My parents had a fudge shop there in the 60's and 70's. My dad was the first one to put a exhaust fan in the doorway to push the Fudge aroma into the street to attract customers. Parade Magazine had a write up about it when it was a insert of Sunday Detroit Free Press. In the wintertime we used to ride Snowmobile's on the ice from Cheboygan to Bois Blanc Island to Round Island to Mackinaw Island.
I recommend you work there for a season and see if you like it. They provide employee housing. Everybody is hiring now. It's a great chance to live on the island, meet lots of great people and have lots of fun. I worked and lived up there 3 different seasons and those summers were the happiest of my life. :)
I live in Northern Michigan and we always go to the island at the end of the season, just before they shut most things down. There are a lot less people and the prices are lower too. I just love the crisp air in the fall (even when it rains) on the island and stopping at the restaurant for soup and hot chocolate, before taking the ferry ride back (my favorite time of year), but I've never been there in the winter. Thanks for showing one of our states treasures during the winter!
yes, island is great in the winter time. I was the doc on the island for a winter weekend. my wife, my dog, and myself. super experience! learned how to swim in the hotel pool in 1951. water was pretty chilly. going back to the Grand in October. can't wait. JDR
I live in Michigan and have visited Mackinaw Island many times but have always wondered how it looks in the winter! Thank you for sharing your experience with us!🥰
Mackinac Island has been on my wanderlist for maybe ten years - now it’s on there a 2nd time for winter time. Thank you for such a beautiful look this gem.
What a great video. I have spent many times with great memories there. I did two of the big sailboat races from Detroit. Arriving was like coming home. My old girlfriends family from Detroit recently purchased the Iroquois Hotel. Love that place. And friends of their family recently purchased the Grand. I'm thinking about five years ago. And YES! I know Sanford. The best little diner there called Lannys. I used to live in Birmingham MI. I miss it but not the weather.
Well done! Thank you. I think if more stuff, especially the Grand Hotel were to open in the winter, more people would come! I think you could sell tickets to a special Christmas dinner on the island! Also and enchanted night walk on weekends would probably go over great too!!
Yah that would be cool! I know a lot of the businesses relish that time to restock and take care of business before the busy season, though. A Christmas dinner on the island is quite the idea though!
I was just thinking that too. I know I would love to be able to invite my whole family there and be able to spend a Christmas there. Open it up like a Bread & Breakfast in the winter time might be a cool ideal for the Grand Hotel. 🤔
This one really touched my heart. I love Mackinaw and never saw it from the winter perspective. I think the Island touches my heart as it does yours. Thank you
@@ignition1991 I hope I have the opportunity to see it in the winter... truth be known, I wish I could live there. Thank you for sharing your experience!
I love ❤ this place! Never seen it in the winter and was so glad to have found this video! Thank you for sharing it and being brave enough to cross the Mighty Mac in winter! God bless!
Second time watching this video! It’s beautiful in the winter too! Dude you almost made me cry in the end. I don’t know why but it feels like it’s my home that I’d don’t know I had. I’ve never loved any place I’ve visited so much like Mackinac Island. On my second visit, it immediately brings me joy and peace. It was hard to leave. Even my family is looking forward for a next visit. As always, thank you for bringing me to Mackinac Island virtually. 💙💙💙
Well done. Thank you. October 2021, just two weeks ago, was my 31st visit to Mackinac Island and every year and every visit I experience something new. I decided in 2019 to visit the island in the winter and spent the first week of January hiking the island and staying at the only open winter hotel on the island......Pontiac Lodge and dining at the only restaurant, Mustang Lounge. Correction.....there is also a bed & breakfast residence open in the winter. Experience the island and join the thousands of people from around the world whom have island memories for a lifetime.
Great video. We went up this January. Flew in. Too much ice. 5 degrees. It was a great adventure. Just on thing. Arnold didn't go out of business. The are Freight only. Still in business. Just no passenger boats.
I got married Dec 29-1998 on Mackinaw island it was a beautiful sunny cold day. The snow just sparkled like crystals it was so pretty. Marriage didn't last but the memories of the beauty still does. Just Gorgeous 😎❄⛄and the horse drawn carriage slay ride was the cherry on the cake. Bells jingling and all. I will always love Mackinaw Island. She's like a family member always waiting for you to come back.💓
I could not agree more! Its amazing how even after the marriage didn't last you still see the beauty in the island. Its amazing how some places can just have the effect forever. I had a super bad falling out with a friend in Clare, Michigan, but I still love Clare! There's just something about it that makes it almost feel like that bad event ten years ago never happened there.
