tour of the city and the park in a horse drawn tram.

Mackinac Island was an early fur trading post.  The Jesuits started a settlement there but due to poor soil moved to the mainland at St. Ignace.  The British built the fort before the revolutionary war. The US took over after the war.  The Fort ===>> Then in the war of 1812 the British came back and the US garrison surrendered without a shot.

Today the fort is a principal tourist attraction. Rifle and Cannon fire are a daily occurrence.... All part of the show.

We had three wonderful days at Mackinac. Riding in the horse drawn Taxi to and from supper at The Woods Restaurant was very romantic. The food was great too. Rating ****$$$$