Mackinac Island is that pretty place at the northern tip of
There are no cars, but there are thousands of inexperienced bikers.
There are no cars, but there are far too many precariously ridden tandem bikes, usually by overweight, older couples.
There are no cars, but there are tens of thousands of pedestrians all of whom think they have the right of way.
There are no cars, but there are hundreds of horses and horse drawn buggies and carriages.
There are no cars, but there are also sidewalks which are far too narrow for the summertime crowds.
There are no cars, but there is a whole lot of horse crap.
There are no cars, but there are a bunch of people with the most secure and least desirable jobs I can think of: cleaning up the horse crap.
There are old buildings, but there is no air conditioning (and yes, you do indeed need it. Don’t believe those bullshit lies.)
There are old buildings, all of which have paper thin walls.
There are old buildings, many of which have insufficient water pressure.
There are old buildings and if you want to live in even just part of one, be prepared to shell out $500k minimum.
There is good fudge and about 30 stores that sell it over a span of 3 blocks.
There is good fudge and it ain’t cheap.
There is good fudge, but not enough places that let you sample the 20 different flavors they offer.
There is good fudge, but for every fudge shop, there are two stores that sell lame knick-knacks.
Yes, Mackinac has no cars, old buildings and good fudge and I'll go back at some point, but I'm not in a huge hurry.
6 comments:
Got it. Mackinac Island is the place that can go to the bottom of the "want to go to" list.
Maybe I could just order some of that fudge online...
Well don't put it on the BOTTOM of the list, that would be Atlanta, but just know there are pluses and minuses.
awww.. you lack sentimentality! I have fond memories, but I'm not actually sure I've ever been. The name is synonymous with fudge in MI however, that's probably why...
Joe, I live on Mackinac Island year-round, and I encourage you to give Mackinac another try. Did you leave the downtown area? I'll guess not; most tourists don't.
The best of Mackinac is really outside the few blocks of downtown. There are miles of beautiful trails (all but devoid of people,) beautiful rock formations, and quiet scenic overlooks. While it is true that downtown is crowded during the summer and you may get clobbered by a toddler who is way to young to be on a bicycle, but Mackinac Island is more that just a three square block area. It is 2200 of the best acres Michigan has to offer. I'm proud to call Mackinac my home.
If you ever decide to come back, let me know. I'll fill you in on everything you should go see and do while you are here.
Your comments on horse crap are really on point historically. One of the great ecological crises at the end of the 19th century were cities awash with horse crap.
The automobile was hailed as an environmental savior.
Times change.
Liz I'm sure your experience living there year round is quite different. We did indeed leave downtown. In fact, we spent little time there over the the weekend. We biked around the island and took a carriage ride through the interior.
Even so, I think my comments are still valid. I enjoyed my trip (see my entry from yesterday), but Mackinac has its warts that visitors should be aware of. For instance, as a year round resident, I bet you have A/C! And decent internet access.
Post a Comment