Tag Archive | photography

The Grand Hotel

Sep25

Mackinac Island, Michigan

The first thing to clear up – it is spelled “mack-i-NAC” but it is pronounced “mack-i-NAW.” Don’t make those in the know roll their eyes at you!

This confusion started with the Native Americans who named the island “Great Turtle” (because of the island’s shape), The French wrote and pronounced the native word one way. The British then changed the spelling but not the pronunciation. That got everyone confused! The one thing we can all agree on though, is how special Mackinac Island is, no matter what you call it.

Mackinac Island is home to the majestic Grand Hotel. This place has been on my radar since the movie Somewhere in Time with Jane Seymour, Christopher Reeve and Christopher Plummer. The movie is very dated to watch today, but in 1980 it was pure romance, glamour and mystery. The hotel looks almost exactly the same today as it did in the movie, where 95% of the scenes were filmed. In fact, the hotel and grounds pretty much look similar to how it did when it was opened to the public in 1887.

My husband and I had the opportunity to visit the Grand Hotel with two other couples. One couple was originally from Michigan and had visited there before. They proved to be great tour guides, especially with the actual “getting to” the island. We flew non-stop from Dallas to Traverse City, drove to Mackinaw City (I know! This one actually is spelled with a “w”!) and spent the night there. We got up early the next morning and took the ferry over to the island for our two-day stay at the Grand Hotel.

There are two ferry lines that leave from two separate ports. Each one-way trip will take about 15-20 minutes before arriving on the island. The early morning ferries take a swing under the Mackinac Bridge for great viewing of this huge suspension bridge, which is what we did. The ferry then docks near downtown, and from there you can ride in the Grand Hotel’s horse drawn carriage “taxi” or walk to the hotel. Our luggage was tagged when we bought ferry tickets and was delivered to our rooms in the hotel. Easy peasy!

We chose to take the 10-15 minute walk through the town, up to the hotel (the focal point of the island), and thoroughly enjoyed the sights. The town was full of cute cafes, fudge shops, gift shops, boutiques, museums and bike rentals. No vehicles are allowed on the island. One gets around on foot, by horseback, riding in a carriage or by riding a bicycle. The island only covers 3.8 square miles, so it was extremely difficult to get lost.

There were historic buildings, parks, churches, B & Bs, beautiful flowers, shops, a golf course, and gardens all along our walk. The Grand Hotel soon came into our view and what a sight it was! “Grand” was not a misnomer!

My first impression of the Grand Hotel was just how BIG it really was! Photos don’t do it justice. There are four floors, huge white columns, yellow awnings, red flowers, American flags, and a 660′ long porch. The porch extends the entire length of the building and is claimed to be “the world’s longest porch.” It was evident why this hotel received National Historic Landmark status. Wow!

Red carpeted steps led up into the main doors where we checked in for our overnight stay. The interior was just as expected (designed and built during the Gilded Age!). It was over-the-top, decadent, and colorful. Art work, sculptures, carpets, decorative furniture, lighting, flowers, etc. all seemed to be from another time and period. The signature flower of the Grand Hotel is the red geranium, and those colors seemed to be the color inspiration for the formal parlor, dining rooms and adjoining rooms.

Our room was on the third floor and was quite interesting! I am a “matchy-matchy” kind of person and this room was anything but that! The color scheme was definitely green (all shades!). The wallpaper had green and purple violets. The carpet was bright green with one red step in the doorway. Our chairs were green (think Kermit the Frog) velvet. Our drapes were multi-color floral and the bed skirt was lavender polka dot! The art work had various shades of green – much, much green – but was mostly modern abstract. Think of an old, rich, great aunt’s house in the 1970s or 1980s for your vision. Our friends’ two rooms were just as bad/good?

With that being said, all of our rooms did not lack character and were extremely clean and comfortable. The views on the lakeside, where our room was located, were great. Our big windows looked out over Lake Huron, the fountain, the Esther Williams swimming pool and the beautiful grounds. Sunsets were a sight to behold.

At 6:30 p.m., all guests of the Grand Hotel are required to be in “proper dress.” No shorts, jeans, t-shirts, cropped tops, etc. are allowed on the property after this time. Male dinner guests must wear jackets, suits, ties and dress pants. Female dinner guests must wear dressy pant suits or nice dresses. The hotel is very proud of this tradition and we were reminded of this fact several times. I do admit, we all cleaned up quite nicely!

