What do a few girlfriends do when one has a birthday and the others need a great excuse to play a little hooky from work? Well, when you can simply look out your window at work and see Mackinac Island floating in the distance, you wonder what just the tiniest vacation could hurt? Day trips come to mind and they can be completely spontaneous.
Going a world away in just 20 minutes for a 5 hour vacation sounds like heaven!
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Anyone who lives in a tourist area knows that partaking in the festivities is often a luxury. So when the 3 of us had an opportunity, or decided to create one, we wanted to feel relaxed and rejuvenated.
The advantage of day trips? No packing required and stress free! Just check the weather, grab some shades and paste a smile on your face.
We decided to surprise our birthday girl, so when meeting at the docks she finally had a clue of what our adventure would consist of. I loved telling her to take a half day off and be ready to go. Would you trust your BF enough for such a weird request?
I recently wrote a post about the 7 rules to live by when you’re a visitor of Mackinac Island. Funny and true…a must read even if you’ve been there before.
I’d recommend Shepler’s Ferry Boat to get there. Clean, quick, efficient and friendly. Hey you only have 5 hours so no messin’ around.
The point to day trips is to get the most out of your limited time and to experience what makes the island unique. No, now is not the time to find the most off beaten path to explore. While I think there is definitely value in that, I would recommend saving it for when you have some more time to take it all in.
photo credit MackinacBlog
Now that I finally feel like I’m part of the cool group of “ladies that lunch,” we decided it was time for some lunch. One of the most iconic restaurants on Mackinac Island is the Pink Pony. When you’re here be sure to sit seaside and overlook the docks for a fantastic way to start your day trips, mini vacation. And since you’re on an island without vehicles, a bit of (responsible) day drinking is perfectly acceptable.
Rum runner with a floating shot of Malibu anyone? Yep – the birthday girl got her groove on! Our silly southern accents soon came out to play (not a dig on anyone with a southern accent, we love them and try to use them whenever the moment strikes…which is almost always) and we were on our way to the next stop, ya’ll!
Heading out to Mission Point…I have to pause here because I pretty much had no clue what this place actually was. I’d heard of it before but was pleasantly surprised at the vastness and gorgeous grounds it displayed. Certainly something I’ll explore more of in the future.
The Pro Putting range with a cocktail or 2 is an awesome idea if you have a few more hours on your schedule.
The new spa was a must see and luckily we were able to snag a tour. Wow! So Fabulous! I’m looking forward to an amazing treatment, eventually. What’s unique about this one is the relaxation room. Almost completely dark with the exception of a candle or 2. Instantly calming effect, ahhhh… The prices are comparable to any resort spa. Expensive but you’re also paying for the experience.
Onward…
Our way back to town and the beautiful Sainte Anne’s Church was a site to see.
Next stop is Horn’s Bar, another Mackinac Island icon. A quick cold one and bit of ‘angry August.’ Nope not a type of beer. For those of us who didn’t know that was a thing, just think a long spring and hot summer full of tourists asking the same questions and making the same comments. I suppose it gets old and would guess they’re just looking forward to the slow down of fall. Cooler temps and warmer greetings.
Lots of laughter, a quick shop stop and we ended our day at The Carriage House, another seaside setting. The refreshing spiked Lemonade with fresh muddled blackberries – delicious and dangerous. One is enough…unless you decide to stick around the island a little longer…in which case there are so many things to see and other signature cocktails to try.
A boat ride back to the mainland on the top deck, the sun still high in the sky and our whipping hair. I’m actually still laughing just thinking about it…I know, you had to be there. And you should be!
Even if Mackinac Island isn’t in your backyard you should give yourself permission to take a few day trips. For no good reason at all, other than the simple purpose of making memories and laughing out loud…
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Related posts:
7 Rules to live by when visiting Mackinac Island, being a fudgie
Michigan’s U.P. Bucket List, 50 things to do
7 Most Scenic Hikes in MI’s Eastern U.P.
Mackinac Bridge Events, all the fun ways to cross
I love this post! And you!
It was so much fun right? Thank you, love:)
I think a longer trip should be in the works for next year!
I couldn’t agree more, Mars! I’m already thinking up the fun things we’ll do:)