Full Bloom Blog

When Annabelle was just one year old we took our first family trip up to Mackinaw. My sister and her one year old met us there and my dad drove down from the Upper Peninsula and the rest is history. Haha, well, kind of. Not only is Mackinaw a central meeting spot for everyone in our family (we all drive about five hours in different directions to meet) but the charm and beauty of Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island pulled us in and we decided to make it an annual tradition. Fast forward to our big kids being nine years old and our crew expanding from seven to THIRTEEN. This particular post is just about our trip this year, however; keep your eyes peeled for a future post giving all my inside info, tips, and sites about Mackinaw/Mackinac.

As I have previously said, I am a big advocate for the kids having their own bags and being responsible for their own belongings while traveling. No, we’re not always successful, but it’s a process of learning and they get better (for the most part) with every trip. Sometimes I let the kiddos help with the clothes packing process, but because of busy schedules and school this year, I did all of the packing for them. Which really lends helpful when it comes to having the appropriate items based on the weather. Here’s what I packed for Annabelle…

Here’s what I packed for myself. I find that if I stick to a color scheme it helps me to pack lighter and it simplifies the process. My gray hats and vest coordinated with everything I packed and I only brought one pair of boots. Also, I was crazy pumped about these boot socks I found on sale at Costco right before the trip. I loved the colors, the warmth, and the fact that I had a pair for every outfit.

We generally travel UP the first weekend in October which generally means two things:

1. ANYTHING is possible in terms of weather and 2. we are traveling in peak color season. This year was especially beautiful. I’m not sure that I’ve seen so much color at the same time even in years past. Needless to say, the drive was autumn dreamy beautiful.

When we arrived Friday evening, we enjoyed some crock pot chili as well as some hot dogs that we roasted over the campfire. I think this was my favorite camping dinner to date! I brought cornbread made from scratch and everyone made their own version of corn/chili dogs mish mash madness. Considering how cold the weather was, it was the perfect way to start the weekend with a warm meal all together.

It is in our tradition that we spend one day on Mackinac Island. After we eat breakfast at the cabins, we pack snacks and backpacks and drive into town where we catch Sheplers Ferry to the island. It is true that there are cheaper options, but a little insider info for you, they have the best schedules as far as availability to take you back and forth to the island. We enjoy the flexibility to make all the plans we like and can still find departures that suit us.

Face coverings were required on the boat but other than that, it kind of felt like business as usual. Which was nice. I also like that Sheplers runs closest to the bridge so during the 20-25 minute ride to Mackinac Island you can get some great views of the bridge. Pro tip: when heading to the Island; from the back of the boat, try to sit closest to the window on the left side of the cabin which will give you prime views of the bridge. Just the same, when returning, grab a seat on the right of the cabin. If you are a true die-hard try sitting on the upper deck! I do not recommend this on days with high winds, rain, or extreme cold though.

Once to the island, it is tradition to hang out in the green space/park in front of Fort Michilimackinac. Of all the beautiful sites and amazing things to do on Mackinac Island, one of my kids favorite things to do is just run around the grass here. There is a very nice play ground at the top of the park right below the Fort, but sometimes you just can’t beat running in an open area. Haha.

After our normal late morning donut snack (Erik picked up a large box of donuts in Mackinaw City before we boarded the ferry) we headed over to the place we have rented bikes nearly every visit we have ever made to the island. Giselle and I shared a tag-a-long bike which is a third wheel that attached to the back of my bike. While she was able to assist in some pedal power, she also had her own handle bars which resulted in nearly spilling us over several times. By the end of the ride, my wrists hurt from working so hard to stabilize her wacky steering. Erik got a bike with a trailer for Torsten, and for the second time, Annabelle had a bike to power around the island on her own. My brother and his girlfriend always rent a tandem bike, which I love. It’s the quintessential couples choice for bikers on the island.

