Agile Trekker: Mackinac Island, Michigan

Date	Distance	Time	Elevation Gain	Average Moving Time	Year to Date Miles
5/5/2025	3.8 miles	5 hours 34 minutes	168'	1.6	145.8 miles

Parking:

Summer Parking | Arnold Transit Company We were able to park for free, but normally there is a charge for parking. We noticed the next day that the other ferry company had a shuttle that picked people up from our hotel.

Map:

Welcome to City Of Petoskey, MI

Directions:

Take the ferry from Mackinaw City to Mackinac Island: Arnold Transit Company | Arnold Transit Company. We walked around a small portion of the island.

We spent the day on Mackinac Island, Michigan, on Lake Huron. We stayed in a hotel in Mackinaw City and drove a short distance to the ferry dock. There are various options for parking. The ferry dock was free today - but is normally $40. There are cheaper options. I think the beginning of May is the start of tourist season on Mackinac Island. It's still cold here. They allow dogs on the ferry. We chose the upper level of the ferry - most people sat indoors because it was very, very cold. Glen ended up loaning me a second jacket. I had thought we would be kayaking on this vacation, but yeah, it's just too chilly. Krumm was nervous about the ferry ride at first but got over it and started enjoying it.

Once on Mackinac Island, we walked on Main Street and Market Street. There are no cars on the island, so people get around by horse drawn carriage taxis, bicycles, or walking. We chose to walk. The dock area has lots of tourist shops selling fudge, t-shirts, and ice cream. But I did enjoy looking at the old buildings. Glen has used the term "fudgies" before - we found out that it is a Michigan term, especially referring to tourists on Mackinac Island who flock to fudge shops.

We did find a protected area for Krumm to do a little swimming. Another area said there were strong currents, so no swimming. We headed over to the fort at Mackinac Island State Park. It's a lot of military history, but I learned that it was the second national park in the US, before the existence of the National Park Service. Now, it's a state park. The highlight of it was a rifle firing with an original weapon. I covered my ears for the 3 shots. Krumm was not happy. about the rifle firing. An hour later they did a canon firing. That was even more interesting. But Krumm was not happy about that either. Krumm got a little peopled out too. Lots of people wanted to pet him. He was tolerant for all but one person who he growled at as she approached. On the ferry ride back, he was stressed again and just lay on my feet. We were able to charge our car at the ferry dock and then went grocery shopping. There is a small store in town with not a lot of variety, but enough for us to buy ingredients for a salad. Although Glen and I never like the same beers, we found one that we both really like - Cheboygan Brewing Company's Blackberry Blonde Ale. So good! Back at the hotel, Krumm is pooped and fast asleep.