The Black Pearl Adventures: The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island

We had our tennis shoes on and being a cool sunny day, we decided to walk the hill to The Grand. Believe me when I say we definitely needed the exercise!! We could have taken a taxi…that being a horse and buggy…remember no motorized vehicles! Walking gave us the opportunity to linger and take more pictures along the way.

First Hotel Sighting Through the Turtles and The Little Stone Church

I have always heard about the Grand Hotel and seen it portrayed on the Travel Channel, so it was definitely a “must see”. Pictures of a bygone era of refined Victorian guests playing lawn croquette and sitting in pristine white chairs along the deep and lengthy veranda while having their afternoon tea popped into my head when I thought of this setting. However, soon the smell of horse manure and urine mixed with screams of tired children whose ice cream had fallen on the street, took those beautiful images dancing through my head away quickly! Then, when the sign along the walk up the hill appeared stating there was a “$15 charge to go out onto the porch if not a guest”, well that just blew up my visuals right there! I just wanted to take a picture not buy lunch! Oh, that’s right, it wouldn’t buy lunch…the buffet was $45.00 per person!

Signs of the Times

Now, maybe if I were a guest there and had paid the small fortune to stay in the Grand, I would want the “riff raff” kept out, too! But that was just the ultimate slap in the face so to speak and I had better things to do with our $30.00!!…buy more fudge!*L* There was also another sign with information that told visitors that after 6:00 in the evening, men had to be in coat and tie and women in a dress…no slacks! Boy! Better know the dress code before arriving at the Grand. If you want more information about the “ins and outs” of staying there, just ask Peggy N.…she just left a bag of her money there!

So we didn’t go onto the veranda, but we did take lots of photos of the outside and the grounds. Don’t get me wrong, it is a lovely place with a “hold your breath” view, but I think Pebble Beach is just as spectacular and they actually allow you to walk into their hotel!!