TRAVELS WITH THE WNP
 

Mackinac Island, Michigan
By Colleen Gleason

If you've ever seen the movie Somewhere in Time, you've already had a taste of Mackinac Island's charm. The filming of the story about two people who love each other despite the boundaries of time is one of the most famous anecdotes about the island and its premier resort, The Grand Hotel. Much of the film starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour was made on the island, a perfect place to film a movie set in Victorian times since there are no motor vehicles allowed on the island.

Mackinac (pronounced "Mackinaw") Island is located in the Straits of Mackinac, between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of Michigan. The island has been a tourist destination since the 1800s and is only accessible by boat or plane. Unless you have your own plane or sail into the harbor on your own yacht, you will take a ferry from either Mackinaw City (on the southern side of the Mackinac Bridge) or St. Ignace, which is on the northern side of the bridge linking the Upper and Lower Peninsulas. The Mackinac Bridge is a landmark in and of itself, being the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere.


Stepping off the ferry and onto the island sets you firmly in a time away from modernity, where the sounds of clip-clopping horses and bicycles whizzing by replace the grumble of motor vehicles and the honks of impatient drivers. It truly is a different world.

Main Street has the requisite shops and restaurants one would expect from such a popular tourist place, but the architecture is firmly Victorian. Carriages trundle by along with messengers zooming by on bicycles...and people who haven't been on a bike for years are often seen struggling to manage a tandem bicycle or one towing a buggy for their children. As you walk along the sidewalk, you'll notice a fudge shop about every half a block! Mackinac is known for its fudge and saltwater taffy, so make sure you sample the different shops! My personal favorite is the peanut butter/chocolate...but there's a flavor for everyone.

Visitors who choose to stay on the island pay a little more than if they stay in St. Ignace or Mackinaw City and take the ferry over for a day trip, but they can choose from one of many lovely places. The Grand Hotel is the most famous resort and has been in existence since 1887. As you approach the island, you can easily spot the Grand Hotel as the long white building on the southwest side, nestled about halfway up the side of the incline of the island. Much of Somewhere in Time was filmed here, and the Grand is bursting with history.

Visitors who don't choose to stay at the Grand Hotel can only walk past the main entrance and up along the famous long porch, lined with 100 wicker rocking chairs overlooking the Straits of Mackinac, if they pay to take tea at the hotel. If you can't afford to stay there, or don't want to stay in a place that is very formal and quite old-fashioned, it is worth taking the tea. If you do stay at the hotel, you will find that breakfast and dinner-huge, eight-course meals-are included in the price of the room. And having a martini or glass of wine in the Cupola Bar is a wonderful way to round out the evening!

For visitors who prefer a more modern accommodation, Mission Pointe Resort, which is located on the far, east end of the main thoroughfare, offers everything one would expect from a full-service resort. In addition, there are numerous bed and breakfasts as well as traditional inns lining Main Street. Some of the most beautiful B&Bs include The Iroquois and the Lilac Inn. Another wonderful hotel with a beautiful view is The Island House.

Besides eating fudge and taking tea, there are many other activities you can enjoy -- all of which can help to alleviate the guilt from the fudge and clotted cream! Riding bicycles is pretty much a given for most people who want to get around. Rental rates are reasonable, or you can bring your own bike. There are carriage rides that will take you to most of the attractions on the island, including Fort Mackinac, which was constructed by the British during the American Revolution. If you like to ride horses, you can rent a mount by the hour and enjoy the natural, forested part of the center of the island on your own or with a guide.

Many people enjoy the eight-mile walk around the island -- or bike ride, as the case may be. There are several spots to stop and enjoy the beach, and some unusual landmarks including Arch Rock and the bat caves. Another benefit to walking or riding around the island is that you get to see up close the beautiful summer homes (some of them mansions!) that line the edge of the island. Many of those homes have been in their families for generations and are exquisitely decorated and landscaped.

If you plan a trip to Mackinac Island, there are some events that you could consider attending-or avoiding, depending upon your point of view. Many of the inns and B&Bs, including The Grand Hotel, close during the winter months (approximately November through March) because Northern Michigan winters can be very harsh. There are about 500 permanent residents who live there year-round, but most of the tourists come during the summer and fall months.

In June, the island hosts its annual Lilac Festival, when those wonderfully fragrant flowers are in bloom. In the fall, the Grand Hotel offers its yearly Somewhere in Time weekend and also some Murder Mystery weekends. If you want to stay on the island from June through August, make your plans early and book your accommodations. You won't need to worry about ferry tickets ahead of time; those can be bought the day of use.


A lovely time to visit the island is during the fall. The summer tourists have all gone back to work/school, and the changing of the leaves in Northern Michigan is something not to be missed. The Grand Hotel and other inns offer specials in the fall as well, and it's not as crowded. Most of the visitors during that time are honeymooners or seniors. In fact, when my husband and I visited once in September, the bartender at the Grand told us their clientele during that time was fondly known as the "newlyweds and nearly-deads." Since we were neither, we thought it was quite amusing.

Mackinac Island is known as one of the country's greatest "natural amusement parks" because of the variety of activities -- history, shopping, biking, riding, swimming -- and because of its entrenched historic feel. Unlike Michigan's other historic location, The Henry Ford and Greenfield Village, the historical environment is not just a hop, skip and a jump from the rest of the world. It truly is an island set...somewhere in time.

 

To read last month's Travel article, click here

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