Painting by Jane Seymour outside the Somewhere in Time Suite

A while back I wrote a post about Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, also known as “The Somewhere in Time Hotel.” I had every intention of visiting there, someday, but never dreamed it would happen as quickly, or as magically, as it did.

To celebrate turning 40, my best friend Stefania and I cooked up a wacky road trip that included driving a Ford Mustang up to the Michigan peninsula and a visit pilgrimage to the setting for the time traveling romance movie, Somewhere in Time, which starred Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer.  Fun idea, but who would sponsor a thing like that?

Turns out Ford was willing to let us drive their car, and Grand Hotel was willing to put the two of us up for two nights! All we had to do was get to Detroit to start the adventure. Oh, and pay for gas. No such thing as a (totally) free ride.

Journey Back in Time, or Just a Journey – You Decide

A quick 20 minute ferry rides gets you from the mainland to Mackinac Island, where it really does seem like time stood still. There are no cars on the island, so we caught a horse drawn “taxi” up the gentle hill to the hotel.

Walking into the lobby, the feeling of going back in time stays with you. But at the same time, it’s a thoroughly modern feeling resort, with every kind of store or service you could want. It’s just packaged in a slightly more genteel manner.

For example, there is a tea shop just off the lobby where you check in. It’s charming and quaint, and lends itself to afternoon tea which you perhaps have in a china tea cup  and enjoy at a table in the gallery-like long hallway. Or you can get a latte to go, just like at Starbucks.

That’s one of the nice things about Grand Hotel — you can control you level of escapism.

The Rooms

This was the biggest surprise of the trip. The incredibly generous people at Grand Hotel put us each in our own First Lady Suite — the ones designed by famous interior decorator Carleton Varney, in consultation with the actual First Ladies after whom they are named.

The Roslynn Carter Suite, Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, MI

I was handed the key to the Rosalynn Carter Suite, which featured “Georgia Peach” walls, a romantic faux canopy, and a most impressive star design on the carpet. Best of all, I had my own private deck, overlooking Mackinac Bridge, the Straits of Mackinac, and the mansion-like “cottages” that line the neighboring streets.

Jacqueline Kennedy Suite, Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, MI

Stefania’s room was equally awesome, the Jacqueline Kennedy Suite! The room featured blue and white stripes, a lot of fringe and several photos of Jackie. It’s a fan’s paradise.

Portraits of Jackie in her eponymous suite

Somewhere in Time Suite

Picking our favorite room is impossible, they are both so luxurious and beautiful. But if we were forced to choose, the Jackie suite would win just because it was two doors down from the Somewhere in Time suite.

We knew which one was the Somewhere in Time suite because there is a name plate over the door. But we would have been able to tell anyway, because the walls outside the room are covered with paintings by Miss McKenna herself, Jane Seymour. I had no idea she had that kind of artist talent!

Self-portrait of Jane Seymour, in costume as Elise McKenna

Just to make it even better, we got a tour of the room from Bob Tagatz, the Grand Hotel concierge, official historian and chief blogger. It was pretty exciting! He told us stories about when the cast was filming at the hotel, although he was unable to confirm my long-held suspicion that Christopher Reeve and Ms. Seymour had a passionate affair during the production.

Bob Tagatz, the Grand Hotel concierge, official historian and chief blogger

Don’t take my word for it, watch the movie yourself — housekeeping will bring you a copy to watch in your room during your stay!

The Dining Room

One of the neat things about Grand Hotel is that it’s an inclusive property, meaning that breakfast and dinner are included in most packages. And it is so worth it!

Dinner is the more formal affair, with “evening attire” required for guests in all areas of the hotel, but specifically for dinner. It’s an event! It was really fun to get dressed up to go eat, and to see all of the other guests at their scrubbed up best. Particularly sweet were the big families in their Sunday best. One four or five year old little girl stopped us in the hallway to show us her pretty dress. We complimented her on the excellent twirly skirt, and smiled when we saw her later on, showing off for another guest.

Fancy dinner - that was duck confit in aspic

The food is sort of “High Resort” — a bit formal, with indulgent ingredients like foie gras and truffles, and maybe just a bit heavy on the salt.

Booze note: wine is not included in the packages, so be prepared to sign the cost of your bottle/cocktail up to your room.

Things to Do

Bike rides can be fun! Just watch out for horse poop!

The weather was gorgeous the weekend we visited, so it was all about the outdoor activities. Far and away the most popular thing to do is rent a bike, either at the hotel Tennis shop, or at various locations down in the village. We took a leisurely ride around the island, with a stop for hotdogs and french fries at the halfway point. The whole trip — which is nice and flat, no sweaty hills! — took less than two hours. Remember the sunscreen, and watch out for dive bombing seagulls at the hotdog place!