Bikes are available to rent by the hour or at a daily rate. It generally takes us about an hour and a half to get around the island with a pit stop or two so we rent by the hour. If we stayed over night on the island it would make more sense to pay by the day.

One of our favorite pit stops during the eight(ish) mile ride around the perimeter of the island is British Landing. It is a little past the half way point and happens to have beautiful views of the Mackinac Bridge as well as restroom facilities. We usually use this opportunity for another snack break as well. Pretzels and PBJs are our normal biking break fare. This helps to curb the hangries by the end of our bike trip when we have to return the rentals and before we have a chance to sit down at a restaurant.

My all time favorite restaurant on the island is The Gate House. It’s off of the main street on Grand Ave which leads all the way to the famous Grand Hotel. We have checked out different dining options over the years but my first choice is always Gate House. Because its not right in the middle of the action there’s almost never a wait time and I enjoy the lovely walk through the side streets to get there.

We enjoyed a great dinner and everyone found food (and drinks) they loved. Annabelle’s staple is always a burger and she was clearly excited about their new branding!

I don’t ever seem to be able to pass up an opportunity for some fish and chips. I think I blame that on my parents…. Anyhow, it was very good and very greasy. Be prepared with napkins!

Mackinac Island is filled with history so as you stroll through town there is so much to take in! One of my favorite nods to the past are these places to tie up your horse that line most of the streets in town. In addition to the old buildings, statues, and landmarks, there also happens to be a plethora of beautiful landscapes and flower gardens. Combine all of that with the horses, carriages, and bicycles and you’ll see that Mackinac Island is dripping with charm.

Aster Street on Mackinac Island is what connects the hustle and bustle of Main Street with fudge shops and ferry docks to Market Street which has more of the quiet charm and many of the town’s historical government buildings. Plus, you gotta love that brick!

Another fun and iconic spot to pop into is The Pink Pony. It is a bar, restaurant, hotel, and boutique and it’s one of the most famous spots on the island. We’ve never eaten here, but the female members of our party highly enjoyed this PINK inspired shop with everything from beautiful quarter zip fleece to can coozies. I definitely recommend at least peeking into some part of this iconic empire on the island!

It’s not a trip to Mackinac if you don’t get some fudge! There are lots of lovely and beautiful fudge and sweet shops on the island. The locals all say that Joann’s is the best so truthfully, we’ve never even tried anywhere else. We love it. It’s our favorite. And even on years when the weather is in the 40s, our kids insist on getting some of the best ice cream that’s ever existed. Maybe it’s because it’s made in house…? It truly is amazing. I recommend what should be the obvious choice: Mackinac Island Fudge. Of course, my kids love anything with excessive amounts of food coloring! It’s tradition that Grandpa’s favorite way to spoil his grandkids is with ice cream. It’s their thing.

After ice cream, we headed down to catch the second to last Sheplers Ferry leaving the island that day. We generally try not to put ourselves in the precarious spot of making sure we are able to secure a spot on the last return trip! In most years past, at least one of the five kiddos snoozes in an adult lap on the ride home. Between the fresh air and the rocking boat the return ride is a fantastic opportunity for littles to grab a quick power nap.

When we got back to the cabins, we had a campfire and some heavy bedtime snacks. The kiddos got tucked into sleeping bags and the adults enjoyed some relaxing (but cold) time around the fire.

Sunday morning, my dad always makes waffles while we pack up gear and start loading cars. The kiddos pile in jammies into one cabin and gobble up as many waffles as possible. It’s a standard that cabins must be cleaned and vacated by 11:00a so its usually just enough time to get all of that done and snap one last quick family photo. In our family, Mackinaw weekend comes second only to Christmas and is one of our favorite things. We hope to carry on this tradition for years and generations to come! Have you been to Mackinaw/Mackinac? What is your favorite thing to do/place to stay?!

Also, exciting news! I have a full cabin review video to share from our new YouTube channel: Graney’s on the GO! Check it out for a full run down of the cabin we stayed in!