Trekking Mackinac Island

First, it's pronounced "Mackinaw." The "c" is silent, as the French pronunciation drops the last consonant. Second, it's rare to see people from outside of the midwest here. It's a little hidden gem and the folks around here would just as soon keep it that way.

So it's hard to get here. You can charter a plane or take a ferry. But you have to get close first, and its 6.5 hours from Chicago by car; 4:15 from Detroit.

You get off the ferry and you get bombarded by the main street. As quaint as it is, there's something a little manic about the activity here. It must be the fact that it's really only open for business during the 8 different fudge stores compete with the gift shops and restaurants. Bike rentals abound and you need one. While the island is only 8 miles in circumference and cars have never been on the island.

We walked all of it. And once you get away from the Disney-esque main street, the beauty of the place start to enthrall you. Crystal clear water - think tropical blue - when the sky is blue the water is even bluer and charms your eyes. At every corner, you hear people saying "wow." There are a lot of people here.

How do you get around? By foot, bike or horse-drawn carriage. And there you have the dark underside of the organic transportation system. The ammonia smell of horse urine and manure is omnipresent. So the horse droppings end up in the street, and there is a workforce which wanders up and down Main street collecting droppings. I'm pretty certain that the smell stuck to my clothes, carried back to my home in my suitcase which, when opened at home, exuded a peculiar aroma.

The main attraction here is the Grand Hotel, built here in the late 1800s, and which retains an homage to days gone by - a dress code after 6:30, afternoon tea, meal plans, uniformed attendants. For non-guests to the hotel, which boasts the world's longest outdoor porch, there is a $10 fee to enter. In reality, it's supposed to be a deterrent, but if I were visiting, I'd pay the fee for the privilege of walking around, taking in what is tantamount to a museum. The greens floral carpet and colorful wallpaper take you to another era.

Mackinac is just a small corner of the natural beauty of the great lakes. Nearby Charlevoix and Petoskey, Traverse City and the Sleeping Bear Dunes beckon around the corner. It's also the cherry capital of the US. There's plenty of trekking and riding here.