ANNAMARLISBURGARD (4)
MACKINAC ISLAND,
MICHIGAN
Mackinac’ssummersoundtrackruns
something likethis:Percheronsclip-
cloppingastheypullcarriages, church
bellsringing, skippedstonesplinkingand
leavesrustling inthewind—withFort
Mackinac’scannonfiring intheback-
ground.Happilymissingarehornsandsi-
rens,astherearenocarshere.There’salso
norushing—otherthantouristsscurrying
tocatchthe ferryordaredevilbicyclists
chargingdownGrandHill.
Agemset inLakeHuron’sshimmer-
inggreenwaters, it’snowonderthatthe
islandwassacredtotheOjibwatribesas
thehomeof theGreatSpirit(aka,Gitche
Manitou).With80percentof the island’s
landprotectedasanationalpark,guests
canbikethe8-mileperimeterorhikeand
ridehorsesthroughtrails inthewoods
dottedby forget-me-notsand lady’sslipper
orchids.TheregalGrandHoteland lov-
inglyrestoredQueenAnnecottagesaddto
thepicture-perfecteect.
MARTHA’SVINEYARD,
MASSACHUSETTS
Martha’sVineyardhaswelcomedseekers
forthousandsofyears. Itwasfirst inhab-
itedbytheWampanoagtribe,whoreferred
tothe islandasNoepe,andtothisdaythey
call ithome. InAquinnah, cranberriesare
gathered frombogsontribal lands, fami-
liesharvestscallopsand jewelerscreate
wampum-inspiredadornments fromVine-
yardSound’sQuahogclamshells,muchas
theirancestorsdid.
Therhythmof traditionbeatsthrough-
outtheVineyard,wheretheshipwrights
ofGannon&BenjaminMarineRailway
inVineyardHavenbuildwoodenboatsby
hand, thegingerbreadvillage inOakBlus
is litsolelybypaper-and-silk lanterns(as it
hasbeen fornearly150years) forAugust’s
GrandIlluminationevent,andthechefsof
Edgartown— founded in1642—continue
tocreatemeals fromthebountyof the
island’swoods,fieldsandwaters.
In-season, the islandbuzzeswith
festivals,marketsandguestactivities.
Itrevisitsaquieter life inOctober,when
residentsrake forclams inSengekontacket
Pondandstoptoadmiretheturningtrees
andoldstonecattleenclosuresalongthe
roadtoChilmark.Eventhosewho’ve lived
here fordecadesremain intheprocessof
discovery,happeninguponthenewvistas
andmeaningfulconversationsthat islands
ofsuchbeautyandcharacterprovide.
STAY:
The
GrandHotel
’s
)
statelyeleganceand
courteous serviceare
wellworth the invest-
ment.
The IslandHouse
Hotel
househotel.com)offers
aVictorian family-
friendlyenvironment.
The
Hotel Iroquois
(
.com)overlooks the
StraitsofMackinac.
EAT:
The carriage ride to
TheWoods
isnearly
asdelightful as its
Bavarian lodge interior.
TheHotel Iroquios’
CarriageHouse
has a
menu thatmatches its
view inquality.
EXPERIENCE:
July’s
StoneSkipping
Tournament
(www
.stoneskipping.com)
and theChicagoYacht
Club’s 333-mile
Race to
Mackinac
(www
.cycracetomackinac
.com) are iconicevents.
Golfon theJewel
combines the Jerry
Matthews-designed
GrandnineandWoods
nine, bothoffering
tremendous views.
STAY:
Up-island
Menemsha
Inn&Cottages
(www
.menemshainn.com)
is full of charmwhile
VineyardHaven’s
MansionHouse
(www
.mvmansionhouse.com)
iswithinwalkingdis-
tanceof the ferryand
is centrally located for
shoppinganddining.
EAT:
ChefMichael Brisson’s
L’Étoile
(
.net) inEdgartown
presentsgourmet
interpretationsof local
goodswithpanache.
VineyardHaven’s
Art
CliffDiner
(508-693-
1224) exceeds expecta-
tionswithamenu that
frequently changes.
EXPERIENCE:
A small samplingof
opportunities includes
the
Martha’sVineyard
WindFestival
(www
.mvwindfestival.com)
andvisits to
TheAllen
FarmSheep&Wool
Company
(
farm.com),
FelixNeck
WildlifeSanctuary
(
.org) and
GayHead
Cliffs
.
RHYTHMOFTRADITION:
(clockwise from top) arrivalbycarriageatTheWoods;Vineyard
Haven’sharbor; sculptorAnthonyHolandatwork; French lilacsonMackinac Island
ANNAMARLISBURGARD
’s work has been featured on
BBC Radio and NPR, and in
The New Yorker
,
Spiritual-
ity &Health
and
Town &Country
. She’s visited 76 (and
counting)of the 16,986named islands in theUnitedStates
for
Islands of America: ARiver, Lake and Sea Odyssey
(
).
AA.COM CELEBRATEDLIVING
AUTUMN
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