I would love to spend a year on Mackinaw island just to see all of the seasons. That is still my go to place when in need peace of mind. 5 hrs from where i live by the expressways but best 5 hrs i could ever spend on the road. I will be going up this spring or early summer. It's calling my name lol 😎
Just got back from our annual summer visit, #14 this year! Mackinac Island has captured my heart and soul since the first visit. I feel so fortunate to be able to be there, and long for it the other 51 weeks of the year. Now am really thinking of a winter visit. Thank you for the video!
I was born in Traverse City 70 years ago! Last spring my husband and I made a trip to TC and then on to Mackinac Island staying at the Grand Hotel in their preseason week! What a gem! We enjoyed it so much and felt so good to come back to my roots!!! Thank you for this beautiful video in winter. Not sure I could brave that cold. Just wondering where would you stay in the winter??
Thank you! Yes, it’s awesome up there and I am so happy you were able to make it back. In the past, the Pontiac Lodge has always been the only place open in the winter. I stayed there last winter and it was awesome!
Beautiful!!! We love Mackinac Island and our favorite time to visit is October because some stuff is still open but the crowds are gone. No matter how busy Main street is, though, you can just hop on your bike and head to the interior trails or the quiet side of the island and find plenty of solitude. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. New sub here.
Hi! Thanks so much and welcome! I appreciate it! I’ll sub back! Yes even on the busiest of days a trip to the center of the island is as peaceful as ever!
@@ignition1991 Thanks. And yes, we love bringing bikes to the island so we can easily get off the beaten path and explore. Your video definitely made us want to head over during the winter sometime!
Love that "No Parking Between Signs" sign at the 8:20-mark. In other words, "Park your snowmachine here but not here...or over there..." Instant classic. 😁
My favorite movie was filmed there, hoping to get there myself one of these days, Somewhere in Time. Such a beautiful place and a beautiful video. Thank you for sharing.
PJ you knocked it out of the park with this video! I made a choice 21 years ago to move to the desert so that I never had to see snow again, and even I found myself wanting to make this trip. Great job my friend!
Hey! Thanks buddy. Every place is beautiful in its own right! There’s a time for snow and a time for heat, and we are all born with our own preferences. For you, living in a place with no snow is something you like, but it enables you to appreciate snow from a distance and to want to visit snow on occasion. Arizona is on my bucket list!
These are Spruce Trees, Pine Trees and White Birch Trees. The White Birch Trees were used by the Indigenous people to make canoes and to build shelters for a living. Those are very dominant 400 miles north at the very tip of the upper peninsula as you go toward Houghton-Hancock and Copper Harbor, Michigan. I lived way up at the tip of the upper peninsula and it is magical in the fall and especially in the winter. Right out of Dr. Zhivago and Northern Exposure! If you want to see what life is like up there watch the series Northern Exposure which is supposed to take place in Alaska but it’s very much like the furthest north in the upper peninsula. People are so friendly and welcoming in the UP!
Thank you for braving the cold and wind to record the winter beauty of Mackinaw Island. I have been there many times in the summer and Fall but it was such a treat to see the winter views. Your choice of music was lovely.
My wife and I were engaged on Mackinac Island, and my family is from nearby Harbor Springs. I grew up hearing stories about running "ice boats" across the straights in winter to run mail back and forth when the straight iced in. I didn't know you could visit the Island in winter. I am definitely adding this to my bucket list. 🙂
It looks beautiful! Thank you for sharing this with us. I have only been to Mackinac Island once, when I was in high school. It’s definitely a place I want to visit again. Great job PJ!
Wow!! Your channel popped up when I searched Mackinac Island, you did a superb job showcasing the upper peninsula and the Island in the winter. We live on the Canadian side, SSM, Ontario and we go every summer to the Island! We've missed it last year, and anxiously waiting for the borders to reopen. Would love to see it also in the winter 😍
I am so glad you like it! I am so sorry you had to miss it last year, but hopefully that border opens up soon and you can come back. I love SSM, MI! I’ve only be to the Canadian Soo once and it was 15 years ago. Hopefully again soon!
Loved my first visit to the island in October 2020 with my hubby and all his siblings and spouses. We were celebrating his oldest sister's 60th birthday! It was a wonderful experience even though it rained a couple hours that day! Could eat some fudge from there right now😋 Food aside..the flowers and old time story book charm makes it a place i would love to live if my husband could handle the cold winters😊 Enjoyed the winter tour ...looks like a perfect place to spend Christmas!
