Sarah AtwoodLansing State Journal
LANSING ― If you have an extra day on your vacation to Mackinac Island, or are just visiting for the day and want to explore some of the attractions on the mainland, there's plenty to do in both St. Ignace and Mackinaw City.
Here are some ideas for what to do with an extra hour or two on both sides of the Mackinac Bridge.
Colonial Michilimackinac (Mackinaw City)
This historic, reconstructed fort and fur trading village allows visitors to be fully immersed in 1781, right before the fort was abandoned in favor of Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island. As you walk through the fort and village, you'll come across reenactments of voyagers, British soldiers, and French-Canadian merchant families living the lives of those residing there hundreds of years ago. Visitors can see cannon and musket firing demonstrations or watch families tend gardens and prepare food. Archaeology digs are ongoing throughout the summers for those wanting to glimpse history being unearthed little by little.
More: Planning a trip to Mackinac Island this summer? Here's what you need to know
More: How much does a trip to Mackinac Island cost? What to know and budget-friendly ideas
Historic Mill Creek (Cheboygan County)
If you're heading up to Mackinac from southern Michigan along the Lake Huron shore, you might pass the Historic Mill Creek park on your way. This 625-acre park, about 3 miles south of Mackinaw City, was once a sawmill, and visitors can watch reenactments of daily life and demonstrations of machinery used during the 18th century. Nature lovers can hike the 3.5 miles of trails through the forest and along Mill Creek. For the more adventurous, take a trip down the Chickadee Zip Line. Keep your eyes open for a spectacular view of the park and river beneath you.
Museum of Ojibwa Culture (St. Ignace)
Located in downtown St. Ignace, this museum hopes to educate visitors on the Ojibwa people who lived in the upper Midwest and along the Great Lakes for centuries before European colonizers forced them off their lands. The museum celebrates the culture of the Ojibwa, and visitors can buy art and other products from Indigenous artists. The museum also shines a light on some of the lesser-known atrocities committed against the Ojibwa and other Indigenous people. One exhibit, "Unlocking the Silence," tells the story of what the children who were forced to go to the Indian Boarding School in Harbor Springs in northern Michigan - and all other boarding schools across the U.S. and Canada - endured.
Straits State Park (St. Ignace)
Situated between downtown St. Ignace and I-75, Straits State Park offers a 1-mile hiking trail and breathtaking views of the Mackinac Bridge and Great Lakes. The park offers places to camp and picnic and dogs are welcome. On the other side of the interstate is the Father Marquette National Memorial, celebrating Jacques Marquette, the French Jesuit missionary and explorer who founded Sault Ste. Marie in 1668 and St. Ignace in 1671.
Kayaking in the Mackinac Straits (St. Ignace)
For those wanting an even closer view of the Great Lakes, rent a kayak! Mackinac Straits Watersports Rental Co. offers both short-term and extended rentals, tours of the Mackinac Bridge and private tours. Kayakers can journey to Chief Wawatam Park and Lighthouse or stop to grab food or a drink at one of the many restaurants along the shore of Lake Huron. Visitors can also rent kayaks for the early mornings or evenings to watch the sunrise or sunset on the Great Lakes.
Buy pasties (St. Ignace)
Downstate residents often ask where they can buy authentic UP pasties. While there are a number of stores that sell them, Lehto's Pasties has been creating the delicacies for generations. Johnny Lehto started what was one of the original pasty shops in the UP in 1947 after serving in WWII. The business is still family owned and operated by Lehto's niece Laurie and her husband Bill Walker. The original, quaint shop is located at 1983 W. US-2, about 5 miles west of St. Ignace, and sells only beef pasties. A second shop is located at 626 N. State St. in downtown St. Ignace and offers chicken and veggie pasties as well. The company's website includes baking instructions if you choose to buy pasties frozen and eat them at home.
Contact Sarah Atwood at satwood@lsj.com. Follow her on X @sarahmatwood.
