Wine and Spirits Travel

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.

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 downtow

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 i

Ever since the first time I saw photos of Mackinac Island , I couldn’t wait to go there.  It was one of those places that would require a long drive and the timing never seemed right. When I finally did commit to making the trip, there was nothing that was going to stop me. My friend Lisa and I left early in the morning and drove through the day to make sure we would catch the last ferry in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula from Mackinaw City to Mackinac Island. It was a bit disappointing that it was raining when we boarded the Arnold Transit ferry, but they had indoor seating and it was a very short (less than a half hour) ride to the island. Along the way we had a view of the Mackinac Bridge, which connects Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Mackinaw City . We were told that the “shuttle” would take us, as well as our luggage, to our hotel. What we didn’t realize until we arrived was that shuttle was synonymous with horse and buggy on this island! We walked a bit in town