I’ve mentioned a couple times that I’ve wanted to go back to Mackinac Island forever! It’s been 12 years since I’ve been back and I have missed it so much. I decided this was the year I was finally coming back. Shakeer’s birthday is on Saturday so I figured this little getaway would be the perfect idea. We got on the road at about 6:15 Wednesday morning.

I wanted to get on the road nice and early. I love watching the sunrise when I’m on a road trip.

And the leaves are absolutely beautiful this far north! I knew this would be the perfect time of year.

About halfway in we stopped off at a Big Boy for breakfast. Our only other option on every other exit was McDonald’s and I was not going that route.

We were SO EXCITED to finally see the bridge after the second half of our drive. Once you see the bridge, you are officially there and we were definitely ready to be done driving.

After we got through the toll we headed straight for the ferry. We’d just missed the 11:30 ferry so we had to wait for the 12:30, but I didn’t mind at all. It was nice to not be on a time schedule. We just found a picnic table that looked out over the water. It was breezy, but warm!

As soon as we got onto the ferry, the clouds came in and made the ride over pretty chilly. But regardless of the weather, the view of the island was still beautiful.

And the ferry ride was only 15 minutes, so that was nice!

As soon as we grabbed our luggage, we headed for the Inn that we’re staying at. I chose Haan’s 1830’s Inn. It was really quaint and the innkeepers take great care of it. I definitely plan to stay here on my next trip.

As soon as we dropped our bags off, we changed our clothes and headed out to explore.

Well, after I fixed my hair… I had to tie it back on the ferry and when I took it down, this rat’s nest is what I ended up with.

Our inn is right outside of town. It’s the perfect distance. 

Our first stop in town was for lunch. Everyone has been telling me the Pink Pony has awesome food, so that’s where we went.

I’m not usually a drinker, but I decided to give a Pink Pony Martini a shot. It reminded me exactly why I don’t drink very often. Yuck!

We had a really pretty view of the water though. It was beautiful!

It was a nice way to start our first day. 

After lunch we headed out to explore downtown and start going through all the shops. We only walked into a handful because like most other tourist traps, they all had the exact same items. 

But they had it decorated for fall and Halloween so of course it was perfect. 

This tiny little market is the only grocery store on the whole island. 

And I love this church. We’re staying right next door and learned that it’s supposedly haunted. 

Our inn had a really cute front porch to sit on.

After we got done walking around town, we stopped at the inn and then headed out on a walk. We didn’t know where we were going or where we’d end up, but we just started walking. 

While walking we ended up making it to Arch Rock. It’s 207 steps up to the top. Which doesn’t SOUND like a whole lot. 

Look at alllll those stairs!

Halfway to the top! It wasn’t until I got to this point that my legs and thighs suddenly reminded me of all those squats I did during my workout the other day… I was dying. 

We made it to the top!

I actually thought about not posting this picture because I don’t think it’s very flattering, but then I thought back to my goals and decided to keep it! My goal is to hit my goal weight by July 9th! I want to keep this photo on here so I can do a comparison in this same spot next time I’m here!

After we left Arch Rock we found a little trail off to the side, so being the curious person I am, we decided to follow it. 

We ended up walking Forever, but the view was nice. 

I love seeing all the old churches on the island. 

We ended up finishing our walk just in time. We heard a couple rumbles of thunder and came out of the woods to find this sky headed towards us so we figured it would be best to head straight for the inn. Besides, I desperately needed a shower after our walk. 

After the storm passed, we headed out for another walk. I could see the sunset from our window and knew the weather would be iffy over the next few days, so I jumped at the opportunity to catch a glimpse of it. 

Needless to say, it was worth it!

We walked around to the far side of the island facing the bridge and found a great spot to wait for the sun to go down. I really wanted Shakeer to see the bridge all lit up at night. 

I would love to live in one of those houses and have that view everyday. 

It was a wonderful way to end our night!

Questions for you:
Have you ever been to Mackinac Island before?
What is the first thing you do when vacation officially starts?
Where is the last place you went on vacation?