Tag Archives: somewhere in time

The Grand Hotel Of Mackinac Island

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When the Grand Hotel opened its doors for the first time in 1887, it set the gold standard for summer vacationers. The Victorian hotel is a National Historic Landmark and continues to offer the best of modern amenities for visitors to Mackinac Island.

The hotel still observes a dress code for most of its thirteen on property restaurants. In fact, the day I visited in jeans, I qualified only to eat in the ice cream parlor. They offer high tea and dancing in the evenings. Here I am in my jeans on their fabulous front porch.

History talks, activities at the pool and stables, croquet and themed luncheons are among some activities I noticed on the daily schedule. Themed weekends and events make for a lot of fun throughout the season.

Plus, the world’s longest porch is a terrific place to relax in a rocking chair and take in the view. The views are pretty spectacular too! A rolling lawn and manicured gardens overlook the lake. It really is gorgeous.

Of course, shoulder season rooms start at about $300 with no meals and go up to over $1,400 a night. Since this was not in the road trip budget, we were not there to spend the night but to simply be tourists and take a $10 self guided tour.

I was excited to see some pictures and artifacts from the hotel’s lengthy history including mementoes from the 1980 cult classic Somewhere In Time. Tbat movie is what inspired me to visit the island so seeing some of the movie landmarks and items was a treat.

The hotel is decorated in Victorian style which, by today’s standards, looks somewhere between opulent and tacky. Oddly enough, the over-the-top decor reminded me a little of Elvis Presley’s Memphis home Graceland.

The place has a rich history. In fact, Mark Twain lectured here in 1895 and a radio salon was added in 1935 to allow hotel guests a place to enjoy their favorite radio programs. In the last few decades, they have added a hair salon, jeweler and a golf pro shop. The hotel celebrated its 120th anniversary in 2007 by adding air conditioning to guest rooms.

The timeline of how they have added new rooms and features makes one think this amazing landmark is constantly a work in progress.

I like that idea. While they are rooted in many traditions like proper dress codes and afternoon croquet, they are open to changes that improve the guest experience.

Want to learn more about the Grand Hotel? Click here to visit their website. Even if you don’t spend the night, it’s a must-see when you visit Mackinac Island!

A Day On Mackinac Island

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When I was a teenager, a place called Mackinac Island entered my consciousness through an old movie called Somewhere In Time.

This time travel themed movie starred Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve of Superman fame and was filmed on the island and at the historic Grand Hotel.

I was fascinated with the idea of the place and even more so after learning about the real life island. So, when the Savannah trip got cancelled and we were looking for a Plan B, northern Michigan and a day trip to Mackinac Island sounded like the perfect option.

There are two ferry companies that service Mackinac City to Mackinac Island. We used Shepler’s Ferry for roundtrip service at the cost of $34 per person.

We took an early ferry so we could have a head start to the day and I’m so glad we did. The ferry was just half full and the island was quiet when we arrived.

One quality that is integral to Mackinac’s identity is that no motor vehicles are permitted on the island. Village council actually outlawed them back in 1898 when these horseless carriages began finding their way to the island and spooking the horses.

In a day when cars have taken over every other corner of the world, the streets of Mackinac seem positively quaint for their lack of motor vehicle traffic.

Instead of driving a car, you can walk, ride a bike or even a horse. When we got off the boat, we encountered horse taxis and island tours waiting for guests to transport and inform about local history. A smattering of bicycles zipped by on the empty street.

Literally fresh off the boat, we found everything charming. From the perfectly manicured lawns to the refuse man who tipped his cap as he made rounds to pick up trash, I was enchanted.

We first headed up to the Grand Hotel where we were greeted by a lovely uniformed young man who intercepted us near the property line and politely inquired if we were staying at the hotel or just visiting for the day. This is a gracious way to discern if tourists who can’t afford a room at the fancy hotel are there for the $10 self guided tour.

We were.

I will take you on a tour of this landmark tomorrow but here’s a picture to entice you to come back for that story.

After this, we strolled the town, checking out some shops and old churches, sightseeing along the way. We had an al fresco lunch overlooking the lake while enjoying a swift breeze.

And with each passing hour, the place became busier and busier and busier. The streets filled with wagons full of people taking sightseeing tours, large groups of people walking and folks who looked uncomfortable on horseback meandering the streets on guided horseback tours of the island. Some positively reckless cyclists sped through the streets, zig zagging in and out of bikes and horses.

By early afternoon, Main Street started to resemble Times Square. Crowds flowed down the sidewalk and shops were clogged with people. The ferry line was a mile long and growing by the minute.

We left the island on a completely full and crowded ferry. I can’t speak for my cousin but I was thrilled to be there, thrilled for the early day experience, and thrilled to leave.

Someday, I want to go back during midweek and spend a couple of nights so I can have time to enjoy the early morning quiet and explore the island outside of town.

So, I’m putting the island back on the bucket list and will happily return another time!