"Don't know much about history But I do know that I love you…read moreAnd I know that if you love me too What a wonderful world this would be" (Sam Cooke) If local history is your thing, you'll surely love the wonderful world that awaits you at the Museum of Ojibwa Culture. For example, you can stroll around in scenic Father Marquette Park with displays about his life. On the Museum grounds is the site where Marquette's French Jesuit Mission was located, where he lived, and where he was buried. Marquette established the French mission around 1671 as the area became a center of the flourishing fur trade. The old St. Ignace Mission is beautiful. Around the grounds, I saw plenty of displays of the area's Indian heritage, stylized statues of a Medicine Man, Indian Maiden, and several stuffed animal displays alongside plaques of the animal's Indian name. So if you're ever engaged in a bar bet about the Ojibwe name for a deer, you can confidently say "Wawashesh'she". There's also plenty of indoor and outdoor exhibits to grab a glimpse of Ojibwa culture and the lifestyles of the Huron Indians. Walking the Museum's beautiful grounds was relaxing, peaceful, and very educational.

One of the best museums I've ever been in! Don't be fooled by its size; the content is well…read moredisplayed with explanations that take time to read but make the exhibits much more meaningful. Gift shop is Native American based, not cheap knick knacks. Don't know how this museum is able to be open with no admission, so please be sure to donate generously.

I came here for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and will be returning in September. This is…read morean absolutely beautiful dark sky park with spectacular views. The park offers various educational programs and experiences throughout the months, has a unique gift shop (the staff was great as well), and has several walking trails to enjoy. I love that you can learn on your walk by reading the various signs posted. It would be fun if they did an educational scavenger hunt on their educational trail, as that would be a fun way to learn. I look forward to visiting again in another month!

It's just a short drive from Mackinaw City and this place has been on our bucket list for a few…read moreyears. The place is nice but it is not exactly what we were expecting. The path is well marked with red lights (no white lights allowed). They do have bathrooms there too. It just felt a little underwhelming and over populated (and we went on a cold fall night). Some people were packing in wagons and had flashlights which was annoying since the white light ruins your eyes when they are adjusted to the dark.

Two close friends were married here, what a great little place…read more If there is not a service going on take a look inside this 100+ year old church on your way around the Island. Certainly worth the few minutes to poke your head in.

gorgeous old church very close to the Grand hotel. We were there on a Sunday afternoon and the…read morechurch was open so we stopped by and took a quick peak. It was such a cute church.

The Mackinac Bridge crosses 5 miles over the Straits of Mackinac. Its exposed span means it…read moresometimes closes due to extreme weather. I drove across the bridge, through the four dollar toll and asked the tow collector where to Best see the bridge. She said that there is a park along the water and I followed the signs for the park. Our ferry right to Mackinac Island brought us under the bridge.

This is my third time on the bridge. It's been a smooth ride every time. I have friends that are…read moreafraid of it because of bad experiences they've had when it was windy. Thankfully, I haven't dealt with those conditions.

We absolutely loved this lighthouse! It was only $3 each to climb to the top. You also got to walk…read moreout on the catwalk. They had a trail that leads to the "big rock" there's signs with historic information along the way as well! Staff was very friendly and helpful. Definitely worth a visit.

Beautiful area to walk and enjoy tbe gorgeous views of the lake and mackinac Bridge! Very clean…read moreand peaceful.

Nice tour about the amazing history. We as a nation are so lucky to have people who study, rebuild…read moreand share American history.

This lighthouse and surrounding grounds are one of the best lighthouse experiences we ever had. We…read moreare lighthouse fans and have visited many lighthouses, but OMP Lighthouse was the best experience we've ever had. We toured and climbed the lighthouse with tour guide Lawson who was simply terrific--knowledgable, engaging and dressed in full lighthouse keeper uniform. He also demonstrated the fog signal whistle, and we learned a lot about that. The museum was the best lighthouse museum we've ever toured. But the real surprising thing was the Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Museum on the property. With top-notch audiovisual displays and actual remnants, I learned a lot and was very interested (and I didn't really want to tour it originally--I am so glad I changed my mind.) This is in a wonderful location right by the Mackinac Bridge, very picturesque. I encourage you to stop in, take the tour, climb the lighthouse if you're able, and tour the museum and shipwreck museum--you will not be disappointed!

