The Roy's "Somewhere In Time" Anniversary Trip To Mackinac Island, Michigan & UP

PREVIOUS PAGE    |    RECENT PICTURES MAIN PAGE    |    NEXT PAGE

M1
We had a relatively easy connection to get to Grand Rapids, Michigan from Sacramento.  Joy and I connected in Denver.

M2
Welcome To Pure Michigan greeted the Roys as we departed from Gerald Ford International Airport in Grand Rapids in our rental car for Northern Michigan!

M3
Joy and I decided to talk a nice walk along Lake Cadillac after we checked into our hotel in Cadillac, MI.  It was a nice change from the shit hole called Sacramento!

M4
There is so much history back in the East Coast and Midwest!

M5
Northern Michigan is conservative.  They do not let Antifa thugs ruin their monuments!

M6
For overnight guests, Shepler's Ferry Service in Mackinaw City has a special lot where one can check in their luggage all the way to their hotel on the island and park right by the ferry.

M7
Lake Huron is so beautiful and clear!

8
Joy and I are ready to board the Miss Margy to head over to Mackinac Island.  Mackinac is pronounced Mackinaw.

9
Here is a great view of the Mackinac Bridge which connects the lower and upper peninsulas of Michigan.  This suspension bridge is about 5 miles long.

10
The Great Lakes have a lot of shipping traffic too.  It is possible to go from the Atlantic all the way to Duluth, Minnesota via the Great Lakes system.

M11
Once we arrived on the island, we could see how beautiful the water was.  There is a lighthouse off in the distance here.

12
The island only has horse drawn carriages and taxis along with bikes.  There are no cars or buses on the island. except for 6 emergency or public service vehicles.

13
I thought the ferry might have been a time machine that took us back to the 1800s!

14
We enjoyed our walking tour of the island and taking in the New England colonial style buildings.

15
Up on the hill is historic Ft. Mackinac which was established by the British in the 1700s.

16
There was an old church near the entrance to the fort also.

17
Mackinac Island is known for fudge!  We made sure to go visit a fudge shop on the island.  The fudge is made by hand.

18
Joy and I made sure to buy some fudge to bring back home to California also.

19
We decided to walk to the Mission Point Resort after we had lunch and bought our fudge.

M20
The harbor area was really nice.

21
This is the St. Anne's Church on the island.

M22
These beautiful flowers were the start of the Mission Point Resort.

23
The resort had an executive putting green overlooking Lake Huron.

M24
We walked under the shade of these large trees to the lobby of the resort

25
This was a cool fountain as we continued our walk.

26
There was a horse drawn shuttle leaving the resort as we arrived.

27
After checking in and having our luggage brought to the room, we checked out the welcome opera!

28
The welcome opera was on an outdoor pavillion overlooking Lake Huron with a small orchestra providing the instrumental part of the musicial performance.

29
The trio of opera singers did a great job on their rendition of La Traviata.

30
Joy is posing with our resort in the background.

31
The pool was small, but it was nice.

32
This adirondack chair is calling me!

33
Yes, it did call me.  I loved sitting by the lake with my feet in the chilly waters.

34
I felt like a mint julep, but I settled for some amazing lemonade my wife brought me from the bar since they did not alcohol to be taken out of the bar area.

35
The Roys are ready for a fancy dinner at the Grand Hotel!  Jacket and tie are required after 6:30 at the Grand Hotel for men.

36
We stopped for some ice cream at Kilwin's on the way to dinner.  I worked out extra the week before in anticipation of these calories!

37
I had Kilwin's Toasted Coconut Ice Cream before in Missouri!  It is amazing so I could not wait to have it on this trip!

M38
We took the horse drawn shuttle from downtown to the Grand Hotel for dinner.

39
We passed through the nice golf course of the Grand Hotel.

40
As we approached the Grand Hotel, we were in awe of this beautiful property!

41
Our carriage operator showed us the Jockey Club where had dinner reservations before she dropped us off at the main building of the Grand Hotel.

