The day before our visit to Mackinac Island, we drove to Whitefish Bay to see Tahquamenon Falls, which we had heard were rather special. Root Beer Falls is the name given to the Upper Falls by the locals, as the water cascading over the edge is notably brown in color, due to the tannins that leach from the nearby cedar swamps into the river. The Upper Falls span 200′ with a 48′ drop.
We opted for the latter and what a treat it was. We had to admit that it rivaled our hike at Pictured Rocks, although this hike provided more exercise with many stairs scattered throughout the woods. Much of the trail ran along the river, which was oh so pretty.
If you are in the area and have bikes, a great-looking bike trail is the North Central State Trail, a 62-mile multi-use trail connecting Gaylord, Indian River, Cheboygan and Mackinaw City. The trail has a 10′ wide packed crushed limestone surface and is open to non-motorized use year-round. John and Janie, if you are reading this, you have yet another reason to head back to the UP.
Terry had been to Mackinac Island before but this was to be a real treat for me. Our last day in the area brought sunshine and temps in the 50’s so our ferry ride over to Mackinac Island proved to be invigorating.
Located in Lake Huron between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas, Mackinac Island was home to Native Americans before European explorers arrived in the 17th century. Based on its position, it played a significant role in the Great Lakes fur trade. This led to the establishment of Fort Mackinac in 1780 by the British during the American Revolutionary War.
Much of the island has undergone extensive historical restoration and preservation. More than 80% of the island is preserved as Mackinac Island State Park, originally designated the second National Park behind Yellowstone, in 1875. In 1895 the park was turned over to state control.
On this island of 492 year-round residents, motorized vehicles have been prohibited since 1898, with the exception of snowmobiles in the winter and emergency vehicles. Travel on the island is by foot, bicycle, or horse-drawn carriage.
Many homes that we walked by have bicycle racks in the side yard. Tourists can rent bikes, drive a horse-drawn carriage or climb on a carriage, relax and get a tour of the island.
Aside from the numerous retail shops, galleries, restaurants, and candy shops, probably the most prominent structure on the island is the Grand Hotel. This stunning Victorian-style hotel opened in 1887 and gained national notoriety after the movie Somewhere in Time, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, was shot on location in 1979.
The porch at the Grand Hotel is said to be the world’s longest at 660 feet. With white rocking chairs along its length and its trademark red geraniums, it beckoned us to relax and enjoy lunch overlooking the golf course and the lake. The Cupola Bar is the highest point at the top of the hotel and features a stunning view of the Straits of Mackinac.
Condé Naste Traveler lists the Grand Hotel as one of the “Best Places to Stay in the Whole World” and Travel & Leisure Magazine lists it as among the “Top 100 Hotels in the World”. This amazing hotel has been visited by five U. S. Presidents, as well as Prime Ministers and inventors.
We had a wonderful day and an ideal end to our stay in Mackinaw. From here we are headed to Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois to spend time with family. Please enjoy the gallery of photos below!
Paint Your Landscape 
I think you have given us a bevy of reasons to return and do the rest of the UP. I’m putting the bike trail on my must do list. Great photos! Safe travels to Ohio.
Don’t go to the U.P. for the bike trail near Gaylord and Indian River because those are in the L.P.
You are absolutely right. I stand corrected!
you seem to have caught it in beautiful weather with clear blue skies. those hotels and ‘cottages’ are just gorgeous.
i remember travelling in Scotland, and following a trail to a waterfall that was the color of coca-cola (or root beer) that foamed as it fell. the brown color was leeched out of the peat. it was quite a remarkable sight.
lu – can you make the thumbnails a bit larger? the actual photos are great, but bigger thumbs would help
thanks again
david
Hi David,
I will see if the thumbnails can be enlarged. I switched over to a new theme on Word Press so I am still learning. The pictures can be enlarged if you click on them however.
Lu
Happy childhood memories of visits to Mackinac Island with my dad and mom in the early 70’s. Don’t know if you will have time or interest LuAnn but you might consider visiting Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor while you are still in Michigan. I could probably get you a “behind the walls” tour of their bake house, coffee roastery, cheese making, etc.
Thanks Kevin but we are already in OH visiting family. We did go to Zingerman’s while we were in Ann Arbor. That and the farmers’ market were high on our list and we hit them both.
Hi LuAnn, as you can see we are heading to Mackinac and had been perusing your archive for things to do in the area. I have a question for you, would you recommend us to take the carriage tour or take our bikes or do a walking tour at the island? Did you dress up there when you had lunch at the Grand Hotel? And did you pay $10 just to go to the balcony ?
We will be there on the 6th of August.
We did not take a carriage tour but did both bike and walk the island. I don’t even recall reading about the carriage tour but did see them around the island. It may be a good way to learn more about Mackinac. We did not have to dress up to have lunch at the Grand Hotel. We did pay the $10 fee and were able to explore sections of the hotel and sit on the balcony, which offers great views of the island and the bay. We really enjoyed our time there. Hope you do as well.
Thank you LuAnn. I must have read about a carriage tour from another blogger 🙂
We probably should have taken one while on the island. Many times we opt to walk instead but probably miss out on some interesting facts in the process.
I love the pics. As an aside for some reason, Google and other search engines associate your Tahquamenon Falls photos to those searching for “Mackinac Island” photos. You made it in the top 150 photos….congrats! I wish the Island had those falls. Your text is clear but Google bots don’t seem to care. It turns out some other PR folks on the internet who obviously don’t know the Island are inserting your photo as an example of things to see on the island! Rather funny. I had to see where this Google provided image took me. And is your blog!
Thanks for letting me know Mark!