This Island was definitely was one of the stops we were looking forward to. It was one of the stops that was a “must see.” We were all super excited to go this day. It was warm and would be an awesome day. We boarded a ferry right next to our marina in Mackinaw City Michigan with our bikes. I was beyond stoked to be headed over. I had thought about this island for a while and I was excited to finally be going! All the anchoring in Canada and in the North Channel, I knew would lead us eventually to this magic place. Horse drawn carriages transported people around the island. The smell of horse poop was at times extremely pungent. It made me sneeze as we rode through piles of it. They had crews with carts to clean up after them but it was strong! After all the years of these streets being walked on by horses could never wash away the urine and poop. I think it added to the charm but I am allergic to horses so I sneezed a lot. Bikes lined all the streets and riders darted around each other in a chaotic manner.

We started our visit with a bike ride. The island has a bike path that circumnavigated the island. It is about 8 miles around. The path was full of bikes, mostly tourist. We stopped along the way to enjoy the scenery and I searched to beach for treasures. The waters here were Caribbean blue and inviting. The day was sunny and warm.

Always on the hunt for treasures!

Are we in the Caribbean?? The water was clear and blue!!

Wishing he could jump in. We didn’t think to bring bathing suits.

A must-do on a visit to the Island is a visit to The Grand Hotel. It sits on top of the mountain and has a great view. The hotel, with its rich history and grandeur did not disappoint. It smelt like an old building and had decor of its day. I never really wanted to stay here but I did enjoy walking thru it and sitting on the front porch for a rest. They actually charge you $10 to just walk thru the property and sit on the porch. Whatever, I had to see it and sit in the white rocker. It was worth it!

The Grand Hotel

They really know how to do flowers here. I just love all the perfect manicured gardens.

The only thing missing from this picture is a cold beverage in my hand!

Ted and Robin sitting on the Grand Porch. You cannot come to this Island without sitting for a moment to enjoy the view and rest.

The movie “Somewhere in time” was filmed here. I think I need to rewatch this!!

The streets were full of bikes and people. This is the prime time to visit the island. I think lots of families have traditional visits here each summer. We watched groups of families getting off the ferry with bags and groceries for the week. I loved being here for the day, that’s all the time we had and it was fine.

I also loved seeing all the homes that have been here for years, most likely passed from generation to generation. The gardens were perfectly manicured and the flowers grow beautifully in this climate. Made me want to buy a house again and start gardening, although I am sure I would never accomplish such perfection.

Pretty beaches but look at the hillside dotted with large homes. They had quite a view.

Loved this sign!! Look at these flowers! Just amazing! 💐🌸🌺🌻

The Island was also full of Bed and Breakfasts. This one was exceptionally pretty. I would much prefer this kind of stay if I ever come back here.

I bet this house has had a lot of visitors and could tell stories. I loved the charm and all the flowers.

Bikes lines the streets and the streets were full of riders

This churches date back to 1820!! Can you imaging all the events that this church has witnessed? Weddings, baptisms, funerals and worship. Crazy!

This cracked me up because I was sneezing all day with the smell of horse poop and hay. A stable with my name made me laugh! NEVER!!! As charming as it was, I couldn’t breath! Lol

I kept calling the ferry company Shlepers. Just change the L and P for a different name. That’s what they did! Shlep (some Yiddish for ya) people back and forth from the mainland to the Island. This is the only way to get here. They ran all day long, back and forth. You cannot drive to the Island so this is your only option.

It was a very good day. We ended with tired feet and ready for the bumpy ferry ride back to our boats. It’s great to be back in the USA. We will be making our way down the Michigan coastline to St. Josephs where we will take a break from the boat. I am hoping we don’t get stuck for winds and weather, which is highly likely on this very unpredictable lake. We will see how it goes. This mama needs to get home for a while and off the boat for a little break.