Arrive Friday, August 18 • Depart Sunday, August 20, 2023
Description
This summer, escape from same-old normal life and explore Michigan’s jewel, Mackinac Island. Experience the over 70 miles of natural and paved trails on one of our Grand Hotel bikes. Top off your weekend with a walk into our local history with complimentary admission to Fort Mackinac.
Package Includes:
Grand Hotel Accommodations
Breakfast and dinner daily
Island hiking and biking maps
$40 credit to Grand Coffee & Provisions (credit is per room, per stay)
Saturday Grand Hotel Garden and Greenhouse Tour
Saturday Horse Culture of Mackinac Tour with Hotel Historian Bob Tagatz*
Sunday morning hike to Arch Rock
Complimentary Admission to Fort Mackinac
Complimentary Admission to the Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum
Special discount on ferry tickets
The Explore Mackinac weekend can also be booked by calling Grand Hotel Reservations at 1-800-334-7263.
This one-of-a-kind package is perfect for the avid explorer or anyone looking to embrace the beauty of Mackinac Island.
*Subject to Michigan 6% sales tax, 3% Mackinac Island assessment, and a $12.00 per person, per stay, baggage-handling charge. Regular children’s rates apply. Extra charges apply for additional adults over double occupancy rates. Dates are subject to availability. A 30-day cancellation policy applies.
Earlier this year we stopped into the new Pink Pony Store at the Chippewa Hotel and did some Pink Pony shopping. (Here are a few photos from our visit.) The good news is that you can shop online year-round at https://chippewa-hotel.myshopify.com/
Pink Pony Store – Photo Gallery (Click on photos for captions & slideshow view)
When it comes to movers and shakers in the bluegrass world, Full Cord is a super- group on the rise. After winning the prestigious 2022 Telluride Bluegrass Band Competition in Colorado, the Michigan-based group followed that with another much-coveted honor when the International Bluegrass Music Association named Full Cord its “Momentum Award Band of the Year.”
While mandolinist Brian Oberlin notes the band’s music “is new and fresh to the ears of seasoned bluegrass fans,” the bluegrass traditions in Full Cord have deep roots. The group’s members – Oberlin, guitarist Eric Langejans, bassist Todd Kirchner – boast decades of musical artistry, with experience in popular performing bands from Michigan to Oregon. The group brings along top players to fill in fiddle and banjo to round out that rich bluegrass tone. The band’s debut album on Nashville’s Dark Shadow Recording released in Nov. of 2023 and has maintained charting positions through spring of ’24. Full Cord’s songwriting has reached a new “tipping point,” Manager Katie Kirchner suggests, enhanced by the group’s vast repertoire and robust experience in numerous band projects over the years. And Oberlin insists the band is “just hitting its stride” – ready to follow in the footsteps of fellow Michigan bluegrass icons Billy Strings and Greensky Bluegrass as yet another star in the making.
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6:30pm, Marquette Park, Mackinac Island – Free
With a spectacular backdrop, our summer concert series takes place on the lawn of a National Historic Landmark, Marquette Park, which is at the foothills of Historic Fort Mackinac downtown across from the marina. Bring a picnic and tune in for some great live folk, rock, country, blues—the best of Americana. All concerts are free. We recommend bringing a blanket or lawn chairs for your comfort.
Music In The Park
EVERY THURSDAY 6:30pm
MARQUETTE PARK
Rain location: Mission Point Theater
Don’t miss the unforgettable finale of this city-wide talent showcase and award ceremony.
The grand finale of the third annual Mackinac-Island talent showcase, featuring island residents and employees from all over the world.
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6:30pm, Marquette Park, Mackinac Island – Free
With a spectacular backdrop, our summer concert series takes place on the lawn of a National Historic Landmark, Marquette Park, which is at the foothills of Historic Fort Mackinac downtown across from the marina. Bring a picnic and tune in for some great live folk, rock, country, blues—the best of Americana. All concerts are free. We recommend bringing a blanket or lawn chairs for your comfort.
Music In The Park
EVERY THURSDAY 6:30pm
MARQUETTE PARK
Rain location: Mission Point Theater
The 2025 Annual Bridge Walk is currently scheduled for Monday, Sept. 1, 2025. Any updates will be posted here as the event approaches.
