Ep 102: Mackinac Island on a Budget - Money Saving Tips!

If you're visiting the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, "you have to do Mackinac!" The island is a beautiful must-see, but it can come with a hefty price tag. Here are my best tips for making your day out on Mackinac Island budget friendly, including a “free” lunch at the Grand Hotel! BTW, you’ll always find links to the places and resources referenced in our videos in the description below! ⬇️
Come explore RV life with us as we live and work on the road!
CAMPGROUNDS we stayed at in this video:
▶︎ Kinross Charter Township RV Park East: www.kinrosstownship-mi.gov/rv...
TIMESTAMPS for this video:
0:00 Intro
1:15 Ferry tickets
1:56 Transportation on island
2:57 Bring your own food
3:43 Make it a day trip
4:01 The Grand Hotel
6:56 Walkability of the island
9:04 Skip the museums
10:23 Carriage House
11:34 State Park vs National Park
13:13 Arch Rock
14:19 Shoulder season
15:40 How much did we spend?
PLACES AND LINKS referenced in this video:
▶︎ Shepler's Ferry: www.sheplersferry.com
▶︎ Doud's Market: www.doudsmarket.com
▶︎ The Grand Hotel: www.mackinacisland.org/lodgin...
▶︎ Mackinac Island National Park: www.mackinacisland.org/blog/n...
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[@dallen3390]

As a former employee of one of the hotels on the island, things are pricey for a reason, tourism is the sole industry on the island, and with it not being accessible to cars and such it takes alot of manpower to staff it and keep it as clean and beautiful as it is, as well as the fact that it provides a large amount of jobs that put food on folks tables both here in the US and other nations due to its immigrant workforce. The people at the Grand work very hard long days to provide the best service and experience, whether it be dining, cleaning, entertaining etc. Please don't encourage visitors to bring their lunch to the lobby , basically in front of the dining room..Good coverage of things to see there though.

[@keithhuotari2571]

I like watching videos about Mackinac Island, and yours is the most recent I came across today. I live about 3 1/2 hours from the Island here in the U.P. For the purposes of the video, you did good. Anybody that wants to try and save a few bucks can do that off of your visit. One thing about anybody that wants to ride around the Island on a bike--its 8 miles around and if you just go at a leisurely pace, you can do it in an hour or so. Thing is, its nice to stop periodically and check out the sights. My wife and I have been to the island many times over the years, even honeymooned there. Yes, it can be extremely pricy. I like doing simple things like running around the Island, or at night just walking along the boardwalk and taking in the sights of the bridge all lit up at night. But of course that means staying in a hotel which is very expensive. Truth be told, I'll never do just a day trip again because there is nothing like staying overnight on the Island--if you can swing it! :) Thanks for the video, its fun to watch knowing I'm just a few hours away...(Steve Orchard, Kingsford, Michigan)

[@CircuitRidinRV]

Thanks for watching and for the extra info! I'm sure it would be lovely to stay overnight on the island. We were certainly captivated by northern Michigan :)

[@kimgraham8571]

I have never been to Michigan however my hubby grew up there. We are doing three nights. I insisted to stay on the island to immerse myself in the “feel” of it so to speak. I do appreciate any tips.

[@juliaversnick4812]

Is the island accessible during April?

[@rogered5499]

Went to Mac island every summer as a child. The fort is great and riding bike around the island is great. Worth the cost to me

[@dwightgroce4777]

The first time I visited Mackinac Island was with my fiance in 1972. We brought our three girls up here a few times since then for day trips. In 2004, our girls and their families came up and we stayed at Mission Point Resort, just outside of downtown Mackinac. We decided to do it again every three years. And, we have. We had to skip last year, but going this summer (2023). We love Mission Point Resort and it's a great place to stay. We always bring bikes since we do a lot of riding, including a few times around the island. The highlight is our dinner at The Woods restaurant on top of the island. We rent a "taxi", a horse-drawn carriage. The Woods is owned by the Grand Hotel and is a little pricey. But the food is great! Everyone's anxious about the trip.

[@mitradelaney7555]

Great job explaining the simple and inexpensive way to visit Mackinaw Island. Love Home Schoolers! ❤️

[@katemccarty1420]

And take your lunch to the park.

[@michaelbell2418]

As a frequent visitor ...you could saved even more money by buying the farry tickets half price with their black Friday sale. Also you missed free fudge at every fudge shop by asking for a free sample.

[@CircuitRidinRV]

Aw, that’s a great tip. And I didn’t know about the free fudge samples, thanks!

[@cdub4693]

Have a cheeseburger at the Chuck Wagon.

[@Xparanormalplaygroundx]

I'm so glad I found your channel! We're going to Mackinac next week and are also getting our RV next month! Excited to watch the rest of your videos!

[@CircuitRidinRV]

Welcome, thanks so much for watching! Hope you have a great trip.

[@pattycake1939]

Part of the fun is renting a bike, eating in the many restaurants, buying fudge and staying at the Grand Hotel 😊. Your video was really good… 😊 PS the mayflies got in without paying 10 bucks.😂

[@CircuitRidinRV]

Thanks for watching!

