Mackinac to Saugatuck

It was a beautiful morning on Mackinac Island, where my friend, Lynn, and I were staying at the Grand Hotel.

Fortunately, we weren’t in a hurry to leave and could enjoy the hotel and the island until the afternoon.

We went to the main dining room for another breakfast with just about anything you could possibly want. We were always greeted with a fresh, warm basket of baked breads and pastries.

Everything was delicious and the service spot on.

  

We took our time and packed up our room at the Grand Hotel, enjoying a little time on the balcony taking in the spectacular view for the last time.

After we checked out, we took the horse drawn carriage to downtown, where our luggage would be store while we walked around.

Downtown Mackinac Island is filled with shops for souvenirs, clothing, and fudge. I certainly couldn’t leave without taking some with me.

We decided on the Pink Pony, a well-known bar and grill, for lunch before we got on Shepler’s Ferry back to St. Ignace.

The ride was smooth and quick and we were soon in the car driving to Michigan’s lower peninsula. I had arranged for us, rather than take an eight-hour drive home, to stay over night in Saugatuck, about halfway in between.

The Hotel Saugatuck is a beautiful property on the Kalamazoo River, just a few minutes from the shoreline of Lake Michigan.

It’s a bed & breakfast with attention to luxurious details. In addition to the rooms, there are cottages across the parking lot, for a total of 18 accommodations.

The entrance to the hotel is welcoming, with a fireplace and piano. We were taken to our suite, the Blue Star Room, which had its own fireplace.

One of the specialties of this hotel is that they bring to your room a homemade “sweet treat” each night. For our stay it was blueberry mousse).

I wasn’t feeling well after a long day and decided to stay in and rest. Lynn went on her own for a drive to check out the area.

I would still have the next day to see more of Saugatuck.  

The Best of Mackinac Island

It was a beautiful morning on a most amazing island.

I fell in love with Mackinac Island on my first trip and this time was no different. My friend, Lynn, and I had arrived at the Grand Hotel the day before and were ready to explore.

Most of the people who stay at this resort take the dinner and breakfast package, and that’s what the hotel had provided for us.

After taking some time to once again enjoy the view from our balcony, we headed to the main dining room.

The buffet at the Grand Hotel, from which I decided to take a little of a few different items to have with a smoothie and coffee, was extensive, as was the menu. 

Included were items such as Apricot Cream Cheese Brioche French Toast and steak and eggs. The basket of freshly baked breads was also always on the table.

After breakfast, we headed down to the front entrance. Mackinac Island does not have motorized vehicles. Instead of asking the bellman to get a cab, we needed to get a horse drawn carriage to bring us downtown.

We were going to spend the day with Mackinac Island Carriage Tours. I had done the tour previously and it’s the perfect way to get a real feel for the island.

The tour had changed some since the last time I took it as it had a stop in the middle for shopping and a carriage change. It still covered all of the highlights of this one-of-a-kind island.

We saw the sites on Market Street as Mackinac’s history came to life. We went to the Parade Ground, and saw some of the town’s Bed & Breakfast accommodations and stores. Then, we went to Mackinac Island State Park and Fort Mackinac for the most breathtaking spots in the Midwest.

After the tour, we checked out a few stores and picked up some fudge. Mackinac Island is famous for its fudge and you can get samples and purchase unique flavors at a dozen different shops.

When we returned to the Grand Hotel, we stopped at Sadie’s Ice Cream Parlor, where we enjoyed local flavors, Mackinac Island Fudge and Michigan Deer Traxx (Peanut butter cup and chocolate fudge in vanilla ice cream).

It was time for a rest before another delicious dinner that included pork chops and filet, with all the trimmings and a delicious dessert.

Then, we headed out to the porch, enjoying some wine on our final night on Mackinac Island.

Welcome Return to Mackinac Island

I was enjoying my time in the UP of Michigan and it got even better when my friend, Lynn, joined me. We have known each other for 30 years and have done many trips together in the last 10.

We woke up at the Alger Falls Motel in Munising and got ready to hit the road. Our final stop was one of my favorite places in the world, Mackinac Island.

