MACKINAC ISLAND (WWJ) – Summer is the perfect time for traveling in the U.S. And despite a chilly, rainy Sunday in Metro Detroit, summer travel season is coming soon.
And Michigan is home to the top summer destination in the country, according to USA Today readers.
Mackinac Island was voted the Best Summer Travel Destination in the country for 2023, according to the results of USA Today’s 10Best Readers Choice released this weekend.
“Between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, you’ll find Mackinac Island, where you’ll ride on horse-drawn carriages along car-free roads, observe fudge being made (and then sample it) and tour the historic Fort Mackinac,” 10Best’s description of the island says. “This Lake Huron-based continental island is also home to Mackinac Island State Park, where you can hike, bike, kayak, and take photos of the local natural beauty, including the stunning limestone Arch Rock.”
Mackinac Island beat out Mobile, Alabama for the top spot after the publications travel editors and a panel of experts made a shortlist of their must-see places for a summer vacation.
The island just had its unofficial opening for the season this weekend, and they’re gearing up for an influx of visitors this summer.
Tim Hygh with Mackinac Island Tourism tells WWJ there’s a lot of new things happening on the island, including a slew of new restaurants and breweries.
This year is the 125th year of the “motorized vehicle ban” on the historic island, according to Hygh, something that’s “taken very seriously.”
“It was put in place to protect everybody, the horses are scared of vehicles in these tight little streets that we have here. It ended up being a genius marketing move and one of the main reasons people come to the island is because there aren’t any automobiles,” Hygh told WWJ.
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