When talking to people about great hotels, one statement came up a number of times, “Go to The Grand, on Mackinac Island.” A number of years went by before we got around to it, but we did, and we were not disappointed.

First, for those fans of the 1980, fantasy/romance, Somewhere in Time, you know the place. In the movie, based on the novel by Richard Matheson called Bid Time Return, Christopher Reeves plays a successful playwright, who travels back in time to 1912 to meet an actress played by Jane Seymour. The movie is filmed primarily at the The Grand hotel. Even today the movie holds up well, it’s a great couple’s movie. When you check in, there is a dedicated room with movie memorabilia.

For anyone who remembers the movie, there is a scene where Reeves leaves Chicago and drives until he reaches the entrance of the hotel. After having an urge to spend the night, he turns up the driveway. This is all fiction. First, The Grand is on an island, you need to take a ferry to get to it. Second, no cars are allowed on the island. If you go there today, the place is dominated by horses and bicycles. The town gave the studio special permission to use vehicles. The cast and crew were given special plaques to put on their cars. Christopher Reeves auctioned off his, #1, for charity.

The Grand opened on July 10, 1887, built of white Michigan pine and by it’s own declaration is, “a classic example of the gracious living seldom seen today.” The building is impressive, painted white with green shingles. The driveway level is adorned with yellow and white striped awnings and solid yellow awnings running along the porch level.

Dozens of columns and a row of American flags define the front. If you look at The Grand straight on, a large cupola, which houses a lounge I’ll get to later, bisects the structure in the middle. You can walk, bike, or take a house draw cab up the long drive to the main entrance. An expansive lawn spreads out before the hotel. You’ll find a row of cornhole boards, crocket fields, and bocce games; all in front of an oversized chess board, awaiting your pleasure.

Beyond this is a lovely pool area with a pool side bar and club house, the perfect spot to relax on a warm summer day.

The hotel boasts the largest porch in the world. It was hard to dispute this after walking it’s length. A hundred white rocking chairs line the way, inviting a guest to sit and enjoy the view of Lake Huron.

We had one of the more modest room, but it kept with the style of the place. It was very comfortable and came equipped with all the amenities. A word of warning, I made a joke saying it’s called The Grand, because that’s what the cheapest room costs a night. The prices at this hotel are not for the faint of heart, but if your vacation budget can handle it and your looking for a real treat, check it out.

The sheer expanse of the place is impressive, but without taking away from it’s elegance. The grand pavilion is anchored by the main dinning room to the east, leading into what is politely called the parlor. As you step in off the porch into the parlor you enter an area filled with elegant sofas, rich looking arm chairs, and white planters with palm plants. Here is a place to enjoy your surroundings while waiting for friends or a dinner reservation. When we were there, a harpist played popular tunes.

A little before noon a small bar is set up for refreshments. There is a varied selection, but specializes on different variations of Bloody Mary’s and Mimosas.

We had no place to rush off too, so we choose a couple of spicy Bloody Mary’s and sat out on the porch, just because we could.

We are told there is a traditional English Tea is served in the parlor from 3:30 to 5:00 PM, featuring all the classic components: a wide selection of teas, finger sandwiches, sconces, cakes and pastries.

Along with a theatre and ballroom, the hotel has a number of nooks an crannies to explore, including from left to right: the Geranium Bar, the Baroque room, and a lane of shops, which features a coffee shop, souvenir market, a clothier, and flower shop. The Geranium Bar is located adjacent to the main dinning room and serves pre-dinner cocktails, as well as light food choices. The Baroque room sits next to the ballroom entrance with it’s own bar area. I can see this area filled with wedding guests.

The trophy room is as advertised, a room with tables and chairs surrounded by equestrian pictures, trophies, and ribbons. A place to have a conversation or sit with coffee and make plans for the day.

The hotel is filled with small details you don’t find in chain hotels, from gold embroidered chairs in the theater to eye grabbing chandeliers. The geranium is the symbol of the The Grand, you see them throughout the motif.

A word about the dress code. The Grand has a tradition of dressing with an appropriate civility.

Before 6:30pm, the hotel requires what it describes as, ‘casual resort’, we saw plenty of chinos, polo shirts, summer shirts with collars, and summer dresses. Leggings also appeared to pass mustard and though we didn’t see a lot of jeans, as long as they are new and clean, no one seemed to mind. What we didn’t see was cut-off shorts, tee shirts, sweatpants, or anything with inappropriate language. None of the women I saw wore midriff-baring tops and none of the men wore sleeveless shirts. So, be comfortable, but dress nicely.

After 6:30pm the dress code becomes more strict. If you go to the main dinning room, grand pavilion, or parlor you are required to dress with a certain elegance. The men I saw were in suits or a sport coat, dress shirt, and dress pants. All but one man I saw, wore neckties. The women were all in gowns, dresses or skirts with nice blouses. Sweaters or throws were present, but all were dressy or matched the look. A nice pantsuit also appeared to be allowed, though I didn’t see many. Dress as if you were going to special occasion.

I didn’t see anyone not respecting the drees code, in fact it was the opposite. I think most people enjoy an excuse to drees to the nines and show out. A night at The Grand fits the bill. The hotel also hosts an annual “Somewhere in Time” weekend. Guests dress in period attire, circa 1912, but several will attend in Civil War uniforms. I’m told people really get into it. There are special screenings of the film and a walking tour to the filming locations around the island.

