Mackinaw City, Michigan: Campground, Breweries, Hiking, Swimming

September 2022, weekdays, two nights

View from top of the hill behind site 2 in French Farm Lake Campground

French Farm Lake campsite 2

This is a free campground with no services; not even water or a trash receptacle. There is a board at the entrance with information about how to register and tag your site when camping. Information I had read online said there are seven campsites in this park; however, we only saw six sites. 

Above: the drive out of campsite 2 in French Farm Lake Campground
Below: Road back to the higher numbered sites in French Farm Lake Campground 

The road in to the campsites and boat launch is not big enough for two trailers to pass side by side, and we were fortunate that we did not encounter any traffic when we arrived or departed. Our son was with us when we arrived, so we rode in his car to check out the sites before driving in with our trailer. When departing, if you want to turn right onto Trails End Road from French Farm Lake Road (west toward I-75), be aware that this is a sharp turn by a hill, and it is not doable with a trailer in tow. It is easy to turn left, and then turn around at the park, or do a U-turn at Wilderness Park Drive with a small trailer.

Above: view of campsite 2 in French Farm Lake Campground
Below: campsite 4 in French Farm Lake Campground

Northern Michigan Color and Brew Tour: West Branch, Harrisville, Alpena, Mackinaw City, Cheboygan, Afton

 October 2021, three days, weekday - weekend

View of Pigeon River
Bridge in the distance goes to Andreae Cabin and Nature Preserve parking lot

We decided to combine our HopPassports with a northern Michigan color and hiking tour. Although we visited a bit past peak colors, this was still a great trip! I am sharing info about some of the places we visited. See my two posts before this one for lodging information.

Hiking, trails, parks, rivers, colors...

We recently learned about Nature Megaphone in Boyd B. Banwell Nature Preserve in Afton, Michigan. This is a structure designed to magnify the sounds of nature. Unfortunately, it was raining lightly when we visited, and there was not much activity in the forest. It was still very cool! The rain in the video above sounds louder than it actually was. There is a bird chirping about 14 seconds in that is also magnified. We did not see any birds during our entire hike, and I am not sure how far away this bird was. I suggest playing the video on full screen with the volume up.

Nature Megaphone

The structure is about 5½' tall at the widest point. I am 5'2" tall, and I could easily stand up inside. The hike from Agnes S. Andreae Nature Preserve parking lot at the end of Riverwoods Trail was under 2 miles round-trip, and it was pretty easy. The only hill was on the way back up to the parking lot after crossing the river, and there are a couple of small hills, if you take the longer path along the river.

View from inside Nature Megaphone above
Trail map in parking lot below

The hike from Boyd B. Banwell Family Nature Preserve parking lot on M-68 is a longer hike. We would have hiked from this area, if the weather had been better, because the roads back to Agnes S. Andreae Nature Preserve are dirt.

Downtown Cheboygan above
Thunder Bay River looking toward Rotary Island Mill Park in Alpena below

In Alpena and Cheboygan, there are riverwalk trails along Thunder Bay River and Cheboygan River, parks, locks in Cheboygan, preserves, and more. In Alpena, you can get to Lake Huron walking most of the way along the river, and in Cheboygan the route has more sidewalk/town walking. 

Tawas Bay

The bay was beautiful the day we drove by Tawas Bay! There are great trails in Tawas Bay that we biked when we camped at the state park here a few years ago.

Entrance door into Alocona Brew Haus below

Breweries and dining

Our favorite brewery this trip was Alcona Brew Haus in Harrisville, MI. I was impressed with the building preservation from the moment we entered. We got a building tour from the owner, and I took way more photos than I am able to post here. I am sharing a couple more below.

Mackinaw City, Michigan / Tee Pee Campground, Wineries & more!

May 2015, Weekday-Weekend, 2-nights, Lot #27

Sunset from lot 27 at Tee Pee campground

I am sharing a few pictures from our stay in this blog, and there are many more in the Mackinaw City album on my Facebook page.

Arrival and check-in at Tee Pee campground

I made an advance reservation at Tee Pee Campground even though it was not likely they would be busy when we arrived on a Thursday night in early May. Looking at the campground map online, lot 27 looked like the best lot for us. We would be facing the lake with a view of the bridge, so I asked if we could reserve that lot. The person I spoke with said that lots are not pre-assigned.

