At this point in time, we know that the Arnold Line will be running
ferries to the island. Shepler's may be running. Discount coupons can be printed off of their websites -
www.arnoldline.com or
www.shelpersferry.com . The Arnold line ferry will ONLY be departing
from St. Ignace. You will need to cross the Mackinac Bridge to get to the
Arnold Dock (the bridge crossing now costs $3.00 each way). The Shepler's
ferry can be boarded in Mackinaw City. There are a limited number of
ferries running at this time of the year, so please plan carefully.
The "Gatehouse" restaurant, which is right down the hill from the Grand,
will be open for dining (for both lunch and dinner), as will the "Village
Inn" (located downtown). A few other places
may also be open. Expect to spend around $10.00 per person for lunch, and
about $15.00 -$20.00 per person for dinner (depending on what you order).
I highly recommend bringing your own
bike, if at all possible! The ferries charge $7.50 per bike to bring them
over on the ferry. There is a "parking lot" for bikes right across from the
Grand, so your bikes can be parked there in the evening.
The Grand will be providing us with a group room for our gathering ALL THREE
DAYS of the weekend. The group room is on the lower level of the hotel and
can be reached by entering the east end of the building. We will have a
sign up indentifying our group. We will also have coffee and tea available
each morning, and will have ice tea and lemonade available each afternoon.
There will also be cake and other munchies available on Saturday for our
attendees. Our raffle drawing will be held back at the group room at the
Grand at 7:00 pm on Saturday evening. We've got some great prizes to give
out, but you must be present to win. We are, however, planning a simple
game for all attendees, and that prize can be mailed to the winner. We will
provide details of the game the morning of the event.
Most island stores are closed at this time of year, but a few will be open.
Fort Mackinac will not be open. The Butterfly House will not be open. Last
year, a couple of the fudge shops WERE open, so I expect that they will be
again this year.
For those who might be interested, you can now purchase shirts and other memorabilia
that would be a great souvenir of the event. Click
here for more details.
If you have any questions about the event, or the island itself, please feel
freel to e-mail me at
madelyn@tmrl.net. Looking forward to seeing you all on the island!