[@jasonjackson1100]

It's all subjective right?...but to a history buff... there's a lot there and with the Great lakes and the Mackinac (pronounced Mack-in-naw) bridge which is as spectacular as the Golden Gate !!...it holds up!!...😊 My opinion

[@marianneodell7637]

This has been #1 on my bucket list and I finally got to visit last fall. We only stayed a day. I need to go back and stay longer! We did a road trip from Maine and up through Canada. Only wish we’d rented an RV

[@markreynolds9570]

Love your videos. Great info that we appreciate.

[@CircuitRidinRV]

Thanks, Mark! :)

[@robbar42]

I didn't know of the existence of that island. It's cute!

[@SwimmingintheDeep]

Great video! And a great title, and great tips! Those criticizing the video probably didn't read the title or they wouldn't have left such rude comments. We're a family of five and if we take the ferry and rent bikes we're going to be into it $400.

[@CircuitRidinRV]

Thank you, I appreciate that! You’re right, paying for a whole family is where costs can really get out of hand. When our kids were little, we became experts at finding free stuff!

[@MrSTOUT73]

I priced a stay at the Grand Hotel a couple years ago, the prices were INSANE.

[@karlgailrichter4105]

Yes it's pricey, but it's a delightful experience. Now it's been taken over by a corporation, so I don't know what all the changes are. However in the past breakfast and dinner were included in the price too. There's music & dancing in the evening and other things to entertain you. We had a problem with one of the bikes we brought over one time & the "bike mechanic" fixed it for us gratis.

[@pranavasai2833]

I love this video, found it very informative, and the way of narration was amazing.

[@CircuitRidinRV]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@joeazbear2349]

Thank you sooooo much for your detailed video with tourist tips. You are extremely well-spoken young lady and I can tell highly educated since you home-schooled your children. What wonderful parents you must be! You convinced my wife and I to visit this very special island in Sep 2023. I am still puzzled though why the C is not pronounced ha ha! The name itself must be native American.

[@lisacondon]

Thank you for your kind words! Once a homeschooler, always a homeschooler 😊 even if I am now teaching people online instead of my own kids! Hope you have a wonderful trip.

[@markfancher5676]

The islands and everything are beautiful but you don't want to mess around with those great

[@comeconcon569]

Dreary, gloomy, gray skies up in the UP are a common sight.

[@markfancher5676]

The upkeep on that place is got to be over the roof

[@Intothewild1973111]

I thought this was a wonderful video. Love the idea of grabbing a sandwich and salad and the grocer and eating out by the water. I have ate at those fancy restaurants and not all that. I took the carriage ride around the island and it was okay but horses are stinky popping everywhere along the way or at least the ones that drove us. This was great. If I go back next time will walk more

[@CircuitRidinRV]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@markfancher5676]

I think I saw the flowers in the gardens

[@kens805]

The only REALLY expensive cost at Mackinac island is the hotels!!!! They're ridiculous! Food is great, bike rental is reasonable, even the tours are not bad; but the hotels can exceed $500 a night!!

[@normaaguilar6214]

Thank you for your video. What is the best month to visit while it's not too cold? I know peak is May thru Sept but don't the crowds die down in Sept? tu

[@CircuitRidinRV]

I only know how it was when we were there in May, low crowds and a bit chilly. I imagine crowds are also less in Sept after school starts again, but not sure! Thanks for watching :)

[@markfancher5676]

If anyone could imagine the upkeep on

[@pegelliott4058]

By not taking the carriage tour you miss a lot of history!

[@MrClaus]

I was looking on their website. I couldn't find anything staying you couldn't bring a scooter/skateboard/roller skating.

[@markfancher5676]

I was wondering how many acres Mackinac Island is

[@markfancher5676]

Sometimes you got to stop up to the plate and hit a homerun

[@markfancher5676]

Try to imagine what it would be like

[@markfancher5676]

You can also fairy your own horses over to the

[@markfancher5676]

100 years ago

[@lorrilewis2178]

Most establishments have rules against bringing your own food in. Often, there are local ordinances against it and there could be liability issues for the hotel. It's also rude to plunk yourselves down on their sofa for your private picnic. There are picnic tables on the island.

[@gregorywilson1114]

Lorri Lewis: Good grief, I'd regret being in your company even briefly.

[@lorrilewis2178]

@@gregorywilson1114 Am I supposed to care?

[@jmpa3915]

@@lorrilewis2178Lori loser

[@katemccarty1420]

Why walk to arch rock??? It's a rock.west bluff right there

[@markfancher5676]

Go big or go home

[@joliettraveler]

The food at the Grand Hotel is way way overrated. Not worth the price.

[@davidbrown-xk8zl]

One thing is for certain, you probably won't be coming back, and that's good news for the people who have a little class.If you planned ahead like you say you did, you already knew the visit was going to be expensive. It is not important that we find out how cheap you might be.

[@MariaRojas-vf2yu]

You are being rude for no reason at all.

[@davidbrown-xk8zl]

I do not need tips on how to rip people off.If you have to do it because you're a tight wad, keep it to yourself. End of story.No replys answered.@@MariaRojas-vf2yu

[@jillanglemyer3168]

Did you see the title of her video? That should have been your clue to not read it. Reading and comprehension are important.