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Mackinac Island: The Jewel of Michigan |
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Program Number: |
1575RJ |
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| Start
and End Dates: |
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| Duration: |
5 nights |
| Location: |
Mackinac Island, Michigan
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| Price starting at: |
$1,225.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city |
| Program Type:
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History & Culture
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| Meals: |
15;
5 Breakfasts, 5 Lunches, 5 Dinners |
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| Meal
Options: |
Vegetarian; Low Fat |
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Explore the treasures of Mackinac Island as you delve into the island's glorious history, geology, natural beauty, architecture and modern life. Discover old-world traditions as you learn about the island's early economic and military importance as well as its development as a Victorian resort. Customs and cultures will come alive through lectures and field trips with local residents and area experts. A field trip to Fort Mackinac, a carriage ride around the island and afternoon tea at the historic Grand Hotel will enhance your visit.
Highlights
• Discover the valuable roles horses play on the island during a narrated carriage ride.
• On a walk with a naturalist, explore the island's beautiful natural spaces up close, then juxtapose your natural encounter with afternoon tea amid the elegance of the historic Grand Hotel.
• Learn why Mackinac’s Victorian homes are an important part of island history on a field trip with the chief curator of Mackinac State Historic Parks.
Activity Particulars
Walking 1–2 miles per day. Paved and unpaved roads, some hilly terrain, stairs.
Transportation by foot, horse-drawn carriage, bike.
Date Specific Information
6-9-2013
The program takes place during Mackinac Island’s annual Lilac Festival. The festival celebrates the island’s historic varieties of lilacs, as well as its distinctive equestrian culture, historic appeal, and local cuisine. Special activities are scheduled as part of the program, including a session on lilacs with a renowned expert, a tour of the Governor’s Mansion, and A Taste of Mackinac, a culinary event that features Chefs from the islands’ restaurants.
Coordinated by Central Michigan University.
Mackinac Island
With a vibrant Native American and European history, this island in Lake Huron is an amalgam of natural beauty and Victorian architecture. Michilimackinac, or Land of the Great Turtle, forbids automobiles in favor of carriages or bicycles.
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Accommodations
Stately Victorian manor.
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| Road Scholar Instructors | | These instructors are participating on at least one date of this program. Please note that changes may occur. | Steve Brisson
| | Steve Brisson currently serves as the Chief Curator of Mackinac State Historic Parks. He received his B.A. in history from Northern Michigan University and his M.A. in history museum studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program in Cooperstown, New York. A Michigan native, he completed his graduate internship at the Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village. Steve previously worked as a curator for the State Historical Society of Wisconsin before joining Mackinac State Historic Parks in 1996. He has written several articles and four books on Mackinac Island's history. He lives in Cheboygan and works out of the Mackinac State Historic Parks Mackinaw City office in the winter and the Mackinac Island office at Fort Mackinac in the summer. | | | | Jeff Dykehouse
| | Jeff Dykehouse has worked for the Mackinac State Historic Parks (MSHP) since 1983 and is the Curator of Natural History for the MSHP. Trained as a biologist, he has worked as an interpretive naturalist, environmental educator, research biologist, and audiovisual specialist for a number of Michigan’s State and National Parks. Jeff has been a “birder” all his life and has had a master Federal Bird Banding permit for over 30 years. Jeff lives on the shore of Lake Huron near Cheboygan with his wife and their three children. | | | | Patricia Martin
| | Patricia Martin holds a master’s of science degree in field botany from Central Michigan University (CMU) where she wrote her thesis entitled “A Floristic Study of the Vascular Plants of Mackinac Island, Michigan.” She also holds a secondary education teaching certificate from CMU and did her undergraduate work in biology and chemistry at Alma College in Alma, Michigan. She taught school in England, Richmond, Michigan, and on Mackinac Island where she continues to substitute teach. She grew up on the island where she lives year round. For 11 years she was both a natural history interpreter and head historic house interpreter for the Mackinac State Historic Parks. For the last three decades she has run her family home, Bogan Lane Inn, as a bed and breakfast and writes the weekly “Nature Notes” column for the Mackinac Island Town Crier. Trish is a member of the Mackinac Horsemen’s Association, and serves on the Planning Commission, the Environmental Advisory Committee, and the Ministry Support Team of Trinity Episcopal Church where she is also one of the priests. | | | | Lisa Craig-Brisson
| | Lisa Craig Brisson lives on Mackinac Island in the summer and in Cheboygan, Michigan during the winter. She holds undergraduate degrees in history and social studies-secondary education from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, and a master’s degree in museum studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program in New York. Lisa has worked at historic sites all over the country including Historic Fort Snelling and the Alexander Ramsey House in Minnesota, Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, the Farmer’s Museum in New York, and most recently Mackinac State Historic Parks. From 1999 to 2012, Lisa worked as an independent museum history educator. Some of her favorite former projects include operating a historic walking excursion business on Mackinac Island, helping update the Mackinac Island Carriage Tour experience, and serving as a local coordinator for a project that brought a Smithsonian Institution exhibit about food to the Cheboygan Area Public Library. Lisa was hired this year to serve as the Executive Director for the Michigan Museums Association, which gives her the opportunity to work with museums throughout the state. To say she is thrilled to pieces with this new venture would be an understatement. In her free time, Lisa enjoys learning about local foods and writes the weekly food column for the Cheboygan Daily Tribune. | | | |
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