Mackinac for a getaway next weekend - input on restaurants or activities?
 

Hi - we've decided to head to Mackinac Island next weekend. The plan is to spend most of one day driving from Chicago and stopping along the lakeshore on the way. Our hotel reservation is at Mission Point - I've read both good and bad reviews so anything current will be most appreciated. Its been years since we've been there and I'm sure the restaurants have changed..again - any current experiences or recommendations will be great. Thanks!

The lunch buffet at the Grand Hotel is expensive, but I think it is worth it. The room and the view are elegant with linen, fine place settings, ice sculptures and uniformed servers. The food is displayed on a long series of tables. Many fruits, cheeses, Hors d'oeuvres, salads, pastas, breads, oysters and mussels in the shell, smoked salmon, roasts, desserts, etc

$40 for non hotel guests, but it costs $10 for non guests to enter the grounds and they get a $10 credit which can be applied to the meal. And there is no tipping.

The Tea Room at Fort Mackinac has the finest view of any restaurant in the region, outdoors on the lower level of the oldest building in the state of Michigan. The menu is limited, but the food and service are quite good.

For supper, I recommend another Grand Hotel operation - The Woods. It is a Tudor mansion in the woods away from town (take a horse drawn taxi) with lots of windows. They serve German food and have the oldest operating duckpin bowling alley in the US. Unlike the hotel, there is no dress code in the evening.

Or for something more casual, the Village Inn has good fish and a nicely varied menu.

Keith

Sounds good - thanks!

The Pink Pony at the Chippewa Hotel has great views and good food. Also liked the Pub & Oyster Bar and have read good reviews of the Seabiscuit Cafe. But how needs a meal when you've got all that fudge!

The Chicago Mackinac sailboat race will be taking place next weekend. That could really affect availability for some lodging and restaurants.

The first boats won't arrive until we've left. The race starts on Saturday and never finishes in less than 24 hours. My DH sailed it several times. My hope is that we'll see some of the boats as we drive back down the coast.