(WWJ) - Michigan's historic island in Lake Huron has attracted the majority vote of over nine million readers to earn its spot as America's best island in the country on Tuesday.
Mackinac Island beat out the Outer Banks, N.C., the Florida Keys and Hilton Head, S.C. to earn Travel + Leisure's 2022 Best Island in the Continental United States.
"I'll be honest, I'm thrilled," Mayor Margaret Doud told the Free Press. "Everybody works hard to keep Mackinac pristine. It shows that if we work together on the island, as a team, we're rewarded. I'm absolutely very grateful that we achieved this award."
Mackinac Island has made Travel + Leisure's "Top 10" list in years past, but this marks the first time the honor of best in the country was bestowed upon the historic landmark.
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The small island nestled between the Upper and Lower Peninsula's has been immortalized in films staring Esther Williams and in the classic "Somewhere in Time," starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.
The historic site -- accessible only by boat -- attracts visitors from all over the world during the tourist season running from April to November. The island is less than five square miles big that relies mostly on horses for work and travel.
Motor vehicles have been banned since the late 1800s and guests get around by horse-drawn carriage, by bike or by foot.
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The island boasts no big, corporate hotels or fancy restaurant chains -- most businesses are local and family-owned while residents themselves keep up the unique charm of the island.
"When we get an award like this, it's great affirmation that our privately owned hotels and small businesses are doing the right things. That's hard in America today," Tim Hygh, executive director of the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau, told the Free Press.
Mackinac Island's top spot comes among a list of accolades Michigan has received in recent weeks, with the City of Detroit recently named among TIME Magazine's Top 50 Greatest Places in the World.
Detroit's Riverfront was also named the Best Riverwalk in America by U.S. Today.