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Where Time Slows and Connection Grows
Every summer, I look forward to this moment – when my family and I step off the ferry and into the past.
Mackinac Island is magical. There’s so much to see and do, and I love that my children get to grow up experiencing this little slice of heaven.
I’m always giddy when we leave the ferry and walk towards the island’s famous fudge shops, where fudge is made by hand in front of you on large marble slabs. I always want to try every flavor. Thankfully, the fudge shop proprietors let you do just that. These shops make ten thousand pounds of fudge a day during the summer. Every day.
When our editor asked what my happy place was, I had a hard time answering. I thought of my favorite places to vacation around the world. The one thing that each place had in common was a feeling of warmth, deep love, connection, and community. When I pictured each place, I saw my family with me, relaxing away from the cares of the world.
That is when it clicked. I love Mackinac because it pulls me back in time and away from today’s distractions. Without cars, life slows down. It seduces you into putting your phone away. (One year, I tried to capture a video while riding my bike and nearly crashed. I quickly put my phone away and did not pick it back up.)
Imagine a life without constant notifications, where movement is slower, and meals are homemade. That simplicity feels rare.
My family talked for years about buying a home in Michigan. There was something about the island that stayed with us. It drew us back, year after year. The community itself is small, with only a few hundred year-round residents, but the residents are deeply connected to one another.
This connection is one of the reasons the island is so special. You feel it in the smiles of strangers, in the quiet kindness of a passerby, and in the way people acknowledge one another. Mackinac Island is not just beautiful, it is intentional, welcoming, and deeply human.
But back to a typical day on Mackinac Island.
Located near the fudge shops is my favorite cookie shop, the Mackinac Island Cookie Company. They sell traditional favorites like sugar cookies and snickerdoodles, but Michigan cherries are truly second to none, so the cherry chocolate chunk cookie is a must.
This shop is special for more than its cookies. It’s the person behind the cookies who gives it meaning. Kate Conlon lives on the island year-round now. As we talked about Mackinac, I could hear the excitement in her voice. She lit up as she shared how she had spent her summers there growing up and how she had always dreamed of living on the island.
“Everything feels so much more intentional here,” Conlon said. “There’s nothing that compares to Mackinac, and there’s just something living and breathing about this island that, once you feel connected to it, never leaves you.”
It makes perfect sense why someone like Conlon would choose to build a life on Mackinac Island. I understood the pull. I feel it, too.
After a stop at the cookie shop and a few souvenir stores, we usually rent bikes. I rent a bike with a hitch for our four-year-old, and my husband rents a tandem bike for himself and our six-year-old. Then we usually head to our first stop, a school playground right on the water with a beautiful view of the Mackinac Bridge.
The kids play on the monkey bars and chase each other around the playground. We always get pulled into their play, too, all of us smiling and laughing. After a while, the adults need a break, and we sit on a bench facing the water, eating cookies and taking in the boats sailing across Lake Huron.
After a short break, we load up the bikes and headed along the west side of the island. There are other cyclists along the route, but it never feels crowded; friendly faces are always passing by. In the distance, we hear the sound of hooves. A horse-drawn carriage rounds the corner, heading back toward Main Street after dropping off overnight guests.
We pull off the road at a small turnout. Our younger usually falls asleep in his seat in the bike hitch, so we let him rest while our older explores and throws rocks into the water. We take a few pictures with Arch Rock in the distance before starting our hike to see it from above.
The steps are easy to navigate, just numerous. The climb feels long, especially while carrying a sleeping thirty-five-pound toddler, but the view at the top makes every step worthwhile. The arch is tall and striking, and visitors gather in waves to observe and admire. My adventurous six-year-old asks if he can climb the one-hundred-and-forty-six-foot arch. I point out the clearly posted “do not climb” sign and keep a close eye on him as we admire the view.
When the next group arrives, we head back down. The walk down is much easier, and soon we’re back on our bikes, continuing the eight-mile loop around the island.
We make our way back to Main Street, where we stop at Watercolor Cafe. They’re known for their homemade Pop-Tarts, which often sell out early (so get there early), and for their lavender lattes, which are unforgettable.
We sit with our coffee while the kids run freely through Marquette Park. In that moment, we’re not focused on the lovely historic homes or the sailboats serenely drifting across the water. We’re watching our children be children, reveling in their laughter, their freedom, their joy.
I can’t help but think that this is what childhood should be. Connection – not to devices, but to each other and their surroundings.
This is the true gift of Mackinac Island. Beyond the horse-drawn carriages, the quaint houses, the fudge, and the breathtaking views, the island offers visitors a rare gift. It gives you time, presence, and uninterrupted connection with the people you love most.
And that is what makes it my happy place.