It was years before I visited Mackinac Island for the first time and I always just passed by. That first visit in my 20s was so worth it. I hope you can make it one day!
I knew about this charming island just today (November 25 / 2021 - Thanksgiving Day), and i've already fell in love with it! This is one of various videos i've watched today about this lovely islandl
I am glad my video could be one of many that inspired you. There are a lot of great videos about the island here on the platform! I hope you get the chance to go!
Yah it’s quite the hike to the middle of the island. I stayed at a hotel in St Ignace with my window facing the water, and I could see the light from the airport. That was cool!
I went there this past May (2022). So beautiful. We stayed in St Ignace and Ferried over. Had lunch at the Grand Hotel. I am originally from Jamaica and it was awesome to meet so many Jamaicans working there for the Spring/Summer season. It was just the absolute highlight of my trip around Michigan.
That is always great to see. It reminds me that there is so much more of the world beyond my bubble. I’ve had the pleasure of talking with countless people who come from across the globe to work on Mackinac Island and the stories of how they found their way to Mackinac and what they do in the off season are always cool to hear.
Interesting to see the island in winter. My grandparents lived outside Mackinaw City on the lake during the summer so I'd get to spend a week there each year. Never got to experience that area in the winter. Many fond memories of the island.
I just happened upon this video. I haven't been to the island for nearly 40 years, and never in the winter, but this beautiful video really captured the unique and special feel that could only be Mackinaw. This brought back a lot of memories for me, and the feelings that go along with them. I still put red geraniums out every year to bring a little of Mackinaw to my home that is now far away. Thank you for sharing, you have done an excellent job here.
Thank you for commenting! I love your geranium story! I hope you can one day make it back to the island. Some stuff has changed in forty years, but a lot is still the same, and there are always new adventures to be had.
I live 30 miles south of the Bridge and go to the island 7-8 times a year. I have rode my snowmobile across the ice bridge… when it’s available in the winter. The island is my happy place. I love the remote places on the island. It is paradise to me…. Love it. Thank you!
The Memory Hall was a small dining room they covered in some red fabric. I have no idea where the picture actually is, but the hat Christopher Reeves wore when he went back in time is on a display for the movie right by Carletons Tea Store in the hotel, and an artist rendering of her photo is down there too. If you go downtown Mackinac Island, Baxters Coin Shop in the movie is Baxters Somewhere in Time Shop and you can buy the photo, as well as shirts for the movie!
No problem. Yah I was pretty disappointed to not see the room when I was there. I believe, have not proven, but believe that is is the small private dining room just off to the left near the main entrance to the dining room.
Absolutely beautiful!! I’m gonna try to make it happen this year, we are going to try to make it to the island. This video was beautifully done! You did an amazing job Pj.
Of course! Welcome to my channel. Having experienced Mackinac Island in all kinds of weather, I can't pick a favorite. But, the silence and stillness of the winter time have a special place in my heart.
Thank you so much for that picturesque view of a place I've long been obsessed with!! 🥰 I too adored the movie, 'Somewhere in Time' with the glamorous Jane Seymore and the late Superman, Christopher Reeves.❤🤩💋 I'm strictly a summer gal and hope to go there someday!!!!! Found your channel thru Jamie @ the snowdogs😛Thanks to you both.
Gosh, I have not been to Mackinac Island in close to 30 years. Looks like I need to make a return trip. I think the dogs would enjoy themselves too. There are many geocaches hidden on the island, winter would probably a good time to go find them since there are not a lot of people around.
I love to see a place just like it is, without crowds but showing its beauty. Thanks for the little history input. Maybe one day I'll spend a few months in Michigan.
Their missing a opportunitie for cross country skiing and snow shoe hiking.. ironically you can't ride a motorcycle but a snow mobile is ok..go figure.. beautiful anytime of the year!!.❤️🇺🇲
I did see a few people out and about on snow shoes. Also met some dogs! I honestly just loved the sound of the quiet island with my snow boots being the only thing breaking the silence and the wind in the trees. Truly beautiful any time of year!
Wow, your video is amazing and so informative. We visited Mackinac in 2019 to attend the Grand Garden Show. We stayed at the Grand Hotel and fell in love with the island. I have always wondered what the winter would look like. Thank you for sharing!
I’m glad you liked it and I’m even happier that you went and had your own adventure! The island shines in all seasons! I also love all your other videos too!