We stayed in this campground in 2004 with a pickup camper, and we did not recall much about the lots. I did not keep this blog then, so I only had a few old photos to look back at. I could determine that we had stayed on a lot numbered in the teens at that time, and that the lot next to us had been empty.

online map

Mackinaw City, Michigan / Shepler's Ferry

May 2014

There are three companies that offer ferry service between Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island. We ended up with Shepler's Ferry, because the guestroom we had booked at the LakeView Hotel on Mackinaw Island included roundtrip tickets with this company. Before our trip, I had decided that Shepler's Ferry was a fabulous choice because of the professional and personable way in which the company presented itself online. Whoever is in charge of their Facebook page is doing an excellent job!

The week before our trip, the lake was still full of ice, and we had canceled because the ferry service was not running from Mackinaw City. The day before we had planned to travel, we learned that Shepler's would be starting limited runs the day of our trip from Mackinaw City, so we rebooked our room at the LakeView Hotel and rode to the island with Shepler's.

Mackinaw City to Mackinac Island, Weekday morning

We had initially wanted to take the 9:30 a.m. departure because it was listed as a Might Mac departure, which means we would travel under the bridge on the way to the island (weather permitting). The Mighty Mac departures are listed on Shepler's schedule; however, the schedule was just starting out this first day, and the weather was not good. I also had a business call that morning, so we went across on the 11:30 a.m. run.

Our reservation from LakeView Hotel provided a confirmation number, and we were told to stop at Shepler's Ferry dock for our tickets. I had hoped to pick up our tickets beforehand; however, our name was not on the list when my husband stopped there in the early morning. When we returned just before 11:00, I provided our confirmation email, the agent contacted the Lake View Hotel, and then we  received our tickets.

Shepler's complimentary parking is not clearly explained on their website. To park the car overnight, it is $16 in a gated lot, and it is complimentary in their lot about 4 blocks away. If you want someone to valet park your vehicle in the complimentary lot, the cost is $7. We had time to park the car ourselves, and my husband is funny about choosing his own parking spot and letting people drive his vehicles, so we took the car there and walked back. An employee had met us on the dock before this to take our bags. He provided a generic claim check, and he said that they were out of tags for the Lake View Hotel.

When we returned from parking the car, we waited in a covered area across from the dock. Flush toilets are located in a separate building behind the ticket counter. Just before boarding, an employee asked everyone to walk over to the dockside, and we then waited under an awning on the dock.

Boarding the boat was an easy process. It was chilly, and the boat was not completely full. A couple of people sat outside on top, although more than 90% of the passengers opted for inside seating. Even with the breezy weather, the trip was quick and smooth. A bike was left behind that belonged to a young girl with her parents who were seated behind us. It sounded like they were supposed to have loaded the bicycle, and they had thought it would be loaded with the luggage. Shepler's said that they would bring it on the next run.

After we disembarked on the island, it was unclear how we were supposed to get our luggage. I think we were supposed to have talked with an employee about the fact that our luggage had generic tags, and then it would have been delivered. Several passengers were standing around to get luggage with generic tags from one of the luggage carts because they were going to houses on the island. Our bags were on the same cart, so when they got their bags, we got ours as well. The Lake View Hotel is pretty much across the street from the dock, so taking our own bags to the hotel was quite easy.

Mackinac Island to Mackinaw City, Weekend morning
We returned on the 10:30 a.m. boat. We arrived at the dock about 10:20 or so, and the boarding process was not very clear. I did not see an office or window. Someone took our bag, and then after we inquired, we learned that the boat from Mackinaw City was on its way over. One other passenger was standing around, so we assumed she was waiting for the same boat. After chatting with her, we learned that she had ridden over on the boat almost ½ hour earlier and was still waiting for a horse/cab to the Grand Hotel. She said that she wished she had worn different shoes, because she could have been there already, if she had just walked.

When the boat arrived, our lone bag was taken out to the dock, and we began to think we were going to be the only ones on the boat. A few minutes later, another couple wheeled their luggage down the dock, and we were the only 4 passengers on the return trip.

The boat for our trip back was more comfortable than the one we had ridden out in. The entire inside of the boat had been refinished, and the cushions were more comfortable. The seats had been recovered, and the carpet was new.

It was raining when we arrived back in Mackinaw City, and we started to think we should have done valet parking. Just before docking though, we learned that there is a shuttle bus, and we could get a ride to the lot that way. We had not been told about the shuttle bus when we self-parked the vehicle before departure. We disembarked, retrieved our luggage, and took the shuttle to the car lot.

