Wednesday, July 27th

Took the ferry to Mackinac Island (45° 50’.94N 84° 36’.91W).  It was billed as a step back in time to the 1820s, with no motorized vehicles on the island; bikes and horses as the main means for transportation.   After disembarking the ferry, we set off on our bikes to find a place for a little breakfast.  The street was chaotic, with bikes, pedestrians, people on horseback and horsedrawn carriages all moving without much regard for normal traffic rules.  Pedestrians and bicyclists were busy trying to miss the horse droppings on the road.  The main street was a tourists mecca with Tshirt, souvenir and fudge shops galore, as well as bike, horse and horsedrawn carriage rentals.   After a breakfast stop we bicycled the 8 mile perimeter road around the island.  Once out of the main street area the atmosphere changed a lot.  The natural beauty of the island was then apparent.  We stopped along the way to hike up to Arch Rock.  The hike itself was a fascinating climb through the forest ending at a lovely overlook through the Arch Rock.   Had lunch at the outdoor café on the grounds of the Grand Hotel (truly Grand) then cycled through the small roads of the West Bluff, with many big, beautiful houses.  Most of the people we encountered were tourists or service people, who were immigrants.  It was a strange place, with a very strong odor of horse manure.