First time trip to Mackinac City and Mackinac Island

Hello, my family is planning our annual summer vacation. We have decided to come to Mackinac City and Mackinac Island. We have never been before and would like some suggestions on things to do, places to see and restaurants to try. We hear it is beautiful.

We are a family of 5. Our children are DD15, DS10, and DD4. We all love to hike, swim, shopping, and relaxing. : ) Our son is a huge history buff.

We are planning on camping in Mackinac City and taking the ferry over to the Island. On the Island I would like to visit the fort, butterfly house and any other suggestions?

Is the water park in Mackinac City worth a visit? We are open to any and all suggestions. I appreciate any input you can give. Thanks!

First time trip to Mackinac City and Mackinac Island

Hello sftballmomOhio,

What time of the year were you thinking of going?

How many days will you be in the Mackinaw City area?

If possible you should think about bringing your own bikes to ride on the island.

First time trip to Mackinac City and Mackinac Island

LOL - I guess dates would be helpful. We are thinking of going in July. Probably July 11 -July 16. We then thought we would go to Frankenmuth for an overnight stay.

Definitely do the Frankenmuth overnight stay. You will enjoy the town, if you have not been already. A nice stop on the way back to OH. The petting farm (near Bronner%26#39;s) is nice. There is the new Splash Village in the hotel, if that is your thing. Expensive, at least in my view. Bronner%26#39;s, of course. Any questions, ask me!

If your son is a history buff, he will LOVE Mackinac island. The fort there is the only fort in the USA that has functioned under the flags of three different countries.

We did week long trip with our kids many years ago where we camped in MC and they rode the ferry with their own bikes over to the island every day. The kids loved it and still recall the fun they had to this day. We%26#39;ve been back many times since then, but that vacation with all three kids was one of the best.

Thank you for your responses!

Red sox, What campground did you stay at? We are looking at 2. The KOA and the Mill Creek campground. Do you know anything about either of these? When I read about the fort, I immediately thought how excited my son will be to see it in person.

Any other stops that we would enjoy? Thanks for you help!

It was over 20 years ago. I honestly can%26#39;t remember what the name was, but it was in between two of the ferry docks, so the kids could easily ride their bikes to the dock. We were traveling in an RV plus a van, but we parked them both for the week.

There is the TeePee campground, which is much smaller than Mill Creek and a bit closer to town. It is okay, nothing special, but not bad, either. Mill Creek is huge and has some good sites, but there are so many and some of the sites are very close together. I have never camped at the KOA. You might want to consider the state park in St. Ignace, that is usually where we stay. Or split the week and spend time camping on one side of the bridge, and then the other, though that sounds like a lot of work!

I would definately recommend Mill Creek Campground, it is huge but still very nice.

If your son is a history buff, make sure to take a carriage tour of the island. The drivers are very informative and provide a lively history lesson on the island. You may purchase your tickets on Main Street near the location where the ferries drop you off.

Our gang loves to ride bikes around the island. If your 4 year old can%26#39;t ride the 8 miles on her own, you can rent a comfortable cart or tag along for her.

Another favorite is miniture golfing at the Mission Point resort. We have done this many times and we always get the chance to stop and admire huge shipping vessels traversing the channel. It is a beautiful sight!

Have a great time with your kids on Mackinac Island! Moms

I probably wouldn%26#39;t do the KOA, when you could stay at one of the other locations and be on the water.

Be sure to take the kids to Fort Michilimackinac in Mackinaw City. There was a battle there in 1763 when Pontiac tried to drive the British out of Michigan. It is kid friendly, with activities for them to do, plus the firing of the cannons %26amp; muskets, and people in period clothes demonstrating cooking %26amp; crafts.

You can also watch archeologists at work.

In the evening, there is live entertainment and a laser show at the Mackinaw Crossings.