We hadn’t originally intended to have extra time in St. Ignace, but a small schedule change allowed us a chance to visit Mackinac Island before heading just an hour up the road to Sault Ste. Marie. We made the best of the opportunity by booking a ferry trip to the island, exploring Fort Mackinac and visiting the Grand Hotel.

The town is extremely touristy, but it is quite picturesque and there are plenty of people watching opportunities. Getting to the fort requires a bit of a climb, but once there the views were worth it and it was quite interesting.

We retreated to the Pink Pony restaurant for lunch and to cool off. We had been debating whether to walk over to the Grand Hotel and had almost decided not to. But our helpful waiter asked us if we had been, then proceeded to convince us that we should make the effort. Then he told us about the “Secret Garden” that offers beautiful flowers and a nice view of the house. It wasn’t completely secret, but there were way fewer people there than there were up at the house.

We didn’t take the time or spend the money to go inside the house, but we did enjoy the classic views from outside. And I found the official Picture Spot so I could be sure to properly document our visit!