A mom who is raising her two young kids on a secluded island in Northern Michigan where she has to take a snowmobile to town has opened up about the unusual living situation.
Kate Conlon, 35, spent her summers as a kid vacationing on Mackinac Island with her family and knew from a young age that she wanted to call it home one day.
So when she and her husband, Patrick Conlon, 40, were looking for a place to live with their two kids Hazel, three, and Bennett, two, in 2024, the choice seemed obvious.
But while residing on the remote island, which sits in Lake Huron between Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas, feels like a real-life Hallmark movie much of the time, she admitted that it is not always as picturesque as one would think.
Cars are banned on the island, which means in the winter they have to take snowmobiles everywhere and in the summer they use horses, horse-drawn carriages or bicycles.
In addition, the weather in the winter is brutal and the entire island pretty much shuts down during the colder months, which takes immense planning.
Every day is an adventure and Conlon laid bare their abnormal lifestyle exclusively with the Daily Mail.
‘The island has around 500 year-round residents but we are mainly seasonal. Most businesses close in late October and reopen in April or May of the following year,’ Conlon, who runs her own bakery in town, explained.
Kate Conlon, 35, and her husband Patrick Conlon, 40, are raising their two young kids on a secluded island in Northern Michigan
Cars are banned on the island, which means in the winter they have to take snowmobiles everywhere
‘We have only two restaurants that stay open all year as well as our grocery store and post office.
‘We are completely detached from the mainland and rely on boats in the summer until the water freezes, and airplanes when we’re iced in.
‘The only ways to get around the island are by horse, horse-drawn carriage, bicycle or snowmobile in the winter.
‘Horses deliver our groceries, UPS packages and haul our garbage trailer and building materials to construction sites – the horse is king on Mackinac.
‘We do have a handful of utility and emergency vehicles but as for civilians, we are on bike, foot or horse-drawn taxi.’
She said the winters are constantly ‘cold and snowy’ but the summers are ‘warm and magical,’ adding: ‘Summers in Northern Michigan are something I think people need to experience once in their lives.
‘Listening to the horses trot by and the boats coming and going on Mackinac in the warm summer sunshine is my favorite thing in the world, and all without the sound of cars in the background. It’s like being in another time.’
Before winter starts, Conlon explained that she stocks up on toiletries and meats just in case the snow gets so bad that she can’t get to town.
In the summer, they use horses, horse-drawn carriages or bicycles to get around
Every day is an adventure and Conlon laid bare their abnormal lifestyle exclusively with the Daily Mail
She said the winters are constantly ‘cold and snowy’ but the summers are ‘warm and magical’
‘Going to the store definitely takes some planning! I am bad at making lists but you hate to forget a tomato because in the summer it’s a half of an hour [bicycle] ride each way from my house,’ she said.
‘Winters are easier only because the sleds are a little faster than our bikes, but you still want to be sure you got everything while you’re downtown.
‘If you’re unable to fit everyone on your bike or snowmobile the drays (large horse-drawn flatbed trailers) can take your groceries to your house for you.’
According to Conlon, the best part of living on the island is the strong sense of community.
Conlon runs her own bakery in town called Mackinac Island Cookie Co
Before winter starts, Conlon explained that she stocks up on toiletries and meats just in case the snow gets so bad that she can’t get to town. Seen is the path she takes to town
‘Most businesses close in late October and reopen in April or May of the following year,’ Conlon explained. The town is pictured during a recent blizzard
She shared: ‘If you’re unable to fit everyone on your bike or snowmobile, the drays (large horse-drawn flatbed trailers) can take your groceries to your house for you’
And despite the hard parts, the positives far outweigh the negatives.
‘Everyone really helps and watches out for each other. “It takes a village” is really made real by our little village, and it’s the reason we moved back with our kids, we really wanted them to grow up in this environment,’ she shared.
‘It’s a quieter and very meaningful way of life, I feel like I am living in a Hallmark movie all the time.
‘There are challenges to any places you live, but they are far outweighed by how special it is on Mackinac.’
