Each summer we spend a week with family in our great state of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. My parents have a rustic cabin located just outside of Ontonagon which is an eight-hour drive from our home in Grand Rapids. A while back we started breaking up the long drive with stops along the way and this year, we chose Mackinac Island.
I wanted our weekend visit to be a mixture of relaxed family time and making sure we saw and did all the usual Mackinac things. Here’s our guide to visiting the island with family for a two-night stay.
We took Sheplers Ferry from the St. Ignace side of the bridge because after our two nights stay on the island our trip continued north towards my parents cabin. Sheplers also has an access point in Mackinac City located south of the Mackinac Bridge. The kids loved riding the ferry boat across to the island which is about a 17 min ride. It was a fun way to kick off our weekend together. Bring a sweater or jacket because it can get chilly on the boat with the wind.
Upon arrival we checked into our hotel. We stayed at Lake View Hotel which is located right on Main Street in the heart of ‘downtown’. It’s also kiddy-corner from the Sheplers Ferry dock which was super convenient because we didn’t have to get a horse taxi or hire someone to transport our bags. There were many great things about selecting the Lake View including the fact that they are the only hotel on the island with an indoor pool - something I wanted for the kids. My choice paid off because on Saturday afternoon we had rain for a few hours and we sat poolside with wine while watching the kids swim.
The Lake View also has Turtle Brewing (where we ate lunch on Saturday) on it’s main floor and it’s a great place to eat with kids. We got a great spot right on the outdoor patio facing Main Street. Everyone enjoyed the food. The kids were especially excited about their giant chocolate milks and the server had crayons for the kids too.
After check-in it was nearly dinner time, so the kids geared up with their scooters and helmets and we walked along Main Street to get the lay of the land and find a spot to eat. We put in our name at Pink Pony which ended up being only a 45 min wait - they don’t take reservations. In the meantime, we poured a glass from our wine cartons into our to-go cups and walked out to Mission Point while the kids scootered. It was great to stretch our legs before dinner after riding in the car all afternoon.
*** Pro Tip: Pack your own ‘beverages’ and disposable cups for surprise stops along your walk or bike ride around the island. FYI - we are not entirely sure open containers are permitted on the island, so take that into consideration.
*** Pro Tip: We brought our kids scooters and helmets because we knew we’d be doing a lot of walking but wouldn’t necessarily be renting/riding bikes the entire time – they charge by the hour! We were told the scooters were allowed anywhere but on the sidewalks of Main Street (because it’s very busy/too crowded) but we used them anyway and just told the kids to be respectful/careful and we were just fine. If not scooters, then you might consider a stroller or wagon for younger kids.
Dinner at Pink Pony did not disappoint. The atmosphere is super fun with lots of attention to detail and yes, thoughtful pink décor. There are a few different seating options including the bar area, the more formal dining area and two outdoor spaces. Our entrees were delicious, and the kids loved their cheeseburger, tenders and fries. Again, there were crayons! Because Mackinac Island is such a family destination most restaurants are equipped with kid menus and crayons.
After dinner we walked back out to Mission Point for some mini glow golf. Jeff and I grabbed a cocktail from the outdoor bar area and took our time with the kids putting around the 18-hole real grass putting greens. Mission Point is lakeside and has beautiful view of the water. As much as Natalie loves golf these days she kept getting distracted by the beach to find rocks. It was great! Once the course gets dark they switch out to glow golf with flashing markers and glow in the dark golf balls. We all had a fun time.
Saturday morning was slated for the ever-anticipated tour of Fort Mackinac. On our walk towards the fort we stopped for Starbucks on Main Street which made the walk up the hill much more delightful. Both Jeff and I had visited the fort as kids and had faint, fond memories of the place, so we were looking forward to our return. And despite the drizzle that showed up during our tour, the experience was excellent. We were impressed by how well the displays and wayfinding were done and even the kids (during our long pauses to read the historical content) found it entertaining. There was plenty of information to read, things to see and even a few youth specific displays that the kids interacted with. They even had live demos of a rifle and canon firing. The fort visit was a homerun and we highly recommend it especially if you’re a history buff. We spent about two hours inside of the fort and found it was plenty of time to see/read most everything.
*** Pro Tip: They allow coffee inside the fort. We recommend stopping for a cup at Starbucks before hand to enjoy while you tour.
*** Pro Tip: Keep your eye on the forecast during your visit. We had a chance of rain and packed umbrellas which were utilized.
As previously mentioned, after the Fort tour we grabbed lunch on the covered patio at Turtle Brewing followed by a few hours of the kids swimming in the indoor pool. Both were clutch moves given the rain forecast during that time.
But shortly thereafter the sun showed up full force for us and we took the opportunity to get our bike ride around the island in. We rented (there are many options and all are relatively similar in pricing) two bikes, a trailer for Thomas and a third bike wheel attachment for Natalie. She was too short to ride a tandem so the simple half bike third wheel addition was perfect for her. The ride around the island took about two and a half hours and was a very easy, smooth ride. There are plenty of places to stop along the way and enjoy the view, have a glass of that boxed wine and toss rocks into the water. The highlight of the ride was the view of Arch Rock. So cool.
After a few hours of biking, we were due for showers before dinner. Something to note about the island: there are horses everywhere which means there’s also horse poo everywhere. It doesn’t always smell the greatest, especially after a good rain. There was an extremely confusing mixer of horse poo and chocolate fudge smell. Needless to say, freshening up before dinner that evening was necessary.
That night we grabbed dinner at a small restaurant off one of the side streets followed by shopping for fudge and taffy. Murdocks, we were told, is the place to go and we picked out a very tasty, salted caramel chocolate block to share.
We had a few more items on our agenda including a stop at Skull Cave and checking out the old timey baseball game we’d seen promoted on flyers around town. We took our second walk up the hill that day to the back entrance of the fort to find a ball diamond and men dressed to the nines in old uniforms playing baseball. With the last of our boxed red in hand we made way for the rocking chairs on our hotel front porch to enjoy our salted caramel fudge and bring our weekend on the island to a close.
Mackinac Island was a fun way to spend time together as a family. Jeff and I agreed that once the kids are a bit older we’ll return to the island again and at that time consider staying at the Grand Hotel for a slightly different experience. In five years or so they’ll be old enough to enjoy the fancy accommodates and meals as well as perhaps a round of golf on the course there. Until next time!
