Mackinac Island is an erosional remnant, carved from Devonian limestone by the forces of ice, wind and water. It sits in the Mackinac Strait, between Lakes Michigan and Huron, and is accessed by a twenty minute boat ride from the mainland; since no motorized vehicles are allowed on the island, all land transportation is by foot, bicycle or horse power.
Like all tourist resorts, Mackinac Island has its share of luxury hotels, brew-pubs, T-shirt shops and fudge kitchens. But most of the action and secondary tourist congestion is limited to the main downtown area and those with the energy and interest to bike or walk to other parts of the island are rewarded with broad shoreline vistas, woodland trails, peaceful lanes and a host of historic sites, including an 18th Century British Fort. Wave action and stream erosion along the coast has also produced a number of rock formations, including the famous Arch Rock.
Though it is a cloudy, damp day in northern Michigan, we enjoyed an 8.5 mile bike ride around the edge of the Island, taking in views of the Mackinac Bridge, Lake Huron and of the Island's scenic coast; among the birdlife were ring-billed and herring gulls, Canada geese, cormorants, red-breasted mergansers, a few common loons and an apparent flock of scoters, too distant to identify. Once the rain stops, we plan another journey through the center of Mackinac Island; by mid morning, we'll return to the mainland and head for the Upper Peninsula.
