Postcards From the Island

People head to Mackinac Island for many reasons. It's an interesting historical spot with a fort. It has spectacular rock formations, some nice trails, and it's easy to circle the entire island on the bike path. You can watch the boats pull in and out of the harbor, and people watch as families shop for souvenirs, and the island's famous fudge. I mentioned in my last post that the island is a special spot for me because I met my husband there one summer when I worked at the Grand Hotel as a florist so visiting has become something of a pilgrimage for us.

We headed North Friday and spent the night in Mackinac City. In the morning we took a ferry over to the Island.

View from the ferry of the five mile  bridge that connects the mitten with the upper peninsula.

The Lighthouse you pass as you near the Island.

There are no cars on the Island. You can walk, ride a bike, catch a carriage/taxi or a donkey dray (if the driver is a friend or you are a box of supplies)

Starbucks made it to the Island- we didn't have that when we worked here.

An overcast shot of the harbor.

The carriage driver for the Grand Hotel.

Just one of the many very old lilac bushes on the Island. This one is propped up on a large boulder.

The back of the Grand's pool house where I lived part of the summer I worked there. (unfortunately not looking very Grand)

View of the Grand's greenhouse from the pool house.

Circle around the pool house and this is the walk up to the hotel.

The flower shop is located in the bay area where the red awnings are. When I worked there the flower shop was in the lobby.

This was called the French Outpost when Larz and I had our first date here. Now it's operated by the Grand and it's called the Gatehouse. Not really the rowdy pub/dance spot it used to be.(Thankfully the Mustang-our other favorite hangout- hasn't changed a bit.)

The island is known as "the Big Turtle" relating to a beautiful Indian legend about the creation of the island - and so you'll see many turtle sculptures around the island. 

For my friends from the UK...This phone booth (with a working pay phone) sits at the bottom of the Grand Hill near the golf course. I suppose in pre- cell phone days folks would use it to ring friends at the hotel to let them know they were done with their golf game or that they were on their way up to the hotel.

View of the Grand leaving the island. Tomorrow I'll share some photos of the dunes and beach at Little Traverse Bay where we camp.