August 9th— Our day to go to Mackinac Island has arrived! Waiting till our last day here was ideal. We woke to beautiful blue skies. The weather was perfect all day long! We chose to use Shepler’s Ferry Service to get us to the island. Personnel at TeePee Campground recommended Shepler’s over Star Line because their community service was better. While both companies provide a free shuttle to their docks, Star Line customers have been left waiting more than 40 minutes for pickup at the campground. Shepler’s Ferry shuttle comes immediately when called. From the time I called the number for a pickup, to the time we were in line at the dock was 15 minutes! That was amazing!
We were on the first ferry of the day (9am) that is a “Mighty Mac” run. The Mighty Mac route takes passengers under the bridge on the way to the Mackinac Island. There is no extra cost, and there is not a significant delay in reaching the island. I love the shot below from under that bridge that shows the open metal grates of the inner lanes (each 11ft wide), and the 12ft outer lanes that are solid. While open grates are not something I like on bridges, I appreciate their purpose in allowing dangerous winds to pass through without causing the deck additional movement and possible damage.
The sun felt great, but it was quite chilly on the ferry.
Arriving at Mackinac Island:
There are NO motorized vehicles, and NO E-bikes permitted on Mackinac Island. Most people rent bikes to bike all around the perimeter of the island and explore various areas of the island and town. As we arrived we saw all these bikes stocked and ready for all the visitors of the day!
We rented our bikes from Mackinac BIKE BARN. The bikes were decent with 8 gears. They weren’t Trek, but they each came with a front basket that really came in handy, and a large bottle of water. Hmm. Guess we didn’t need to bring as much water as we did. Mackinac Bike Barn gives you FIVE hours for $52, while the other rentals nearby only give you FOUR hours for $52. Between 4 and 5 hours was just the right amount of time to be able to stop and see things. The gal (pictured below) who got our bikes ready gave us the best tip for the day. She suggested we head back down Main Street towards the ferry dock to bike clockwise around the island because the majority continue up Main St (away from the ferry) to bike counter-clockwise. Boy was she right! This also got us to the Grand Hotel sooner than the masses!
The Grand Hotel opened July 10, 1887. It is built of Michigan white pine. With its magnificent colonial front porch, it is the longest in the world. It is an example of gracious living seldom seen today. The Grand Hotel is one of the outstanding landmarks on the Great Lakes. It is the largest summer hotel.
Seeing the Grand Hotel both inside and out was my top priority today, so of course we purchased the $10 admission tickets. Staff wearing red jackets are stationed outside all entrances to assist you, and also to ensure that you are either a hotel guest or have a paid admission to tour the hotel and grounds.
OMG I’m finally here!!! “Somewhere In Time” was filmed here on location in 1979. It is a favorite movie of mine. RACHMANINOFF RHAPSODY on a Theme of Paganini is the signature musical theme of the movie. Selecting and/or creating a musical score for a movie is an art that is taken for granted. It should enhance the movie enough that whenever you hear it, it immediately revives your original viewing experience. Rachmaninoff was perfect for “Somewhere In Time”.
Art Display – This one caught my eye because I thought it was a photograph, but it was completed in pencil. Wow!
THE Dining Room! Thank goodness we got here early. After 6PM there is a dress code for entering the dining room. Gentlemen must attired in suit and tie. Ladies may not be attire in slacks.
Amazing front porch views.
The front porch – step back in time!
Inside the Cupola Bar and the views from there.
While up here, a guy walked over to the piano and started playing Rachmaninoff! Unexpected special moments like this are all about timing. He had no idea what a gift this was to me.
RACHMANINOFF RHAPSODY on a Theme of Paganini
Op. 43, Variation XVII
Andante Cantabile
Courtsey Belwin Mills Publishing Corp.
THE Tree –“Is It You?”
The grounds:
Even supplies are delivered via horse-drawn flatbed trailers! I never thought about that till we saw these.
Pictures from our BIKE ride around Mackinac Island
Heading up Cadotte Ave on our way to the Grand Hotel, I had to stop at the Little Stone Church.
What a beautiful bike ride. We took in all the gorgeous water views along the perimeter of the island!
Arch Rock
We came across Arch Rock and took pictures from the road.
When we continued on, we came to an accessible stairway that we could walk up for better views of Arch Rock. We were all in! The views were incredible. So worth all those steps!
The Caribbean-like colors of the water were spectacular! So clear!
What goes up must come down. LOL
Heading back into town.
The streets are lined with bikes on both sides. It’s like trying to find a spot to park a car in a busy city. LOL
We checked out the renown fudge shops. We expected them to be beyond amazing. We tasted a few samples, and decided that was more than enough for us. It was not the “to die for” experience we expected. That was a good thing. We didn’t feel like we were missing out on something spectacular.
It’s been a fantastic, and full day. We were ready to catch the ferry back to Mackinaw City.