If you are thinking of visiting the pristine little island of Mackinac, you should probably leave your sensible Nissan minivan at home. Pronounced Mack-in-aw for some ungodly, most likely Native American reason that I can only assume translates to Hipster-town, USA, Mackinac Island is the only city in the United States that has banned automobiles.
Situated on Lake Huron, Mackinac Island outlawed vehicles in 1898. Back in those days Celine Dion was giving her first farewell tour, and it wasn’t uncommon for cities to outlaw cars, since to most people they probably seemed like death-on-wheels. Mackinac Island stood its ground however, and to this day the population of 500 people (and 14,500 yearly tourists) have to travel exclusively by foot, bicycle, or horse. Scooters, ATV’s, and Golf Carts are also banned, even on M-185, which is the only state highway in the US where cars aren’t allowed.
The good news is that the island is only 3.8 square miles, which you could probably walk in diamond-encrusted Loubs if you had to. The bad news is that it is against the law to drive a getaway car, so if you are thinking of doing something illegal you may want to arrange for helicopter transportation ahead of time.