The Mackinac Bridge will be closed to public traffic from 6:30 a.m. to noon on Monday, Sept. 1, 2025 to accommodate the 2025 Annual Bridge Walk.
No bus transportation across the bridge will be provided as part of the event. Walkers who decide to walk across the entire bridge will need to arrange their own transportation back to the end of the bridge where they started after the bridge reopens to public traffic at noon. There is limited parking space available west of the Mackinac Bridge Authority plaza area.
For those seeking alternative transportation during the event, the local Mackinac Island ferry companies offer transportation between St. Ignace, Mackinaw City, and Mackinac Island, as well as between St. Ignace and Mackinaw City. Local transportation companies also offer shuttle service between various locations.
There is no fee or registration required to participate in the walk. The walk begins at 7 a.m. You may start walking any time after the governor’s party starts the walk at approximately 7 a.m. No one will be permitted to start after 11:30 a.m., so make sure you arrive early.
The walk begins in St. Ignace at the north end of the Mackinac Bridge in the Upper Peninsula, and in Mackinaw City at the south end of the bridge in the Lower Peninsula. To participate in the walk you may:
– Walk form either end of the bridge, turning around at the midpoint and returning to the city you started from, where your transportation is located. The turnaround points will move towards the ends of the bridge beginning at 10 a.m., but walkers can walk at least a portion of the bridge if you start by 11:30 a.m. Walkers must be on the side of the bridge they wish to return to before 10 a.m. or you will be turned back.
– Walk from either end of the bridge and continue across to the other side. This option is most like previous bridge walks. However, since bus transportation across the bridge will not be provided, walkers who choose this option will need to arrange for their own transportation back across after the bridge reopens at noon. Walkers who do not reach the midpoint of the bridge before 10 a.m. will be turned back.
– Walk from either end of the bridge, continuing across to the other side, then walking back to the end of the bridge you started from. This option will mean a 10-mile round trip for participants. If walkers in this option do not reach the midpoint of the bridge on their return trip by 10 a.m. will be turned back.
Walkers will use the left-hand outside paved lane as they walk onto the bridge, regardless of which end of the bridge they start from. Walkers who turn back at the midpoint will turn right, then return using the opposite side outside paved lane. Walkers who choose to cross the entire bridge will stay in the left-hand outside paved lane all the way across.
The Michigan State Police and other official personnel will be available in the event of an emergency.
Please note, there are no restrooms on the bridge and the average length of time to walk the bridge is about two hours. Portable toilets will be available in St. Ignace and Mackinaw City.
Baby strollers and wheelchairs are allowed on the bridge during the walk. Prohibited items include signs, banners, umbrellas, bicycles, roller skates, skateboards, wagons and similar types of devices. With the sole exception of working service dogs, no animals are allowed. Walkers must stay away from bridge railings. The inside lane in both directions will remain open for emergency vehicles.
Except for pre-qualified, registered participants in the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness Run, no running or racing is permitted on the bridge. Playing tag on the bridge is not permitted and no smoking on the bridge, please. For information on the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness Run, please go to www.michiganfitness.org or contact the Governor’s Council at 517-347-7891.
You will receive a numbered bridge walk certificate at the completion of your walk. Certificates will be distributed at both ends of the bridge. Individuals under the age of 18 should have the permission of a parent or guardian to participate in the walk. Any two or more people walking together should make plans for a meeting place in the event that they become separated during the walk.
Disclaimer of liability: Before beginning the walk, all participants should carefully determine that they are physically fit and medically able to participate in the annual walk since the physical strain of the walk could lead to serious health problems. Participants should also understand that walking involves risks of injury from falls due to the surface condition of the bridge, contact with other participants, and the effects of weather including high heat and/or humidity.
THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, MACKINAC BRIDGE AUTHORITY, ST. IGNACE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, MACKINAW CITY CHAMBER OR COMMERCE, AND ALL THEIR RESPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, VOLUNTEERS AND SPONSORS ASSUME NO OBLIGATIONS WITH REGARD TO SUCH RISKS AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY ARISING FROM ANY WALKER’S PARTICIPATION IN THE ANNUAL WALK.