Arch Rock Lots of…read morepeople here. All waiting for a photo. There is a restroom nearby also. You can walk/ride bike to this location or you can ride by horse carriage. Horse carriage is the easiest because you don't need to climb the 207 steps. Highly Recommended

Whatta sight! On an island full of beautiful geological formations, Arch Rock stands out from the…read moreothers because it overlooks the water and spans at least 50 feet. It's a beautiful rock! You'll want to make the effort to get up the hill to see it. You can walk up to Arch Rock, but keep in mind that it's all uphill! Or you can bike (again, uphill) or do what I did and take a horse-drawn carriage. Arch Rock, and the adjacent Milliken Nature Center are one of the stops on the horse carriage tours. You only get about 15 minutes to check it out, but how much time do you need to look at a rock formation, no matter how pretty it is? There's a deck that takes you out a little closer to Arch Rock, and from here, you can take lots of beautiful photos of the water peeking through Arch Rock.

"The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down Of the big…read morelake they call 'Gitche Gumee' The lake it is said, never gives up her dead When the skies of November turn gloomy" (Gordon Lightfoot) This monument honor's the area's fishing heritage and pays tribute to the 25 commercial fishermen from Mackinac County that were lost at sea between 1851 and 1999. The memorial was dedicated during the St. Ignace Fish Feast Saturday, July 28, 2007. You'll see a four-sided stone pedestal with a sculpture of a fish atop the pedestal. The monument has two embossed metal tablets. One lists the 25 lost fishermen, and the other bears this inscription honoring the fishing tradition of the Great Lakes: The Great Lakes are known for delicious freshwater fish. Before the white man came, Native Indian tribes supplied their needs with fresh and dried fish from these lakes. Later, others joined in the fishing business, many of them from the Scandinavian countries. In the 1800's sailing ships transported hundreds of barrels of salted fish from nearby St. Helena Island to Chicago and Detroit. In the early 1900's passenger ships stopped at St. Ignace and picked up fish for their guests. Daily trains also picked up tons of fish to deliver on their routes to New York. Now in the 2000's commercial fishing is still carried on, mostly by Native American fishermen. The most famous Great Lakes fishing disaster occurred on November 10, 1975, when the American freighter Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a storm in Lake Superior and killed all 29 aboard. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald was immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot's 1976 song of the same name.

$4 to cross each way. It's the most efficient way to move from the main land to the UP…read more It's another 3 hours or more to avoid the bridge, unless you have a ton of time on your side, go across the bridge. I get the grated metal side for air pass through for the bridge stability sake, but it's not pleasant to drive over the metal grates.

It didn't seem like a 5 mile bridge. I drove across with the speed limit at 45 miles an hour. Once…read moreI crossed there was a $4 toll and an actual toll collector. I asked where I can see and take a photo of the bridge and she pointed me in the direction ofthe bridge view park. I'm not the only one here it's actually quite busy and a beautiful night with a gorgeous sunset.

This is Michigan's 1st state park. The landscape is characterized by high limestone bluffs,…read morebeautiful vistas of sparkling water, vibrant forests & mystical geological formations. Cars have been banned since 1898, this is a a quieter way of life away from interstate noise of cities. Over 80 percent of Mackinac Island is within this park. The island is sacred to the Ojibwa & Odawa Great Lakes Indian tribes.

It is definitely worth spending at least several hours if not half a day at Fort Mackinac. You can…read moretake your time to leisurely look about or you can take the period-dressed docent led tours and educational talks. There are rifle shooting displays as well as cannon loading & firing displays. You can stop in the restaurant for lunch and a beverage while enjoying fantastic views of the island.