Mackinac Island

My husband asked #5 what she wanted to do on her trip, her response was parasailing, paddle boarding, horse back riding and have a massage. His response was, “I know just where we are going”! Mackinac Island! It was absolutely wonderful! They say it is like stepping back in time. Remember the movie “Somewhere In Time”? Christopher Reeve is transported back in time to 1912. You truly feel as though you are transported back in time. Literally! You arrive on the island via a ferry and the moment you step off that boat, your magical journey begins.

Mackinac Island is located in Lake Huron and was long ago home to an Odawa settlement before European colonization began in the 17th century. It was a fur trading post, with Fort Mackinac being constructed by the British during the American Revolutionary War and also the site of two battles during the War of 1812.

In the late 19th century, Mackinac Island became a popular tourist destination with the entire island listed as a National Historic Landmark. More than 80% of the island is Mackinac Island State Park, which was actually the first state park in our country.

The most fascinating quality of the island is since 1898, its ban on all motor vehicles except emergency, city service and snowmobiles in the winter. Travel is by foot, bicycle, horse or horse drawn carriage. It is because of this, that on an island with only 583 year round residents, over 600 horses arrive each spring to aid in the transportation of thousands of summer visitors.

The architectural style of the island spans 300 years, with many notable structures. My favorite is the Grand Hotel, which opened on July 10, 1887 after taking only 93 days to complete. Carleton Varney decorated the Grand Hotel in late 19th century decor. He purposely designed each of the 388 rooms different from one another, in at least one aspect. The front porch of the Grand Hotel is the longest in the world at 660 ft and overlooks the Tea Garden and Ester Williams swimming pool. The Secret Garden at the Grand Hotel is truly spectacular and our granddaughter delighted in playing hide and seek, as there are many paths to meander on!

There is a dress code, which I know sounds a little off putting but in reality, was quite lovely. Prior to 6:30 pm guests are asked to refrain from wearing midriff baring tops, sweatpants, cut off shorts and graphic T-shirts. As evening falls, the Grand Hotel transforms into quiet sophistication and guests partake in the 139 year tradition of “dressing up”! We enjoyed listening to a harpist and grand piano playing softly in the background as we strolled thru the parlor and danced the night away in the Terrace Room.

Another fun bit of trivia is that all the under hangs are painted robins egg blue! This is to camoflouge them as the sky, thus preventing birds and insects from setting up housekeeping! It clearly did the trick, as there was not a speck of cobweb or nest to be seen.

We woke up each morning and dined alfresco, overlooking the golf course.

Day one started with a carriage tour of the island.

Arch rock is an iconic natural landmark of the island, made of limestone, carved by erosion over thousands of years. It stands 146 feet above ground, stretching 50 feet across.

Fort Mackinac!

Parasailing!

Grand Hotel from the air!

Poolside!

Relaxing on the front porch!

Our dinner reservations for the evening were at Woods Restaurant! This remote, opulent Tudor mansion, offering Bavarian charm is nestled on the interior of the island, a short carriage ride from the Grand Hotel.

After our return carriage ride, we stopped at Sadies Ice cream Parlor for dessert. Sadies Ice Cream Parlor is named after the Scottish terrier, Sadie, who won “Best In Show” at the 2010 Westminster Dog Show.

Lastly, “tripping the light fantastic” in the ballroom before retiring for the evening.

Day two started with cycling around the island. The entire route is 8.2 miles! We of course had to make a pit stop for fried pickles!

Lunch was served on the patio of the Gate House, one of 13 restaurants at Grand Hotel! We could actually see our balcony from where we were sitting!

The afternoon activity was a couples massage at Mission Point Resort!

It was AMAZING!!!!

Dinner at the Pink Pony with the renowned WhiteFish dip!

Afterwards we strolled the beach and took sunset pictures!

The Secret Garden is truly breathtaking. There are over 27,000 bulbs planted each fall, including 18,000 tulips, 8,000 hyacinth and 1000 daffodil.

Hide-n-seek!

Day three started with horseback riding!

After lunch, we headed to the beach to kayak!

We had to abandon our trip as a fellow kayaker capsized, twice and our guide sent us to shore!

It was still fun albeit shorter than planned.

This gave us the opportunity to fully explore the fudge making process of the island!

Mackinac Island has a total of 13 different fudge shops, some having more than one location. We tried them ALL! Murdicks Fudge was hands down our favorite! It all began in 1887. The family moved to Mackinac Island as father and son, Henry and Jerome Murdick, were commissioned to make awnings for the Grand Hotel. Mrs Murdick made fudge from her family recipe and the rest is history! “Fudgies” is the affectionette nickname given for tourists who visit for the fudge. Mackinac Island sells 10,000 lbs of fudge daily, during peak season.

We so enjoyed our afternoon pool respite, which was definitely needed after our busy day!

Once again relaxing on the front porch, taking in the beauty of our treasured surroundings!

One of my favorite parts of the island was our ability to literally walk wherever we went. The ambience we experienced was a visual and mental cornucopia of delights!

Flowers are everywhere!

A little shopping spree at Pink Pony!

Dinner was at The Yankee Rebel.

As our trip could not possibly have been any more perfect, to add a cherry on top, we had a fireworks display, which we watched from our balcony. The Chicago Yacht Club, race to Mackinac took place July 18-22. This is the longest, annual freshwater race in the world. The Mac, as it is affectionately called, draws 3,000 sailors competing in a world-class event, running 289 nautical miles, taking between 40-60 hours. This year marked the Chicago Yacht Clubs 150 year anniversary and was celebrated with a spectacular fireworks display on the last night!

Saying goodbye to our beloved island was not easy! How could it be over so fast? My father would say at the end of a vacation, that the best part are our memories, as they will last a lifetime!