Doing the tourist thing: Mackinaw Island

We played tourist today. Took the Shepler Ferry to Machinaw Island. We had a choise of either taking Indy for free or the bikes for $20 each. Indy had several new experiences, riding on the ferry and riding on a horse drawn tour trailer. The tour charged us for Indy as our child. The only motorized vehicles are emergency vehicles. You have three choices for transportation on the island. Horse drawn carriages, bicycles or your own feet. Eighty percent of the island is a State Park that was once a National Park. The National Park consisted of a Fort that dates back to the Revolutionary War. The park ranger duties were handle by the soldiers. When the fort was deactivated, the land was turned over to the State to be used as a State Park. Much of the rest of the island is occupied by hotels, VERY expensive houses, and tourist industry businesses. It has a resident population of about 500 and more than 500 horses. This island has the largest herd of working horses in the world.Read more