Mackinac Island, MI - this place has charm coming out of its ass

[mSeattle]

Didn't see it the first time but it's very impressive this time. Lovely region.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Saw it the first time and still love it now. That town is overrun with charming

Dig the bridge too.

[SouthJersey7]

Wow... Nice town! I really like the 2nd last one with the fort looming over the main street, I don't think there's anywhere else in America where you can see something like that!

[subterranean]

A lot of people don't realize how beautiful this state is.

Try Googling or Flickering "Sleeping Bear Lakeshore" or "Pictured Rocks" or "Michigan Lighthouses".

[urbanactivist]

What a gorgeous thread of one of my favorite places in the USA!!! Man I miss it up there!!

A word about nightlife... Mackinaw City has a fair amount of decent places to hang out as well. The island is a lot more of a daytime vibe, but when I was there, it always like the night spots where over in the city.

Makes me want to go get some fudge!!!!!

[Chicago3rd]

The photos are breath taking!

[denveraztec]

Tons of charm and beauty. Looks like a great place to retire, if you were rich!

[dktshb]

Wow never heard of it but Mackinac Island sure is a unique place. Your pictures are beautiful, thanks for sharing.

[Steely Dan]

thanks for the compliments everyone. i wish i could take more credit for them, but the credit really goes to the subject matter. mackinac island is simply a really easy place to take nice looking photographs.

[Steely Dan]

being that my wife could give birth to our 1st child any day now, we didn't make it up to Mackinac Island this year, but the rest of my extended family is up there right now. feeling "2nd homesick", i though i'd give this thread a bumpity-bump.

[jg6544]

Beautiful pictures. There really is a lot to say for car-free environments.

Congratulations on the new family member.

[photoLith]

Holy crap, looks just like it would have in 1910, thats pretty amazing, I went there when I was a little kid, dont remember it being that beautiful.

[destroycreate]

Wow I didn't even know Michigan could look like that.

How warm does that water at Great Lake Beaches get in the summertime?

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by destroycreate

How warm does that water at Great Lake Beaches get in the summertime?

the great lakes region is huge, and thus has huge summertime surface water temperature variations. lake superior typically stays the coldest all year due to its northernmost location, and its larger volume of very cold deep lake water. lake superior surface water rarely climbs above 60 degrees, even in the height of summer. lake erie usually warms up the most in summertime because it is the southernmost great lake and it's also the shallowest. beaches on lake erie usually see water temps well into the upper 70s, even lower 80s, in the summertime.

as a general rule, the further north and closer to deep lake water that you are, the colder the water will be. the further south and closer to shallow water that you are, the warmer the water will be. currents, weather patterns, and the severity of the previous winter (and the degree to which the lakes may have iced over), all play significant roles in the temperature equation as well. last winter was so freaking cold and long, with the lakes setting records for ice coverage extent and duration, that water temps throughout the lakes are well below average this summer.

up by mackinac island, where lakes michigan and huron meet, the summertime water temps are typically in the low to mid 60s (though probably colder this summer). that's too cold for swimming for most people, but not for half-man/half polar bear hybrid weirdos like me. i love a brisk swim in chilly water, it's invigorating!

[mind field]

Mackinac Island is a national treasure, not a great lakes treasure!!! We are truly blessed to live in such a beautiful state, and good for the Island for banning the ubiquitous automobile. People get a chance to enjoy street life safely, hear things more clearly, smell things more vividly and really to just slow down to a less chaotic pace. Mackinac Island is the anti rat race!

[BnaBreaker]

Originally Posted by destroycreate

Wow I didn't even know Michigan could look like that.

How warm does that water at Great Lake Beaches get in the summertime?

Man, that ain't even the half of it. You'd be stunned by other parts of the state if you're impressed by that scenery. Here's a tiny taste:

(Overlook #9) Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. by Michigan Nut, on Flickr

"Michigan's Caribbean" (The Coves) Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore by Michigan Nut, on Flickr

Sleeping Bear Sunset by GLASman1, on Flickr

[destroycreate]

I'm admittedly a little embarrassed for myself...I thought the landscape of Michigan would look just like rural Illinois, just on water. I didn't know the geography was so striking and diverse.

When I was in Chicago recently I was told that many people have summerhouses in Michigan. Is the state - in these types of resort areas - the Hamptons equivalent for the Midwest? I've always wondered where Chicagoans etc. go for their summer weekend getaways.