@@ignition1991 oh! Gosh! Thank you so much!. I love to editing more than filming and anything else. But find out not many peoples are watching. 😁 around when I feeling down you helped me to get going by you share my video in your community 😊 I think that was very sweet of you and I can tell you are very inspiring and supportive person and genuine good hearted. Unfortunately that I am not in to cooking show so that I haven’t been in Dan’s live show 😞 witch is make me feel bad that I am not much supportive. And I am not used to Skype chatting 🤪 still that I keep connect with your channel and keep in touch. I saw you did collaborate with snow dogs. Hope it went well😊 💕🌳🌳🌳
Living in southern Appalachia, I enjoy traveling north through Michigan as the state is a treasure in my opinion; however, Mackinac Island is beyond my favorite place within the state--rare gem indeed😊
Now this is a beauty, eh? Great work on shooting, editing and music. Love the Arch and The Grand Hotel in winter. Did Jane come up and ask, "Is it you?"
I’ve been several times and just love Mackinac island. I’ve always wanted to go in the winter. I was lucky enough to take a carriage ride thru the state park there. Or is it national park? Can’t remember but it was so peaceful. Our carriage driver was a young guy from Norway. He came to Mackinac every summer to work. Such a nice place to be.
Spending the week between Christmas & New Years is on my bucket list. I have lived & worked on the island for numerous seasons. Currently living in Bangkok, Thailand Any information, assistance, advice in planning this wonderful trip will be greatly appreciated Can't wait to return to my happy place💜💜💜💜💜
Hello! Thank you for commenting. There are only two hotels at this point that stay open through the winter, Pontiac Lodge and Bicycle Street Inn. Doud’s Market is open, and the Mustang and Broken Spoke vary day to day.
We are new to MI and we are making our first visit August 7th. Very much looking forward to our summer adventure. I lived in CT all our my life until recently. We used to visit Block Island RI frequently including during the winter..
Awesome! I apologize for my late comment. Welcome to Michigan! I actually live in Vermont part time now near Brattleboro so I’m right up I-91 from Connecticut and the Connecticut River is very near to me. I hope you had a great visit. Block Island is on my bucket list!
@@ignition1991 We completed our visit to Mackinac despite my wife having broken her ankle just prior. I had her practicing riding a bicycle because it had been years. She fell down whilst at a standstill. She got her leg twisted up in the frame. We went to Mackinac equipped with a wheelchair. The island is beautiful. I would place it above Block Island...which is also beautiful! Make sure you check BIRI off your list! Thanks for the greeting!
Thank you so much for sharing your great adventures in Mackinac Island. My interests in that island grew after I watched the movie "Somewhere in Time " a beautiful love story I will never forget. ❤
As a NW Michigander for most of my life (other than the 17 years in Chicagoland), there is one thing that I have learned along the way; while traveling to see other places is fun and perhaps a learning experience, but take time to check out some of the greatest places in Michigan - both upper and lower peninsulas have some of the best scenery and food to die for (ok, don't literally die lol). I totally agree that the best time to head up to the Island is late fall and winter. Less or no crowds, and all of the time to take time to smell the roses (or cedar, fresh air, etc.). Life is short, and take time to explore the beauty in your own backyard. 🌎💖💖💖🤗
I couldn’t agree more! I currently live in Vermont and even though it sure is beautiful, Michigan is so beautiful to come home to and I can’t believe how much I miss it. I think often about my next trip to Mackinac Island and all the other amazing places in Michigan.
@@ignition1991 I really didn't realize how much my home state meant to me until I went to the big city and then I discovered how much it was a part of me. (Had to endure much teasing from friends and family since I had said that it would take H*** freezing over before I came back lol). I am sure that you have many places lined up to visit (and all will be amazing, I am sure) but if you find that you need a few to add on, let me know. 😎 By the way, I really enjoyed the video.
The Grand Hotel has always reminded me of an enormous elegant ship from a bygone era....like the Titanic. Love that movie, "Somewhere in Time" that was filmed there. Have your kleenex ready if you've never seen it before. Thank you for sharing this great footage with us.
I was there in the summer one my fave places I’ve ever visited, (and I’ve been to over 35 states) Always wondered how it looks like in the winter. Thank you! Great video!
I have been all over the country as well, and I agree. The more I travel and talk to non-Michiganders who visit, I realize I’m not entirely biased in my opinion that it really is one of the greatest places on Earth!
I’ve visited several times in the summer, but never in winter. I see no one chased you away from the Grand,lol I’m always telling people who visit Michigan, you have to go up North, Traverse City area, Mackinaw Island and the Soo Locks to name a few. I lived in the Kalamazoo /Schoolcraft area growing up, my brother and his wife live in TC. I just came back from visiting family.
