Is Mackinac Island accessible over winter? We are thinking of traveling there for the Christmas holiday, but are not sure if anything is open or accessible. Any information would be appreciated. Thanks!
Mackinac Island in Winter?There are others on this forum with far more expertise than I, but I %26#39;think%26#39; that accessibility is a big problem that time of year, once the lake freezes.
Someone else can surely chime in with greater knowledge, but so far as I am aware, don%26#39;t plan on Mackinac in December.
Mackinac Island in Winter?Arnold Transit runs a few times a day from St. Ignace until the ice stops them. That is usually in early January. Flights are available with 5 daily scheduled flights if the ferry is unavailable. They aren%26#39;t a lot more expensive than the ferries.
The Island is still beautiful in winter, but only a few businesses stay open and none of the attractions do. I recomend just daytriping, unless you are looking for a retreat or intimate weekend.
www.mightymac.org/mackinacislandwinter.htm is a trip report from a visit to Mackinac Island last winter.
I spent New Years on the island a few years ago when Mission Point was giving it a try. A friend had suggested it and while it is quite beautiful with the snowfall, you need to be prepared to make your own entertainment for the most part as it is pretty desolate.
We ended up going into town to eat and have fun at the Mustang Lounge and Village Inn. They were a couple of the only places open. Everyone was welcoming and I even got my first snowmobile ride.
The ferry usually runs through early January, but we flew from St. Ignace to the island and took the ferry back.
Just to get an idea of what%26#39;s going on downtown (activity-wise), check out Horn%26#39;s webcam. You%26#39;ll see it%26#39;s pretty quiet right now. (www.hornsbar.com)
It is a lot of fun during winter, if you enjoy quiet, solitude and nature. We went once before, many years ago, when even less businesses were open. But we enjoyed the couple of restaurants that stayed open and everybody was very welcoming. We went sledding down a dangerous hill...lol. We pretty much just walked around, had a picnic lunch on one of the mansions%26#39; porches (yes, I know, it was wrong to do, but....); had the Grand Hotel porch all to ourselves and took a couple of taxi rides around different areas of the island. I think one of those rides happened because the driver wanted the money we offered him-LOL and we got to see a few places they normally don%26#39;t go in winter, but it was great fun. Again, go for one night, have a good meal (we ate the Village Inn), walk around seeing nature, and go drink with the islanders at the bar at night, then go back to your hotel room, and well, read. LOL.
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