[BnaBreaker]

Originally Posted by destroycreate

I'm admittedly a little embarrassed for myself...I thought the landscape of Michigan would look just like rural Illinois, just on water. I didn't know the geography was so striking and diverse.

When I was in Chicago recently I was told that many people have summerhouses in Michigan. Is the state - in these types of resort areas - the Hamptons equivalent for the Midwest? I've always wondered where Chicagoans etc. go for their summer weekend getaways.

No need to be embarrassed. Your previous assumptions are completely understandable. But yes, Michigan really is a nature lovers paradise. The only thing missing is a mountain range, but I think the gorgeous beaches, crystal clear lakes, dense forest, and fertile agricultural lands more than make up for that.

As far as the Chicagoan connection is concerned, yes, western Michigan is a popular getaway. The eastern Lake Michigan coast is dotted with small resort towns that each feature unique, walkable downtown areas filled with local shops and restaurants, usually at least one beach, a lighthouse etc...it really reminds me of Cape Cod, in a way.

Most Chicagoan summer homes are concentrated between New Buffalo, MI in the extreme southwest corner of Michigan up the coast to South Haven and Saugatuck. Once you get north of the Holland/Grand Rapids area, the scenery becomes much more heavily wooded all the way up to Traverse City, which in my opinion, is one of the greatest little cities in the country. I suppose comparing it to The Hamptons is an appropriate comparison, but there isn't nearly as much big money there, and it isn't nearly as established as a 'weekend getaway for the rich,' though there is quite a concentration of multi-million dollar homes, particularly around New Buffalo. There is also a culinary scene there that is continuously growing both in popularity and sophistication, with people taking advantage of the bounty of local fruits and veggies grown in the area. Southwest Michigan is also becoming quite a hotbed for wineries.

Also, to answer your other question, the temperatures in the Great Lakes vary...Huron and Superior obviously are quite cold, but Lake Michigan stays fairly comfortable for at least four or five months out of the year. I'd say from late October to late April (and often later) it's too cold to take a dip, but that just means we appreciate and embrace it that much more when it's warm!

[Docta_Love]

Speaking of varied terrain the Western Upper Peninsula can get pretty rugged, most people who aren't from the Great Lakes area probably picture flat cornfields just off the beach in those Pure Michigan ads. I've backpacked the Porkies and the Huron n ive also hiked the Serria Nevada and while technically there 21ft short of being technical mountains (the huron mnts) while i was hiking the Escarpment Trail over the Lake of the Clouds i felt like i was in the mountains. Plus who likes all that technicality anyway. I don't want to get too far off topic tho this is an amazing thread, Mackinac Island and the surrounding Straights area is truly is one of the most unique and beautiful areas in the country.

The Huron Mountains

http://www.idylltime.com/wp-content/...1/DSC_0011.JPG
By Jeff and Susie Parker


http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FBOQrIPllc...0/P4160286.JPG
By Ted S (S/V Dash-TomCat 9.7)

And my personal favorites the The Porcupine Mountains aka the Porkies

Porcupine Mountains
http://www.gowaterfalling.com/waterf...akeclouds1.jpg Credit: Great Lakes Waterfalls and Beyond

[Crawford]

I am a native Michigander and do not find the state to be very scenic, at all. The pics show basically the most scenic parts of the state, but the state, on the whole, does not have regularly stunning scenery. I am regularly confused when people say Michigan has "stunning scenery" and "gorgeous forest" and the like, and wonder what I'm missing (and I'm someone who is Up North every summer, with my family owning a cottage). It's nice, and I enjoy the summers Up North, but more a nostalgic, quiet charm. Pleasant but not spectacular.

And really most of the nice stuff is FAR from human habitation. The above pics are mostly 7-8-9 hours from population centers like Detroit and Chicago (Porcupine Mountains and Pictured Rocks). You could travel to the East Coast or 2/3 way to Florida in the time it takes you to get from Detroit to the rugged parts of the Upper Pensinsula.

But Mackinac Island is absolutely a gem, and totally worth visiting. Truly a world apart, and everyone I have taken is blown away by the charm (which could be kitchy and lame, but someone avoids this, for the most part). Mackinac never changes, and is always a treat.