Why You Should Stay ON Mackinac Island with Kids (Instead of Back on the Mainland)
Let’s set the stage: Our oldest son was almost 2 years old at the time, and we were just a few months away from welcoming our second son to the world. We wanted our last trip as a family of 3 to be all about relaxing and enjoying time together. And we thought the perfect way to do that was to take a road trip through Michigan (my husband had great memories of doing this as a kid!).
Let me tell you…it didn’t disappoint! Our main stops during our road trip were Mackinac Island and Traverse City. But this post is all about spending time on Mackinac Island with kids. And why it’s worth staying on the island for a few nights with your kids instead of just doing a day trip to the island.
Disclosure: You may see affiliate links throughout this post, which means these are the products I handpicked! If you purchase something through these links, I will get a small commission at absolutely no extra charge to you. And that sure means a lot to me, so thank you in advance!
What’s so special about Mackinac Island?
Mackinac Island, Michigan, is VERY unique…in the best way possible! Not only are you surrounded by gorgeous blue waters (I still can’t get over how clear they were!), but you also get to step back in time to a simpler life.
No cars are allowed on the island, which creates a very quaint, peaceful vibe. Once you’re on the island, your main modes of transportation will be by foot, bike, or horse-drawn carriage.
While many tourists only visit Mackinac Island during the day, we found it extra special to actually stay on the island. This made for a more expensive trip, but it was totally worth it. I mean, you can’t beat the feeling like you have the whole place to yourself every morning and evening.
When to Go
We took our road trip with our toddler to Michigan in early June.
The weather was beautiful! We mostly enjoyed nice, sunny days. But it was a little chilly, so we dressed in layers. I was at the beginning of my third trimester of pregnancy, so I was perfectly happy to get away from the summer heat.
When we were first planning our Michigan road trip, we thought we would end the trip on Mackinac Island. But we noticed that hotel prices on the island were much more expensive during the second half of the week.
Turns out, Mackinac Island’s Lilac Festival was starting at the end of the week, and this festival is super popular!
Since the festival wasn’t a priority for us, we opted to switch around the itinerary and start our trip with Mackinac Island. It saved us quite a bit on our hotel costs!
How to Get There
Remember, no cars are allowed on the island. You must take a ferry to get to the island and back to the mainland (unless you want to really splurge and take a charter or private flight or boat to the island!).
There are two ferry services to choose from: Shepler’s and Star Line. We took Shepler’s since their dock was only a block away from our hotel. But the two docks are only a block away from each other, so you can’t go wrong.
The ferries leave from Mackinaw City or St. Ignace, and it’s a 15–20-minute ride. We bought our roundtrip tickets online in advance (no reservations required). Our little guy needed a ticket, but it was free since he was under the age of 5.
We parked at the Mackinaw City dock. The staff took care of our luggage, so the only things we brought on the ferry with us were our diaper bag and stroller. Once we made it to Mackinac Island, a hotel porter assisted with getting our luggage from the ferry to our hotel.
Where to Stay
During our few nights on Mackinac Island, we stayed at Hotel Iroquois…and wow! It. was. amazing!
The hotel itself, as well as the hotel grounds, are gorgeous. Each room is individually decorated, so it’s neat to see what your room looks like. We brought our own travel crib, so we didn’t ask if one was available; however, the website states that they offer infant necessities.
They also offer free breakfast as part of your stay, which was nice! And there was a rock beach right outside the hotel, where we literally spent an entire evening relaxing and tossing rocks into the lake. (It’s one of my all-time favorite memories with my oldest son!)
The location was perfect. Hotel Iroquois is situated right at the end of the main street where all the restaurants (and fudge shops!) are. It’s only a block away from the ferry dock. And the Grand Hotel was less than a 10-minute walk away.
No matter what we did for the day, we could easily get back to the hotel whenever we needed or wanted to (like naptime for example!). We would stay here again in a heartbeat! It’s a great place to stay when visiting Mackinac Island with kids.
What to Do
While our 2-year-old would have been completely happy watching the horses trot by all day, we did plenty of other fun activities, too (in between all the time we spent relaxing, of course!). There are tons of activities to do on Mackinac Island with kids.
The Grand Hotel
Just because you don’t stay here, doesn’t mean you can’t visit! For an admission fee, you can tour the hotel and hotel grounds (kids under the age of 6 are free!). Since we went during the day, we didn’t have to worry about following a dress code.
After walking around the hotel, we enjoyed sitting on the huge porch. We even grabbed lunch while we were there before heading back to our hotel to rest.
The Original Mackinac Island Butterfly House and Insect World
One morning was a little dreary, so we headed over to the butterfly house. It was just over a 10-minute walk from our hotel. After hanging out with the butterflies, we were able to see insects and reptiles. There’s also a little gift shop on the way out, so we picked up a couple of books for Baby Brother who was on the way!
Carriage Tour
Although you can’t reserve carriage tours in advance, we were able to easily book one on the day we wanted. There is an option of taking a public tour that lasts approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. Or you can pay by the hour for a private tour (with one hour being the minimum).
We splurged for the private tour since we weren’t quite sure how our 2-year-old would do on the public tour, and we were so happy we did! Our guide grew up on Mackinac Island and was full of interesting information about the island.
She took us to all the main sites, and when our little guy fell asleep, we were able to skip anything we wanted. During the tour, we saw Arch Rock, Fort Mackinac, and the Grand Hotel just to name a few.
Check Out the Town
Besides hanging around our hotel during our downtime, we also walked down to Marquette Park. This park is right below Fort Mackinac and has great views. There is a huge grassy area that’s perfect for a picnic or letting your little ones run around. And there is a nice playground that our son loved.
Of course, we also tried some of the restaurants with our favorite being Pink Pony. It was so nice eating out on the back patio by the water.
And speaking of restaurants, as a heads up, the Seabiscuit Café does not offer highchairs due to fire codes. The food was good, but it was tough keeping a not-quite-two-year-old contained. If you need a highchair for your child, you’re going to want to avoid this restaurant.
Finally, we bought WAY too much fudge and didn’t regret it for a second. It’s just too good to pass up! Our favorite was from Original Murdick’s Fudge, but it was fun to do a little fudge taste test from various fudge shops.
Rent a Bicycle
Although we did not do this, we saw plenty of people out for bike rides around Mackinac Island with kids. You can’t miss the bicycle rental shops. In fact, it was the first thing we saw when we got off the ferry! And since no cars are allowed on the island, bicycles are a very popular and safe way to get around.
Our trip to Mackinac Island with our kiddo was very special. And I wholeheartedly believe that is because we stayed on the island instead of just coming to the island for a day trip. We were immersed in their lifestyle and got to enjoy the area with low crowds in the mornings and evenings.
We were able to slow down and really relax and enjoy family time. There was nowhere we had to be in a hurry, which is quite a change from our normal lives. It was the perfect getaway!
Wondering how I give my photos a bit of an oomph?
Well, let’s just say I’m a little obsessed with the Light & Airy Photographer photo editing presets.
In just one click, your photo goes from, “Aw, that’s cute,” to, “WOW!”
