Sometimes you just need to escape. You can do that by traveling away from home. And you can do it by reading about distant times and faraway places.
Or you can escape by doing both – reading a good book while visiting a great place.
Just setting foot on Mackinac Island kind of makes you feel like you’re in a fairytale. The whole place is a like a good book that transports you to another world.
But there are special places on Mackinac Island that are perfect for reading a book, places of such beauty and solitude that it’s as if they were created just for you to escape all by yourself for a chapter or two.
When you visit Mackinac Island, pack a few books and indulge your need to get away from things for a while. There are refreshing places like these all over the island:
The front porch of the historic Island House Hotel, which dates back to 1852. In addition to this porch and its gorgeous view of the harbor, Mackinac Island’s historic architecture is full of other relaxing porches – including Grand Hotel’s 660-foot porch, the longest porch in the world.
The East Bluff high above Lake Huron is another place to have a seat and curl up with a good book. (Actually, the view might be a little distracting.)
Reading and riding isn’t encouraged on Mackinac Island, although the pace of life is slow enough that it can be done! Rent a bike on Mackinac Island, place a good book in the basket and pedal away to any number of nooks along M-185 where you can pull off the road and read in peace and quiet.
Hang up a hammock or two on the west side of the island with a view of the mighty Mackinac Bridge. (A reminder, overnight hammocking is not allowed on Mackinac Island.) Good luck reading more than a few pages as the combination of afternoon sun and refreshing lake breeze makes it oh so easy to close your eyes for just a second – or an hour. Sweet dreams!
Mackinac Island’s Marquette Park is the No. 1 picnic spot in Michigan. It’s also a pretty relaxing place to spend some time with a good book, all by yourself and a century-old statue of Father Jacques Marquette.
In case you forget to pack a book, The Island Bookstore downtown on Mackinac Island has plenty to choose from.
Imagine reading a scary story and then walking through one of Mackinac Island’s historic cemeteries! Or reading a biography about an island pioneer after visiting their gravesite.
Of course, books aren’t the only thing to read on Mackinac Island. Mackinac Island State Park is full of historic landmarks, each with their own incredible story.
Mackinac Island State Park is full of trails – more than 70 miles of them! – for hiking, biking and horseback riding. Read the interpretive placards to learn about the natural wilderness that makes up 80 percent of the island.
Wherever you decide to sneak away to do some reading while on Mackinac Island, you can always step back into your own story and write a new chapter at any of the restaurants, shops, attractions and natural wonders all over the island. On Mackinac Island there’s so much to see and do! Find your place to stay and start planning a visit to Mackinac Island today.
