Vacation to Mackinac Help
 

I'm thinking about planning a trip to Mackinac Island in the beginning of July before the big race. I have 3 young boys (6 yr old twins and 3yrs old). I have never been to the island before and would like some advice for hotels that are comfortably can fit 3 kids and 2 adults (my husband and myself). Some tips about must see places and advice would be appreciated. Also, tips on getting around the island would be helpful as well since I do have some young ones. Thanks so much.

We stayed at the Lilac Tree and really enjoyed it. Great location within easy walking distance of everything, and our room had a great balcony with a view of the water and of main street. There are no cars on the island; you get around by horse drawn carriages. We like to eat on the patio of the Pink Pony and go to the Chuck Wagon for burgers - it's a tiny little spot. Jo Ann's is great for homemade fudge. You'll find fudge on just about every corner, and they make it right in front of you. There's a fort that you can tour and you can take a horse drawn carriage tour of the island. There's also hiking, and you can go out to Arch Rock. We also did a tour of the Grand Hotel and ate at The Woods restaurant, but those may be more adult than what your kids would enjoy. The little restaurant at the fort serves killer milkshakes; the kids would probably enjoy that, really nice views too. July is a nice time to go.

If you can move it back a few weeks, the Lilac Festival is June 6-15. We went for that once, and it is really beautiful.

The ferry lines include a pass under the Mackinac Bridge during some of their morning departures. It is worth selecting one of those. All of the ferries do a good job, but I am fond of Shepler's and they have a discount if you purchase your tickets online.

Be sure to do the carriage tour. It is $63 for your party (the 3 year olds are free) and you can print this $2/person coupon. http://mict.com/Userfiles/File/Mackinac%20Coupon.pdf

If you get off the tour at the Fort, the little ones will not have to climb the hill to get up there. After you go through the Fort, you can go down the hill or catch another carriage to do the small part remaining.

All of the fudge shops offer free samples, so try each one before you buy. The boys will probably enjoy watching them make the fudge.

If you decide to picnic, Dowd's Market is right next to Father Marquette Park. For its size, the hot food selection is amazing. It is the oldest family owned market in the US.

If you happen to be there on the 4th, the ferries offer trips out to view the big fireworks display from the water. We had a lot of fun doing that. There was also a "world famous" rock skipping contest that kids seemed to enjoy watching and lots of patriotic presentations with music going on at the fort.