October 9 – Mackinac Island

We take a 20-minute hydro-jet ferry, (complete with rooster tail) across the straits to Mackinac Island. Boat or plane is the only way to get there unless the ice is strong in the winter months and then a snow mobile will do. We sit on the boat’s upper deck and enjoy a panoramic view.

Notice the Rooster Tail

Grand Hotel from the Boat

View from Pier

The island is only 4 ½ square miles. Much of it is preserved parkland but there is a small downtown, historic buildings and quaint residences all within walking distance of the pier. There are two spellings: Mackinac and Mackinaw, the first is the native spelling, but is pronounced "mackinaw", if you pronounce the "ac" you're a tourist.

Adorable Residence

The shops are small, and the majority seem to sell fudge. It’s fun to explore up one side of Main Street and down the other.

Main Street

No motorized vehicles are allowed on the island. There are hundreds of bikes to rent, (and a trail that goes all the way around the island), and dozens of horse-drawn carriages. We choose the horses. Our driver gives us an hour-long tour.

Porch Pig

Carriage House

We find a spectacular view at lunch on the water at the Pink Pony restaurant. Our table is within splashing distance.

The Pink Pony

We wander the back streets to enjoy the charming homes then follow the sidewalk uphill to the Grand Hotel.

The Post Office

The Grand Hotel

The Grand Hotel charges 10 bucks to enter.  A woman stands on the sidewalk outside and intercepts anyone moving towards the entrance and collects the fee. It’s not a surprise, there are signs posted along the walkway announcing the policy. It’s huge and historic, (opened in 1887) and gorgeous so we pay up.

There are 393 guest rooms and no two have the same décor. From what we can see the designer loves bright colors, (lime green, hot pink, RED), huge flowers on a black background, floral prints and wide stripes. Quite distinctive, and absolutely not my taste.

We walk by the ice cream parlor, an open-air florist, (the distinctive florist smell permeates a section of the lobby) and a market. Photographs of famous guests line one wall. Politicians, (including presidents), entertainers, and sports figures have all visited. In 1980 the movie “Somewhere in Time”, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, was filmed here.

We take the elevator to the fourth floor and then walk up a slanted staircase to the Cupola Bar at the tip-top of the old building. Windows line the room providing a 360-degree view of the perfectly groomed grounds, the Esther Williams swimming pool and the Mackinac Strait beyond.

View from the Cupola Bar

When we wander downstairs again tea and cookies are being served in the vestibule. Probably just for paying guests, but hey, we paid too, so we enjoy a cookie or two and then step outside onto the world’s longest porch, (seriously, it’s the length of two football fields) choose a rocking chair from a vast collection and enjoy the moment.

View from the Porch

Back on the ferry then happily back to our modest trailer lodgings.

Lodging:

Lakeshore Park

West 1234 Pointe La Barbe Road

St Ignace, Michigan

(906) 643-9522