Our trip to the other world of Macinac Island, MI

Favorite Vacation Moment

Saginaw, MI

by 7zitnys March 25, 2008

Zitnys at the Grand Hotel, Macinac Island, MI

When I was a little girl in the 3rd or 4th grade, I watched the Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymore movie "Somewhere in Time". I fell in love with falling in love, classical music, and Mackinac Island. I didn't even know it was a place that really existed, it could have been just a movie set for all I knew, but it was romantic and beautiful. I grew up in Oregon, and years later when I met my future husband and told him my favorite movie was "Somewhere In Time", he told me he had been to the Grand Hotel, where the movie takes place, when he was young. At first, I didn't know whether to believe him or not! Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that one day I would be walking on the lawn of the Grand Hotel with my husband and 5 (very loud, yet lovely) children. It was amazing. Best of all, we got to go along with my husband's family that we don't get to see very often since we live on opposite sides of the country. My daughters still talk about the cute little shops selling gifts and the many ice cream and fudge shops. We bought some games at a toy shop and while it was too hot to sleep at night (no air conditioning in those old hotels!) so we stayed up late playing games with our cousins waiting for the cool air to finally arrive. On Macinac Island, there are no cars, so people get around by foot, bike or horse. So although the candy shops smelled great, where there's horses, there's road apples, and those didn't smell so great! We took an 8.5 mi bike ride around the island and stopped to swim. There were huge gladiolas growing in front of all the quaint old houses, the weather was warm and balmy, and everything was beautiful. It was like visiting another world, one from a hundred years ago that moves at a much slower pace.Thanks Grampa Vic, and Ann for arranging the whole Zitny/Barrett family getaway. Memories of a lifetime!