For the last 7 years, my husband and I have been traveling to Michigan at least once a year to visit his family. So far I've visited several beach towns around Lake Michigan, however, this was the first time going to the Upper Peninsula of The Great Lakes State. As many of you know, Michigan has the longest freshwater coastline of any political subdivision in the world. This is not hard to believe since this beautiful state is framed by four of the five Great Lakes. I've never seen so much fancy boating in my life, however, I always tend to like the simplest boats such as old corroded canoes or vintage small boats. I guess it's because those are the ones that remind me of the coastal part of Honduras, mainly in the Bay Islands area.
We always prefer to drive from North Carolina to Grand Rapids, Michigan. However, this time, instead of heading straight to Grand Rapids we decided to take the route toward the Upper Peninsula. The drive is pretty long, but my husband and I manage to stay entertained during the drive. In fact, every time we have a long road trip to any particular place, my husband prepares the perfect playlist with songs with lyrics and similar genres about the place we are visiting. Believe it or not, this makes a huge difference when you have to be in a car for more than 14 hours.
Packing for Michigan can be tricky because the weather is very unpredictable there. I made sure I put my basics into my luggage, which consists of striped tops, denim, a warm navy cardigan and the rest of my clothes in neutral colors. Since I was going to a total nautical atmosphere, I couldn't leave out some of my red-colored pieces, such as my off-the-shoulder top and red bag. I also took with me a few silk scarves and hats, which happen to be my favorite accessories that bring my simple outfits to the next level. I selected for the trip the most comfortable shoes I own which it happens to be any of my espadrilles, sneakers and slide flat sandals.
At the Upper Peninsula, we decided to stay at the cutest cabin with a private pier (see picture above). We found this beautiful place through AirBandB. My husband and I aren't wealthy, so we are always looking to travel on a previously planned budget, and by staying at this type of place, we save us a huge amount of money. The best part is that we always end up staying in charming one-of-the-kind places.
The next morning, I was more than ready to take the ferry that would transport us to beautiful Mackinac Island and of course, to the historic and famous Grand Hotel. I was very excited to go to an island where motor vehicles aren't allowed. The only way of transportation there is by horse, bicycle or by foot. The atmosphere on the island wasn't like any other I've seen; it was magical and somehow you felt like if you were a part of a movie based on the 1800's.
The day we were there was cloudy, which, in my opinion, cloudy days are the perfect days to tour around a new place...not to mention, the best lighting for photography. And talking about photography, I brought my Nikon on this trip, however, I never got it out of the luggage until the last day in Michigan. I honestly didn't want to carry a DSLR camera everywhere. I was on vacation and so was my husband, therefore, this time we wanted to focus on our trip more than photography. So the photos you see in this post are casual photos taken by me, by my husband and relatives with my Iphone7. As a matter of fact, these are the same photos I shared with my Instagram followers on my Instastories while I was on vacation.
While on the island, we had lunch and drinks at a few must-visit places, including a couple bars. I was very impressed with the selection of beers and wines through the island and the customer service everywhere was beyond our expectation.
We visited as many places we could in one day, however, we are planning to go back and see the rest of the island.
The horses all over the place were the highlight of my day. The sound of their hooves pounding the pavement was loud enough to make you believe that you were somewhere in time. That sound, in fact, was like music to my ears.
The time to visit The Grand Hotel has arrived. The view from the upper part of the road right before getting to the hotel was breathtaking. A gentleman was flying his kite in the middle of the garden which to me, was a wonderful site and a warming welcome to the tourists
And there it was, the beautiful and historic Grand Hotel! I couldn't believe I was going to see the place where one of the most romantic American movies took place. Yes, I'm talking about "Somewhere in Time."
When we visited the Grand Hotel's stables, we fell in love with a gorgeous horse named Zeus. He looked impatient, like, so ready to get out there and make his living. Well, by the time we got to the front of The Grand Hotel, there he was!! Zeus was already hooked to a carriage and with the happiest and welcoming face (the one on left) and so were the employees at the hotel.
The view from their front porch is amazing! The perfect place to chill and enjoy the view of the grandiose Lake Huron.
Once we went inside the hotel, my husband immediately found a piece of memorabilia from "Somewhere in Time" which protagonists were Christopher Reeve (RIP) and the timeless beauty Jane Seymour.
The mirrored place in the photo below was one of my favorites of their many gorgeously decorated rooms. The banana leaf print paired with the red carpet was striking and totally unexpected considering this hotel is located in a non-tropical island. But as in fashion, decor can always benefit from an interesting juxtaposition.
One day on Mackinac Island for sure was not enough for me. As I mentioned earlier in this post, we will go back again and maybe next time, we will decide to stay on the island in order to enjoy all the entertainment offered after dusk.
The next day, on our way to Grand Rapids, MI my husband insisted on stopping by a small beach town called Petoskey. His intention was to walk the beach and look for a Petoskey stone/fossil. Nowadays it seems like they are hard to find due to their big demand, we were lucky enough to find a couple, but in small size.
While traveling back on the road, we spotted a winery/brewery named Mackinaw Trail Winery. We stopped by and tasted their wines and also their beers. I was totally impressed by their wine, mainly by their Unrestricted Riesling. It wasn't sweet, therefore, very appealing to me.
We didn't leave Michigan without visiting the cute beach towns of Saugatuck and Holland. We love to walk around their marinas and of course, spend quality time at sunset.
These last two photos on this post were taken at Holland State Park. Every time I go Michigan, I must stop by this area to enjoy their breathtaking sunsets. As you can see, the Big Red Lighthouse looked so gorgeous while framed by the beautiful colors of a warm dusk.
Well, my friends, I hope you enjoyed my Iphone7 photo diary of my trip to The Great Lakes State. And by the way, the last photo below of me running on the beach was the only one taken with my Nikon camera and it doesn't have any color or texture editing.
THANKS FOR VISITING! ⛵
Post a Comment