Mackinac Island in Full Bloom

Day 1

Day 1: Monday, June 3, 2024
Meet your friendly Trailways Tour Host and Driver at the available departure location of your choice and relax as we make our way to Grand Rapids, MI. We will be making some rest and refresh stops along the way including time for lunch, on your own.
When we arrive at the Drury Inn & Suites Grand Rapids enjoy the Drury Inn’s “Kickback Reception,” available from 5:30 to 7:00 pm daily with a rotating menu of hot and cold foods along with a couple of ‘adult’ drinks included with a choice of some wines, beers and cocktails. Of course, soft drinks and water are also available. If you would rather have something more than this for dinner, there is a Longhorn Steakhouse across from the hotel. Rest up, tomorrow we explore some of Grand Rapids!

Day 2

Day 2: Tuesday, June 4, 2024
Start your morning off with a hot breakfast at the hotel before departing for Traverse City, Michigan for the night. But first we’ve some stops to make along the way. Ignite your senses with a stroll through the Leslie E. Tassell English Perennial & Bulb Garden at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids. Not only will you see beautiful blooms, but you’ll smell them, too. Wind through the pathways in comfort during a narrated tram tour and enjoy one of the nation’s most significant sculpture and botanic experiences. The 158-acre botanical garden, art museum, and outdoor sculpture park ranked in the top 45 most visited museums in the world. With that many acres to explore we know you will work up an appetite, so be sure to enjoy lunch with your included voucher at the James & Shirley Balk Café. Be sure to look up - you’ll be amazed with the dazzling glass ceiling sculpture by renowned artist Dale Chihuly. Named Lena’s Garden, in honor of Lena Meijer, the sculpture – it comprises dozens of individual blown-glass pieces – spanning the ceiling in a continuum of colors, from cool greens, cobalt blues and purples to brilliant oranges, yellows, and reds. We then depart to continue on our way with another stop.
Do you know that alpaca fur is incredibly soft and does not retain water? In fact, it’s the second strongest animal fiber after mohair. They also come in 22 different colors, from a deep blue-black through browns and tans to white. Are you one that cannot wear wool without an allergic reaction or get the “prickle” feeling? Many have found that they can wear alpaca with no reactions as alpacas are more hypoallergenic. Also, the smooth quality of alpaca fiber makes alpaca garments more resistant to pilling and is naturally flame resistant. If you are getting the inclination that you may be visiting some alpacas, well you are right! The folks at Cotton Creek Farms love sharing their alpacas with everyone. Enjoy an interactive tour as they welcome us into the paddock where we can meet the alpacas up close and even give them some tasty treats. They’ll teach you about these amazing creatures and answer all your questions. You’ll learn how the owners left the Detroit suburbs they had called home for over two decades and traded it all in for 27 acres of land and have learned the value of slowing down, watching a sunset, and spending time away from the corporate world. Get ready to meet some fun and lovable creatures!
As we bid those very social and lovable alpacas goodbye, we continue on to Traverse City for a stay at Sugar Beach Resort on the shore of East Grand Traverse Bay. Get checked in and freshened up for dinner this evening before being able to relax on a Sunset on the Bay Cruise! There’s nothing like a Grand Traverse Bay sunset from the water. Enjoy the splendor of the Michigan sky’s colors as the sun sets behind the hills during a 90-minute scenic cruise along the shoreline of the West Bay before returning to the hotel for the remainder of the evening.

Day 3

Day 3: Wednesday, June 5, 2024
We depart our hotel this morning for breakfast at Bob Evans using a provided meal card before continuing on our way. We arrive in Mackinaw City where you will bid farewell to the motorcoach and board Shepler’s Ferry for a 15 – 20 minute ride to Mackinac Island. You’ll soon spot the historic and regal Grand Hotel sitting up on the hill keeping watch over the Straits of Mackinac. It is here that you will be staying for the next two nights.
You’ll be taking a step back in time as you exit the ferry and set foot upon Mackinac Island, a place that is so tranquil that you wonder how that may be. Then, it dawns upon you that there is not a single motorized vehicle of any kind roaming the street; only pedestrians, bicyclists, and horse drawn carriages. But it’s even more magical at this time of year – the lilacs are in bloom and the fragrance permeates the air wherever you wander. We will be arriving just a few days before the famed Lilac Festival, but you will get to enjoy the scenery and beauty of the lilacs with less crowds. Upon arrival, we will be greeted by horse drawn carriages that will take us on a tour of the island so that you may become more acquainted. You will soon see that this is a very enjoyable and authentic way to view the island. We end our ride at the Grand Hotel where you will find your unique room awaiting you.
Since 1877 the Grand Hotel has beckoned guests to a bygone era of old-world hospitality and charm. Experience for yourself the tradition of afternoon tea in the Parlor, dressing up for dinner, nightly dancing to the sounds of the Grand Hotel Orchestra, and sitting in a rocking chair on the largest and grandest porch ever with views of the Straits of Mackinac. Explore the hotel and get ready for this evening’s dinner and activities. Do know that while at the Grand Hotel, it is mandatory that you “dress” for dinner – ladies in a nice dress, skirt, or pants and blouse, men in a jacket and tie. This dress code is strictly enforced for dinner and while attending evening events at the Hotel which just adds to the grandeur. If you are wandering away from the hotel for the evening, you may dress in a more casual way.
Dinner this evening is in the Main Dining Room. It overlooks the world’s longest porch displaying the hotel’s many American Flags, as well as the glistening straits. Sit down for dinner and you may catch a glimpse of the bellmen taking down the flags for the day – an evening sunset tradition while enjoying music by the Grand Hotel Orchestra. After dinner enjoy strolling the grounds, rocking in a chair on the porch, or dancing the night away to the orchestra.

