Transportation and Tour Business on Island Is an All-Weather Job
by Candice C. Dunnigan

Being in the transportation and tour business on Mackinac Island is not for the faint of heart, nor is it a fairweather affair. Since our main means of moving people, equipment, and supplies relies on horse-drawn power, that demands that the equines who work here are, in fact, on call to work in some capacity around the clock, every day of the week. You can tell that autumn has arrived when the line-up of hourlies waiting at the foot of Fort Hill has shortened. Carriages, horses, and drivers are reduced, as the seasonal ebb and flow of Mackinac tourism is shaped by the calendar, as well as the weather. Yet, these can be some of the best days on the Island, when October rolls around.

The place takes on a special look, as the vistas from the bluff reveal shimmering silver waters, mists, and rich, golden colors. When it rains this time of year, it either pours, or the constant drizzle makes a steely cold pattern on the harness and back of the horses. Drivers dress in layers of foul-weather gear, much different than that of summer. They layer themselves in long underwear, hobnailed work boots, hooded work jackets, yellow slickers, and they usually have an extra pair of socks and gloves on hand. Drivers spend a lot of time just sitting, and that can be miserable. They like it when they're moving. The same with the horses.

Joe Plaza of Arrowhead Carriages

The equines' coats have already become denser. You can see it when the horses arrive downtown in the morning, looking clean but a little damp, as the thickening hair is harder to dry. These hourlies usually arrive in town around 10 a.m. The carriages have all been hosed, and passenger blankets have been placed in the seats for an easy reach, something that normally is not used in summer. Many days the side curtains are also snapped onto the vehicles, to keep out wind or rain.

Our two main guided passenger tour operations are the Mackinac Island Carriage Tours hourly rentals, and Arrowhead Carriages. There is a third private hourly company, Gough's Livery, which operates one carriage. All of them are still in operation in October. Any of them can be booked from off-Island, or from your hotel, bed and breakfast, cottage, or home, to pick up two to six passengers for an hourly guided tour. They often are very busy on the weekends in the fall, with the wedding trade or conventions. Depending on the trade, they stay in town until 3 p.m. or 5 p.m. in the afternoon.

A sure sign of autumn, the "hourlies" line shortens at the foot of the Fort Hill.

One person comes to mind, when I bike by Marquette Park this time of year - Joe Plaza. For 27 years, Joe has been a daily fixture at what we all refer to as "Doud's corner." No matter the day, no matter the weather, Joe is there, next to the lineup, booking the carriages. Joe is the owner and chief operator for the second largest carriage livery on Mackinac, Arrowhead Carriages. But he can book them all at the spot.

Joe originally came to the Island because he was married to an Islander. He was reared in southeastern Michigan, in and around the Wyandotte area and the environs of greater Detroit. Joe did not grow up around horses. In fact, he has a mortuary science degree from Wayne State University. His first business endeavor on the Island was in the restaurant business, owning a little place that was in the back of the Bayview Bed and Breakfast, called the Crow's Nest. He later was a business partner on Main Street, with a popular establishment called The Pub. Somehow, the "horse thing" got to him.

In 1981, Joe bought his first team of horses and carriages. He named his company Arrowhead, after an eatery and lounge in Manistique, in the Upper Peninsula, that he had owned. His carriage operation expanded over the decades by trial and error, as he learned the ins and outs. His headquarters, as well as his home, are on Hoban Street. His horses are housed in standing stalls in a barn, along with turnouts, all very close to his house. There is a large lot where the carriages are parked and washed. He also has a space there for the shoeing of his teams.

During this time of year, as

During this time of year, as in early spring, he operates with a smaller schedule of hours, drivers, and horses. Currently, there are four carriages with drivers that daily do tours or special events. The main horses used for the Arrowhead operation are drafts, or draft crosses such as Belgians and Percherons. He also has a pair of flashy pintocolored cross drafts and a set of smaller Standardbreds.

Joe will live on Mackinac through the fall, until the season ends. He makes the trip down and back from town each day on his bicycle.

Off-Island in early spring, Joe will find himself at the large horse auctions in Topeka, Indiana, looking for possible equine additions to his workforce. In addition to carriages, Joe also owns drays for heavy hauling, and also for working new teams. Constant work and maintenance on the carriages requires workmen and supervision, as well as advance bookings.

In his limited leisure time, Joe is also an accomplished musician. At the age of 77, he plays a mean jazz clarinet, and saxophone. On occasion, he has performed some great jazz on the Island, at the Mustang, and a few other spots. There is one day every year in which, for a few hours, Joe will not be found at Doud's corner with Arrowhead, but right on Main Street itself. The musical Mr. Plaza is also a clown in the famed Scottville Clown Marching Band, which every year is the closing act for the Lilac Day Parade.

Candice Dunnigan is an active member of the American Equestrian Association, the Waterloo Hunt, and the Mackinac Horsemen's Association. Seasonally she resides at Easterly Cottage.