Day 5: Grand Hotel Mackinac Island

(Left: The dress code at the hotel is posted on the walk way in). As I mentioned in my previous post, we had initially intended to stay at the Grand but they were booked with a convention. We toyed with at least having dinner at the hotel but all women must where skirts after 6pm and we decided it was not worth bringing dress clothes for one night. This trip was just not that kind of trip. Our primary focus was hiking and outdoor activities. Our second choice was to at least have lunch to see what kind of spread you would get for a $42 lunch buffet. We screwed that one up too though by mismanaging our time. We should have gone to lunch first and hit the fort second. We did not know that the lunch ended at 2pm. Oh well, we had a panini in the hallway, which at least tasted good. I cannot say that any meal we had on the island was worth having again. We anticipated many gourmet restaurants to choose from but there were not.

The grounds of the Grand Hotel are open to the public for a $10 fee. Most people just want to sit on the porch but there are other things to see. We headed to the wine bar after lunch thinking it would a pleasant place to lounge. Alas, it was so filled with cigarette smoke that we bolted back outside.


The famous porch


Carriages pass each other on the street below
The porch is very nice and on a summer day it must be a mob scene. We were wrapped in our jackets and did not linger for hours. You can see the Mackinac bridge from the porch and watch the ships transit the straights.


Chess set on the porch
I also enjoyed wandering the grounds below the hotel. There is a beautiful fountain, lovely flowers, and a horse and carriage topiary. The grounds were much more peaceful than the hustle and bustle of the porch.


Fountain in the gardens


Flowers were blooming even in October


Topiary in the gardens
As I said in my previous post, the Grand Hotel is the attraction on the island. No one should miss it. I would like to test the cuisine to determine if the price tag is worth it. The atmosphere alone is not sufficient in my mind.