Mighty Mac ~ #mackinacbridge #stignace #iconicbridge #mightymac...
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The Mackinac Bridge's annual Labor Day walk, which has been held every year since 1958, is being canceled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. More at detroitnews.com. (📸: John L. Russell) #MackinacBridge #Michigan
The Mackinac Bridge's annual Labor Day walk, which has been held every year since 1958, is being canceled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. More at detroitnews.com. (📸: John L. Russell) #MackinacBridge #Michigan...
Photos by Detroit Free Press staff photographer ryangarza Ryan Garza. A group of women hold hands for stability as they walk across slippery ice against gusts of wind to get a closer look at the ice formations on the frozen Lake Huron near the Mackinac Bridge on Friday, March 5, 2021. Travelers stopped to view the blue ice that stacked in some spots along Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
Photos by Detroit Free Press staff photographer ryangarza Ryan Garza. A group of women hold hands for stability as they walk across slippery ice against gusts of wind to get a closer look at the ice formations on the frozen Lake Huron near the Mackinac Bridge on Friday, March 5, 2021. Travelers stopped to view the blue ice that stacked in some spots along Lake Michigan and Lake Huron....
Five miles of awesome. #mackinacbridge #notadrone #aerial #mightymac #puremichigan #greatlakes #michigan #straitsofmackinac #puremittigan #awesomemitten #roamwherever #blue #i75 #mymittenstate...
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We are beyond excited to share that we have 10,000 followers!!! 🎉 Thanks to everyone for all your support! Keep tagging us in your favorite mitten state photos. Thanks for sharing this awesome shot of the Mighty Mac tomjones.foto 💚💙
We are beyond excited to share that we have 10,000 followers!!! 🎉 Thanks to everyone for all your support! Keep tagging us in your favorite mitten state photos. Thanks for sharing this awesome shot of the Mighty Mac tomjones.foto 💚💙...
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Happy 4th of July! #miplayground #4thofjuly #fourthofjuly #mackinacbridge #michigan #upperpeninsula
Mackinac Blues - will we get them this winter. Hope so. #mackinacbridge #puremichigan #blueice #mightymac...
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It's not Halloween, but it looks straight out of a horror movie: The Mackinac Bridge looked like it disappeared into some scary-looking fog Wednesday afternoon.
"Unfortunately, what you're seeing today is not fog surrounding the mackinacbridge but smoke coming from the wildfires and our neighbors to the North," the Mackinac Bridge Authority posted on Wednesday.
Check the link in our bio for more.
#detroit #michigan #mackinacbridge #wildfires #canada #canadianwildfires #fog
It's not Halloween, but it looks straight out of a horror movie: The Mackinac Bridge looked like it disappeared into some scary-looking fog Wednesday afternoon. "Unfortunately, what you're seeing today is not fog surrounding the mackinacbridge but smoke coming from the wildfires and our neighbors to the North," the Mackinac Bridge Authority posted on Wednesday. Check the link in our bio for more. #detroit #michigan #mackinacbridge #wildfires #canada #canadianwildfires #fog...
Evening strolls at sunset on Mackinac Island are the best 😍 . 📷 michiganaddicts...
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🌉 Driving across the Mackinac Bridge is a treat for some. But it's a terror for others. The 5-mile bridge that connects Michigan's Upper and Lower peninsulas is a scary sight for some drivers. Luckily, there is help for those who fear the trip across. The Mackinac Bridge Authority's Drivers Assistance Program was created specifically to help those drivers. Anyone can simply call a number, and a Mackinac Bridge Authority employee will show up to drive your car across the Mighty Mac.
"We have people available 24 hours a day, doing multiple things," said Ned McLennan, maintenance supervisor for the Mackinac Bridge Authority. "One of those things is the Driver's Assistance Program."
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🚗 The service is completely free.
McLennan said workers are happy to help. They would rather drive a vehicle across the bridge than have a worried motorist freeze up. "And, yes, some drivers have stopped abruptly in the middle of the bridge. That can create a dangerous situation," McLennan said.
"If they are worried or think they will have a problem, it's better to stop and ask," he said.
"It doesn't matter what type of vehicle you drive because these workers can handle anything. They all have commercial driver's licenses, and many have motorcycle endorsements.
