From the time you step off the ferry onto Mackinac Island, Mich., you become part of a centuries-long summer tradition. Its location on the Straits of Mackinac (pronounced "mackinaw") on the Great Lakes where Lake Michigan and Lake Huron converge, made it the ideal place for Native Americans and fur traders' summer rendezvous, and John Jacob Astor made his fortune here in the fur industry. Missionaries, soldiers and eventually Gilded Age tourists from Detroit and Chicago pulled ashore to enjoy this remarkable island and people from around the world do the same today.
Unlike its eastern counterparts, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, there are no motorized vehicles on Mackinac Island, aside from emergency vehicles. The only transportation is by bicycle, horse or on foot, which is perfect for traveling the island's four square miles during high season, which runs roughly from early May to the end of October.
There's much to see on the island and a foodie tour makes a great way to sample both the island's eateries and its scenery. For maximum fun, first take in the commercial district by the ferry docks — mostly locally owned stores, restaurants and famous fudge shops. Take time to chat with the friendly people who work here. You'll find many whose families go back generations on the island. Then get out and explore. Eighty percent of the island is a Michigan State Park, ripe to explore with a picnic lunch.
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