Due to a unique ordinance, motor vehicles are banned from the island (minus a few emergency vehicles, motorized wheel chairs for those with disabilities, and golf carts that remain on the course).
Tourists and residents rely mostly on walking, biking, and horse-buggy-riding to traverse the 18.84 square miles of land. And while there are many tourists and seasonal workers, the population of the island remains around 490 people year-round, making it a quiet place during the winter months.
During the summer, though, the island is bustling with vacationers who come to enjoy (without their cars) the island's famous Grand Hotel, and participate in the annual Chicago to Mackinac Sailboat Race.