The formal dinner was served in the Main Dining Room which was all full of glitz, glamour, and mirrors. The staff was formally attired and all servers were quite attentive. The tables were beautifully set with fresh flowers, fine linens, delicate china and polished silverware. A live band played classic music and the entire atmosphere was elegant and timeless. The five-course meal had several options to choose from for each course – appetizers, soups, salads, entrees and desserts. The food was well-prepared and beautifully plated. No one felt rushed or hurried. This meal was meant to be savored and enjoyed, which we did!

Our reservation had not only covered the formal dinner, but provided breakfast as well. Breakfast was also served in the Main Dining Room and guests could order from a menu or enjoy the plentiful buffet, which we chose. The food was delicious! After a leisurely meal, coffee and tea, and planning our activities for the day, we retired to the porch. We sat in the rockers and did what guests do – just relax, enjoy the views and drink it all in.

The Grand Hotel’s main building and grounds are quite large. The previous day, we had explored the Secret Garden (gorgeous flowers), played lawn chess, visited the art gallery, shopped in the boutiques, checked out the pool, and enjoyed happy hour in the Cupola Bar (great views from here).

Our group had also booked a private carriage ride that took the six of us from the steps of the Grand Hotel to sights all over the island. We rode down quiet, forested trails and backroads. We saw dozens of summer mansions and estates, stables and carriage houses, Arch Rock, Fort Mackinac, the Governor’s Mansion, and downtown. Our driver was a fifth-generation local and she gave us real insight into the life of the 500 permanent residents who live on the island year-round. It was very educational and an experience that I will never forget.

My visit to the Grand Hotel exceeded expectations. I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to experience such a “timeless” place, in all its glory, firsthand. It truly was GRAND. That is a simple enough name that no one should have problems pronouncing!

Check this one off my bucket list! A great time was had by all.

Big Bend National Park

Apr23

Texas

I finally got to check another national park off my bucket list this past month – Big Bend National Park!

Driving from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area down to Big Bend National Park is about a ten-hour drive. I have lived in Texas for over 40 years and finally got to see parts of this vast state that I hadn’t experienced before. Pumpjacks, cattle, petroleum facilities, windmills and desert landscapes were prevalent along the highways and byways as we headed southwest.

My husband and I stayed in Terlingua, Texas in a cute little luxury A-frame rental (Stardust Big Bend) that was just a few minutes from the park entrance. It was a prefect location for our “home base” and provided all the amenities that we needed. We especially enjoyed relaxing on the covered deck in the late afternoons and watching the dark skies at night from our back porch.

We began our first day in the park with the required photo-op at the official park sign – a “must do” if you travel in my company! There were only 2 cars ahead of us when we reached the park entrance and we didn’t have to wait any time in line. My husband showed our park pass and kindly thanked the park ranger for his service and dedication to our National Parks. We were promptly waved through.

We headed east on the park roads towards the Panther Junction Visitor Center to get our bearings, check maps and closures, and see the exhibits. From there we drove southeast to the Rio Grande Village, the easternmost part of the park. The drive was quite beautiful as morning clouds gave way to clearing skies, allowing the mountains and meadows to come into clear view.

After reaching Rio Grande Village Visitor Center, we got directions to the Rio Grande Village Nature Trail trailhead and began our first trek from a campground parking lot. The trail began in a cool, marshy area but quickly changed to a sandy, rocky trail leading toward the Rio Grande River.

This was a great first hike to experience the park. We stepped over/around quite a large amount of horse & burro droppings on the trail and soon spotted the culprits on the riverbank a few minutes ahead of us. We walked down to the river’s edge for a quick look before heading up a steep, rocky incline that afforded us great views of the river valley below. We only saw 3 other hikers on this entire trail.

This was the first place we spotted homemade “wares” (pottery, sculptures, fabric pieces, walking sticks, blankets, etc.) for sale. The items were displayed on rocks or boards with handprinted cardboard signs indicating prices and where to leave your money. We kept wondering how, when and by what manner do these people cross the river and set these up? We came across these “little stores” in all areas of the park but never saw any of the actual vendors. My husband read later that items purchased from these spots along the trails can actually be confiscated at the U.S. Border Patrol. Sad, but true.

Back to the hiking – we followed this trail up onto a high lookout point and enjoyed the view below. As we stood on the rocky precipice, we could see all the colors of the Chihuahua Desert. There were green marshy areas and cacti, white sandy river banks, yellow/brown water, blue skies, grey burros, black and white horses, and brown rocky terrain. There were also red ocotillo blooms and my red face from the exertion of the uphill climb! Going back down was much easier, thankfully.

Fun!!