Along the way, we veered off to a few places that had scenic overlooks. I couldn’t get enough of the beauty of the lake and the landscapes, which includes waterfalls everywhere.

We stopped for lunch in Grand Marais, once again overlooking the water. It’s a quaint town, home of the Pickle Barrell Museum, I’d like to visit again someday.

From there we drove to Ferry from St. Ignace to take the ferry to Mackinac Island. This was my second trip to the Island I had so greatly loved a few years ago.

It’s hard to describe Mackinac Island to someone who hasn’t been, though you can get a good idea by watching the Christopher Reeve movie Somewhere in Time. It’s a place that has remained back in time, with no motorized vehicles allowed.

Mackinac Island is in the middle of Lake Huron and surrounded by natural beauty. You can only get there by boat. There are ferries from Mackinaw City in addition to the one we took from St. Ignace. The ride is only about 15 minutes.

I had made arrangements for us to stay at The Grand Hotel and its name says it all. It’s on the list of Historic Hotels of America and certainly deserves to be there.

There was a horse and buggy waiting at the pier when we arrived. We climbed inside and they put our luggage on another horse drawn cart to take us to the hotel.

We were immediately mesmerized by the longest porch in the world, sparkling white and adorned with flags. You can also see the Straits of Mackinac and the Mackinac Bridge from the hotel.

Inside, we were greeted and taken to our room, which was beautifully decorated. Each of the 397 rooms has its own personality. There was a box of Mackinac Island Fudge waiting for us, a reminder of the dozen different fudge shops on the island. We also had a beautiful view from our balcony.

After a rest, we dressed for dinner, which is a must at the Grand. Most of those in the dining room adhered to a semi-formal attire for the white glove service.

The waiters were very attentive and we had a spectacular five-course dinner. It started with a grilled pineapple and ham appetizer, continued with salads, had cream of mushroom and gazpacho soups, included Beef Medalions and Spinach Asiago Ravioli, and ended with a delicious Marshmallow Nutella Bread Pudding for Lynn and cheesecake for me.

The menu changes every night, with choices in every section. It reminded me a bit of staying at the Catskills when I was younger. This was a lot more formal and I didn’t mind at all. It’s nice to dress up and be waited on once in a while!

After dinner, we went outside to see the sunset. It was too cloudy, but it was a warm night and we sat on the porch and listened to the music played in the parlor inside.

It was the perfect way to end our first day back on Mackinac Island.

Birthday Along Pictured Rocks

It was my birthday and I planned to spend it enjoying the beauty of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

I was staying at the Alger Falls Motel in Munising. The tourism board had arranged a two boat rides for me the day before and I had another one to go. It was a beautiful day for it too.

The Pictured Rocks Cruises is the one I was looking forward to the most because it highlights the most beautiful rock formations in this area.

I had the tour scheduled for the morning and it did not disappoint. The sites are just breathtaking, from Miners Castle to Painted Coves and Lovers Leap. It reminded me a lot of some of the things
I saw in Los Cabos, Mexico.

There were kayakers below us seeing Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore from a whole different angle. I have to admit I was a bit jealous that I wasn’t able-bodied enough to join them.

After I got off the ship, I decided to take a drive around town. Munising is a fairly small town considering it has one of the most spectacular spots in the Midwest.

There are local shops and restaurants along the main road. I looked around a little and stopped at the Frozen Flamingo for ice cream.

Before I headed back to the motel for a rest, I went to Horseshoe Falls. I heard it was one of the most accessible of the many waterfalls in this area and that was true.

Horseshoe Falls has an easy to follow walking path to and around the falls. I loved the signs along with way with Native American sayings, as well as information about the falls. There is also a large spring that comes into the area.

I picked up my friend Lynn from Escanaba airport in the evening. I had looked around for a restaurant for a nice birthday dinner and found one not far from there in Gladstone.

The Freshwater Tavern had both atmosphere, overlooking Lake Michigan, and delicious food (even the rolls).

Before we headed back to the Alger Motel in Munising, we took a scenic drive along Lake Superior for the sunset.  

Although my time in this town was coming toward, there was lots more Michigan to come.