August 2012
The centerpiece of our Michigan vacation and reason for making the trip was Mackinac Island. It sits in the Straits of Mackinac between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan. Once you take a ferry to the island from Mackinaw City (yes it's spelled different from the island), transportation on the island consists of bicycles, horses and your own two feet. Motorized vehicles are banned on the island. The slower pace and lack of traffic and pollution makes for a very relaxing vacation. Besides taking a carriage tour of the island, spending a day at Grand Hotel and doing a lot of walking, we also rented bikes and rode up into the state park. An added bonus was staying up late at night watching the Summer Olympics from London on Canadian TV. We purposely ate at a different restaurant for every meal, though most meals included whitefish of some sort because it is so delicious. Thank goodness for the biking and walking because between meals we ate our weight in fudge from the 17 fudge shops on the island.
You know it's a small airport when your name is on a sign in the terminal!
Waiting for the ferry to Mackinac Island
Star Line Mackinac Island ferry
Round Island Lighthouse sits on the island next to Mackinac Island
Approaching Mackinac Island
The yellow building in the center is our hotel
We stayed at Main Street Inn and Suites
Entrance of Main Street Inn and Suites
Hotel shuttles on Mackinac Island are horse drawn too
Hotel Iroquois
One of many colorful cottages
We ate at Pink Pony Bar and Grill while waiting for our room to be ready
The bedroom in our suite
Our suite had a huge living room
Our suite had a huge living room
From our window we could watch people rent bikes and try to remember how to ride them
The view from our balcony
The game room was around the corner from our suite
Grand Hotel's carriages are unmistakable
The island post office has a parking lot out front for bikes
Entering Fort Mackinac
Mackinac Island State Park covers much of the island
Marquette Park sits below the fort
That's the island trash truck
This guy was backing his trash dray down that hill. It was quite an impressive manuever
Brigadoon Bed and Breakfast
Island House Hotel was one of our 2nd choices for places to stay
Taken at Mission Point Resort, if this doesn't say tranquility and peace, I don't know what does
The Gazebo at Mission Point Resort
Fort Mackinac sits high above Main Street
Fort Mackinac
Mackinac Island's bustling Main Street
Doud's Market is America's oldest grocery store
This store front was Baxter's Coin Shop in Somewhere in Time. Now it's a Somewhere in Time shop.
My mother tried out the rocker outside our hotel
The ferry we arrived aboard, Shepler's
The early morning view from our balcony
Watching everyone go about their business early in the morning on Main Street was a lot of fun
Mission Point Resort shuttle
My mother outside of our suite
Greeted by a turtle as we approach the entrance of Main Street Inn and Suites
The luggage porters get ready for another day of arrivals
Livery carriage
Morning deliveries to the island's many restaurants are made by horse drawn dray
Some carriages are fancier than others
Getting the horses ready before we leave for our tour
Murdick's Fudge was the first of 17 fudge stores on the island
Doud's Market is America's oldest grocery store
Approaching Grand Hotel by carriage
The Michigan governor's summer residence
Grand Hotel's carriages are unmistakable
Studebaker sprinkler
The Mackinac Island hearse is still removed from the Surrey Hill Carriage Museum when it needs to be used
Three Belgian draft horses are required to pull the massive carriages up into the state park
Three Belgian draft horses are required to pull the massive carriages up into the state park
Sleighs at the Grand Hotel Stables
Grand Hotel Stables
I couldn't have asked for a better pose if I wanted to
The Grand Hotel staff keeps their horses looking good
The employee parking lot
Waiting to catch a three horse hitch into the state park
Even the street sweeper is horse drawn
Getting the horses "fueled" for a trip up into the state park
Fort Cemetery
Fort Mackinac shooting range
A carriage from Grand Hotel in Fort Mackinac
Arch Rock is a popular rock formation on Mackinac Island
Looking down to the shoreline from Arch Rock
We were on Mackinac Island during the London 2012 Summer Olympics
One of the towers at Fort Mackinac
Fort Mackinac
Entering Fort Mackinac via the avenue of flags
We had lunch at the Fort Mackincac Tea Room which is owned by Grand Hotel
The view from our table at the Fort Mackinac Tea Room
The view from our table at the Fort Mackinac Tea Room
Trinity Church
Looking across to Grand Hotel from Fort Mackinac
Looking out from Fort Mackinac
Fort Mackinac overlooks Marquette Park
Cannon firing demonstration at Fort Mackinac
Soldiers' quarters at Fort Mackinac
Musket firing demonstration at Fort Mackinac
Musket firing demonstration at Fort Mackinac
Musket firing demonstration at Fort Mackinac
Every home on Mackinac is picturesque
Joann's Fudge was directly below our suite
Joann's Fudge was directly below our suite
We ate our weight in fudge while on Mackinac Island
Crowded bike parking on Mackinac Island is a common sight
Saint Anne's Church
Mission Church
Mile zero on M-185, the only state highway that doesn't allow motor vehicles
The Straights of Mackinac are also an important shipping channel
I ate whitefish dip every chance I got. This one was at Cawthorne's Village Inn.