Overall
We were happy with the comfort and service from Shepler's, and we would choose this company the next time we visit the island.

Mackinaw City, Michigan / Deer Head Inn

May 2014, Weekday, 1-night, The Hemingway guestroom

This was our first experience at a Bed and Breakfast. Since we did not think our previous hotel stays in Mackinaw City were desirable, we decided to try something new. 

I had reserved the least expensive Lighthouse guestroom at Deer Head Inn because we were only going to be staying a short time. We were arriving in the evening, and departing the next morning. I had some work to do in the morning before we left, which would be easiest to complete at a desk or table. Before we arrived to check in, I began to wonder if The Lighthouse room had a desk. The main rooms page of the website says: "All of the rooms at the Deer Head Inn feature incredibly cozy queen size beds with special comfort appointments, spacious bathrooms each with unique and welcoming tile designs, warming gas fireplaces, and comfortable easy chairs and desk to make you feel right at home." When I viewed the pictures, however, I did not see a desk in The Lighthouse room. I contacted the inn to ask about this, and I was told that The Lighthouse room does not have a desk, and that we had been upgraded to The Hemingway room for no charge!

fireplace in breakfast room

Arrival experience

Barry met us at the door when we arrived. He provided keys and instructions for how to use them. He escorted us to the guestroom, and provided an overview of the features. We were the only guests the evening of our stay, and he told us we could view any of the other guestrooms that had an open door, if we wanted. We briefly looked inside the other rooms later that evening. He also said that there are movies available, and he explained where they were located.

We had to carry our luggage up the stairs, which was not too difficult. We had one small to medium sized roller bag, a laptop bag, and a small cooler.

The Hemingway guestroom

This guestroom is located at the north end of the inn by itself. All of the other guestrooms are up a different set of stairs across from the steps leading to The Hemingway room. We did not hear any floor noise from the stairs to The Hemingway room, or in the guestroom; however, the floors creaked when we walked to the other guestrooms. Since The Hemingway guestroom is located away from the other guestrooms, I expect that this room offers a quieter night's sleep than the rest of the rooms when the inn is full.

The guestroom contained a queen size bed, night stands, lamps, clock, two leisure chairs, a desk and chair, end tables, a flatscreen TV, wicker armoire, a fireplace, and two ceiling fans. A good size closet was located at one end of the sitting area by the foot of the bed. It contained hangers, extra bedding, and a folding luggage rack.

The room was charmingly decorated, although we did not think that any of the chairs were comfortable, especially the desk chair. I had only brought my short laptop cord, and it barely reached the outlet under the desk.

I read reviews from a couple of guests who did not care for the stuffed animals in the room. We were fine with that, although we thought the artificial plants were too much clutter on the desk and end table. I would have preferred more workspace on the desk, and we moved one of the plants in the sitting area so that we could use the end table.

The bed was comfortable, and the sheets were good quality.

The bathing area contained a small shower, a whirlpool tub, decent size vanity, small fridge, coffee pot with supplies, 2 coffee mugs, a plastic ice bucket, plastic cups, 2 towels, 2 washcloths, 2 hand towels, a bath mat, a makeup remover wipe, and a bar of glycerin soap. One of the packages of coffee that was provided was Hazelnut flavor, and the condiments included liquid creamer. 

I was surprised to see the fridge and coffeepot, because this is not listed on the website, and it is not visible in any of the photos. I did not notice if any of the other rooms had this feature when we looked at them.

There was not a full length mirror in the guestroom, and the mirror behind the sink was not conducive for applying makeup. I was glad I did not need a makeup mirror, and I missed a full length mirror. The sink mirror looked nice, although it was not very functional.

The shower in this guestroom was smaller than the showers in any of the other rooms. A couple of the other rooms had a 5-sided corner shower stall. 

I wondered if the glycerin soaps had been specially made since they were wrapped with the inn name, and I also observed some downstairs in the breakfast room. I wish I had asked!

Breakfast

Barry had asked us about diet needs and breakfast timing when we checked in. Barry and Nancy served a deluxe breakfast exactly at the time they had told us. When we arrived a few minutes early, we found the table set with two place settings, a pitcher of water, and fresh strawberries and pineapple. Coffee and tea were available on the counter across the room. 

Barry and Nancy greeted us and offered orange juice. When the hot food was ready, they served an asparagus quiche, potatoes, bacon, and an apple tart with homemade caramel sauce. Much nicer than the continental breakfast we would have received at the Best Western, where we had initially planned to stay!

