Part II – The Story Continues
When we had checked into the Holiday Inn the night before, the front desk clerk had given us the heads-up that the ferry we had booked to get to Mackinac Island was down two boats.
“They’ll probably send you over to a different ferry,” she said.
Okay, no problem I thought. And since Lynn and I were both familiar with the difficulty of finding a parking spot near popular summer island destinations (Fire Island and Martha’s Vineyard in particular), we mentioned we would walk from the hotel to the ferry.
The thought of walking apparently made the desk clerk very nervous since she immediately reached below her desk and handed us a piece of paper. I looked down and saw that not only was there the phone number of a taxi service to call, but also the phone number of a shuttle bus that was sponsored by one of the ferry companies in case we needed a ride.
Lynn and I looked at each other and shrugged. It was less than a half hour walk from the hotel, but I guess too far for her.
The Ferry Ride
We woke up to a gorgeous sunny day with not a cloud in the sky. We started walking over to the ferry terminal not sure what to expect. Even though I had booked tickets online, in advance, the tickets were open-ended. Meaning you can use them any day and any time. The problem is that I had booked tickets for the fast boat, and it was exactly that boat that had broken down. So, we got in line and waited with everyone else.
The first boat that pulled up looked like Johnny Depp was going to be on it. Yep, it was a pirate-themed boat. Right then and there I decided that this would not be the boat we would be on. Apparently, others around me (mostly with age-appropriate children in tow) insisted that taking this boat would cut down on the travel time to get to the island. Plus, wouldn’t it be fun? I decided to wait until the next ferry arrived.
I had always wanted to visit Mackinac and see The Grand Hotel. I wasn’t expecting the turquoise-colored water that day that surrounded our voyage to the island. Or the picture-postcard view of the hotel towering above everything else upon our approach. Dare I mention that the pirate boat did in fact pass us as we meandered across the water?
Mackinac Island
Forty-five minutes later, we arrived on the island. Since it was still too early for lunch (thinking we would grab something at The Grand Hotel), we start exploring. We walked up to the fort and decided not to pay to go inside. Instead, we walked up a pretty steep hill and got our view. There we saw both Round Island Passage Light (the column shaped light in the photo below) and the quaint Round Island Lighthouse.
After walking up the hill, we walked back down realizing we had missed the town entirely. While I had been prepared for the horsedrawn carriage rides and bicycles, I was not prepared for the amount of people who were visiting (on a Tuesday, no less). I was also not prepared for the many, many angry teenagers I witnessed who even that early in the day (before noon), were already complaining that 1) they were tired; 2) they were hot); and 3) that their parents were “torturing” them with all the walking. I will mention that at least 75% of those who were complaining were more than a bit overweight.
I also didn’t realize that one of the main attractions on Mackinac was the consumption of fudge. According to the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau, there are 13 fudge shops on the island, and it’s even touted as the “fudge capital of the world!” Still, I was surprised that nearly everyone I saw that day was consuming fudge, or ice cream, or both. I sighed and told Lynn that we’d have to eat lunch first and then consider buying some fudge to go.
We kept walking and tried to get away from the throngs of tourists. We headed towards streets that were less crowded and admired the houses, many of them B&B’s or Inns. The houses were beautiful. And look at the flowers!
We made our way towards the rocky shoreline and looked at the water. We even collected some rocks to take home. We had only seen Lake Huron once before when we drove up to Tobermory, Ontario, in 2017, but this view was pretty.
The Grand Hotel
We walked up the road to the hotel. There were flowers everywhere and the hotel is very grand. After ignoring the sign that requested a $12 fee per person to walk around the property, I went up to the front desk and inquired about lunch. Turns out you have to pay the fee to even step into the dining room where lunch ($77 per person) was buffet style. Everyone who knows me knows I avoid buffets like the plague. Still, I managed to get some photographs of the interior of the hotel. It looked old but plush. There actually weren’t a lot of people milling around (guests, that is) but I did feel a bit like I was trespassing.
Here are a few shots. This living room had a very pronounced Wes Anderson vibe to it. (Think The Grand Budapest Hotel.) And the porch area was spectacular. Everything was very clean and looked well cared for. Which I guess is the point if you are staying there since rooms START at $359 per person/night.
I mean look at all the geraniums. And the balconies!
Lunch at the Jockey Club
We decided to grab lunch at the Jockey Club, a restaurant that overlooked the golf course and the hotel. As soon as we sat down, I noticed something was amiss. Every single one of the servers was black and only serving white people. Most, I assumed were there on H-2B guest worker visas and they all wore a name tag with a number after it. When I inquired from our server what the number meant, she told me it was the number of seasons they had worked at the hotel. (She was on season 3, but her co-worker, an older man, was on season 25.) There’s more I can say about this topic, but I won’t because I can’t really wrap my head around it. I know seasonal hotels such as these have an enormous problem finding help especially if you are on an island that is difficult to get to. That said, it appears that many of the staff members were from Jamaica. I would like to assume that if they didn’t like working at the hotel, they’d find another seasonal job someplace else in the States. And, when I got home, I made sure to read some of the reviews on Indeed about their employer. Most of the complaints focused on staff meals and accommodations rather than pay.
Even with our discomfort, I will say that while lunch was expensive (but way cheaper than the buffet), the swordfish sandwich that Lynn and I both had was absolutely delicious. Was it worth it? Probably not. Did I regret going there? A little.
Time for Fudge
After lunch, we walked into Murdick’s Fudge shop which claims to be the oldest fudge store on the island. After all, we had to at least try the fudge, right? $14 later, ONE large slice of chocolate walnut fudge was purchased. We nibbled on it standing outside the store and I have to admit it was good.
Back on the Ferry
We managed to take the “fast” ferry back but had to sit below deck. While this trip was a mere 16 minutes, the boat was packed, and I was worried about being in an enclosed space and catching something. Pneumonia? Another strain of Covid? Especially since the woman next to me was coughing the entire time. Lynn’s eyes kept getting bigger and bigger with each passing moment and the minute the boat docked, we got off quickly.
Dinner Later That Evening
There weren’t many dinner options (in my opinion) in Mackinaw City unless you wanted a burger or fried food. Therefore, on our second night, we ended up at The White Buffalo Bar and Grille. They had lots of fish on the menu (including walleye and whitefish), and a decent wine list.
When we arrived for our 7:30 dinner reservation, there was one server trying to handle two huge rooms. I wasn’t sure if she would be able to pull it off (especially since we were surrounded by large family parties), but she got us drinks, wine, and a platter of whitefish each in record time. Was the fish the best I’ve ever eaten? No. But I discovered that restaurant prices in Michigan were running about $20 less per entree than in New York and sales tax is only 6%. So, while the food wasn’t mind-blowing, at least it was affordable.
Final Thoughts
I’m glad we visited the island even though I was dismayed by the tourists, the fudge overload, and the people who have to journey so far from their own home to earn a living. Although it’s been over two weeks since we were there, we still haven’t finished the chocolate fudge we purchased! (It’s sitting in a box on our kitchen counter waiting for us to at least take a bite. Shameful, I know.) But perhaps looking back at our “step” count, we should have just eaten it all that day. I wonder what the Holiday Inn clerk would have thought of the 9.1 miles we clocked that day. Or an irate teenager?
Tomorrow we are heading up to finally see Lake Superior!
Until our next “Let’s Go” adventure.