Our travel schedule can be kind of funky at times. Since two of our boys still attend public school (and are active in athletics), we have to plan our trips around their obligations. For Aidan’s football schedule, the first week of July is a “dead week,” meaning no practices or activities, so we decided to plan a trip around Michigan – not too far from home base, but still enough to see and do while taking advantage of the availability.
One highlight of our trip was taking the ferry over to Mackinac Island. For those of you who haven’t been to Mackinac Island, there are NO motor vehicles of any kind allowed on the island (save for emergency vehicles). All transportation to and from the island is via ferry, and once you arrive, you can either ride a bike, catch a horse-drawn carriage taxi, or take the opportunity to get in some good old-fashioned walking. Of course, bike rentals are always an option, with multiple options available as soon as you disembark from the ferry, but since there were five of us planning on staying for most of the day, we opted to just get in the exercise.
Our first stop (after some coffee and pastries) was Fort Mackinac, which played an important role during the War of 1812, due to its proximity to Canada. It, like many other American forts over the ensuing decades, has been converted into a museum and tourist attraction, complete with canon and rifle demonstrations. If you struggle with uphill climbs, be aware that to enter the fort from the south, the walkway is somewhat steep.
Next, we made our way across the island to the Grand Hotel, the primary location for the 1980 film, Somewhere In Time, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour. Shot in 1979, Somewhere In Time was filmed almost entirely on location on Mackinac Island (special permission was given to the film to allow motor vehicles on the island ONLY when the camera was rolling; if they weren’t shooting, they weren’t allowed to drive!). The hotel was chosen based on the fact that it has remained mostly unchanged since opening and maintains a very historic look. The hotel was expectedly busy, given that we were there over the 4th of July weekend, but we still got a chance to walk through the building AND get some ice cream from the lower level ice cream parlor.
Although the option was available to have a full lunch at the Grand Hotel, we opted instead to visit the Cupola Bar on the upper floors of the hotel for some garlic fries and mimosas. Don’t let the price full you – check out how big the mimosas are!! 
(Side note: a jazz band was playing in the main lobby in the same area where a prop “front desk” was built for the film; despite what you see in the movie, check-in is actually on the lower level, not in the main lobby.)
After the hotel, we made our way down to the boardwalk along Lake Huron (a popular spot, as it’s where Reeve and Seymour meet for the first time in the film) and walked back into town. It’s amazing how quaint Mackinac Island can feel at times, especially with the beautiful, historic houses lining the main road along the lakeshore. As we continued back through town, we made our way out to Mission Point Resort, again enjoying the amazing houses and even stopping at a few of the local churches along the way.
After several hours at on the island, we decided to catch the ferry back to St. Ignace (but not before stopping at Murdick’s Fudge Shoppe by the dock!). I have to say, the ferry ride to and from was quite chilly! The weather was already on the cool side after some rain and clouds, but once you’re out on the lake, you really do feel the 59 degrees! On our ride over to the island, we got to go under the Mighty Mac Bridge; on the way back, it was a straight shot to St. Ignace (for which Kyle was thankful, as he was in shorts and a t-shirt all day – he didn’t even bring a hoodie!)
If you get the chance, we highly recommend visiting Mackinac Island! Just make sure you watch out for “gifts” in the road left from the horses….
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