Monday, July 16, 2018 (Tour of Mackinac Island, MI - Part 2)

We didn't have to wait too long before the next carriage came along...and it happened to be the same one we had been on earlier. It goes back to Surrey Hill Museum where we changed back into the smaller 2-horse carriage that goes down into town.

Our plan was to take it as far as the Grand Hotel and get off there, take a look and then walk the rest of the way down into town. We passed the stables for the Grand Hotel...

Grand Hotel Taxi service...

The Grand Hotel is...well...very "grand"! Room rates for a base "Category I - Smaller guest rooms with interior views" are a mere $363 per person, per night (double occupancy or $65l single) for a weekend stay. Of course, prices increase up to "Category III - Deluxe lake view guest rooms, some with a balcony" at $455 per person, per night ($835 single). Mind you, that includes a full breakfast, Grand Luncheon Buffet and dinner daily. Oh...and tipping is neither expected nor permitted within Grand Hotel. Needless to say, it's way out of our budget!

After getting out of the carriage at the hotel, we started walking up the sidewalk...when a hotel employee asked for our hotel passes. Visitors are not allowed any further without paying a $10 fee..."We offer non-hotel guests a variety of ways to enjoy the Grand Hotel experience. To enter the hotel and explore our grounds, there is a $10.00 admission fee." Seriously? If you're interested in seeing the interior of the hotel check out Dave and Diane's blog...

So Steve took what pictures he could...

Really? Too funny!

And that was all we could see of The Grand Hotel. So we continued walking on down the hill into town...

There sure are some beautiful homes here...

The last time we saw so many bicycles, we were in Amsterdam which had many more...in the thousands!

By the time we reached the main street we basically went into the first restaurant that looked interesting...Mary's Bistro and Draught House. We started to sit outside but there weren't any tables in the shade, so we decided on the next best thing...a window table inside...

Feeling refreshed and with our tummies full, we continued walking...

Must be Mackinac Island's version of UPS?

Such a cool place!

Grand Hotel "taxi"...

A large freighter passes by...

Island House...

As we walked to the other side of town, we came across a funeral...

Horse-drawn Hearse...

"Taxi's" lined up outside the church...

Beautiful beach...

Mission Point Resort...

We walked just past the Mission Point Resort and turned around...

Back into town...

We arrived back at Star Lines just in time for a ferry...

The wind had picked up and it was a rough ride back with spray reaching the middle deck...

We arrived back to our hotel around 4:30...hot and tired! We certainly got our "steps" in today! (By the end of the day, my FitBit said we were just shy of 18,000 steps). Time to relax for a bit until it was time to go out for dinner.

We walked back through town and after a brief wait outside for a table,   it was time for dinner...

I had a salad and Steve had a craving for wings. The only wings on the menu were Keyhole's special recipe hot wings...so he decided to order a dozen. Well, it was a bad decision on his part...they were super hot and it was hilarious watching him suffer through them!

On the walk home, we decided to have ice cream...to put the fire out in Steve's mouth! We also took a stroll through Mackinaw Crossings...

Live music happening inside the courtyard...

And that concludes our time at Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island. An absolutely fabulous spot that we highly recommend seeing if you are in the area!