I’ve always wanted to sample the world famous Mackinac Island fudge made fresh on location. Last October, I finally knocked that item off the bucket list!
To savor this famous fudge, you must first get to Mackinac Island. Of course, you won’t find a bridge to cross from the mainland to the island. In fact, the only cars you’ll find on Mackinac Island are emergency vehicles. So, you must travel by sea if you want to enjoy this sweet treat!
We chose to ferry to the island with Star Line from their location in St. Ignace. Because we visited the island during off-season, we scored a BOGO offer along with free semi-secure parking. Ooh, I always love a good deal!
Handing our bags to crew for safekeeping, we boarded Joliet at Main Dock #3 for a 15 minute voyage across the Mackinac Straits. This scenic waterway connects two of the Great Lakes–Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. Joliet pulled away from the dock, pivoted and fired up her engines. Water splashed up the sides as we bounced through waves toward Mackinac Island. Approaching the harbor, we appreciated scenes of lush forest, shipping traffic, sprawling estates and luxurious hotels.
We disembarked and grabbed our bags from crew. Because we decided to stay for a long weekend, we headed over to the Island House Hotel to drop off our bags and settle in. Built in 1852, this gorgeous Victorian era hotel is the oldest on Mackinac Island. Rumor has it that the Island House Hotel is haunted, but we didn’t experience anything first hand to substantiate this claim during our own stay.
As we approached the Island House, we found gigantic spiders crawling across the front of the hotel. Eek! Our hotel proprietors installed these creepy spiders to add a little Halloween ambience, which goes a long way when you’re staying at a haunted hotel.
Once we settled in, we ambled into town in search of fudge. We strolled past the marina and marveled at the fort before reaching Mackinac Island’s quaint shopping, restaurant and fudge district. In lieu of taxi services, coachmen with horse drawn carriages offer island tours and rides upon request to your chosen destination.
Right now, we wanted just one thing. Fudge. Aromas of molten chocolate drew us right in to the very first fudge shop we passed–Joann’s Fudge. As we entered this charming fudge shop, we knew immediately that we made the right decision. Our jaws dropped as our eyes feasted on rows upon rows of flavored fudge and sweet treats!
Check out the charming interior of Joann’s Fudge!
At Joann’s, the fudge makers cook the fudge very slowly in traditional copper kettles over a gas flame as seen in the picture below. They then cool the molten mixture on marble slabs and hand paddle the cooled fudge into loaves before slicing and serving.
We watched these professionals in action as they stirred, flavored, paddled and sliced fresh fudge. A sweet, heavy aroma of chocolate permeated the air as fudge cooked and cooled.
Why in the world were we watching this fudge instead of TASTING it?!
With over 25 different flavors to choose from, it was time to knock this item off of my bucket list. I’m finally going to enjoy fresh Mackinac Island fudge right here on Mackinac Island. But, which of these flavors did I choose?! Was it the chocolate mint? Salted caramel? Dark cherry? Maple walnut?!
This was the moment of truth. I wanted my very first bite of Mackinac Island fudge to be simple–not masked by flavors and unnecessary additives. So, which flavor I pick? Of course, I chose to sample Double Dark Chocolate.
When I picked up the sample of fudge, I noticed the texture was perfectly firm without being too soft, syrupy or crumbly. Just as I hoped, this sample of fudge melted on contact with a perfectly balanced dark chocolate flavor. After having grainy fudge in other parts of the country, I certainly appreciated the smooth consistency that resulted from Joann’s copper kettle cooking and marble slab cooling processes.
After knocking back a few more samples, we bought a slice of Double Dark Chocolate Mint for the road. Of course, we couldn’t live on fudge alone. So, we wandered through town toward the Carriage House at Hotel Iroquois for a lovely dinner by the waterfront.
When we entered the reception area, we noted abundant harbor views from every seat in this fine dining restaurant. For my entree, I ordered the perfectly pan seared halibut with tomato-caper relish and sautéed fresh spinach.
During dinner, my server mentioned that Mackinac Island locals refer to travelers as “Fudgies” because they always buy so much fudge while they are on the island. In this case, I am definitely not the exception. I literally came to Mackinac Island for the fudge. And, I have no regrets!
After dinner, we strolled along the harbor and then headed back to the hotel. While standing in front of the marina looking towards the light house, we saw the last ferry of the evening heading back to the mainland.
Lucky for us, we could postpone our own trip back to St. Ignace for a few more days.
