Mackinaw Travel Diary: Day 1 and 2

After a grueling 5 hour drive through pouring rain we finally made it to our destination. Read on for more.

Every year Matt and I try to do a trip. Last year we went to Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island but left feeling like we didn't do very much. The weather last year was cold and rainy so that left us not being able to walk and enjoy the island very easily. So we decided to just kinda redo that trip this year, just later in the year in hopes that the weather would be better.

Unfortunately this spring has been particularly cold and wet, and that weather has carried over after the summer solstice. On our way up we dealt with thick, gray skies laden with rainy clouds. Not a peek of sunshine. At one point the rain came down furiously enough that I couldn't see the lines on the road and was forced to pull over and wait. When we made it to Mackinaw City it was incredibly foggy and the Mackinaw Bridge was completely obscured. Usually you can see it from several miles away but we couldn't even spot it from downtown.

The view from our park bench.

Then we checked into our hotel and got the worst possible room. Right next to lobby on the ground floor and directly across from the covered pool area. The room itself was dingy and gross. We found dead bugs stuck to some of the pillows and there was a large fist-sized hole in the wall of the bathroom, among other gross things. We went to the lobby and asked for a different room but the woman behind the counter refused, despite a prominently displayed Vacancy sign, quite nastily and offered no help. Our single window was face to face with the lobby window and as people checked in all night we heard them. When we had the curtain open, which was pretty much necessary as the only working lights in the room were tiny and dim (some of the lamps didn't even have bulbs in them), we frequently had people staring directly into the room as they went to the lobby, pool, or stairs to the second level.

We were stuck there for a night as it was too late to make another reservation elsewhere that day. So we spent one terrible night and moved to a much nicer, cleaner, friendlier hotel down the road the next day. I felt like I needed to sanitize everything I touched in that hotel so instead of relaxing we drove across the bridge to St. Ignace where we had a late dinner in a hole-in-the-wall vintage diner. The diner was the best part of the day, it was a cute place and the food was amazing.

Levi's Ribcage jeans, Vintage Top

Needless to say it was not a great start to our trip. We spent one gross night and the next day we packed up our stuff and left the hotel. Our new hotel's check-in wasn't until 4pm so we spent the day on Mackinac Island.

It was sunny and 70 degrees, windy but not terribly so. Typically around this time of year the lilacs on the island are done blooming but this year they bloomed late. In fact they missed their own festival, held a week earlier, but this week were out in full force. The bushes and trees of lilacs on Mackinac Island are stunning. Most are several decades old and the oldest one on the island is well over 100 years, which means that they are huge. Some are taller than buildings. The whole island is covered in these massive bushes and trees so the air, when they are blooming, is filled with their delicate, floral fragrance.

It also smells like horse crap in some places. No seriously, because the island banned automobiles a long, long time ago and the main modes of transportation are horses, bikes, and walking. The only automobiles allowed on the island are cop cars, ambulances, and firetrucks. There is an airport, but it's very small and not exactly easily accessible for the public. If you want to get to the island your best bet is buying ferry tickets. What you do from there is up to you. Horses, bikes, or your own two feet? If you do decide to walk, watch where you step if you are anywhere where horses go. The roads do get cleaned of those lovely piles all day, but you should always be watchful. I personally love the charm of the island without cars, hearing the horses clomping past is reminiscent of older times and gives a slower, more relaxed atmosphere to the island. No honking horns or speeding cars, just horses steadily working and bikes whizzing past.

For our first day on the island we mostly wandered around the trails in the state park. We bought lunch at Doud's grocery store and had it in the Marquette Park alongside some of the biggest lilac bushes on the island. We also checked out the cutest little cafe, which just opened, on the marina. If you visit the island I highly recommend you check out the Watercolor Cafe. They offer all kinds of coffees and teas as well as small plates like salads.

The view from the top of a steep pathway.

Both of us were tired so spending a day in a park with an incredible view of the water, people (and horse) watching, and smelling lilacs was fun. It was also the first chance I got to wear my new Levi's Ribcage Jeans other than just around the house. Gotta say, I really like them. The high rise on them is next level, and the straight leg surprised me by how flattering it is. And they look good on the booty, something that looser legged pants tend not to do very well. They also look perfect paired with vintage blouses and dressy blouses, as the casual wash and style balance them out.

This day reminded me of why I love this little island so much. It's beautiful and has a lot to offer. And when the weather is that perfect it just makes everything seem sweeter.

More travel diaries to come!

-Sam