A trip to Mackinac Island is like being transported back in time.
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In 1896, the new fangled automobile was outlawed here because the contraption scared horses and detracted from the island's peacefulness. The law has stuck and upon arriving at the docks you will be greeted bythe clip clop of horse hooves and the whir of bicycle wheels.
At the turn of the 20th Century, wealthy industrialists of the Midwest lived here for the summer to escape the heat and hay fever of the city. They successfully enacted laws that prevented the Island from changing much. Today, there are only 500 horses and 600 year round residents, but more than 1 million visitors each year. |
To visit today is like being transported back 100 year in time, much like Christopher Reeve in the 1980 cult classic "Somewhere in Time" that was shot here.
This is especially true of the Grand Hotel. Built by two railroad companies in 1887, it has the World's Longest Front Porch at 660 feet or 200 meters and an elegant charm all of its own. Many of the traditions of the Grand Hotel continue today, this includes requiring men to wear a jacket and tie in the evenings. |
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