Food

The hotel offers a number of options to eat and drink, including Mackinac Island Pizza, specializing in Detroit-style deep-dish pizza. The Fort Mackinac Tea Room with simple fare: salads, sandwiches, and snacks to go along with amazing views. There is a pool bar with burgers and cocktails, and an ice cream parlor. The Gate House is within a short walk down the driveway, and offers a casual setting, even during dinner, and features comfort food and a patio bar. I will focus on the three options we visited: the Cupola Bar, the main dinning room, and the The Jockey Club.

**The Cupola Bar**

We spent the day exploring the island, when we returned we took the climb to the Cupola Bar, which is dead center, and at the top of the hotel. It is a bright cozy space, with a spectacular view of the grounds and Mackinac strait. My wife had a drink that reminded me of a Pimm’s Fizz she had in London. I choose an expresso martini and we compared notes about what we saw that day. The dress here is casual.
Recommendation, try the ‘smoked goldfish’. They are the regular cheesy flavored snack we all love, but with a deep smoky flavor. There is no rub or flavoring sprinkled on top, it’s as if they were smoked over a mesquite fire.

**The Main Dinning Room**

The main dinning room is a massive formal room, done in pastel yellow walls, a pastel green ceiling, and newly upholstered dark green chairs; where you can experience a classic five-course meal. The dinner menu includes items such as an appetizer of smoked Great Lakes trout fritter, a bowl of smoked chicken and wild rice soup, a spinach salad, and an entree of beef tenderloin tournedos. If none of that sounds appetizing there are plenty of more choices.
The dress code is strictly enforced for dinner, but we chose to have breakfast here.

If your hungry, try the buffet. There is salmon, eggs, sausage, bacon, deli meats, oatmeal with your choice of add-ons, a variety of pastries and muffins, biscuits and gravy, a station with small waffles, so you can try a number of toppings if you like - I had strawberries and whipped cream - and much more. All of it was good and the service was top self.

The dress code during breakfast is resort casual.

The Jockey Club

We eat dinner at the Jockey Club. We liked the decor of the place, the equestrian themed club has rich dark wood of the tables and brown saddle leather on the chairs. The lights hanging over the tables are jockey helmets and rows of cups hung around the ceiling. The pewter mugs are personalized with the names of members belonging to the hotel’s exclusive club rooster. The dress code here for dinner is supposed to be resort casual, but I didn’t see evidence of this other then a few men who didn’t have neckties.

We liked the look of the menu at first sight. Join us for dinner, a quick tour with a couple of recommendations.

Starters
The appetizer in the foreground are wood-grilled Wagyu beef skewers with a jalapeno-lime Chimichurri and Mustard Aioli.

But, if you like good bread, (and who doesn’t like good bread), get an order of the Signature Bread in the background. It’s a smoked artisan sourdough with butter flaked with sea salt. Delicious.

Soup and Salad
The French Onion soup was some of the best I’ve had, and I consider myself a connoisseur. Sourdough crotons with Gruyere cheese, and just the proper sprinkle of chives.

The other is wood-grill roasted beet salad, with peppered goat cheese, Kumquat, caramelized pearl onions, and arugula.

The Entree.
Salmon with Lobster and ricotta gnocchi, and arugula pesto. The herb roasted Prime Rib, came with fingerling potatoes and broccolini. The horseradish picture here was extra spicy.

The order of caramelized Brussel sprouts in the middle of the table was a perfect side dish. They came in lacquered bacon and shallots; so good.

Desert.

A coconut key lime cream pie, with a graham cracker crust and toasted macadamia.
The Grand Pecan Ball has been on the menu since 1947, it sits in a pool of hot fudge sauce with vanilla ice cream inside.

Last, the hotel has a great collection of items to take a glimpse into the past. (Please forgive some of the glare, I avoid copyright issues by taking my own pictures, and some were in locations I had a hard time decreasing the effect.) There are pictures of the place throughout different eras, cabinets filled with guest keys over the years, (and you still get a key, not a key card) and souvenirs with the hotel image, and a great photo of the arrival of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip on the Royal Yacht Britannia in July of 1959. You get a feeling of joining the long line of guests throughout the years.

The Grand falls into the category - they don’t build them like this anymore. It’s one of those places you take your time. Grab a book and sit on the porch. Take in one of the daily activities the hotel puts on; we took in a lecture on Prohibition in the theatre, which was both informative and funny. Find a comfy chair in the parlor and people watch. So, put on your best suit or summer dress, and add yourself to the ambience.

Lets talk Mackinac Island

Mackinac Island, Michigan, is a classic summertime island retreat you read about in books and see in movies. The place reminds me of Nantucket or Martha’s Vineyard back home.

What makes this place unique is the lack of motor vehicles. Cars were banned in 1898 to protect the horses from being frightened and the law remains in effect today.

Residents and visitors move about the island on foot, bike, or on horseback. The island keeps a small contingent of emergency vehicles. As of this writing; 2 police cars, 1 ambulance, and one fire truck.

There are a number of places to hike or bike, depending on how far you want to go. There is an 8.2 mile highway, M185, which circles the island. Riding the loop is a Mackinac tradition. The shops in town sell an 8.2 sticker. The highway is level and paved for an easy hike or ride. A full loop on a bike takes about an hour, but take longer and enjoy the scenery.

Fun fact; the M185 is the only state highway where cars are forbidden.

We chose our spots and enjoyed a 6.5 mile stroll, which included Fort Holmes, with a great overlook of the strait.

And hiked down toward the shore to visit the Arch and the Devil’s Kitchen, a pair of limestone caves.

The City of Mackinac Island as it’s called, enjoys all the summertime favorites; coffee shops, ice cream parlors, eateries, bars, and shopping. All come with beautiful views. The horse draw cabs clip clopping up and down the street gives the feel you have come to someplace different.