Journals / Michigan / Mackinac Island

This was a bucket list vacation for us; long on our list, and we were delighted to make the 8.5-hour drive from Lexington, KY to Mackinac City, MI to catch the Shepler’s Ferry for the 16-minute ride to “somewhere in time” on Mackinac Island.

This was a trip just for us!  Our two teens stayed back in Kentucky on this one with stockpiles of pizzas and nugs. We wanted a romantic getaway on this outing and Grand Hotel delivered.   

The weekend of 2-4 May 2025 still had a bit a chill in the air this far north and a stone’s throw to Canada on Michigan’s Mackinac Island on Lake Huron, but it did nothing to tarnish the luster of our weekend in the iconic Grand Hotel.   

The opulence and hospitality of this 1887 Victorian Hotel was beyond anything we have experienced outside of its sister era “Hotel Del Coronado” in San Diego. These Hotels are icons of a bygone era – the pinnacle of American luxury tourism. You MUST experience it to get as close as you can to what travel was like for Gilded Age millionaires. 

Highlights for 2025 included the unveiling of a new look in their main dining room and re-imagined “Baroque” bar by a 100 year titan in decor and design, the Dorothy Draper Co. Check out our “Encounter” for what’s new at Grand Hotel.

Meals are to perfection at the Grand main dining room and their Jockey Club and Gate House restaurants. Best service we have ever been afforded…every time. Also, it is nice to dress for dinner – not an option, a requirement! Check out our “Encounter” with dining at Grand Hotel.   

We well explored the charming Island downtown, but it was the world’s longest front porch (660ft) at the Grand Hotel overlooking Lake Huron that racked up the most photos for us. We were obsessed with this restorative view. Check out our “Encounter” with the Grand Hotel Front Porch.  

As Kentuckians immersed in horse culture, this destination is very special. Horses and bikes are the ONLY transportation on Mackinac Island. Between the horses and the well stocked bourbon on Grand Hotel shelves, Kentuckians will feel right at home on Mackinac and the Grand.

Some will make this trip because “Somewhere in Time” was filmed here (the Grand is practically a main character in this romantic, time traveling film), some because they are history buffs and want to transport themselves to a lost era of service and grandeur, and most are just looking for something unique and epic for a summer getaway…all will find what they are looking for, here! A warning, however! If “brand new” is your go-to, the creeks and groans and uneven floors of an all wood 1880’s hotel might not be your vibe, but we found the experience positively authentic and one of a kind. We are near desperate to find our way back. I’ve seen a lot of reviews where people try to “apples to apples” the Grand Hotel to a brand new, modern Four Seasons or Hyatt Resort.  That just doesn’t work as Grand Hotel has very few peers left standing. It is nearly 140 years old and strikes the balance between maintaining that heritage with allowances, as able, for modernization.      

Our thanks to our new friends at the Grand Hotel. The hospitality and service is just simply outstanding.  

The experience, one of a kind.

Memories for a lifetime for us from this special weekend.