Mackinac Island

A few weeks ago for the 4th of July we took a step back in time and visited Mackinac Island. When you step off the ferry from Mackinac City you are greeted by not a single car but instead horse drawn carriages. The clip clop of the horses and the charming feel of the island instantly make you feel at home! We stayed 5 days/4 nights and I can’t wait to give you a glimpse into all we did and saw. It truly was a magical place and is perfect for families.

Day One

We flew into Mackinac City and hoped on a shuttle to the ferry that would take us to the island.

The ferry ride was around 20 minutes and was such a beautiful ride. You step off of the ferry and right into the heart of downtown Mackinac Island. So charming!

We called a taxi(a horse drawn carriage) when we arrived and they took us to the Grand Hotel where we would be staying. The view pulling up to the Grand hotel was quite impressive!

Our rooms weren’t ready when we arrived so we grabbed lunch at the Jockey Club right across the street. I had the steak salad and that would be the one singular food picture I took for the entirety of the trip. I was more focused on all of the amazing views:)

We then had a tour of the island and got to see famous Arch Rock. The views there were breathtaking! I still can’t over how pretty the water was.

We arrived back to the hotel and checked into our rooms. We stayed in the Cupola Suite and the decor did not disappoint. The Grand Hotel was decorated by Dorothy Draper. She is the same designer who decorated the Greenbrier(we had just visited there earlier this year) and her design aesthetic is like no other.

Our girls were in complete heaven with this room. The room had the cutest nooks that were meant for little girls:)

and you better believe I brought my aria and oils with me! The white aria fit perfectly with the colorful decor here.

We ate dinner the first night in the dining Hall at the hotel. My husband bought me this La Double J Dress for Mother’s Day and I had been saving it for this trip!

Day Two

The next day kicked off all of the 4th festivities. Above is an example of the daily calendar and how many amazing things they plan for families and visitors.

These girls were counting down the hours until the carnival on the front lawn started. It was literally a kids dream. Inflatables everywhere and so many fun games for kids. They also provided a yummy lunch buffet as well. If you want the perfect family 4th vacation, I honestly can’t think of a better spot.

After all of that fun we hit up the Esther Williams pool. Can we have a moment for how chic the pool shop was? This was one of my favorite spots that we saw.

The flowers:)…… I probably took 100’s of pictures of all of the beautiful flowers and landscaping we saw. Peonies are my favorite and they were so gorgeous here.

Day 3 The 4th of July

Another dress I had been saving for this trip was this Oliphant dress from Pink Stable. It was the perfect 4th of July Dress.

We also bought the girls the most adorable matching Pink Chicken dresses for the holiday:)

The Cupola Bar was right near our room and had panoramic views of the island. We were going to watch the fireworks from here but it was really crowded. And honestly the view from our room windows was hard to beat!

Day 4

The next day we rented bikes so we could explore the island.

Our first stop was the Butterfly House. This was such a cool experience and I highly recommend doing it if you visit Mackinac. I could have stayed and watched all of the butterflies for hours.

There is also another Butter Garden on the island too and I am sure it is good as well.

We then headed back downtown to do some shopping and grab some famous Mackinac fudge.

After downtown, we stopped at forge a memory and the boys got to make their own knives and the girls made arrowhead necklaces.

There is a 8 mile loop around the perimeter of the island that we explored next. The half way point on the loop is a great little restaurant called Cannonball. The chicken sandwich was so good!

The rest of the day I explored the island via bike and snapped pictures of the views/houses that caught my eye.

This next view was the best on the island! The picture doesn’t do it justice:)

Our last night for dinner we went to the Woods. It was like a 15 min carriage ride from the hotel. It was a Tudor style home with a very rustic interior and the food was good!

The next morning it was time for us to come home. I had to snap one more picture of the beautiful Grand Hotel in all her glory. Can’t wait to visit again Mackinac!