It's far cheaper to stay and dine in St. Ignace or Mackinaw City and take
the ferry to Mackinac Island.

Yep. Two nights ago we stayed at the new Best Western in St. Ignace. It's
clean, nice, and (relatively) cheap. We also truly enjoy the food and
atmosphere in St. Ignace. Go to the Village Inn (no, it's not part of the
chain) for dessert, and try the "Great Lakes Sampler" at the Driftwood.
Lake perch, lake trout, and whitefish -- yum!

I don't think I'd bother with the ferry, though, unless you're into boats.
It's a mere nine minute flight, chock to chock, from St. Ignace to Mackinac
Island! (Well, unless you circle the incredible Mackinac Bridge -- the
longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere. It's an amazing
sight, every bit as beautiful as the more well-known Golden Gate Bridge.)

Paul, the guy who owns and operates the St. Ignace FBO, is simply amazing.
He let us use his courtesy vehicle both days we were there, and his shop
dressed a nasty little stone chip we picked up somewhere in Michigan -- for
free!

Quite a refreshing change after dealing with the crooks down in Lansing,
MI -- AvFlight, I think they're calling themselves this year -- who charged
us $4.01 a gallon, and couldn't be bothered with selling sectional charts
anymore...

:-(
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"