Mackinac Island / Oshkosh 2008

[TSwezey]

Thanks for the write up Scott!

[fl-mike]

I hear that the Grand Hotel has a serious bat infestation situation. True?

[dhusk]

Yep, great place to visit. It was one of the first cross countries I made after getting my PPL back in the 70's.

A few years back I went to Mackinac Island for a convention. We were driving up and running a little late. The boat service had already quite for the day. We needed to be there that night. We found a service that will fly from St. Ignace to the island, so we got a ride over in a Cherokee 6. One of the shortest flights I've ever had, not much further than flying the pattern!

I plan on taking the 9A up there, if I can ever get it finished.

Great pictures, Scott.

[Darth-Helmet]

Great write up. I have been visiting Mackinac pretty regularly for the past 20 years absolutely great place. I always stay at the lake view (only hotel with an indoor pool on the island). I live in Chicago area so the flight really doesn?t take a whole lot longer than that from OSH (defiantly beats the 8 hour drive). A few tips from the many trips I have taken.



1. Most importantly (and sorry about this Scott) don?t fly directly over the lake outside of gliding distance of land. The reason is simple the water temperature on the lake in middle of summer doesn?t get much above 50 degrees so if you survived and engine failure and ditched you probably wouldn?t live long enough to be rescued(I know its harsh but it?s the truth). The second reason is because when you fly over the lake its really easy to lose sight of the horizon (sounds weird I know but it happens) So it is almost like flying IFR.
2. Kilwins has the best fudge and ice cream
3. There is a great high class restaurant at Mission Point called the epicurean that has great food and one of the best Piano players I have ever heard. And best of all it costs about half as much as the grand hotel to eat at.
4. If you like White Fish there is a small lake side place right by Arnolds dock and it has the best white fish.
5. When you fly in you can call on the Unicom before you land to ask them to call a taxi for (it can take up to half an hour for a taxi to get to the airport)
6. heavy cable to tie your plan down to.

[John Tierney]

I have to concur with Darth-Helmet on #1. Best to follow the scenic coast line. For anyone visiting WI or MI, treat the Great Lakes as if they are the north Atlantic or Pacific. You can also loose reference to the horizon very easily due to a milky haze that occurs over the very cold water with warm air temps.

John Tierney
Salem, WI

[N130WN]

We've been there a couple times too. Liked it so much we got married there in '96, and went back for our 10 year anniversary a couple years ago:

http://bowenaero.com/mt/2006/10/mackinac-island-mi.html

[Bob Axsom]

We flew there from southern California in 1992 for our 25 anniversary and stayed in the Grand Hotel. The hotel was very expensive and very classy but we saw no bats. We rented bicycles in town and rode around the entire island (eight miles as I recall), toured Fort Mackinac and danced in the ballroom in the evenings to the music of a full orchestra. Even though we travel a lot this destination is memorable.

Bob Axsom

[Pallet]

Scott ,
Thanks for the write-up. Brings back memories.

My wife and I attended a two day marriage celebration at the Grand Hotel a couple years ago. We stayed and ate there for a large discount. Meals were included in the package deal.

While at the Grand Hotel we attended a history meeting about the hotel. If you ever get the opportunity, I would highly recomend it. This is not a boring history lesson, but very informative and interesting. A few of the things I remember are.

1)They built the original part of the Grand Hotel in something like 31 days, Working 24 hours a day, by candle light. (now I know why the stairs aren't quite straight) Slid material over on the ice.

2)It was never intended to make a profit, but was built as a destination for wealthy travelors so the shipping companies could make money hauling customers from the cities. It has never turned a profit until just recently.

3)It was almost torn down for the materials at one time since it kept losing so much money, but was bought up by (don't remember the name)

4)The current owners spend a ton of money on painting and constant maintenance.

5)I don't believe they have air conditioning. At least not in our room. They have added indoor plumbing in your room.

6)No two rooms in the grand hotel are decorated the same.

[rocketbob]

Back in my college years I had a fraternity brother that was a bartender there in the summers at the Village Inn. Needless to say some friends and I stumbled around that island a few times.

[N941WR]

Originally Posted by Pallet

2)It was never intended to make a profit, but was built as a destination for wealthy travelors so the shipping companies could make money hauling customers from the cities. It has never turned a profit until just recently.

They used to run passenger ships from Detroit and Chicago to all points on the Great Lakes in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Northern Michigan (Harbor Springs and Petoskey mostly) are still big vacation destinations for the wealthy and some of the "vacation homes" in those two towns are absolutely beautiful.

If any of you every fly up there, it is worth checking out, as is Travers City, MI.