Day 4

Day 4: Thursday, June 6, 2024
Rise and shine when you wish and enjoy breakfast at the hotel this morning before spending the day on your own exploring. Perhaps spend the morning relaxing on the porch as you take in the gorgeous view of the lake, reading a book, or explore the island with a bicycle rental. This is one of the most scenic ways to take in the natural beauty of the island. One of the most iconic island experiences is pedaling all the way around the outer rim of the Island with the lake breeze in your face. It’s a leisurely 8.2-mile ride that takes 60-90 minutes with fabulous views. Be sure to stop at some of the iconic places where the movie Somewhere in Time was filmed starring Christopher Reeves and Jane Seymour. Much of this movie was set in the Grand Hotel.
Perhaps you may wish to do a little shopping on Main Street to find the perfect souvenir and why not do a personal taste test to see which shop you think has the absolute best salt-water taffy and fudge! Just as Mackinac Island was at one time the center of the world’s fur trade, it now attracts people from around the globe to taste the world-famous Mackinac Island Fudge! Enjoy delicious samples from many fudge shops downtown and see the fudge making process in action. It is truly a theatrical production! It is an amazing fact that the downtown shops make 10,000 pounds of fudge each day in season! That’s a lot of sugar, butter, and cream! To understand why there’s so much fudge, here’s the backstory on why Mackinac Island fudge is such a big deal. The gist of it is that people on vacation like to enjoy a sweet or two. And that has been true since Victorian travelers popularized Mackinac Island as a vacation destination way back in the 1800’s and continues today.
If you haven’t filled up on all of the sweets, be sure to take time for lunch. You will find that the cuisine of Mackinac Island is as diverse and intriguing as the island itself with a menu offering something delicious for everyone. After, you may wish to learn more about some of the history of the Island and Fort Mackinac by taking a tour on your own of the Fort and museum. Some admission fees may apply. Of course, the beauty and fragrance of all those lilacs blooming in many different shades of purple, lavender, pink and white abound around every corner.
You can also do some exploration around the Grand Hotel. For the charm of it, for the magic of it, be sure to visit the Secret Garden. It is a highlighted favorite spot for many visitors, or at least for those who can find it. Here’s some help, it is in a large area in the middle of the gardens, but still very much hidden. It features two distinct sections, one full of perennials and the other dedicated to a spring flower bulb display, which is then replanted with ever-changing annuals for bright splashes of color. If you can’t find the Secret Garden, don’t worry! There are a couple of established paths on the hotel grounds that run right through it. And if it still eludes your search, the hotel’s staff are happy to show you the way.
Tonight enjoy getting dressed up for another dinner in the Main Dining Room on the Parlor Level. Perhaps after dinner you may want to venture up to the Cupola Bar – there are some fantastic views from up there!

Day 5

Day 5: Friday, June 7, 2024
Enjoy another breakfast at the Grand Hotel this morning before departing on the horse drawn carriage transporting you back to the dock and Shepler’s Ferry for your ride back to the mainland where the motorcoach will be waiting. After boarding the motorcoach, settle back and take in the scenery as we make our way to Marshall, MI for a stay at the Hampton Inn. We will be taking time for some rest and refresh breaks as needed and lunch, on your own, along the way. Once we get checked in and take some time to freshen up, we will be departing for dinner and a show at Cornwell’s Turkeyville Dinner & Theatre!
Here, you may browse the gift shop, enjoy a full turkey dinner, and enjoy the musical performance of Oklahoma! Set in the western territory of Oklahoma as it was aspiring to statehood, this beloved musical that changed Broadway forever tells the story of cowhands and farmers struggling to build a future, and find love, in a hard world. Featuring favorites such as “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’,” “I’m Just a Girl Who Cain’t Say No,” and of course the boot-stompin’, show-stoppin’ title number, this is a show you do NOT want to miss!
We depart to make our way back to the hotel for the evening – you can pretend that you are aboard a ‘surrey with the fringe on top!’ Rest well, tomorrow we are venturing back home.

Day 6

Day 6: Saturday, June 8, 2024
Before departing this morning, have a hot breakfast at the hotel and then sit back and share all the fun you had exploring Mackinac Island, the extra pound you now have from the fudge you ate, the fragrant lilacs you immersed yourself in, the fun alpaca friends you met, your favorite sculpture at Frederik Meijer and the beautiful sunset you experienced in the bay all while humming Oklahoma! show tunes in your head! We hope you take home some fabulous memories of Mackinac Island in Bloom! and will travel with us again soon!