Mackinac Island

We had such a busy Summer this year!

Thus the reason it is late October and I am just now getting up some photos.

Ryan's parent's were able to come visit for a week in August.

Rather than sit around Lansing the whole time we decided to make a fun family vacation out of it.

We drove up to Frankenmuth, MI

Frankenmuth is a super cute little German town in  mid-Michigan.

We stopped for lunch and had Zender's Famous fried chicken.

We wandered around Bronners which is a HUGE Christmas store! 

I had never seen anything like it!

Then of course we stopped for some fudge, and continued our journey North.

FRANKENMUTH

Now these photos are out of order, but we made a couple hours after we left Frankenmuth we made it to our destination: MACKINAC ISLAND

If you are unfamiliar with Michigan, 

(don't worry, I won't blame you if you are)

Michigan is made up of the Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula.

The Upper Peninsula is not ACTUALLY attached to Michigan at all, 

it is attached to Wisconsin.

the only thing connecting the "U.P." to Michigan 

is the MACKINAC BRIDGE.

It is the 3rd longest suspension bridge in the world.

Shy only 400 feet the length of the Golden Gate Bridge.

About midway across the bridge and out a ways into the lake sits Mackinac Island.

It is a beautiful tiny little island.

Home to the Grand Hotel.

There are no automobiles on the island.

Everything is run by bicycle or horse carriage.

Including Police, trash, deliveries everything!

It is so cute and quaint and has taken great care to maintain a historical value.

Arch Rock was one of the stops along our carriage tour.

It is a beautiful rock formation.

But even more beautiful than the rock itself it the view from this point of the island!

ARCH ROCK

When we first arrived in the Mackinac area, before we took the ferry over to the Island.

We drove across the bridge and visited Marquette Park.

A monument and state park to honor the settlers of the area.

We stopped and picked up some Pasties (THE food of the U.P)

And had a little picnic. 

The view and the park we beautiful!

MARQUETTE PARK

The next morning we caught the ferry and headed over to Mackinac Island.

We took a carriage tour.

Walked around .

Had ice cream and fudge.

And took in the beauty of this little place!

AROUND MACKINAC ISLAND

The Courthouse

This cracked me up: Police bikes.

Everything was in bloom and Hayden was loving it!

We ventured away from our carriage tour to spend a few hours at Fort Mackinac.

An old historical army fort that has been restored.

FORT MACKINAC

A view up at the fort from our carriage.

Eating lunch at the "Tea Room" at Fort Mackinac.

The weather was so PERFECT that day!

And the view from our table was to die for.

I had to snap a few photos.

Caught the bridge and the Grand Hotel in this shot.

Wood peckers made their marks on the trees all over the island.

Another shot of the bridge.

Our next stop was probably the one that I was the most excited about.

The Grand Hotel!

Growing up, I loved the movie "Somewhere in Time".

Filmed here on the Island, in and around the Grand Hotel.

It truly is GRAND!

See for yourself.

THE GRAND HOTEL

The grounds were also beautiful!

THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE

We stayed on the Island that night at the Mission Point Resort.

It was just down the street from the main downtown area.

The grounds were so beautiful that the next morning we just took a nice long walk around.

WALK AROUND MISSION POINT

Our horse team and carriage Taxi that took us to and from our hotel.

There is a trail that runs along the water all the way around the island.

We caught it for a bit and walked to Arch Rock for a different point of view.

We had SO MUCH FUN!

It was a perfect little vacation.

I always said a trip to Mackinac Island was one of those things 

I wanted to do before we left Michigan.

But it is definitely a place we will have to go back to again.

Once is just not enough.

I am IN LOVE with this little Island!

When we got home, we still had a few days with Ryan's parents.

So we took a trip to the zoo, 

spent some time in the pool,

ate out a TON (probably my favorite part),

played games, 

and of course just relaxed.

Hayden with her "Papa"

She adores her Papa, 

loves her Grandma too, 

but her heart belongs to her Daddy and her Papa!

We are so blessed to have Roger and Mauna Sue come and spend time with us!

We love them and miss them.

And always look forward to the next time we get to see them.