Weekend Guide to Mackinac Island, Traverse City, and Sleeping Bear Dunes

​After just getting back from this exact trip, I just can’t stop sharing how storybook perfect it all was. I can’t recommend this trip enough for a short, affordable getaway. If you’re from Ohio like me, the drive is very manageable for an extended weekend trip and just as gorgeous as it has any right to be. 

Day 1: 

• Leave for Sleeping Bear Dunes at whatever time necessary to put you there by 12:30pm. For us, that meant about 5am.

12:30pm: Arrive at Sleeping Bear Dunes

• Climb the Dunes for about an hour. If you have a National Parks pass, bring it to get your whole car in for free. If you don’t have a pass, it will be $25 a car.
• Travel through the Scenic Drive. Stop at stop #9 and #10 for an incredible view!

1:30pm: Travel to Traverse City

• Arrive at approx. 2:00pm
• Park at 7 Monk’s Taproom
• Visit, shop, eat and drink at the following establishments, all within walking distance of one another:
  • 7 Monk’s Taproom (try the sweet potato fries with curry aioli and truffle salt popcorn)
  • Brilliant Books
  • Cherry Republic (try all the free samples!)
  • Little Fleet (try the food trucks)
  • Grand Traverse Pie Company (try the cherry crumb pie)
  • The Brew Café (try the Michigan Cherry drip coffee for only $1)

5:30pm: Travel to Mackinac Island

• Arrive at approx. 8:00pm
• Catch the 8:00 or 8:30pm ferry from Mackinaw City to Mackinac Island (we recommend Starline)
• Check in to your hotel/AirBnB/resort (we stayed very affordably in the Murray Hotel, but if you want an iconic and more upscale experience, try The Grand Hotel or Mission Resort)

10:00pm: Explore Downtown

• Walk around downtown now that most things are closed for the night to get your bearing for tomorrow.
• Visit Horn’s Bar for live music, dancing, and delicious Mexican Food (try the sampler plate appetizer)

Day 2: 

​8:00am: Breakfast

• There are so many places on the island for breakfast, but we recommend The Chuck Wagon. This is a local favorite for sure. (try the Breakfast Burrito)

9:00am: Hike

• Take a hike to the following connected locations but bring a map, as the trails can be confusing. If hiking isn’t your thing, take a Carriage Tour for about $30 a person to see the same sights. There are absolutely no motorized vehicles on the island so transportation options are bikes, horse carriage, or on foot.
  • Arch Rock
  • Sugar Loaf Rock
  • Skull Cave
  • Fort Mackinac
  • Somewhere in Time Gazebo
  • Fort Holmes
  • Point Lookout

12:00pm: Shopping Downtown

• Get cleaned up and go back downtown for some incredible shopping. Our favorites were The Artist’s Market, Island Bookstore, Shirt off my Back, and Little Luxuries.
• Fudge is a HUGE deal here and there are a million techniques, recipes, and shops in competition up and down main street. The whole street smells like baking brownies and is all just an perfect as it sounds. EVERY single shop will give you as many free samples as you want and don’t miss the caramel corn. It’s delicious too!
  • After much taste testing, we are convinced the best fudge is at Murdick’s with Ryba’s as a close second.

3:00pm: Before Dinner Drinks and Appetizers

• Visit Mary’s Bistro and Draught House (try smoked whitefish dip and the wild mushroom and lemon pizza)

5:00pm: Dinner

• Again, there are a ton of dinner options on the island but I’m going to suggest one on each night that I found to be the most delicious. Tonight, I’ll suggest Pink Pony on the upper balcony patio (try the lilac lemonade and the whitefish and chips)

7:00pm: Walk up main street to Mission Point Resort

• Grab a beer at the Bistro on the Green and relax on the lawn overlooking the lake in their Adirondack chairs, explore the resort lobby and site, or play put-put on the real-grass green. (we did all three!)

10:00pm: Late Night Ice Cream at Moomer’s (try the grasshopper chip or the Mackinac Island fudge flavor)
 

Day 3: 

8:00am: Hike up the boardwalk next to the lake to the Grand Hotel

• When you reach the end of the boardwalk, walk into the woods on the mulch fitness trails crisscrossing the woods until you find yourself on the lawn of the Grand Hotel.
• Go hang out on the huge and iconic front porch of the Grand
  • You can pay $10 to go inside and explore the hotel. We skipped that option this time.
• Walk off the porch and into the neighboring residential area until the sidewalk becomes the Pontiac Trail.
• Hike the Pontiac Trail along the West Bluff until it ends at the street. Walk the road back downtown for breakfast!

10:00am: Breakfast

• Have Breakfast at Good Day Café (best coffee on the island) or at Watercolor Café (try the homemade poptarts or acai oatmeal)

11:00am: Tandem Biking

• Easier than it looks and SO FUN, find one of the many many bike rental shops and rent a tandem bike to travel the 8.2 mile loop around the island. In my opinion, this is the best way to see the entire island (about $15/hour)
  • Ride the loop around the island and make a pitstop to wade in the icy cold and clear blue lake waters
  • Take a detour off the loop and into the woods and stop for a snack or soft serve ice cream at Cannonball’s.
  • Continue up the same street to see the Battlefield of 1812

2:00pm: Downtown/shopping

• Head back downtown to explore more of the shops
• Grab some snacks at Doud’s Market (the oldest family owned grocery store in America) or grab some ice cream at Mr. B’s while you shop.
• Head over to the lawn of the Hotel Iroquois to watch the ferry boats
• Stop by Murdick’s Fudge Shop to watch a live fudge making demo and get fresh and warm free samples

5:00pm: Grand Hotel

• There are several restaurants that are associated with the Grand Hotel but we recommend the Jockey Club, where you can stop in for a glass of wine and try the island famous Grand Pecan Ball.

6:00pm: Dinner

• Again, there are so many options but Kingston Kitchen @ Village Inn was recommended to us by locals and we had the best dining experience of the trip here (try the Planked Whitefish, Hawaiian Burger, Giant Coconut Shrimp, crazy Bloody Mary’s, and Bourbon Bread Pudding)
• P.S. Don’t leave the island without trying the fudge, a pecan ball, and planked white fish. These are the signature foods here and you probably can’t get better just about anywhere else.

 

Day 4: 

​8:00am: Breakfast and Checkout

• Before checking out of your hotel and catching a ferry back to the mainland, stop in at Lucky Bean Café for a cup of coffee and/or The Chuck Wagon for breakfast sandwiches for the trip home!

 
 
If you’ve been to Mackinac and you have suggestions, comment below! Wishing you a magical last month of summer!!