Mackinac Island is a cute little island in Lake Huron. You take a ferry to get there and no cars are allowed on the island! Everyone walks, bikes, or takes horses and carriages. We camped right on the shore looking at the island but it was so foggy and misty and rainy and every kind of negative weather that we couldn’t see until the last day that we were actually facing The Grand Hotel.

Being ferried to the ferry

Ferry took us under The Mackinac Bridge aka Mighty Mac

This bridge separates Lake Michigan from Lake Huron. Technically, they are one lake. This bridge also takes you from lower Michigan to the UP (Upper Peninsula) of Michigan.

The Grand Hotel from the ferry

Kristi by the ferry on Mackinac circa 2023

Little Grandma Huse and Kristi by the ferry on Mackinac circa 1978. Kristi had wonderful memories of this trip with her grandparents and has always wanted to go back and see Mackinac as an adult.

We immediately rented bikes and began the 8 mile circle around the island

A quick stop at this cool arch. We had to climb a lot of steps to look down through it. It’s the only one on the island and an iconic stop.

Beautiful blue jay

View of the shore below from the arch area

Up from the bike path

There are many horses and buggies and lots and lots of horse poop!

Stopped for a pic by this shoreline. The boat behind Jerry turned out to be a trash boat that we saw dock up ahead on the bike trail. They were emptying dumpsters. The trash has to get out of there somehow!

Mayflies aka fishflies aka Canadian soldiers in this region. They were HORRID! They were everywhere. They hit us in the face while biking. Kristi may have swallowed one! Gross. Supposedly they are a sign of a very healthy freshwater supply. Terrific.

The bike trail in town near houses/vacation rentals

She’s taking the lead

A really cool view of the bridge

Crazy tree roots

Round Island Lighthouse built in 1895

Everything is beautifully kept

The flowers are gorgeous and smell amazing (which helps offset the smell of horse poop)

Finished our bike loop. Next up lots of walking

Arriving at The Grand Hotel and checking out the gardens. This hotel opened in 1887 and is the world’s largest summer hotel. The movie “Somewhere in Time” was filmed here and they used all the areas and rooms and even the lighthouse island. We watched it after our return to the RV. It’s very cheesy from 1980.

We enjoyed a beautiful buffet lunch in the salle à manger (main dining room). This room can seat up to 750 people! They also have a dress code which Kristi messed up a little. She forgot about everything when she realized how cold it was and just wore all the warm stuff! They overlooked it and only had us remove our hats.

The entire hotel is so gaudy that it’s cute. The colors are really crazy and weird.

Known as the world’s longest front porch, it’s quite extensive with tons of flowers and chairs and flags and balconies.

One of the ferries. They call the boat a Hydro-Jet.

Red geraniums, the American flag and Mighty Mac over Lake Huron

The fancy carriages that carry The Grand Hotel guests

More vibrancy

There were so many types of flowers planted around. This one is a white dahlia

Yellow dahlia

Pink dahlia pinnata

View from the garden back up to the hotel

Need scratch n sniff here. These smelled amazing and glorious

View from the evening ferry of the houses and vacation rentals

One last view of the island

One last view of Round Island Lighthouse

Back on the mainland – Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse

Extreme fog and mist or part of the bridge is missing!

The lighthouse is right on Lake Huron near the bridge

On the last day with a telephoto lens we found out we were staying right across from The Grand Hotel!