42
We went up to the Cupola Bar at the Grand Hotel to have some drinks and take in the amazing views!

44
Joy and I are dressed in formal attire since a jacket and tie are required for me after 6:30 on the property.

45
I ordered a mint julep with Woodford Reserve as my drink that evening.

46
After drinks, we took in the beautiful lobby of the Grand Hotel.  A harpist was playing live music.

47
These ladies are waiting to provide a coffee service.

48
We posed for a picture by this nice chandalier.

49
We saw this old Hong Kong style rick shaw so Joy had to check it out.

50
The Grand Hotel had a nice outdoor veranda with rocking chairs.

51
I loved all the flags on the property!  They are not shy about showing their patriotism!

52
As we walked to the Jockey Club for dinner we passed another horse drawn shuttle.

53
We are seated here at our table for dinner at the Jockey Club.

54
We had a great view of the golf course from table.

55
This was my starter from the prix fixe menu.  The chilled shrimp were good!

56
Joy and I woke up to a cloudy scene over Lake Huron.

57
My first order of the day was to find the coffee shop and get my iced Americano.

58
We went for a nice walk on the grounds of the Mission Point Resort after I got my iced Americano.

59
This was a cool little bridge by the executive putting greens.

60
The lake shore was really calm and peaceful.

61
The island had lots of art work displayed outdoors.  There were no Antifa clowns on the island to damage them.  LOL.

62
We saw a horse drawn carriage as we approached the lobby area.

63
I took a selfie with the horses.

64
Our breakfast started out with a platter of pastries and fresh fruit.

65
I got the Michigan Brioche French Toast which was served with fresh berries and caramel sauce.

66
We went to Ft. Mackinac after breakfast.

67
This historic fort was built by the British in 1780.

68
I am pictured by one of the cannons.  Yes, it was drizzling a little that morning.

69
This is a block house which was an old fortified building which could withstand heavy battering while allowing soldiers to fire at the enemies.

70
We saw a live cannon firing demonstration also.

71
Here is a view of the harbor from the fort.

72
We had Jamaican food for lunch at Kingston Kitchen.  There are lots of Jamaicans who work on the island for the summer season.  The Scotch Bonnet pepper sauce reminded me of my trip to Jamaica a few years back.

73
After getting back to the mainland, we drove over the Mackinac Bridge into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan towards Sault St. Marie.

74
My wife works for the US Army Corps of Engineers who built and operate the Soo Locks in Sault St. Marie.

75
This boat is ready to make the passage from Lake Superior to Lake Huron via the Soo Locks on the St. Mary's River.

76
Once the water level is lowered, the boat is able to move into Lake Huron.  There is about a 21 foot drop from Lake Superior to Lake Huron so these locks are needed.

77
We drove out to see the Point Iroquis Light House after touring the Soo Locks in Sault St. Marie.

78
This is Lake Superior.  It looked quite violent with the storm coming in.  I have now seen all the five Great Lakes!

98
I had a weird sensation that I was being followed in the UP.  Oh wait!  Is that Big Foot?  LOL.  JK.  The UP residents think of themselves as "Yoopers."

79
We went back to Sault St. Marie for dinner at the Lock View Restaurant.  I tried the White Fish of Lake Superior.  It was not bad for being a freshwater fish.

80
Joy and I decided to have a night cap at this Irish Pub in Sault St. Marie.

81
I was happy to be able to drink in a bar again.  Comrade Communist Newsom of the People's Republic of California shut down the bars, indoor dining, and gyms due to "Covid."  We know the liberals are doing this on purpose.

82
I liked this sign at Biggby Coffee.  It says if one does not wear a mask, they will not refuse service since they assume it is for medical reasons.  Masks need to be optional.  The government can not order this action!

87
We crossed back over the Mackinac Bridge into the lower peninsula of Michigan and saw both Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

83
We had lunch at the Dixie Saloon in Mackinaw City after crossing the bridge.

84
Michigan is known for craft breweries.  I had a nice blueberry lemonade shandy which had actual blueberries in it.

86
I needed to get more Kilwins Ice Cream!

89
After we left Mackinaw City, we headed back to Grand Rapids.  We did a little shopping before heading to our anniversary dinner at Leo's in downtown Grand Rapids.  The downtown area was safe and clean.

90
Mr. and Mrs. Roy are seated at Leo's for a nice fine dining experience for their 2nd anniversary here.

91
Leo's left a heart on our table since it was our anniversary.

92
I got the surf and turf for my dinner which included a 6 oz filet mignon paired with a lobster tail.  My Manhattan was OK, but it did not compare to the one at Catch in Las Vegas a few weeks ago!

9
Joy and I had breakfast at Bob Evan's in Grand Rapids since the Doubletree still did not have their restaurant open yet due to Covid-19.  We got some banana nut bread for my dad.

93
We flew out of Grand Rapids the next day and connected planes at Chicago Midway Airport.  I was able to see the skyline of Chicago here from the plane!