My husband noticed champagne on the counter in the kitchen area, and if I had not had work I needed to finish after breakfast, I would have inquired whether mimosas were included with breakfast, too!

Misc.

The inn is only about a block away from town, which is another reason we chose it. We knew that we would not be there early, and it was not warm enough out to walk very far.

The larger room was nice, although if I had been given the choice of rooms, I probably would have chosen The Wilderness room. I did not use the whirlpool tub, and I liked the larger shower in The Wilderness room. The desk chairs looked more comfortable, and the bed in that room is a king bed. The Wilderness room is located at the end of the hall, so even if you are choosing a room when the inn is full, I think this room would be just about as soundproof as The Hemingway room. 

Mackinaw City, Michigan / Lodging and Chamber of Tourism

May 2014

As much as we love the quaint city of Mackinaw, one thing I think that it lacks is a decent hotel. The last time we visited, we stayed in the Holiday Inn Express. We thought the Holiday Inn Express was overpriced and unclean, so I searched for different lodging for this trip. We have also stayed in the Hamilton Inn Select and the Ramada Inn when it was in a different location many years ago.

Some of the locations I researched before this trip were: Best Western Plus Dockside Waterfront Inn, Comfort Inn, Hamilton Inn Select, Ramada Inn, Bridge Vista Beach, Cabins of Mackinaw, Brigadoon Bed & Breakfast of Mackinaw City and Deer Head Inn. Over several days time, I read many reviews, researched properties on Facebook and google, had online conversations with some locations, and I made several telephone calls.

During my research, one thing became clear. Many, many guests who had made a reservation through the Mackinaw City Chamber of Tourism were unhappy. Part of the reason I am writing this post is to make future travelers aware of the potential for disaster when booking through the chamber of tourism. I consider the complaints that I read valid, because they are not specific to one hotel, and all of the complaints are the same in nature: staff members were rude, including the manager who was often not available; they did not have a reservation when they arrived, some guests had even called to confirm a few days prior and had produced a printed confirmation; they were sent to another [unacceptable or lower quality] hotel for the same cost; they were told that there was a water problem in the guestroom, this same story given at different properties; and/or they were given a different room type than they had booked.

Initially, I thought that the Chamber of Tourism site must not be the official booking site for hotels in Mackinaw City, because I did not expect an official site for a city to allow there to be so many unhappy travelers. That is not what I concluded at the end of my research, however. This is what I think is happening, and bear in mind that this is merely my conclusion.

I think that Mackinaw City wants to fill all of their hotels, no matter how this is accomplished. Therefore, the Chamber of Tourism site will accept a reservation at any hotel that the guest chooses for any room type, whether there is a room available or not. When a hotel becomes full, the hotels are not honoring reservations for guests who booked through the chamber site. They are giving some type of story about why the reservation is not being honored, such as, there is a water problem with the room, or the guest is told that they do not have their reservation. The guest is then either assigned a lower quality room than what he or she had booked for the same rate, or the guest is sent to a lower quality hotel for the same cost. [I plan to check this theory of overbooking rooms when it is peak season this summer by attempting to book a room on the chamber site at a hotel that is full.]

Some of these properties do not have their own website, so guests cannot reserve a room through them except for over the telephone. When I entered the web address for Cabins of Mackinaw and for Bridge Vista Beach, for example, I was not taken to a web page for either company; the browser goes to the chamber booking site, and neither property has their own website. This is very misleading, and I can understand why there are so many unhappy guests. A few of the properties, such as Ramada Inn and Comfort Inn, have their own website with the same rates as the chamber. I suggest booking a room through the hotel website, or directly with the property over the telephone to ensure having a guestroom when arriving.

We initially chose the Best Western, and made our reservation through the chamber site because the rate was $10 less before taxes. When I called Best Western (the Mackinaw City hotel and the corporate number), I was told that they could not match the chamber rate (even though BW has a low-rate guarantee, and I also filled out the claim form). It did not sound like booking through the chamber would be a problem, and I was told that my rewards number could be added to the reservation when we arrived. I still had an uneasy feeling, and I decided to call back about a week later and cancel that reservation, as I had read even more complaints about reservations made through the chamber of tourism site. The employee on the telephone at the Best Western provided excellent service and a cancellation number, so I thought everything was fine. We ended up staying at The Deer Head Inn, and at about 10:30 p.m. that night, I received a voice mail from the Best Western about my reservation. I returned the call the next morning, and the employee had no record of our cancelation! I did not have the cancelation number with me, and fortunately, the employee was professional about the situation, and did not try to charge us.