"We can drive anything, and we have," McLennan said.
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For more info: link in our bio. 🔗
#mackinacbridge #bridge #mackinac #michigan #funfacts #allfacts #facts #fact #didyouknowthat #didyouknow
🌉 Driving across the Mackinac Bridge is a treat for some. But it's a terror for others. The 5-mile bridge that connects Michigan's Upper and Lower peninsulas is a scary sight for some drivers. Luckily, there is help for those who fear the trip across. The Mackinac Bridge Authority's Drivers Assistance Program was created specifically to help those drivers. Anyone can simply call a number, and a Mackinac Bridge Authority employee will show up to drive your car across the Mighty Mac. "We have people available 24 hours a day, doing multiple things," said Ned McLennan, maintenance supervisor for the Mackinac Bridge Authority. "One of those things is the Driver's Assistance Program." _____ 🚗 The service is completely free. McLennan said workers are happy to help. They would rather drive a vehicle across the bridge than have a worried motorist freeze up. "And, yes, some drivers have stopped abruptly in the middle of the bridge. That can create a dangerous situation," McLennan said. "If they are worried or think they will have a problem, it's better to stop and ask," he said. "It doesn't matter what type of vehicle you drive because these workers can handle anything. They all have commercial driver's licenses, and many have motorcycle endorsements. "We can drive anything, and we have," McLennan said. _____ For more info: link in our bio. 🔗 #mackinacbridge #bridge #mackinac #michigan #funfacts #allfacts #facts #fact #didyouknowthat #didyouknow...
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Big Mac and the Moody Blues. #mackinac #mackinacbridge #blueice #onlyinmichigan #michiganoverboard #thegreatlakesstate #goodvibesgreatlakes
Mackinac Island is my favorite place in all of Michigan. It’s the only city in the state where cars aren’t allowed, and people instead get around primarily via biking or walking. One of my favorite festivals, the Mackinac Island Lilac Festival happens each spring on the island and dozens of varieties of French lilacs burst into gorgeous color to celebrate the arrival of warmer weather. The island is also filled with thousands of other blooms like tulips, dahlias, zinnias, and many more, making it a paradise for flower lovers (like me!). Have you ever visited mackinacisle?
Mackinac Island is my favorite place in all of Michigan. It’s the only city in the state where cars aren’t allowed, and people instead get around primarily via biking or walking. One of my favorite festivals, the Mackinac Island Lilac Festival happens each spring on the island and dozens of varieties of French lilacs burst into gorgeous color to celebrate the arrival of warmer weather. The island is also filled with thousands of other blooms like tulips, dahlias, zinnias, and many more, making it a paradise for flower lovers (like me!). Have you ever visited mackinacisle?...
Race Start Time is 9:30 am on Saturday, September 6!
End your Summer with the Mackinac 8 Mile Road Race
Join us for the 54th anniversary of this exciting, summer-ending event. You will experience Mackinac Island in one of the oldest and most scenic races in Michigan. The Island is a unique destination that can only be reached by ferry. Step back in time to a bygone era where travel is done by foot, bicycle, carriage or horse. With up to 1,600 runners and walkers, this is definitely a race you and your family will never forget!
Great Race Shirt and Medal!
A great long sleeve shirt
Commemorative Mackinac Island Eight Mile finisher medal\
Free race photos
2025 Mackinac Island Trio Series!
Register for three RunMackinac races (either the Fort2Fort 5 Mile or the Lilac Festival 10K, plus both the Mackinac Eight Mile and the Great Turtle Trail Race) and you will receive a special Mackinac Island Trio Series medal. This will be a separate medal from the other finisher’s medals you will receive at the completion of all three races, and will be awarded following the Great Turtle Half Marathon. To register for the Trio, go to either the Fort2Fort or Lilac 10k races and you will see the registration box. You can also register individually for all three events and be eligible for the Trio and the medal.
Special Rates at Mission Point Resort for the 8 Mile Race and the Trio Series!
Mission Point is holding rooms for all RunMackinac events at special rates – if you call to reserve rooms for your three Trio races and tell them you are doing the Trio, you will receive a 10% discount. Call 800-833-7711 to get the 10% Trio discount.
