Mackinac Island - What can you tell me?

Love Mackinac Island! Places to stay depends on your budget. If you have a healthy budget and want to stay at the best, stay at the Grand Hotel. It will be very chilly there in May so dress accordingly. We love taking a bike ride around the island and the horse drawn carriages. There are a lot of good restaurants, but safe to say it's been several years since I've been there so some may not be there anymore. There's a neat historical site worth touring too. Make sure you check all availability before going - some things may not open until after Memorial Day.

I've never been but my grandma went a lot. She always stayed at the Grand Hotel. She loved it there and said it was worth the money. But I would imagine around Memorial Day it's probably booked up or super expensive.

We stayed at The Bay View on our honeymoon. It's been a while (17 years) but it was very nice and the staff was *fabulous!* It's not cheap but I would definitely stay there again if it was in the budget.

DH and I took our boys last summer. We did not stay on the island, but in St. Ignace. It was quite lovely and the boys loved exploring Fort Mackinac. I wanted to go the the hotel for tea, but it was expensive (like $40 per person)and the boys and DH were not interested in the least.

We found a pizza buffet lunch on the main street that was reasonable. Other than that, we did not eat on the island.

What some people do is stay one night on the island and the other in Mackinac City or St Ignace - that makes things more affordable. There were some neat historic sites in Mackinac City.

A few years ago, we got a great price on a package when we arrived on Memorial Day and then stayed two nights. May is a great time to visit as many of the hotels do not have air conditioning.

We stayed at the Chippewa Hotel. It was charming - quite old-fashioned, but all the hotels there are that way. It is within walking distance from the docks, so no need to hire a buggy for your bags unless you've brought a ton. It's right on the main street. Some rooms overlook the ferry docks and the lake, rooms in the front would overlook the street.

Definitely tour the fort and take a bike ride around the island. It's 8 miles, but flat all the way. The center of the island is hilly and fun to hike. Most tourists stay along Main Street and the edges of the island - head to the center to get away from the crowds.

The BEST part about staying on the island is the late evening and early morning. The day tourists (affectionally known as Fudgies) are gone, as the last ferry departs at like 5 or 6:00 that time of year, I think. There's a calm atmosphere, especially in the morning before the ferries arrive. I loved listening to the sound of the horses on the street while I sipped my coffee on the balcony. DH went for a quiet run.

Lastly, make sure you check the ferry schedule carefully. We once assumed that the last ferry went to Mackinaw City and it actually went to St. Ignace (on the U.P). Had to take a cab across the bridge to get back to our car. Oops.