Perfection in a rock formation! Bike ride to it was easy. Climbed all the steps and was rewarded…read morewith fabulous views.

Whatta sight! On an island full of beautiful geological formations, Arch Rock stands out from the…read moreothers because it overlooks the water and spans at least 50 feet. It's a beautiful rock! You'll want to make the effort to get up the hill to see it. You can walk up to Arch Rock, but keep in mind that it's all uphill! Or you can bike (again, uphill) or do what I did and take a horse-drawn carriage. Arch Rock, and the adjacent Milliken Nature Center are one of the stops on the horse carriage tours. You only get about 15 minutes to check it out, but how much time do you need to look at a rock formation, no matter how pretty it is? There's a deck that takes you out a little closer to Arch Rock, and from here, you can take lots of beautiful photos of the water peeking through Arch Rock.

This is my third time on the bridge. It's been a smooth ride every time. I have friends that are…read moreafraid of it because of bad experiences they've had when it was windy. Thankfully, I haven't dealt with those conditions.

The Mackinac Bridge crosses 5 miles over the Straits of Mackinac. Its exposed span means it…read moresometimes closes due to extreme weather. I drove across the bridge, through the four dollar toll and asked the tow collector where to Best see the bridge. She said that there is a park along the water and I followed the signs for the park. Our ferry right to Mackinac Island brought us under the bridge.

I came here for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and will be returning in September. This is…read morean absolutely beautiful dark sky park with spectacular views. The park offers various educational programs and experiences throughout the months, has a unique gift shop (the staff was great as well), and has several walking trails to enjoy. I love that you can learn on your walk by reading the various signs posted. It would be fun if they did an educational scavenger hunt on their educational trail, as that would be a fun way to learn. I look forward to visiting again in another month!

It's just a short drive from Mackinaw City and this place has been on our bucket list for a few…read moreyears. The place is nice but it is not exactly what we were expecting. The path is well marked with red lights (no white lights allowed). They do have bathrooms there too. It just felt a little underwhelming and over populated (and we went on a cold fall night). Some people were packing in wagons and had flashlights which was annoying since the white light ruins your eyes when they are adjusted to the dark.

$4 to cross each way. It's the most efficient way to move from the main land to the UP…read more It's another 3 hours or more to avoid the bridge, unless you have a ton of time on your side, go across the bridge. I get the grated metal side for air pass through for the bridge stability sake, but it's not pleasant to drive over the metal grates.

It didn't seem like a 5 mile bridge. I drove across with the speed limit at 45 miles an hour. Once…read moreI crossed there was a $4 toll and an actual toll collector. I asked where I can see and take a photo of the bridge and she pointed me in the direction ofthe bridge view park. I'm not the only one here it's actually quite busy and a beautiful night with a gorgeous sunset.

Expect crowds! Everyone was helpful including sanitation employees. Lots of unique items and…read moreprices usually weren't too bad. Recommend renting something for travel outside of downtown area. The only negative was trying to find handicap restrooms. Some indicated handicap but were up 3-4 inches and scooter got stuck.

I absolutely love following the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau social media channels throughout the…read moreyear to get a taste of Mackinac! On the island, the Visitors Center is directly across from Marquette Park. The building is part museum/education on the history of the island and part gift shop. There are free public restrooms as well as a water bottle refill station. The staff at the welcome desk are happy to answer any questions you have about the island. On the day I stopped in, the staff member was a longtime year-round resident, and I enjoyed chatting with her about what it's like to winter on the island.

Mackinac Island actually started life as the country's second national park. But the expense of…read moremaintaining it eventually persuaded the federal government to transfer it to Michigan, where it remains today as one of the state's park crown Jewels. Cars are banned on the island so all transportation is by foot, bike or horse! There are horse tours, and horse taxis, that take you to a specific place (like regular taxis). You can't walk up and summon a horse taxi though, you have to call first. Carriage Tours taxi service is at 906.847.3323.

This is Michigan's 1st state park. The landscape is characterized by high limestone bluffs,…read morebeautiful vistas of sparkling water, vibrant forests & mystical geological formations. Cars have been banned since 1898, this is a a quieter way of life away from interstate noise of cities. Over 80 percent of Mackinac Island is within this park. The island is sacred to the Ojibwa & Odawa Great Lakes Indian tribes.

Two beautiful lighthouses dot the Strait s ofMackinac off Mackinac Island. There are over a dozen…read morehere as the waters & weather can be treacherous. The Round Island Light is from 1895 & automated in 1924. Now part of the National Forest on tiny, uninhabited Round Lighthouses. St. Helena Island's southeastern point was built in 1872-1873 and went into operation in 1873.

If you are in St. Ignace, you should stop at this interesting museum of Ojibwa and Native American…read moreculture. There are both inside and outside exhibits. They tell the story of missionary Jacques Marquette and the Ojibwa culture. No admission fee, though they suggest a donation. Once entering, there is a short video to kick off your visit. There was quite a lot of information on the boarding schools as well as Native Americans' role in the military through the years. I found this all very interesting and learned a lot during the visit. There is also a small gift shop with handmade crafts, art and jewelry

"Don't know much about history But I do know that I love you…read moreAnd I know that if you love me too What a wonderful world this would be" (Sam Cooke) If local history is your thing, you'll surely love the wonderful world that awaits you at the Museum of Ojibwa Culture. For example, you can stroll around in scenic Father Marquette Park with displays about his life. On the Museum grounds is the site where Marquette's French Jesuit Mission was located, where he lived, and where he was buried. Marquette established the French mission around 1671 as the area became a center of the flourishing fur trade. The old St. Ignace Mission is beautiful. Around the grounds, I saw plenty of displays of the area's Indian heritage, stylized statues of a Medicine Man, Indian Maiden, and several stuffed animal displays alongside plaques of the animal's Indian name. So if you're ever engaged in a bar bet about the Ojibwe name for a deer, you can confidently say "Wawashesh'she". There's also plenty of indoor and outdoor exhibits to grab a glimpse of Ojibwa culture and the lifestyles of the Huron Indians. Walking the Museum's beautiful grounds was relaxing, peaceful, and very educational.