95
I was able to get a latte at Dunkin' Donuts Express at Midway Airport.

96
I saw a vintage Southwest livery plane at Chicago Midway.  I love air travel, and I encouraged people on social media to fly again!  This pandemic is not as bad as people are saying.

97
I took this picture of Midway Airport from the air as we took off for California.

85
I loved seeing a lot of support for President Trump in Michigan!

    My wife and I decided to spend our 2nd anniversary in Michigan exploring the Great Lakes region of Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula!  Since we were in the midst of a "global pandemic" due to Covid-19, we did not have much options for international travel in 2020 so Joy and I decided to knock out a lot of our domestic bucket list items as Southwest had a lot of great deals on flights to get people back to traveling.  I really do not think the pandemic is as bad as the liberal media has portrayed it to be.  Furthermore, it is obivious leftists like California's Governor are shutting down the states to try to hurt our President's re-election.  Joy and I were sick of California!  We could not eat indoors in restaurants, go to the gym, or even get a hair cut in California!  The idiot governor expected people to eat outdoors in the blistering heat of summer.  So, Joy and I decided to leave California as often as we could during this pandemic.

    Our flight from Sacramento took us to Denver where we connected to another Southwest flight to Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Grand Rapids is in Western Michigan.  The flights were OK, but I missed the usual beverage service with sodas and the alcohol that was available for purchase on Southwest.  My Southwest drink coupons were ready to be used!  It took us about the whole day to get to Grand Rapids with the time difference.  After arriving into Gerald Ford International Airport, we got our rental car and drove off to a town called Cadillac in Northern Michigan.  Cadillac is a small city on a nice lake called Lake Cadillac.  Joy and I enjoyed a nice walk along the lake after we checked into the Hampton Inn.  It was nice to have the usual display with snack options for Gold and Diamond guests at the Hampton Inn.  Moreover, they had their self service beverage stations still in the lobby.  The pool and gym were open too!  Yeah!  I could work out on an actual ellipitcal again!  Fuck Newsom!  I hate California so bad.  Excuse my language.  After our walk at the beautiful park in Cadillac, we headed off to get some ice cream after we ran into a nice couple who told us where to go get some great tasting ice cream.  The people in Michigan were super friendly unlike the leftist idiots in Sacramento.  Moreover, the area was so clean and free of homeless people.  California has become a third world state thanks to the liberals.  Joy and I got Chinese take out from House of Hunan before heading back to our hotel.  I was so excited to eat "East Coast" Chinese since I grew up on this food when we lived in Ohio and Pennsylvania.  I got my gym work out in too that night!  We were also treated to a thunderstorm which is something we almost never see in Sacramento.

    The next day, we headed out for Mackinac Island on Lake Huron.  Along our drive up Northern Michigan, we saw lots of Trump signs!  I was so happy to see that much support for our President!  After arriving in Mackinaw City, we found the Shepler's Ferry Terminal.  We were instructed to go the back where they would take our luggage and tag them so they can be "shipped" straight to our hotel on the island.  Afterwards, we were able to go pick up our ferry tickets which were included with the $379 room rate at the Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island.  We were on the ferry soon and heading back in time to a place where there were no cars.  On our ferry ride, we saw the Mackinac Bridge which connects the two peninsulas of Michigan.

    After arriving on Mackinac Island, Joy and I saw horse drawn carriages and taxis everywhere as the only way to get around the island is on foot, on bike, or via these horse drawn vehicles.  We enjoyed a nice walk seeing the old Victorian and New England colonial style buildings.  The movie Somewhere In Time with Christopher Reeve was filmed on this island in the 1980s.  Joy and I enjoyed some of the famous Mackinac Island fudge too before having lunch at a local bar.  We both enjoyed dining indoors in a restaurant!  I know.  This sounds so silly, but we were deprived in California during the pandemic with no indoor restaurant dining.

    We walked to the Mission Point Resort from the downtown area.  The Mission Point Resort was spread out over prime lake front real estate.  We saw an executive putting course, lots of adirondack chairs on the lush greens, and the occasional horse drawn carriage or taxi.  After we checked in, we were officially welcomed to the resort with a live opera on the outdoor pavillion overlooking Lake Huron!  The trio of opera singers performed selections from La Traviata.  I got my Jack and diet soda and relaxed as I experienced the opera music.  They were quite good.  In the backgrounds, there were lots of flowers, the lake, and the occasional kite flying in the sky.  Life was sweet!  We were out of the hustle and bustle of the shit hole one calls Sacramento, California!  LOL.

