Michigan Road Trip - Day 3 - June 13th - Mackinac Island

Michigan Road Trip - Day 3 - June 13th 

Mackinac Island

We had a few reasons why we chose Michigan for this road trip. The first one was to visit the Bear Ranch, and the second one was to take the ferry over to Mackinac Island. We had heard so many good things about this island, and what attracted us, in particular, was the fact that there were no motorized vehicles on the roadways. It would be like slowing the pace down, stepping back in time to the days of horses and carts, with only bicycles to remind us of later days.

We left St. Ignace on the 8:30 crossing which took just 16 minutes. (The entrance to the ferry looked very different from the time we were here in January, 2014 - as can be seen below!!)

Throwback to January, 2014

On our way

The sky was fairly clear and we had chosen this day out of the four, as it was the most promising, weather-wise. The ferry ride gave us a superb view of the Mackinac Bridge, as well as Mackinaw City and St. Ignace, all rolled into one.

The first glimpse up close of the island was dominated by the Grand Hotel, sitting proudly upon the cliffs. More about that, later.

The Grand Hotel

The first thing you notice, when you disembark, is the lack of vehicle sounds (motor horns, tires on tarmac etc.) which are replaced by the gentle whir of cycle tires, and the clip-clopping of the horses. Also obvious, is the fragrance left by the horses on the roads which, in due course, get cleaned away as soon as possible by some dedicated shovelers! The number of people on bikes reminded me of a town in Holland, where the flatness of the land makes cycling the preferred mode of local travel. 

Myriads of rental bikes - wherever you go!

We hired two bikes so that we could travel the perimeter of the island - a trail which covered 8.3 miles in just 2 hours. The silence of the bikes allowed us to hear the birds singing in the trees, and the bull-frogs announcing their presence in a couple of pond areas that we passed. 

The perimeter trail

Garbage Collection - Island Style!

We'd heard about this while visiting St. Joseph's Island in Ontario

Some of the buildings we passed along the way were resplendent - both in style and colour. Once again, we noticed the pride with which people kept their properties in top shape, with manicured gardens and frontages.

We loved the Arch Rock, to which we returned after lunch to climb to the top. We were not disappointed, even though there were 207 steps to negotiate!

207 steps

The Lilac Festival was in full swing

We had not realized that it was Lilac Festival on Mackinac - a fact that became crystal clear as these beautiful bushes and trees met us on every curve, wherever we went - not least in the town, itself. Together with the fresh blossoms, it was a pure joy to be here at this time of the year.

Bistro on the Greens

We ate lunch at the Bistro on the Green on the waterfront, sitting outside drinking in the view of the lake, the putting course, and the stalls set up for wine-tasting to celebrate the Lilac Festival. Our waitress, Eneila - from Jamaica - was most pleasant, and did all she could to make our meal a memorable one. 

Back in town, we strolled around, noticing the number of stores selling sweet stuff - especially fudge, for which the island is reknowned. The smell of sugar wafted out on the streets as you passed by. The town, itself, is very photogenic, and is overlooked by the great Fort Mackinac. 

Fort Mackinac

The Taxi Office - people waited here to 'catch' a horse and buggy to their destination

Of particular interest was St. Anne's R.C. Church, splendidly sporting its tall steeple, which could be seen clearly from the ferry upon entrance to the docks. 

The interior was highly decorated with art work and sculptures. The altar area had a picture of the last supper in relief, and was canopied by a brightly coloured, heavenly painting.

In stark contrast to this, the earliest Protestant Church, though just as magnificent on the outside, was totally under decorated, with the pulpit front and central, emphasizing the Protestant focus on the Word, as opposed to the Catholic Sacrament of the Eucharist. 

The interior of the Trinity Episcopal Church was reminiscent of so many Anglican equivalents in the U.K. 

We rather liked the replica of an old mission chapel.

The road gradually led us up to the Grand Hotel. This magnificent building stands out and can be seen from the Mackinac Bridge on the main land. It has an impressive approach and entrance way. 

The Grand Entrance

The room rates start at $750 per night! We paid our $10 to enter and tour the hotel and decided that we would never want to stay there. It was not to our taste, and we saw one of the rooms which, if we had booked it, would have been the cause of disappointment. In my personal opinion, the hotel is overstated and a little on the pretentious side. It does, however, afford some wonderful views over the lake. 

A little pretentious, to my way of thinking

Chandelier at the Cupola level

View from the Grand Verandah

We loved the Phlox on the bank - lots of it on the island

Just before leaving, we saw the arrival of the Grand Hotel's horse and carriage, bringing newly arrived guests from the ferry docks.

 

After sitting on the Grand Verandah for a few minutes to take in the view, we descended back into the town to catch the ferry back to St. Ignace. 

Would we return to the Island? You bet! We still have to tour the Fort, and take a look at some of the sights in the interior of the island. We saw some lovely B & B places to stay. 

Check out our slide show of other Glimpses of Mackinac Island