Monday, June 11, 2018, Mackinac Island

We made our long anticipated visit to Mackinac Island today. It certainly was a beautiful day, sunny and mid-60s. We took the 9:30 ferry called the "Mighty Mac" departure (25 minutes instead of the standard 16 minute trip time).

The "Mighty Mac" tour does not cost any more, you just need to pick the right departure time.

Instead of going directly to the island it diverted under the bridge into Lake Michigan before swinging back into Lake Huron and on to Mackinac Island. I wore a light jacket which was good because I would have been miserable without it. The boat races along at nearly 30 knots and there was a hefty early morning breeze. Of course, we sat on the open upper deck for the view.

The ferry drops you right onto Lake Shore Drive. Mackinac Island is known as the fudge capital of the world. They craft 10,000 pounds of fudge daily - yes daily! - during the peak tourist season. While sampling fudge is a favorite pastime for visitors, I managed to keep my dignity intact and never gave in to the temptation.

While there are no cars on the island, there are plenty of bicycles and horse-drawn vehicles, so you have to watch your step.

Dowd's Market, opened in 1884, is the oldest continuously operating family owned grocery store in the United States. Surprisingly, their prices, at least what we saw, were not too outrageous! I suppose a picnic could be an option if you were not in the mood for any of the island's other dining options. 

The Grand Hotel, when built in 1887, offered rooms between $3 and $5 per night. Today the 393 rooms start at $319 per night and their finest suite is a mere $2,415 per night. Of course, breakfast and dinner are complimentary.

No need to stay the night, for $10 you can wander to your heart's content. If you lunch at the Main Dining Buffet, your $10 will be applied toward the bill.

We opted for the buffet in the Grand Hotel main dining room. The room was huge and it was packed. We sampled a little bit of everything including roasted duck and pate. The smoked whitefish paired well with the ham and asparagus for me. Each time I wandered down the serving line loading up new and different entrees I was surprised how far it was back to our table.

When we could not possibly eat another bite, we moved out to the porch where we found a pair of empty rocking chairs. It felt really comfortable soaking up the warm sunshine while we let our meals settle a bit.

We watched the movie Somewhere in Time last night (filmed in the Grand Hotel in 1980, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour) so it was fresh in my mind. I thought that we should visit room 416 where Richard Collier stayed.

There was no fanfare or indication at all that the room, or at least its number, had any connection with the movie.

Meanwhile, down at Jane's room, I mean Elise's room, the walls were covered with memorabilia.

As we wandered the halls Joani managed to peek in one of the suites as it was being cleaned up. I'm pretty sure it was larger than our entire motorhome.

From the two-story Cupola Bar, above the fourth floor, we enjoyed a beautiful panoramic view of the island and a very unique chandelier.

A beautiful Venetian glass chandelier spans the two-story Cupola Bar.

I thought the Round Island lighthouse was picturesque. We had a difficult time narrowing the dozen or so pictures down to just one. 

If the Grand Hotel seems a little cramped and you have some extra cash, maybe one of these summer cottages would be the way to wile away a few months each summer. We never saw anything actually for sale, but I'm sure you could make someone an offer they couldn't refuse.

Mackinac Island is known for its lilac bushes, first planted in 1870. The island is home to all 23 lilac species, some 400 varieties and thousands of individual plants. They were everywhere and they were in various stages of blooming.

The largest lilacs on the Island have a stem diameter of more than 27 inches, making them the largest lilacs in the country, but not the oldest.

It seemed like most of the cottages on Lake Shore Drive had been converted into Inns or B and B's, but I didn't see any indication on the home below to indicate it was other than a private residence. I think I would get lost in there. I can imagine the owner rediscovering a room after years saying "oh yeah, I remember this one now".

Neither one of us thought we should spend our first trip to the island exploring Fort Mackinac - maybe on our next visit.

Everywhere the flowers, bushes and trees were bursting with color!

I don't know, but I'm guessing if you have a room key at the Grand Hotel this fellow would give you a lift.

We took the 5:30 ferry home. This time we sat inside where it was much more comfortable without the chilly wind in our faces. It was a long day and we were tired. I felt a little guilty about leaving Sam, but who knows, maybe he enjoys a little time alone. He certainly was happy to see us when we opened the door and I was ready to just relax and scratch his ears for a while - what a nice day!