To get there, we hopped a plane to Detroit, had about a 45 minute layover, then hopped a smaller jet to Pellston, Michigan, hopped a shuttle to the ferry, took a 20+ minute ferry ride over and then we were there. We flew Delta. While the acronym (doesn’t ever leave the airport) lived up to name for members of the wedding party and folks we met there, for us, we were lucky. We experienced one twelve minute delay that actually worked to our benefit because it allowed us to get a better meal while we waited in Detroit.
Anyway, Pellston, MI airport is a small regional airport nestled amongst the tall trees, I would dare to call it a forest, even. Upon arrival, you immediately see the baggage claim area. so.not.kidding. rawr!
The Sheriff’s office was also located in the airport, too! (nice bass)
We loaded up the shuttle and waited for the rest of the people who were sharing our shuttle van to arrive. While sitting there, we were wired with nervous excitement for the weekend, not to mention, worn out from the travels. And then, not 5 minutes of waiting, I was stung by a deer fly. Nature loves me. I must say, that bite hurt like crazy, became many different shapes/textures, but after 5 days, my arm finally went back to normal.
Anyway, our shuttle took us to the Econolodge in Mackinaw City and wow, it was fancier than any Econolodge I’ve ever seen. They had an indoor waterpark and half of the hotel looked like tiny cabins. The other half were regular hotel rooms, but the insides weren’t drywall, but actual wooden cedar planks that gave them a log cabin feel. We had a lovely stay there. We didn’t get to visit the waterpark because we hung out with our friends at their cottage that evening.
The next morning, we set off to the island. Immediately, we saw the horse carriages and were overwhelmed by the amount of bicycles. You see, on the island, no motorized vehicles are allowed. The only time they were there was during the filming of the aforementioned movie, that’s it. The island is 8 miles around and you get around by walking, bicycling, or horse carriage. Yes, there are quite a few hills in the middle of the island, so you can get a nice workout while walking!
Yes, I even rode a bicycle (without any crashes or injury!).
We stayed at the Lakeview Hotel and upon arrival our bags were there waiting for us. Our room was comfortable and fit our family perfectly! They had an indoor pool, which we were able to enjoy one night. The girls had a ball! I really enjoyed the hot tub!
Our friends were married at the Somewhere in Time Gazebo at the top of the hill near the fort. The scenery was nature just showing off, and the light was divine! Here’s a candid moment caught when the minister told a joke about kissing practice.
We rode the carriage up to the gazebo with the bride, her parents, and the bridesmaids capturing some beautiful moments. hello gorgeous!!
After the wedding, we rode the carriage down with the rest of the bridal party and happened upon this fella on his unicycle. All sorts of folk live on the island, I tell ya! (I even heard several Jamaican accents which had me second guessing where we were for brief nanoseconds.) Disregard the horse bombs in the road. They actually do a decent job of cleaning up the poop.
Their reception was at the Lakeview. We ate there for breakfast every day and dinner two of the three nights (rehearsal dinner and wedding reception). This is food from the rehearsal dinner.
CUPCAKES!!! They were filled with a crème surprise in the center. Delish!
We also indulged on the local pizza for lunch and again for dinner another night. Island Slice was decent and I would recommend it to anyone visiting the island and in need of a pizza fix. It was on the pricier end of pizza, but I expected as much because of where we were. I was in love with their veggie pizza! Regular whole wheat crust, caramelized onions, olives, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, with pesto, marinara, and mozzarella…yum!
No visit to Mackinac Island would be complete without a visit to the fudge shop. After all, you will find one every 50 feet or so when you are in the main shopping part of town. Horror of all horrors, but here’s a secret…I don’t like fudge. aaaaack…the tragedy of it all!
What I do love is coffee. While their espresso machine wasn’t working when we stopped by, their coffee hit the spot. Thank you Lucky Bean!
I went a little bananas over the coffee, it was very nutty in flavor. LOL I crack myself up!
Anyway, it was a wonderful adventure. One we will always treasure and made quite an impression on the Sugarbean. As we pulled away on the return ferry, she said, “Goodbye Mackinac Island. I had a great time and I miss you already.” She already has the travel bug, but I don’t blame her. After all, before she was a year, she’d visited both coasts and had been to Las Vegas at 6 weeks.
Congratulations Will & Nicole! We love you dearly and are so very, very blessed by your friendship! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of such a special time!
1 comment:
I grew up in lower Michigan (Kalamazoo) and I've been to Mackinac Islad twice. Both times I was in high school for a debate/forensics tournament. It is now apparent to me that I've never really "seen" the island. Thank you for sharing your experience. I think you've inspired me to maybe head North when I go home.
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