Mackinac Island is a National Historic Landmark. Personal motorized vehicles have been banned on the island for more than a century. Travel by horse-drawn carriage while on the island, saddle a horse, walk or bike. Time spent in Mackinac Island bed and breakfasts is sure to be restorative, and many visitors leave feeling more fit than when they arrived.

Reach the island by ferry from Mackinaw City on the Lower Peninsula or St. Ignace on the Upper Peninsula. Ferry service runs daily spring through fall, and as regularly as possible during the winter months. If traveling on your own boat, it is prudent to reserve a slip ahead of time. Mackinac Island may also be reached by air.

Once settled in a bed and breakfast, head out to explore. More than 70 miles of trails traverse the island and over two 2250-acres devoted to the Mackinac Island State Park. Bicycles are available for rent or bring your own on the ferry for free.

Enjoy discovering the vibrant culture of this quaint Victorian town, which is itself is a living history museum. Browse galleries and shops downtown. Witness blacksmith demonstrations at the Benjamin Blacksmith Shop and see hearth cooking at the Biddle House. Visit the Mackinac Island Butterfly House and Insect World downtown, or travel to Surrey Hills and the Wings of Mackinac Butterfly Conservatory.

Golfers will definitely want to check out Wawashkamo Golf Course, one of the oldest golf courses in the country and one of the best 9 Hole courses in the world. Wawashkamo means “to walk a crooked path”, and golfers should be prepared to do just that on this Scottish links course. Even people who don’t play golf should rent clubs and experience this course.

Reserve a room in a Mackinac Island bed and breakfast during the delicious Fudge Festival or Music Festival in August. Pay tribute to the main form of transportation on the island during the Festival of the Horse in July. Let the heady fragrance of flowers seduce you during the Lilac Festival in June. Truthfully, there is never a bad time to visit Mackinac Island.