On the Straits and Narrow

St. Ignace is the northern gateway to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

By Dianna Stampfler

The first European settlers arrived in what is now called St. Ignace—named for St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuit religion order—in 1671 making this the second-oldest European settlement in the state. Situated in the heart of the Straits of Mackinac, St. Ignace blends history, culture and nature with unparalleled Great Lakes views.

Vibe: St. Ignace is known for its walkable, small-town charm, outdoor pastimes like kayaking and fishing, and special events that attract visitors year-round. Love fireworks? You can see them most Saturday nights between June and August. It also is a convenient base location for exploring the rest of the Upper Peninsula.

Transportation: From the south, getting to St. Ignace means crossing the 5-mile Mackinac Bridge, one of the longest suspension bridges in the Western Hemisphere. Each year, approximately 4 million vehicles drive its length, with 8,600-plus feet between anchorages. Two airports served by commercial airlines are within a 30-minute drive: Emmet County’s Pellston Regional Airport in the lower peninsula and the Chippewa International Airport in Kincheloe to the north.

Hotels: Recently, one of the city’s historic inns was renovated and rebranded as The Boardwalk Hotel, a seasonal boutique property with 15 luxury rooms including an elegant two-bedroom suite. The lounge/bar area offers a small bites menu as well as live music five days a week. The new Hampton Inn St. Ignace Lakefront Mackinac opened along the shores of Lake Huron in November last year and includes two meeting rooms: The Mackinac and The Huron. Situated along Lake Huron, Kewadin Casino St Ignace, with its 81-room hotel, is the only waterfront casino in the Straits of Mackinac area.

Venues: Kewadin Casino St. Ignace provides outdoor concert space for up to 10,000 attendees, as well as a 17,600-sqare-foot event center with seating for 1,800. Little Bear East Arena and Community Center is open year-round for meetings, conferences, and other events. The Quality Inn and bed-and-breakfast Colonial House Inn also offer conference space.

Restaurants: The Driftwood Restaurant & Sports Bar is open year-round and features a pub menu, live music, a 27-room on-site motel. It’s easy to spot the Mackinac Grill & Patio Bar with its authentic train caboose parked along the waterfront. This seasonal eatery is known for its happy hour, regional menu items like Great Lakes whitefish, and decadent desserts. While in town, be sure to try the Upper Peninsula’s signature meal—the pasty. This meat and vegetable filled Cornish handheld is a regional delicacy.

Must-Sees and -Dos: The Museum of Ojibwa Culture is within the Father Marquette Mission Park, a national historic landmark located on the north end of town. Nearby, Castle Rock rises 200 feet toward the sky and was known as Pontiac’s Lookout by the Sault Tribe of Chippewa (Ojibwe) Indians, the region’s original inhabitants. Be sure to stop and get a picture with the larger-than-life sculpture of Paul Bunyan and Babe, and Victorian-era Mackinac Island is just a ferry boat ride away for day trips when in season. stignace.com