Mackinac Island is a very small vacation spot located in one of the Great Lakes of the US state of Michigan. Although not turned into a resort until the 1800s, this Traveltalks shows how this ancient land once inhabited by Native Americans gave way to a picturesque locale featuring scenic parks, villages, and (believe it or not) no cars. It's shown how the French were the first Europeans to arrive at Mackinac Island about 3 centuries ago while they were trying to establish a new route to Asia. A Jesuit priest named Jacques Marquette was responsible for introducing Christianity to this place, and his legacy is still remembered by the few inhabitants of the island via a statue of him situated in a park that bears his name. Above the island's largest settlement sits a fort that was used by french forces against the British and was later used by the US during the War of 1812. Mackinac Island may be tiny, but it's not irrelevant in commercial affairs, since it was the headquarters of the American Fur Company, founded by a German immigrant John Astor. The old ways come into contact with the new on the streets of the island, as the only means of transportation are bikes or your own two legs. Next, we're shown a hotel which apparently has the longest porch in the world, and many distinguished visitors from numerous countries congregate here. I found this to be a welcome change of pace from the usual Traveltalks featured on TCM, as they typically focus on urban locations that I don't really have interest in. Maybe it's just me, but there's nothing exciting or glamorous about city life. Seeing shorts like these makes you appreciate sparsely populated areas, even if many of them are disappearing. I'm sure Mackinac has underwent some changes since this was made, but I'd still rate it miles ahead of any overrated metropolis.