Before choosing Deer Head Inn, we had also considered Brigadoon Bed & Breakfast of Mackinaw City. We decided not to make an advance reservation at either place because of the cancelation policies, since the lake was still frozen in April. Brigadoon has a stiffer cancelation policy; $30 cancelation fee at any time, and there is no refund less than 10 days prior to the stay. Most of the reviews I read for Brigadoon Bed & Breakfast were great except for a couple of minor things. Some people said that the bed was not very comfortable, and that the pillows were hard. When I called there, I found out that they have one guestroom without a fireplace, even though all 8 rooms on the website have a fireplace listed. I assume that they have a 9th room without photos that is not described online. We went with the Deer Head Inn because the rate was less, and the reviews I read said that the beds were comfortable.

All four of the Mackinaw City locations we have stayed in have been similar. I am surprised that there is such a contrast in lodging pride and cleanliness between Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island. We have only stayed in one location on the island (that review will be published soon, too), although all of the properties on the island look like they are excellently cared for.

Mackinaw City, Michigan / Holiday Inn Express

August 2012, Weekday - Weekend (Thursday & Friday), 2-nights, King guestroom #412

Status perks

I received two bottles of water at check-in. I did not receive a room upgrade; in fact I had been assigned one of the worst guestrooms before I asked if an upgrade was available. The guestrooms on the top three floors of this hotel have balconies, and the bottom floor rooms do not even have a patio or outside door. Even though my IHG Platinum profile has my preferences for an executive room and a high floor listed--and, I had requested this in the comment box when making my reservation, I had been pre-assigned guestroom 112 on the bottom floor. After I asked if there was an upgrade available, the employee assisting me said probably not, and that I would need to wait for Peter to check because she was new. I waited over 5 minutes for Peter to finish on the telephone. While we waited, the agent who had started the check-in process, said that "she" usually assigns the top floor rooms to Gold and Platinum guests, so she was surprised that we had been assigned a room on the bottom floor. After Peter finished on the telephone, he told her to give us guestroom 412.

Guestroom

Guestroom 412 is a basic king room on the north side of the building near the center of the hallway. There is a partial bridge view from the balcony. The guestroom contained a wet bar area--mini-fridge, sink, microwave, and a few cupboards. There was a desk and chair, a soft chair and foot stool, older style TV in a stand with drawers, and night stands. The guestroom was not very big, and having all these items in the room made it quite crowded. Two plastic chairs and a small table were on the carpeted balcony.

The view from the balcony was decent. Even though it was not a clear view of the bridge or lake, it did offer an enjoyable sunset view.

Fortunately, the bedding in the guestroom was clean because the rest of the room and balcony was not very clean. In fact, I thought this entire hotel was grimy and run down. The chairs on the balcony needed to be power washed, as did the entire balcony. I thought it was odd to have carpet on the balcony since it seems like it would have been easier to wash down concrete and the plastic furnishings. We got pool towels from the front desk to put down on the chairs so we could use them. I was impressed when I opened the refrigerator and saw a small crisper drawer in the bottom--until I opened the drawer and saw how dirty it was. I was not about to put any of our food in that drawer! Other cleanliness issues with the guestroom were grimy windowsills, dust on the outdated soft chair, and small bits of debris on the carpet.

The guestroom was not very soundproof, and the fact that it has a connecting door to room 410 made the noise even more noticeable at times.

Food & Beverage

I thought the breakfast food offerings were low quality and I did not try much. Here are facts of the food items that were available (exactly the same both mornings): cinnamon rolls, cold cereals, white breads and bagels, sausage gravy and biscuits, scrambled eggs, bacon, whole bananas (fresh--yay!), yogurt, juices, and milk. The milk was in individual containers, which I like because it usually stays fresher that way. The fat-free milk expiration date had gone by when I checked the first morning. Fresh milk had been added the second morning, although there were still several containers with expired dates set out too.

Overall

I chose this hotel because I like to earn points for my stays, and it's a fairly new hotel. I thought the AAA rate of $114 the first night was fair, and the rate of $161 the second night was high. Since PCR points are valuable to me, I chose this hotel anyway. After our stay, I wished I had looked at some of the other points earning hotels in more detail, such as the Ramada Inn and the Comfort Inn. I don't collect points with those hotel chains; however, I do have a membership, and am able to convert any points earned to air miles.