The first thing to do is to actually get to the island. The cheapest and easiest way to do this is to take a ferry, either from Mackinaw City on the Michigan mainland, or coming from St. Ignace, on the Upper Peninsula. There are three main ferry businesses serving to take you to the island, each with rides taking less than an hour: Arnold Line, Shepler’s Ferry, and Star Line. Transportation between St. Ignace & Mackinac Island is also available via Great Lakes Air. More information regarding transportation to the island can be found here.

Once you’re on the island, you’ll need to get around. Most of us have a pair of good sturdy legs for that purpose, and the island is small enough that it’s all you really need, but at 3½ miles long, and almost 2 miles wide, you may want something more. Now while motorized vehicles are banned on the island, that doesn’t mean you can’t get around. There are a host of bicycle rental places on the island, and the island itself is a cyclist’s paradise. You can also take a ride in a carriage or buggy with Mackinac Island Carriage Tours or Jack’s Livery Stable. If you want to go trail riding, stop by Cindy’s Riding Stable. Click this link for more information about getting around on the island.

Okay, so you’re on the island, and you can get around on the island, the next step is to find the buried treasure! Oh wait, it’s not one of those islands. Humbug! Even without buried treasure though, Mackinac Island isn’t without any treasure in its own right. The number one treasure of Mackinac is most definitely their fudge, famous in Michigan, and known to some degree the world over. With more than a half dozen fudge shops gracing the island, your visit will be Truly Scrumptious! It’s been said that over ten thousand pounds of fudge leave the island every day, in dozens of delectable flavors & varieties. In August each year, the Mackinac Island Fudge Festival is held, with special events, contests, Golden Tickets, and more! Find out more about Mackinac’s fudge at this page.

Mackinac is not short on activities to keep you occupied, with three historic sites, a handful of museums (from art to carriages), and countless other things to do:

• Become terrified at the Haunted Theater
• Visit the Butterfly Conservatory
• Go to the Equestrian Center
• Take a kayak out on the water
• Hike or bike around the island
• Dip your toes in the water
• Play golf at the Grand Hotel
• Enjoy a classic vintage baseball game
• Go to Skull Cave
• Fly a kite
• See the sights

As you go downtown you’ll find a multitude of gift shops, eyeing to exchange their trinkets for your hard-earned cash. A number of grocery stores and art galleries will also happily aid you in parting with your money. Once you get hungry, stop at one of Mackinac’s fantastic restaurants, and enjoy eating a meal that will double your hunger once you see and smell it.

Mackinac wouldn’t be Mackinac without the iconic Grand Hotel, which has played host to Mark Twain, Thomas Edison, Vladimir Putin, and five US Presidents. While not everyone can afford stay at the hotel, everyone simply must see it. The hotel contains several interesting shops, and a great ice cream parlor. Non-hotel guests must pay $10 to see the grounds and tour the hotel. Also consider enjoying one of the hotel’s perfectly prepared five-course dinners, or delicious lunches. The Grand Hotel is certainly grand, but there are a host of other lodging options as well, if you feel so inclined.

If there is anything else you want to find out about Mackinac Island before you visit, check out the official website at MackinacIsland.org, and be sure to take a look at their calendar of events, to see if anything extra-special is happening during your visit.

Tourism is a significant portion of Holland Michigan’s economy, driven largely their beautiful abundance of tulips and their crown jewel, Tulip Time. The festival began in 1929, with 250,000 tulips planted specifically for the event. Through the years this has only grown, with six million tulips planted, and ready to burst forth in color in early spring. These tulips are spread throughout the city, in parks and gracing the sides of streets. Beginning 85 years ago as just a tulip festival, Tulip Time has grown to be so much more, with it now a much broader time of festivity, and celebration of Dutch culture. Each day during the festival, traditional Dutch dances are performed throughout the city by nearly a thousand costumed locals, with shows lasting 5–15 minutes.

There are a number of great events and attractions throughout the festival, including multiple parades, a carnival, art and craft fairs, quilt shows, Tulip City tours, and even a town crier competition! Click here for a full calendar of events, and here for more special attractions. More information about the festival can be found at the official website: TulipTime.com

The festival only happens for about a week at the beginning of may, but Holland is a great town to visit no matter what time of year it is. Spring is certainly a great time to enjoy new life, and the tulips everywhere, but the other seasons offer just as much of a reason for you to visit. In the summer you can enjoy the beaches, sail on lake Michigan, golf, go biking, or camp. Autumn is a great time to visit the farmer’s market, listen to live music, or visit a museum. During the winter months you can get some great exercise cross-country skiing, ice skate, or stay indoors and see a show, or go bowling—and don’t forget to drink some nice hot coffee or hot chocolate at a local restaurant. Whenever you choose to go, you mustn’t miss the uniquely Dutch experiences, including the production of wooden shoes! Whatever it is you want to do, you’ve got hundreds of things to choose from in Holland Michigan.

Shopping and dining in Holland are excellent, with dozens of unique shops, art galleries, antique stores, and more, not to mention the mouth-watering dishes at the local cafés, grills, fine restaurants, and ice cream shops.

Four miles to the west of Holland Michigan is the Holland State Park, which has great campsites, picnicking areas, sandy beaches, and excellent access to the water, for boating, fishing, and swimming.

For more information about the town of Holland, visit the town’s official website at Holland.org