Doc Crain Offers Island Tales on Scenic Walking Tours
By Bernie Nguyen

Judy Bollstetter, left, of Bay City, and Pat Hensley of Fallbrook, California, listen attentively as Doc Crain explains the history and legend of Mackinac Island's natural sites.

Randal Crain, one of Mackinac's own summer characters, has been wandering the Island with a feather in his cap for nearly 13 years.

Before that, Mr. Crain, known to most people here as Doc, was living in Farmington Hills in view of a busy crossroads of five streets, plagued with congestion, which he called "Malfunction Junction."

Watching the traffic one day, he recalls thinking, "Mackinac Island has no cars," and up here he came.

"It was spring, I was out of work anyway, and I knew they were hiring up here, so I came," he said. "As soon as I got here, I knew this was my place."

He found work at the Village Inn restaurant, where his cleaning and preparation duties often gave him full afternoons off to explore the Island's interior.

Doc's fascination with Island lore began when he was on Porter Hanks trail, and started wondering who Porter Hanks was. He began learning more about Mackinac's history, mythology, and nature, often through encounters with other people, such as naturalist Trish Martin.

After a few years of answering questions and leading tours for guests at Pontiac Lodge, Doc began offering complimentary public tours, funded by gratuity only.

"I've got to pay my way if I want to stay here all summer," Mr. Crain said of his tours, but his primary goal is always to show visitors the true depth of Mackinac's appeal.

"I want people to understand the 'more' of Mackinac Island," he said. "There's history, there's nature, there's Indian mythology. It's a drop-dead-gorgeous place, and I want people to get a taste of that."

The tours expose visitors to everything from the history of Fort Mackinac and Straits fur traders to the Indian legends of Gitchie Manitou. Even the local wildflowers become part of Doc's show.

"So much more is going on than what is available on the surface," he said. "I just love being part of this whole history."

The tours, while scenic in themselves, are punctuated by Doc's lively storytelling and humorous anecdotes, and his full-toned rendition of "1101 Leslie Avenue," a song he penned himself about his favorite place on the Island.

"I work hard at it," Doc said. "There's plenty of laughter, there's plenty of learning. Essentially, I perform almost eight hours a day, six days a week. Having an audience really punches my buttons."

The walking tour takes visitors up through Marquette Park, with stops along the way for everything from questions to nature lessons about what poison ivy looks like in the sun and in the shade. After promenading along the East Bluff, Mr. Crain takes his tourists through small, well-wooded trails with cedarneedle carpets that lead to Robinson's Folly, Arch Rock, Sugar Loaf, and Skull Cave.

The biking tour, which begins at 10 a.m. at Mackinac Wheels Bike Shop, takes visitors around the Island to Arch Rock, Fort Holmes, British Landing and along many trails that wind through the Island. Doc does not permit rental tandems, and all bikes must be multi-gear to effectively ride the tour.

For many, the highlight of his tour is Sugar Loaf, a 75-foot natural limestone formation rising out of the forest floor.

"It's one of my favorite places, too," he said. "They all have fun, and that's

the important thing," he said of his patrons. "I want people to have fun on Mackinac, and I just don't think there's enough of that, because I have fun here every day.

"As soon as somebody shows up," he said, "I realize that I don't do it for the dollars, I don't even do it to promote the Island, but because somehow, inside me, I want people to have a good time here. This is my 13th season, on my way to forever."

While it is his primary source of income during the summer, Doc doesn't see his tours as drudgery.

"It's literally a walk in the park," he said. "What a deal!"

Doc's walking and biking tours are offered six days a week, weather permitting. The bicycling tour, recommended for more physically active visitors, meets at Mackinac Wheels Bike Shop and runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. each morning. The walking tour, a lighter excursion into Mackinac's roots, meets at Father Marquette Statue in Marquette Park at 2 p.m. and usually runs until about 4:30 p.m.