Mackinac Island Reunion

My cousins had a 9:00-10:30 carriage tour of the island as part of their tour package.  They texted when they returned to The Grand saying it was a very wet tour and upon our arrival they'd be in the lower level lobby having hot chocolate. 

Our Stonecliffe carriage driver took us to the drop-off and pick-up area of The Grand shortly after 11:00 a.m. Wednesday.  No carriages or people are in most of the hotel photos because I took them early Thursday morning before the day started bustling with people and activity.

I hated that Wednesday was a rainy day preventing my cousins from walking around Main Street and seeing other areas of interest on the island, but in a way it worked out good because it gave us five hours to sit in the hotel lobby and visit.  We had so much catching up to do.

L-R:  Valerie, Me, Kaye and Vickie

I'm the oldest of our group - Valerie is three years younger than me, Vickie is four years younger, and Kaye is the baby at five years younger.   Their mother and my father [both deceased] were sister and brother.  

The lobby [or parlor] is where Afternoon Tea is served from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m., but there weren't a lot of guests having tea, so they didn't chase us out.  We were able hear the harpist playing softly in the background.

At 4:00 o'clock it was time for us to check-in, and afterwards we went on a tour of each other's rooms.  Our room was on the first floor, #131.  When I made reservations there were only a couple rooms available so we had to take a larger [and pricier] room than we needed.  It worked out great though, because after dinner there was plenty of space in the seating area of our room to come back to for more visiting.  Their rooms were on the 3rd floor and much smaller.

Dinner was at 6:30 p.m. in the main dining room, so we parted ways long enough to get dressed for dinner [there is a dress code after 6:30 p.m.] and then we met up again.  It was a delicious meal and the dessert - their signature pecan ice cream ball in chocolate sauce - was so good.  As a matter-of-fact when I looked at the picture for this post I decided to take a break and go into my kitchen to make myself a copycat version!  ;-)

One more group picture after dinner.

We visited for awhile in our room and then they went to their individual rooms.  We met on Thursday morning at 7:30 to have breakfast together in the main dining room.  They were scheduled to leave with their tour group right after breakfast, traveling further north to the Soo Locks.  We hugged each other and said our goodbyes in hopes that it won't be another 12 years before we see each other again.  

Kaye is very talented and crafty and brought me a tea-themed picture she drew and embellished with tiny rhinestones.  The photograph doesn't do it justice and I took the photo at night so there's a shadow, but I wanted to share it with you.

A few photos below of The Grand Hotel Lobby.  As you can see, the decorating theme is red geraniums.

We didn't have to check out until 11:00 a.m. so we had a little time to roam around the hotel. We went to the "Film Room" [that's what I call it] and hubby took my picture standing by Jane Seymour's portrait.  Somewhere in Time with Christopher Reeves was filmed on the island and The Grand in 1979.  

Below are a few pics of The Grand's 660 foot front porch - the world's largest, taken early Thursday morning.

We walked from the hotel to Main Street where we bought some yummy Mackinac fudge to bring home and then to the dock where we boarded Shepler's ferry back to Mackinaw City. Viewing the island from the harbor was so picturesque that I couldn't resist taking a few more pictures.   The sun decided to shine the day we left the island!

In Mackinaw City we got in our car and began our journey back downstate.  We had one final stop before home, and that was Frankenmuth to enjoy a chicken dinner at Zehnder's Restaurant. Jerry took my pic standing next to the floral chicken sculpture.  I wonder if it's new because I don't remember seeing it before.

My cousins tour group was spending the night in Frankenmuth and having dinner there later that evening.  I texted them saying we left some chicken for them to enjoy.  ;-)

I hope you enjoyed traveling along with us vicariously.  Have a nice and safe Labor Day weekend.

Traveling to Mackinac Island in Northern MI

On Tuesday of this week [Aug. 27] my hubby and I left home around 9:30 a.m. headed for Mackinac Island.  Despite rain at the beginning of our journey, by the time we reached Flint the skies cleared up and the sun came out.   As we headed north on I-75 we saw patches of trees that were beginning to turn color - a sign that fall is rapidly approaching.  I took a picture of a tree beginning to turn colors at one of the reststops.  I hate to see summer come to an end.

We stopped in Gaylord for lunch at a Mexican restaurant.  Main street was beautifully decorated with potted flowers and hanging baskets.

We arrived in Mackinaw City around 3:30 p.m. and went straight to Shepler's Ferry Dock to park our car in the secured lot, check our luggage [which would be delivered to our hotel room after the ferry arrived at the island], and board the 4:00 o'clock ferry.  For peace of mind and  convenience, I purchased our tickets online in advance.

~ Boats in the harbor by Shepler's Dock ~

It's about a 16 minute ferry ride from Mackinaw City to Mackinac Island, across Lake Huron. Jerry and I chose to ride in the enclosed area of the ferry rather than the open air area on top, so I apologize for the window glare on my pictures of the Mighty Mac Bridge, the Grand Hotel and the lighthouse.

Lighthouse as we were approaching Mackinac Island.

Jerry on the Shepler's Dock at Mackinac Island.

We had a short wait until the horse-drawn taxi from Stonecliffe Inn [where we were spending the first night] came to the dock to pick us up, so we killed the time by having a yummy butter pecan ice cream cone.

On the ride to Stonecliffe Inn [which is at the northern tip of the island], we passed The Grand Hotel and several beautiful homes, but I only photographed one of them.

The Grand's Esther William's Swimming Pool

We finally arrived at Stonecliffe Inn and checked into our room.  We had never stayed at the Inn before, but The Grand Hotel didn't have any rooms available for our first night on the island, so I found the Inn online.  It's beautiful and just as lovely as The Grand, but smaller and newer.

~ Stonecliffe Inn Horsedrawn Taxi ~

~ Our Room ~

It was called 'Waterview Queen With Balcony'

The large TV Screen Welcomed Us!

We walked around the beautiful grounds and saw their outdoor swimming pool, but no one was swimming in it.  It was about 20 degrees cooler in northern Michigan than downstate.

Geraniums, Hydrangeas and Lylics [when in season] are the dominant flowers on the island.

There was an outdoor cafe with a pizza oven on the property, so we decided to order a pizza for dinner and eat there.

After dinner we went back to our room to relax before calling it a night.  The next day was a big day meeting my three paternal first cousins [sisters, one year a part in age] and their spouses who came to the island with a tour group to celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversaries.  I hadn't seen them since 2012.  They live in Florida, Tennessee, and Colorado. 

Before checking out at Stonecliffe we went to their dining room for breakfast. 

I brought my own Harney & Sons tea with me [Blueberry Green] and enjoyed it in their Williams-Sonoma cups.

Mother Nature didn't see fit to give us a sunny day.  The rain came down pretty heavy in the morning, then turned to mist the rest of the day with a hazy fog.  My hubby and I have been to the island several times so the weather wasn't a big deal to us, but I felt bad for my cousins who couldn't walk around the beautiful island - or at least Main Street - in sunshine.

Check out time at Stonecliffe was 11:00 a.m. and the Inn provided horse-drawn carriage transportation to The Grand Hotel.

 To be continued...