After a picnic lunch back at the visitor center and some much-needed hydration, we were off to hike the Boquillas Canyon Trail located just a few minutes away. There were a few cars in the trailhead parking lot here and we encountered maybe a dozen people on this trail. The trail had quite a few ups and downs before leveling off and following along the river. The path was mostly rock and packed dirt. This ended up being a very pleasant stroll that took us about an hour roundtrip.

At one point, we were quietly walking down the trail in a shady area and came upon three “free-range” cattle napping beside the path. This was certainly not something we turn a corner and see everyday! Luckily, they were friendly, sleepy or both.

The trail eventually led us to the entrance of a high limestone gorge and the end of the hike. It was a very scenic spot with high walls and big boulders and was well-worth the effort to see. We enjoyed the view for a few minutes before turning around and heading back. We had hiked over six miles our first day and it was over all kinds of terrain.

Day one was complete. We were both tired and hungry and more than ready for dinner and a much-needed shower. We both laughed as I literally poured sand out of my hiking shoes and onto the floor back at our rental. You know you have had a great day when your shoes are full of dirt!

Day two began with an early morning drive to the southwestern part of the park. We drove the thirty-mile Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive and headed to Santa Elena Canyon, the most popular spot in Big Bend. The drive to Santa Elena Canyon was very picturesque and we made several stops along the way. The landscape was constantly changing – desert, ancient volcanoes, mountains, canyons, hoodoos, etc. As we got closer to the border, we could see the area where the large rock walls appeared to be separated, forming the canyon. That was going to be our destination.

The Santa Elena Canyon Trail parking lot was fairly full and we did see more people here than all the other places in the entire park combined. The trail began from the parking lot and soon crossed Terlingua Creek. Luckily for us, it was not muddy and was more of a dry creek bed on this day. We did have to climb up a steep bank and follow a dense, winding trail to the actual start of the canyon hike.

This trail was listed as “moderate” and we saw several people turn around on the first leg, which was quite strenuous. The trail began by going up a rocky ledge, full of switchbacks, without any guardrails at the top. I tried to hang on the inside as much as I could and not look down! Once we got over the first half of this hike, the second half was a piece of cake and leveled off along the river bank.

This was a two-mile round-trip trail located between sheer cliffs and towering rock walls with the sleepy Rio Grande River in between. The United States was on one side – Mexico was the on the other. The path led us through huge boulders and rocks until it ended on a sandy bank where the canyon wall met the river. What you see here is the narrowest point in the entire Santa Elena Canyon and it was a spectacular sight. It was very quiet. It was very peaceful. It was very easy to understand why this place was so popular. Gorgeous scenery!

We heard an owl “hooting” up above us while we were standing there on the canyon floor. It called out several times and the sound echoed through the canyon walls as we made our way back to the trailhead. This was one of those days that will forever be etched in my memory. It was such a beautiful, natural place.

After a picnic lunch near the parking lot, with a curious roadrunner on our table, we headed to the Castalon Visitor Center. We made a brief stop there and then drove onward towards the Chisos Basin. This was located more in the central area of the park and is where most of the park’s mountains and forests are located.

The park road gained elevation as it climbed into the Chisos Mountain Basin, a scenic valley surrounded by craggy mountains. This area is the heart of Big Bend and is home to the only mountain range totally contained within a single national park. This area is also home to black bears and (gulp) mountain lions!

There was a campground, ranger station, lodge, restaurant and grocery store here. There was ample parking and we walked the Window View Trail for great views of the park from this high vantage point. This trail had been closed earlier in the week due to “bear activity” so we didn’t hang around too long!

We took a few pics and bought some ice cream to enjoy before our drive back down the mountains into the Chihuahuan Desert and on to Terlingua. We had enjoyed two full days in Big Bend National Park and I really wished we had had one more full day. Three days would have been perfect for a trip here – two days was a little rushed. We never made it to the northern part of the park to Persimmon Gap and I regret not having time to see the fossilized rocks and petroglyphs in certain areas. Sigh.

Overall, we had a great trip. The park was more impressive than I anticipated. The weather turned out to be prefect and there were no crowds anywhere. We felt like we had the park to ourselves. There were no complaints with any part of our trip except for needing more time (and the l-o-n-g drive back home). There were no encounters with rattlesnakes, scorpions, bears or mountain lions – only roadrunners, javelinas, burros, cows, jackrabbits, wild horses and birds.

Official park T-shirt, check. Official park sign photo, check. Official park sticker, check. Hiking shoes held together and didn’t come apart at the soles, check.

All-in-all, this was another very enjoyable national park visit! I highly recommend.