I enjoy discovering new places. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to rest and relax on the island of Mackinac. It has a population year round of 589 residents, but during the summer time there are over a million visitors each year.
Some of you may be saying the island sounds familiar. In 1980 a movie was made here. "Somewhere in Time" with Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. I do believe this is the movie when I fell in love with the 6 ft. 4 in, blue eye heartthrob.
Mackinac is known for its car free roads, but filled with horse drawn carriages and bicycles. In 1898, the city government prohibited the "horseless carriages" because the vehicles scared the horses.
The only way to arrive to the island is by ferry or plane. My husband and I took the ferry from Mackinac City. The day we arrived it had been raining all day and it was overcast. At our 4 pm departure, there were only about thirty people on the catamaran. The ferry will hold up to 345 passengers. Normally it takes only about twenty minutes to cross Lake Heron to Mackinac, but due to the rain and strong winds, the ride was a bouncy thirty plus minutes to the harbor.
Approaching, one could see the long front porch of the Grand Hotel.
Arriving at the dock, a young man from the Harbour View Inn was there to retrieve our luggage. He balanced the luggage on the bike and off he went.
We were hungry and decided to look for a restaurant before walking to the Inn. Walking along the sidewalk, one was in awe in seeing only horse buggies and bicyclists. There was no smell of fumes or horns honking.
There was a nice selection of restuarants. Our decision for a restaurant was based on how soon we could be seated. In other words, no waiting. It was still early, so not as many people were looking for a place to eat.
Looking through the windows, there was a restaurant which had about three tables opened. We walked right in and was seated. Horn's Bar has been there since 1920. This restaurant is still in the family. Horn's is known as one of the fun places to go to at night filled with music and entertainment. They are known for their Mexican/southwestern dishes. I had the cheese enchiladas which were very tasty.
Finishing our meal, we walked to our place of lodging which was next door to St. Anne's Cathedral Church. Seeing all the different inns with the beautiful, floral landscaping, I couldn't control myself with taking one photo after another.
Approaching the Harbour View Inn, I was in awe of the beauty as I looked up the stairs to the two story mansion with a beautiful front porch and the second story veranda. This house was built after 1816. The woman who built this house, Madame LaFramboise, Native American(Ojibwe) fur trader of Mackinac Island was defnitely a woman who could take care of herself. She was widowed at the age of 27 with two small children and no money. Her late husband was a fur trader and she followed in his footsteps to keep the business going.
Think of the history of this 85-unit hotel. Through these doors, there have been fur traders, Native Americans, American army officers and well-known business people.
Next door to Harbour Inn View is St. Anne Church. The parish began as a mission church in the early 1700's. After the War of 1812, the parish was saved by the fur trader, Madeline La Fromboise. She donated the land for the church and worked with visitng priests to restore the church's status as a place of worship.
Before retiring to our room for the evening, my husband and I enjoyd a stroll down to Mission Point Resort., which is on the sunrise side of the island and is nestled among 18 acres of property with Lake Huron. It is a family-owned resort and features 241 guest rooms and suites, six restaurants, bike rentals, putt-putt golf, spa & salon and outdoor pool.
The next two days were spent in discovering the historical island.
As one walks through the town, you are always dodging a bicyclists(there are over 1,500 bicycles) and numerous horse buggies. Enjoy a horse-drawn taxi from one location to the next. There are approximately 600 horses which call Mackinaw home for the summer from carriage tours to horseback riding.
A tour through Fort Mackinac takes a person back in time. During the American Revolutionary War, the British built the fort to control the strategic traits of Mackinac between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron and control the fur trade on the Great Lakes. The fort became the scene of two strategic battles for control of the Great Lakes during the War of 1812. During most of the 19th century, it served as an outpost of the United States Army. It closed in 1895 and has been a museum since then.
The island also offers the lovely State Park with the beautiful forests. There are more than 70 miles of trails and paths on the island with beautiful limestone rock formations, breathtaking lake views and spectacular wildflowers.
M-185 encircles the island and is the only state highway where cars are banned. The loop is 8.2 miles.
For a more relaxing afternoon, one can enjoy the world's longest front porch, 600 ft long porch at the Grand Hotel. Our afternoon was spent sitting in the rocking chairs, sipping wine and enjoying the view of Lake Huron. The hotel also offers high tea. If you are not staying at the hotel, there is a $10 entrance fee to explore the lobby and other areas.
The Grand Hotel opened its doors in 1887 as a summer retreat for vacationers who traveled to Michigan by train and then a ferry or steamer to the island. It is a family business and is owned by the Musser Family. There are 397 guest rooms with no two guest rooms alike. In 2010, the Ice Cream Parlor was named Sadie's Ice Cream Parlor. The Musser's scottish terrier, Sadie, was awarded "Best in Show" at the 2010 Westminster Dog Show.
The swimming pool at the Hotel was named after Esther Williams(actress/competitive swimmer). In 1947, she starred in the "This Time for Keeps" and it was filmed at the Grand Hotel.
There are so many restaurants to select from. As well as enjoying the Horn's Gaslight Bar, we also had the pleasure to dine at a new taqueria, Verdes Taqueria. The tacos and guacamole were some of the best I ever had. Before catching the ferry back to Mackinac City, we were able to get a table on the waterfront of the Pink Pony and to enjoy their hamburgers and delicious sald with grilled salmon. This restaurant has been in business for 100 years. It began with 2 friends who decided to open a business and call it the "Pink Pony". The bar got its name from the pink carousel sign that hangs outside.
Mackinac Island is well known for its world-famous handmade fudge. Skilled candy makers have been making fudge for over 130 years. The sweet chocolate smell will draw you into the store, as you watch them make the fudge and then pour it onto the marble fudge cooling slabs.
Hotels, B&B's, Resorts... are waiting for your call.
The laughter of families being together puts joy into one's heart. The island is magical and it helps you to take the time to unplug from electronics. Back to basics with playing putt-putt, seeing a movie on the lawn, riding a bicycle for two or just sitting on the porch to rest or read that best-selling novel.
Everyone needs to take the time for the perfect getaway to find something new and to enjoy the beautiful surroundings God has created! Mackinac Island is a great place to renew yourself!
