I always thought that Mackinac Island was my favourite place to visit but I now think that Petoskey is much more interesting and certainly not as touristy. There are tourists of course, but they seem like normal people, not the usual “Disney World” type.

First of all, docking was very easy. Someone actually greeted us and caught the lines – that was already wonderful especially since the dock is very high and I wasn’t looking forward to jumping off and falling into the water!

Secondly, the dock people were very efficient and gave me a nice little package that included a map of the town (how novel!), the washroom codes, and the internet password. I usually have to beg someone for the code and am not sure why it is such a big secret!

Thirdly, Petoskey has the greatest bike path! I rode along Lake Michigan on a paved pathway for 20 km. I could have gone to Charlevoix but didn’t have the time or energy.

Finally, the shopping was excellent! I got everyone’s Christmas gifts in one swoop! The restaurant we went to was also good – the service was quick and the food excellent.

The only thing that was not so great was the shower. It was clean and the water was hot but it was low flow. However, that was a minor inconvenience, and I was still able to get nice and clean!

Tomorrow we are literally leaving at the crack of dawn! We are going to try to make it to Government Island which is about fifteen miles past Mackinac. I think it will be a long day!