Revealing How Amazon Delivers on Michigan’s Mackinac Island

I guess I just took living on a peninsula for granted. Sure, we're nearly surrounded by the Great Lakes, but we're also connected to one of the nation's most heavily traveled shipping routes. This access gives us an endless supply of goods that we can either pick up or, in some cases, have delivered on the same day. But what about Michigan's Mackinac Island (note the last name ISLAND)? How do online delivery giants like Amazon deliver packages to an island that hasn't allowed a motorized vehicle to shore in over 100 years?

RELATED: A Quick Look Inside the Grand Hotel: Mackinac Island, Michigan

Though it hosts around 1.2 million tourists annually, only 500-600 Michiganders call Mackinac Island home year-round. That may not seem like a lot, but it is enough that Amazon has figured out the perfect method to ensure delivery, though next-day might be pushing it.

When on Mackinac Island, Act Like You're On Mackinac Island

The first step in delivering to Michigan's Mackinac Island is booking space on the many ferries that run to and from it. Once at the dock, Amazon delivery personnel must now get the packages to the recipients without the aid of a motor vehicle. While a bicycle might do the trick for some of the smaller packages, larger packages are either placed on a dolly or on flatbeds pulled by horses.

The preferred horsepower of Michigan's fudge mecca is a horse, of course. Even during the jammed-packed days of summer, when the streets are lined with tourists, everyone knows to move over when you hear the instantly familiar clip-clop of approaching carriages.

With 5 square miles to cover, I'm certain everyone, including the Amazon employee who doesn't have to navigate some of the island's hills with a ten-speed, is thankful that their Amazon wishlist is delivered in true Mackinac Island fashion.