Mackinac Island and the Great Turtle

Riding a bike or skating around Mackinac Island is a lot of fun. You don't just go there to eat fudge.   On the way you may see wildflowers in bloom, the clear blue green water, and all sorts of birds.  Some of the birds sound like they are in a singing school.  One sings and then another tries the same notes.  Out in the water the diving ducks suddenly disappear and then reappear with fish in their beaks.  Right now the lilacs are in bloom.

Native Americans once used Mackinac Island as an important trading post and had a legend about how the island came to be. The story says the island is a great turtle that got frozen into the ice and is still there.

  Reverand Wm. Ferry, a Presbyterian minister established a mission on the island and a school. Later with indian guides he made a journey around the Great Lakes and the Grand River.  He finally settled in Grand Haven, Michigan and his church is still going strong.