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.