Cawthorne's Village Inn is known for its delicious planked whitefish
Cawthorne's Village Inn is known for its delicious planked whitefish
This sea gull spent a lot of time hanging around outside our balcony
Looking down Main Street to Windermere Point from our balcony
The luggage porters on Mackinac Island perform daring feats of balance on their bikes full of luggage
The beer wagon makes its deliveries
Little Stone Church
Grand Hotel is the centerpiece of Mackinac Island
Grand Hotel's logo in topiary form
If you want to visit Grand Hotel, you better be dressed appropriately
Carriages come and go from Grand Hotel
Grand Hotel's Parlor with its signature geranium carpet
Afternoon tea is held here in the Grand Hotel Parlor each day
Grand Hotel's porch goes on forever
This year is the 125th anniversary of Grand Hotel, the centerpiece of Mackinac Island
Mackinac Bridge as seen from Grand Hotel's porch
Grand Hotel's porch goes on forever
You can't visit Mackinac Island and not take a picture sitting on the famous Grand Hotel porch
You can't visit Mackinac Island and not take a picture sitting on the famous Grand Hotel porch
Watching carriages pull up to the majestic Grand Hotel, you begin to believe you've travelled back in time
A game of giant chess, anyone?
Grand Hotel is the centerpiece of Mackinac Island
Round Island Lighthouse sits on the island next to Mackinac Island
Grand Hotel's geraniums are like no other
Watching carriages pull up to the majestic Grand Hotel, you begin to believe you've travelled back in time
The Esther Williams pool at Grand Hotel
Out on the lawn at Grand Hotel
As if Grand Hotel wasn't relaxing enough, they offfer The Labrynth as a place of quiet meditation
As if Grand Hotel wasn't relaxing enough, they offfer The Labrynth as a place of quiet meditation
Bean bag toss on the lawn
Perfect place to hang a painting
The end of the boardwalk along M-185
Mackinac Island's pristine shoreline
Saint Ignace is the closest town to Mackinac Island on the Upper Penninsula
Grand Hotel's greenhouse is where all of the amazing geraniums come from
Grand Hotel's greenhouse is where all of the amazing geraniums come from
Now that's what I call a grand entrance (no pun intended)
Watching carriages pull up to the majestic Grand Hotel, you begin to believe you've travelled back in time
Afternoon tea is held here in the Grand Hotel Parlor each day
Afternoon tea is held here in the Grand Hotel Parlor each day
Grand Hotel's tribute to the movie Somewhere in Time which was filmed here
Grand Hotel's tribute to the movie Somewhere in Time which was filmed here
For those hot summer days
Grand Hotel's weather center
The front desk at Grand Hotel
You might remember the concierge desk at Grand Hotel from Somewhere in Time
Grand Hotel's dining room reminds me of being on a cruise ship.
Grand Hotel's Cupola Bar is the highest point in the massive building
It's impossible to not be relaxed on Grand Hotel's front porch
Grand Hotel's driveway in a rare empty moment
Looking down Grand Hotel Boulevard
I'm not sure why there's a British phone booth here, but it's cool nonetheless.
My mother outside the massive Grand Hotel
Looking down Grand Hotel Boulevard
One of Star Line Ferry's boats leaves the island
Round Island Passage Light
People find a lot of places to relax on Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island Public School has about 40 students. They ride ther snowmobiles to school in the winter.
A bluff with a view
This marks the spot where one of the pivotal moments in the movie Somewhere in Time was filmed
Someone has to clean up the "horse exhaust."
A Star Line ferry passes the Mackinac Bridge
Ducks in the surf
Taking advantage of some Golden Hour light
Spectacular sunsets were a nightly occurence
Spectacular sunsets were a nightly occurence
Round Island Lighthouse at sunset
My mother on our balcony
My mother on our balcony above Joann's Fudge shop
Parallel parking has a whole different meaning on Mackinac Island
Joann's Fudge was directly below our suite
The luggage porters on Mackinac Island perform daring feats of balance on their bikes full of luggage
Mackinac Island Police Station and Court House
Metivier Inn
Lots of horses, means lots of hay
Cawthorne's Village Inn by Grand Hotel is famous for their planked whitefish
Looking down to the Fort Mackinac shooting range from Fort Holmes
Not much remains of Fort Holmes
Fort Holmes is at the highest point on the island
Sugar Loaf is a 75-foot limestone rock
My mother on her rental bike in Mackinac Island State Park
Me, on my rental bike in Harrisonville, aka The Village. This is where the year round residents of Mackinac Island live.
When you think about the fact there there are no cars here, you realize you can get a speeding ticket on your bike.
This little bat was confused and hanging out in the daylight.
Seabiscuit Cafe is the only restaurant we ate at twice
Seabiscuit Cafe is the only restaurant we ate at twice
Yankee Rebel Tavern was one of many fantastic restaurants we ate at
Harborview Dining Room was one of the first restaurants we ate at and where I became addicted to whitefish.
Yes, even UPS deliveries by horse and carriage on Mackinac Island
One of the very few motor vehicles on the island, the ambulance
We had a lunch at Mustang Lounge
Our hotel was conveniently across Main Street from a bike rental place
Mackinac Island Library
These Canada geese aren't all that far from home
Enjoying the beautiful weather on the shore of the Straits
I couldn't have timed this photo better if I'd tried
Watch the movie Somewhere in Time and you'll understand this photo
Our hotel, Main Street Inn and Suites, at dusk
Our hotel, Main Street Inn and Suites, at dusk
Night falls over Main Street
Another amazing sunset
Mackinac Bridge at sunset
Mackinac Bridge at sunset
Main Street is just as picturesque at night
Heading out on Shepler's Ferry
One last look at Grand Hotel
Leaving Mackinac Island and heading back to reality
Mackinac Bridge
Mackinac Bridge
Approaching Mackinaw City (yes, it's spelled differently than the island.)
Back at Pellston Regional Airport to rent a car
This is the terminal at Pellston Airport, all of it
We stopped in Grayling for lunch at the cool old Grayling Restaurant