The next day we took a ferry in the morning to visit Mackinaw Island, which is a place I’ve always wanted to visit since I’m a Somewhere in Time fan. The ferry is less than a half hour to the island if I remember correctly. Once we arrived in Mackinaw, we booked a horse and carriage tour. Cars are not allowed on the island so horses are a mode of transport. The carriage tour is a great way to familiarize yourself with the island (which is pretty small), and you get to visit Mackinaw State Park. It also snowed and rained that day, so we were fortunate to be in the carriage when it was snowing. It also made for a pretty picture. The park has an old cemetery which looked beautiful with the changing foliage and snow. The tour stopped at Arch Rock, which is one of the most famous rock formations on the island, so we were able to get a closer look. Also, we were able to pet the horses from our tour, but the mare kept lunging at me when I tried to pet her partner so I backed off (I don’t think she liked the red hair).
We had the tour drop us off at the Grand Hotel, and paid the ten dollars to go inside (which I recommend you do if you are not staying the hotel). The hotel is lovely, and you feel as if you were transported back in time. I enjoyed walking around and exploring. There is normally a Lost in Time festival this time of year, but it was cancelled. Some people still came out and dressed in their 1912 period clothing. Jane Seymour has been known to drop by for the festival in the past. There is bar at the top called the Cuppola where you can have a drink and take in a nice view.
We walked back to town and bought some fudge at Ryba’s Fudge Shop, along with other sweet treats like chocolate covered pretzels and coconut clusters. We headed to the Mission Resort where Somewhere in Time was also filmed. We had lunch inside the Mission at the Round Island Bar & Grill where the staff was nice, and the food was good. There’s a great view of the Adirondack chairs that face the lake that people like to pose in and post on social media. There’s a gazebo outside the resort that a scene in Somewhere in Time was filmed if you want to check that out as well.
After that excursion, we walked back to town, had a beer at the Great Turtle Brewery, and did some more walking around to take in the beautiful scenery on the island. A trip to Mackinaw does feel like you have gone back in time and is a great getaway. I wish we had stayed overnight, but we went back to the mainland to spend the night in Harbor Springs (which is also beautiful). If you do visit to Mackinaw Island, spend the night at one of the beautiful hotels there, which will make you feel like you have gone back in time.
The Highland Hideaway bed and breakfast we stayed the night at also had a complimentary wine tasting. We were able to sample the wine we liked multiple times, and our questions were answered. I enjoyed the wine from the bed and breakfast, so I took a bottle of rose home with me. Outside you can enjoy the hot tub, which felt great in the crisp, fall air. I actually sat partially outside to cool off. The sauna is shaped like a wine barrel and you can detox in there. This place was like a dream come true after a hectic, but enjoyable day of sight seeing. It felt refreshing to relax at a beautiful place with such friendly staff. Our room had a fireplace which was like a dream come true for me.
The next day we drove to the Traverse City area and went to pick up wine at Black Star Farms, which I highly recommend. There is a restaurant there and you can stay at the BnB (which we did not do). You can take a private tour of the estate, do a wine tasting, or eat fresh sourced food from the farm. The Leelanau Peninsula area is beautiful, and I recommend driving in that area and trying some of the wine. The area is beautiful and a great getaway, along with having some of the most amazing wine.
We also made a stop in Leland to visit Fish Town where we had a delicious lunch at a to go sandwich stand. Leland is about twenty miles from Traverse City. In the area along the Leland River, you can walk along the historic fishing docks (hence the name (Fishtown); and you can visualize what life was like in the early 1900s. This area is one of the only working commercial fishing village in Michigan. The weathered fishing shanties are now gift shops, art galleries, and boutiques. Make some time for a stop in Leland, and you’ll also feel transported back in time.
This was such a great trip that I had to break it down in three posts so it would not be an unbearably long post, and you can also break it down to one or two trips depending on much time you have. This was my first time visiting the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Mackinaw Island, along with some enjoyable stops in northern Michigan like Harbor Springs and Leland. I visited Traverse City area before and recommend a stop at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park as well if you have time. There’s so many great towns in Michigan so you can keep exploring and making more memories.
If you like our Facebook page, there are videos from the trip posted that you can check out as well. I also update the Instagram WayfaringGal page (which has more photos from the trip) with new posts. Thank you for reading, and comments and feedback are always welcome since that is how we learn and grow.