    I went down to put my feet in the lake after the opera performance.  The resort had chairs right on the beach area.  However, I soon learned how cold the water was!  Lake Huron is beautiful and clear, but the water is not super warm.  I was craving a mint julep with the backdrop of this vintage high end resort, but the bar tender would not allow alcohol to be taken out of the bar area so my wife brought me a good lemonade instead.

    We had dinner reservations at the Jockey Club that night so we had to change into our formal wear since the Grand Hotel requires proper attire after 6:30 PM.  I took a jacket and tie when I was told the dress code when reservations were made.  There was a horse drawn shuttle from the Mission Point Resort to downtown.  In downtown, I was able to get my favorite toasted coconut ice cream from Kilwins before we continued onto the Grand Hotel via their horse drawn carriage shuttle.  As we approached the beautiful classic hotel with the large veranda and lush grounds, we were both really happy we made this trip!  The carriage dropped us off at the main entrance.  Afterwards, we went to the top of the hotel where we enjoyed some drinks at the Cupola Bar.  This bar overlooks the lake.  I did order a mint julep here with Woodford Reserve.  Joy and I explored the super posh Grand Hotel afterwards and enjoyed walking around the beautiful property.

    Our dinner at the Jockey Club was nice, but we were both tired and still adjusting to the three hour time difference so we ended up taking most of our dinners and the dessert to go.  The restaurant called a horse drawn taxi for us to take us back to the Mission Point after dinner.  We did try the dessert once we got back into our room.

    The next morning, we enjoyed a nice walk around the lake front at the Mission Point Resort before breakfast.  I had a great iced Americano from the coffee shop at the resort.  Our breakfast was included in the $379 room rate.  I was very impressed with the food and service at breakfast.

    We explored the historic Ft. Mackinac after breakfast.  It was drizzling a little, but we still got to see the cannon firing demonstration.  The British built this fort, and they handed it over to the United States many years after the Revolutionary War once the border between the US and Canada were finalized.  The blockhouses in the fort reminded me of what I saw in the Canadian Maritimes last summer.

    Joy and I had a great lunch at a Jamaican restaurant in town before we caught the ferry to get back to the mainland.  Once we got back to the mainland, we drove over the Mackinac Bridge into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  The Upper Peninsula was mostly wilderness.  Our drive took us up to the US-Canada border in Sault St. Marie.  We checked into our Hampton Inn before exploring the Soo Locks.  These locks allow ships to sail between Lake Superior and Lake Huron on the St. Mary's River.  There is about a 21 foot drop from Lake Superior to Lake Huron so these locks are needed to allow ships to pass.  We had traveled through the Panama Canal before, but this was cool to see the locks working up close.  The US Army Corps of Engineers built these locks in the 1800s which shocked me since I did not think they had the technology to do this back then!

    We went out of town afterwards to go see a lighthouse on Lake Superior.  The weather got worse that afternoon as the rain came in.  Lake Superior looked very violent too!  We enjoyed some local Whitefish for dinner at the Locke View Restaurant in Sault St. Marie before getting a drink at an Irish Pub in town.  I was super excited to be able to drink in a bar again!  California bars were shut down still.

    The next day, we crossed back into the lower Peninsula.  We had a nice indoor lunch in Mackinaw City.  I also got to try a local beer too.  We continued down to Grand Rapids where we did some shopping at the outlet mall.  My company was rewarding me with lots of gift cards during this Work From Home (WFH) time due to Covid-19 so I ended up getting another pair of Nike shoes.  I have more shoes than Joy!  LOL.

    Joy and I enjoyed a nice romantic dinner at Leo's in downtown Grand Rapids that night for our 2nd anniversary!  We walked around the downtown area first.  Both of us were amazed at how safe it was!  Downtown Sacramento and many other California cities are not safe at night!  The dinner and service at Leo's was great.  After starting with some oysters, I had the gazpacho.  Then, my main entree was the filet mignon and lobster tail.  We skipped dessert since we had our sweet treats earlier in the day in Mackinaw City.

    As Joy and I celebrated our 2nd year together as man and wife, we enjoyed the Great Lakes.  I think Mackinac Island needs to be on everyone's bucket list!  How did we hear about this place?  Our first trip post-Covid 19 was to Reno to hang out with a bunch of our friends.  One of the couples we are friends with had been here before so they gave us the idea to do this trip for our anniversary!

Last Updated:  August 15, 2020 11:30 PM
webmaster@anirbanroy.org