The second day of vacation was our first day spent on Mackinac Island. We woke up in our vintage strip motel on the beach with the sun beaming down on the water. We quickly headed to the docks to board the ferry over to the Island and arrived hungry. We settled into our charming hotel room at the Harbour View Inn . This hotel is the perfect distance from the noise and distraction of town and not too far of a walk with luggage in tow. Mackinaw Island does not have automobiles but instead the locals and tourists alike get around by bicycle, walking, horseback, or carriage. Which does present some of a challenge depending on where you’re staying and what attractions you’d like to visit. Our first stop was lunch on the docks watching the Ferry’s come in at the Pink Pony, it was delicious in case your curious.

After lunch we took a carriage ride up to the Butterfly House. Cole made a few friends butterfly and human alike. Cole’s been to the butterfly house in our hometown a few years ago and this was such a treat for him. Afterward, we visited the horses and nostalgia of the vintage carriages at the Grand Hotel Stables. Then stopped in to view the work and process of History Channel’s, Forged In Fire contestant Chad Osborne before taking the carriage over to see Arch Rock at Michigans first state park. We then ended our day the way we started it, by dinning on the docks at Mary’s Bistro.

Day Three of vacation and day two of Mackinac Island we started by walking up the treacherous and thankfully short hill to Fort Mackinac to watch canon blast and the military reinactors shoot their rifles. On day one of Mackinac we took the carriage everywhere, day two we walked. It wasn’t as much fun. Laugh now please, my feet still hurt. On our walk back down to town we took the long route out of the way and passed the Michigan Governor’s summer residence and decided on the Jockey Club at the Grand Hotel for lunch. It too, was very delectable and reminded me of one of our watering holes on our Country Club Golf Course back home in St. Albans.

If you missed reading Day One of our vacation head over here to see Cole playing on the softest beach surrounded by the most perfect colors in the world.

Mackinac Island Favorites:

Murdicks Fudge

Sanders Chocolate & Ice Cream Shoppe

Lunch: The Pink Pony – sit on the deck The Jockey Club – get the truffle fries

Dinner : Mary’s Bistro Draught House | sit on the deck & get the mozzarella stuffed meatloaf, thank me later

The Butterfly House – They are a venue for Intimate Wedding Ceremonies, just saying!

Carriage Rides – Cole even fell asleep, so relaxing and the best way to see behind the scenes on Mackinac Island if you’ve got small children or don’t want to pedal your way around.