Mackinac Island and the Grand Hotel - A Great Spot for a Destination Wedding

I grew up in the southern part of Michigan; but my parents weren’t “vacationers” so I never visited the area of the state called Mackinac Island. Over the years I had heard and read much about the location and discovered that the 1979 film “Somewhere in Time” (starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour) was filmed there. After doing research for a bride who was seeking a destination where it could be cool in the summer and near water, I delved into learning more about this location that has literally stopped “somewhere in time.” It intrigued me so much that my husband and I chose to visit the island and the Grand Hotel for our vacation in August. We flew from Detroit to Pelston, Michigan where the airport there has only one gate! Then we took a taxi via the Wolverine Stage Coach Company (it wasn’t really a stage coach!) to Mackinac City to the ferry dock. Then we took the Arnold Ferry from the ferry dock to the dock on Mackinac Island and then a horse and carriage to the hotel! The Grand Hotel was built in 1887 in only 93 days! Can you imagine that all the building materials had to be brought over on the ferry and then transported to the building site by horse and carriage. There are no motorized vehicles on the island except ambulances and fire trucks, neither of which did we see or hear while there. It was refreshing to not see any cars for several days. Everyone either walks, rides a bike or takes a horse and carriage. All produce and supplies come by ferry to the island. Because of the severe weather in the winter and the island’s location between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, the hotels close in October and re-open in May. All the flowers are replanted each year! Here are some photos of our time there. And while we stayed at the hotel, we saw the movie! We had to dress formally for dinner each night. We rented bikes one day and rode the circumference of the island (only 8 miles!) and the best part was that the temperature never broke 70 during our entire visit! You’ll note in the photos that we have long sleeves and are often wearing jackets! How lovely it was to have that break from our sweltering Florida heat!