I would like to start out with a big thank you to the staff at RFD.  This day trip was great!  Mackinac Island is a rare treat that we have here in the US.  It is full of history, beautiful homes, quaint shops, fudge, and so much more.  Before I get too far, I would like to give you a little background on the island.

Mackinac Island was discovered by the French in the late 1600’s.  It soon became the focal point for the fur trade in the Great Lakes area.  The island changed hands several times between the British and the US during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.  Once back in US hands, the fur trade blossomed and Mackinac Island flourished.

Mackinac Island has preserved its history and has become a favorite tourist spot.  The most notable feature of the island is “The Grand Hotel.”  The Grand Hotel was the location of the movie “Somewhere in Time” featuring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.  Fort Mackinac looks over the city and was home to British and US troops from the 1780’s to the 1890’s.  There are several museums that you can visit if you want to find out more about the history of the island.  Many of the streets are packed with beautiful homes; there are a multitude of shops and eateries for you to experience.  Mackinac Island is known for its fudge.  There are several different fudge makers in town with locations everywhere.  You can get flavors of fudge that you may never have imagined; such as peanut butter, mint and blueberry.  One of the greatest things about the island is the lack of motorized transportation.  Vehicles are not allowed on the island.  You can get around by horse, carriage, bicycle and foot.  This makes for a wonderful day of wandering and discovering one of the wonders that our nation has to offer.

I was pleasantly surprised when I showed up in the morning to catch the flight out.  I had not taken a flight out of RFD since the mid 90’s when American Eagle was flying out from there.  The difference between then and now is amazing.  RFD is a beautiful airport.  It is easy to get checked in, through security and on to your flight.  The staff was very nice and helpful.  Mr. O’Brien, if you are reading this, great job to you and your staff on transforming our airport facilities into a place that we can be proud to have servicing Rockford.

The flight left very close to on time.  We arrived at Pellston Airport close to 9am.  The shuttle services were there and waiting for us.  I had booked on Mackinaw shuttle and I was very pleased with their service and staff.  We took Sheppler's Ferry to the island. The trip lasts a little over 15 minutes or so.  Coming back was just as easy.  The staff had us come back a bit early which I assumed was to make sure that everyone got back for the flight home.  This worked out very well as I met three very nice ladies and we sat for dinner in the restaurant at the Pellston Airport before returning home.

Some observations, tips and things I learned about people from Rockford

First some general tips for those taking this trip and any others in the future:

Book your shuttle and ferry tickets (or other transportation requirements) ahead of time by phone or over the internet.  This will save you time from having to stand in line at the ferry and allow the shuttle services to know how many will be needing transportation.  I made the mistake of not getting my ferry ticket ahead of time and I had to stand in line which can get frustrating for some people.

Wear walking shoes if you plan on walking for any length of distance.  This is especially relevant to the Mackinac Island trip.

Specific tips for the Mackinac Island Trip:

This is a tourist area and things can be pricy.  However, if you hunt around a bit you can find some reasonable prices.

I had a very nice lunch at the Pink Pony Bar and Grill inside the Chippewa Hotel on Main Street by the entrance to the fort.  The food was good but a bit pricy.  I had the chicken blt which was around $10.00 and a $3.50 Root Beer.  I must say one great thing about the place; I got my food in what seemed to be record time.

Later in the day, I discovered “The Doghouse.”  The Doghouse is located to the left when you exit Sheppler’s Ferry.  It is a small gazebo style place in an area with a number of picnic tables with umbrellas where you car sit and eat by the water.  They serve a simple menu of hotdogs and such at fair prices compared to other places on the island.  I had a good sized bowl of soft serve ice cream for $3.50 and a Root Beer for $1.75.

If you are in the shopping mood, make sure you check out the shops on Market Street.  They have several different types of shops other than what you find on Main Street.  I did find that some shops are located in homes and scattered here and there around town.

If you want to check out the Grand Hotel, there is a $15.00 admission fee.  I didn’t go in to the hotel as it was getting late in the day when I finally made it up to the hotel.

The fort costs $10 for admission.  Your ticket to the fort will get you into a number of the other museums around town at no cost.

Now for a few observations and comments:

I learned something about some older gentlemen from the Rockford area; they like Old Spice WAY TOO MUCH.  As I am becoming on of those older gentlemen, I will make sure to keep to using my cologne of choice, Polo, and to only spray it once.

Something else I learned about people from Rockford; they will find anything to complain about.  Were there things that might be able to be improved? Yes. However, this was the first trip to Mackinac Island and I think the RFD staff did a great job for a first effort for this destination.  So cut them some slack.  Things will get better as they get more experience going to this destination.

To wrap this up, would I take another day trip from RFD?  I definitely would.  The Mount Rushmore trip would have been great, but I couldn’t go because it was on a week day and I couldn’t get off work; maybe some other time?  Again, great job RFD staff.