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...