Michie's Grand Experience on Mackinac Island

After a quick swim across the Straits of Mackinac I arrived on Mackinac Island for my overnight at Grand Hotel.  Jeff and his beautiful horse drawn carriage picked me up and brought me right to the red-carpeted front porch steps of Grand Hotel.  Not that I couldn’t have swam the short ½ mile from the dock, but it sure was nice to get a ride.  Here on Mackinac there are no cars, you have to walk, ride bike, take a carriage, or in my case, swim to where you want to go.

At the front steps “Doorman Extraordinaire” Dondi greeted me and we chatted for a few minutes after he helped me depart my carriage.  I quickly realized that Dondi is the man to see when you need a ride from the hotel to anywhere on the island. 

Dondi told me of the many things I must see and do while at Grand Hotel, beginning with going to the very top of the hotel and visiting the Cupola Bar.  It was amazing, with its 180 degree view of the Straits and the Mackinac Bridge, and don’t even get me started on the delicious beverages.

Next I went to the Grand Luncheon Buffet.  Talk about delicious!  I did not know where to begin, so, I started in the logical place, the dessert section.  With cheesecake, and carrot cake, and cookies, and pastries, and bread pudding, and…Oh, I could go on forever.

Oh look, there is Annie Farrell peeking through the glass of the cold foods section of the buffet.  Annie is Grand Hotel’s Director of Sales, she and the convention staff put together “Grand Events” big and small.  Just this season, the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce and Republican Leadership Conferences were both held at Grand Hotel.  I actually swam on stage at the podium where the future president of the United States could have been standing.  How exciting!

After eating lunch and checking out the Theatre, I decided to let my lunch settle and get a bit of exercise by taking a trip around the labyrinth located down by the pool.  What a great way to work off a few extra bites of cheesecake.

Now that I was out moving I decided to get in some free croquet and a little practice on the putting green.  

After all that activity I was ready to relax and take in the view, so I headed to the Worlds Longest Front Porch and took a seat in one of the 100 wicker rockers. Check out that view, you cannot help but relax here.

After a little R&R on the porch I figured I had better get up to my room and get ready for dinner. (I know, it seems like I just ate lunch doesn’t it?)  I decided to stop by and check out the Terrace Room. This room is used for nightly live music and dancing with Alex Graham and the Grand Hotel Orchestra.  During the day it is generally in use for meetings and fun things like wine tastings.

Next stop, my guest room.  I had so much fun jumping from bed to bed…oh, don’t tell anyone at the hotel I said that.  It was difficult to leave those comfy beds and go down to dinner.  But I did make it to dinner, and once again made a puffer fish out of myself indulging the gourmet 5-course dinner that comes with most room rates.  

My stay at Grand Hotel was so enjoyable, I hope to have a chance to return during their 2012 season and experience one of their weekend packages like Titanic, Somewhere In Time, or maybe 4^th of July.  What fun that would be!

Michie The Fish Goes Great Lakes Bay!

The Great Lakes Bay Region was easy to find after a short swim from Mount Pleasant!  Luckily, my friends Wendy & Sonja invited my famous friend Nemo to join me for my Great Lakes Bay Getaway in Bay City, Birch Run, Chesaning, Frankenmuth, Midland, and Saginaw.  It’s time to GO GREAT LAKES BAY!

They weren’t kidding when they told us the portions are HUGE at Tony’s I-75 Restaurant in Birch Run!  I think we’d better split this sundae and save room for all the other great dining in the Great Lakes Bay Region.  From Frankenmuth’s World Famous Family-Style Chicken Dinners to Bay City’s unique stops like Fusion 1 Café and Saginaw’s Jake’s Old City Grill, you’ll never leave the Great Lakes Bay Region hungry!

After eating that giant ice cream sundae at Tony’s, I figured I better have a look in the mirror… I didn’t know I’d be getting a whole MAZE full of them!  Nemo and I had a blast exploring Frankenmuth River Place’s Ultimate Mirror Maze, with over 2,000 square feet of mirrors, endless hallways, and dead ends.

Nemo and I thought we were too stuffed to ever eat again after our giant Tony’s sundae, but then we spotted the perfect place for some afternoon refreshments… the KingFish Restaurant & Tiki Lounge on the scenic Bay City riverfront!  We got to sit back and unwind at “Dockside,” the Restaurant’s four-level patio deck overlooking the historic Saginaw River!  With seating for over 200+ and a dock for over a dozen boats, KingFish is the perfect place to meet, celebrate, or just dine and unwind while watching a beautiful sunset!

After a great treat at KingFish, Nemo and I were swimming in great finds at the Bay Antique Center!  Did you know that the Bay Antique Center is Michigan’s largest and finest antique mart?  We saw why, as we browsed antiques and treasures from over 100 quality dealers, all at one location!

Following our shopping spree at the Bay Antique Center, it was time to get out and enjoy the fresh air!  Wendy and Sonja took us on a tour of all the Great Lakes Bay Region’s lush golf courses.  They pointed out the region’s four championship courses—Apple Mountain (Freeland), The Fortress (Frankenmuth), The Sawmill (Saginaw), and Bay Valley Resort (Bay City).  We also learned about the incredible new Mix & Match custom golf packages you can create only in Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay!  Simply choose your courses and your favorite place to stay, and they’ll build you a personalized package at an unbelievable rate!

We felt right at home when we visited the Children’s Zoo at Celebration Square in Saginaw!  Right away, we hitched a ride in a friend’s wagon and got to tour the entire zoo.  We saw llamas, alligators, peacocks, kangaroos and monkeys… and we were just lucky enough to catch the incredible exhibit of black-footed penguins without becoming lunch!  After all, this wasn’t just any zoo—it’s one of only five AZA-Accredited Zoos in all of Michigan!

After all the excitement at the zoo, it was time to unwind and channel our creativity, so we stopped by Space Studios, an incredible art gallery and studio in Midland.  Here, we got to browse some great artwork, and even get our fins a little dirty!  Did you know you’re able to learn to throw your very own pottery, and even glaze and paint it yourself?  Talk about dipping your fins into some fun!

All of that spinning on the pottery wheel made us a little dizzy (and a little hungry!), so Nemo and I decided to swing by St. Laurent Brothers to see what special batches of candies and nuts they were stirring up that day.  Between the saltwater taffy, specialty roasted nuts, and all of the other goodies, we definitely saw why this is a favorite stop for all ages!

Wendy & Sonja sure knew how to wrap up this tour with a relaxing, rejuvenating candlelit massage at Serendipity Day Spa in Frankenmuth River Place.  After seeing all of the amazing sights, savoring the flavors, and enjoying the excitement of Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region, anyone would need some R & R!

Captain Michie reporting from the Tall Ship Appledore on the beautiful Saginaw River in Bay City!  Our scales have been polished and our fins have been massaged, and now we’re off to our next fabulous Michigan destination… but we’ll sure miss the Great Lakes Bay Region!  Until next time…