Seriously, Don’t Tip. Don’t Even Try. No. Just Stop.

You know how some places say, “No tips” but you still do it, and sometimes the staff lets you? Not here. After the first awkward interaction we didn’t even try again. Relax and enjoy not having to figure out if you should be palming $2 or $5 or a 20. You’re on vacation!

Also, empty your pockets of change before you get to the hotel, or your vacation could end precipitously, with you suddenly transported back to your home at a moment’s notice. (It’s a joke/reference to the defining plot point in Somewhere in Time, oh, just watch it already!)

Housekeeping will bring a copy of the movie!

Photo credits:

Cat Lincoln #1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9

Grand Hotel #3

Stefania Pomponi Butler #7, 8

Trapp Lodge, Stowe, Vermont

The hills of Vermont are more alive with the Sound of Music than they have been in decades. Sam von Trapp, the third generation of von Trapps, is embracing the movie version of his heritage for the benefit of the family hotel and their guests.

Among other things, Sam von Trapp is bringing back the beloved Sing-a-longs, and on Sunday, during the ABC network airing of The Sound of Music, he is running this commercial for the hotel in Stowe, Vermont. It’s the first time they’ve ever done a TV commercial.

Maria and Captain von Trapp

The family was immortalized by Julie Andrews and the very dashing Christopher Plummer (who by the way was also in wonderful in Somewhere in Time filmed at Mackinau Hotel! He’s a hotel-lover’s actor) — in the film, which took more than a few liberties with the family’s story.

However, they really did escape from Germany, they really were folk singers, and they really do have a beautiful hotel in the mountains of Vermont. Johannes von Trapp, Sam’s father, has traditionally distanced the lodge from the film, but it remains a big reason for guests to visit the lodge.

The Nordic Center

For cross country skiers it’s an especially magical place, with a world renowned Nordic Ski Center, featuring 45 kilometers of groomed trails and 100 kilometers of back country skiing and hiking trails.

Guest rooms

Set on 2,400 acres above the village of Stowe, Vermont, the resort features several types of accommodations including a 96 room lodge, 100 two-bedroom chalets which are like ski condos, and several luxury villas.

Dining room

In addition to outdoor activities, the lodge also offers a fitness center, three pools and two dining rooms that combine the family’s Austrian tradition with the Vermont location. There is also a rock climbing wall, and on site massages for the perfect luxury treatment at the end of long day of alpine play.

The Trapp Lodge offers several specials, including a special 20% discount for Audi owners and packages for skiing, snowshowing and the more relaxing wine and dine vacations.

Grand Hotel, Mackinau Island, Michigan

There is a reason the producers of Somewhere in Time chose Grand Hotel, on Mackinac Island in Michigan, located on Lake Huron, at the eastern end of the Straits of Mackinac, as the setting for the romantic time travel film.

In some ways, time has actually stopped at Grand Hotel, a place where you are still required to dress for dinner, there are no cars allowed on the island, and the primary method of transportation is horse drawn carriage.

"World's Largest Porch"

Not to mention it boasts the world’s longest front porch. It’s the social center of the island, and you can relax in a rocking chair and watch the animated buzz around the hotel or contemplate the lake views.

But don’t get the idea that this family friendly resort has a lack of amenities or activities! The variety and quality is definitely 21st century, from the 18 holes of golf on The Jewel, to tennis, swimming and a daily children’s programs for kids five and older.

Built in 1887, the hotel offers a choice of 385 rooms decorated by famed New York designer Carleton Varney. Each one is different, with a series of deluxe rooms decorated and named after famous people or places, like the Teddy Roosevelt Lodge Suite and the Esther Williams Suite. There are six “First Ladies” rooms that were actually decorated with input from Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush.

Every guest room, from the smaller (and less expensive) “Category I” rooms with interior views, to the the “Category III” deluxe lake-view rooms with balconies, comes with individually controlled AC, mini bar, in-room safe, cable TV, iron, and coffee maker.

The season at Grand Hotel runs from April through October, with room rates ranging from $395 night for a single person in a room, to $780/night for double occupancy in one of the luxury Named Suites.

One of the reasons that the rates are so high is that daily breakfast and dinner are included. There are several dining options on the property, including the main dining room, where you must be dressed for dinner, four additional restaurants with varying degrees of formality, four bars that serve light snacks and lunches, as well as three options for afternoon tea – the Fort Mackinau Tea Room, Carleton’s Tea Store and in the hotel palor.

There are several romantic packages at the hotel, worth checking if you’re planning a wedding, honeymoon, or anniversary trip. They also offer several “theme” packages, like a Labor Day Jazz Weekend, Murder Mystery Weekend and the Grand Hotel Lilac Festival.

As a fan of the Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour classic, my vote for the best package is the Somewhere in Time weekend!