I really appreciate this kind of slice of life/travel vlog style. Plus you've got a wonderful accent. Looking forward to taking a family trip out that way, as we've covered most of the east coast and are now looking toward the Lakelands.
@@ignition1991So true! I spent a large portion of my childhood in Vermont. It's such a beautiful state. We still take day trips to the Quechee gorge almost every summer.
What a lovely video! We have never been because of the crowds but my husband and I do enjoy the cold and snow. I think we actually might consider it now.
I hope you do! The Pontiac Lodge is usually open during the winter, so I would contact them and check for pricing, etc. Not a whole lot is open, but it is awesome!
Haha this is a different kind of adventure for sure! Not sure I could stand the winds there, but it looks equally as beautiful as a hot beach, just in a different way. Nice information and facts too buddy. 😍 New subscriber
Wow!!! The snow is so beautiful!! What a unique experience. ❤ You were cracking us up when you said the game is "where's the road?" 🤣That sounds terrifying. Then getting onto that boat in the icy water. We've never done anything like this. So cool! Now we really want to check out Mackinac Island in the winter! ❤
Thank you so much. Yes I literally was on the phone with the ferry company every day for one week before I went. There was a snow storm just south of the bridge and then it cleared right up as I came around the curve.
My parents had a fudge shop there in the 60's and 70's. My dad was the first one to put a exhaust fan in the doorway to push the Fudge aroma into the street to attract customers. Parade Magazine had a write up about it when it was a insert of Sunday Detroit Free Press. In the wintertime we used to ride Snowmobile's on the ice from Cheboygan to Bois Blanc Island to Round Island to Mackinaw Island.
What great memories! Thank you for sharing. The fudge smell in the streets is amazing and is all part of the experience!
Very cool👌
Oh WOW.. thanks for sharing this
I recommend you work there for a season and see if you like it. They provide employee housing. Everybody is hiring now. It's a great chance to live on the island, meet lots of great people and have lots of fun. I worked and lived up there 3 different seasons and those summers were the happiest of my life. :)
I have considered it! I do have a full time job so it’s a bit challenging, but I am really starting to think about it.
@Repent and believe in Jesus Christ no
@Repent and believe in Jesus Christ What does this have to do with his video?
I live in Northern Michigan and we always go to the island at the end of the season, just before they shut most things down. There are a lot less people and the prices are lower too. I just love the crisp air in the fall (even when it rains) on the island and stopping at the restaurant for soup and hot chocolate, before taking the ferry ride back (my favorite time of year), but I've never been there in the winter. Thanks for showing one of our states treasures during the winter!
Of course! Yes, I love it when its colder! Not a big fan of the rain, but I know it means cooler days are coming!
yes, island is great in the winter time. I was the doc on the island for a winter weekend. my wife, my dog, and myself. super experience! learned how to swim in the hotel pool in 1951. water was pretty chilly. going back to the Grand in October. can't wait. JDR
Awesome memories! I hope you have a great adventure. October is such a fun time to go!
Wonderful video beautiful scenery cool music excellent presentation! Thank you for sharing 👌
Thank you so much! It really is a great experience to go to the island that time of year.
Definitely on my bucket list. I saw Somewhere In Time when it came out and I was in junior high and have always wanted to visit.
I hope you can! Mackinac Island is amazing and that first trip is so special!
I live in Michigan and have visited Mackinaw Island many times but have always wondered how it looks in the winter! Thank you for sharing your experience with us!🥰
Of course! It’s the side of the island that few ever get to see.
Mackinac Island has been on my wanderlist for maybe ten years - now it’s on there a 2nd time for winter time. Thank you for such a beautiful look this gem.
Absolutely! I hope you can make it there soon!
What a great video. I have spent many times with great memories there. I did two of the big sailboat races from Detroit. Arriving was like coming home.
My old girlfriends family from Detroit recently purchased the Iroquois Hotel. Love that place. And friends of their family recently purchased the Grand. I'm thinking about five years ago.
And YES! I know Sanford. The best little diner there called Lannys.
I used to live in Birmingham MI. I miss it but not the weather.
That is so interesting. Thank you for sharing!
Well done! Thank you. I think if more stuff, especially the Grand Hotel were to open in the winter, more people would come! I think you could sell tickets to a special Christmas dinner on the island! Also and enchanted night walk on weekends would probably go over great too!!
Yah that would be cool! I know a lot of the businesses relish that time to restock and take care of business before the busy season, though. A Christmas dinner on the island is quite the idea though!
I was just thinking that too. I know I would love to be able to invite my whole family there and be able to spend a Christmas there. Open it up like a Bread & Breakfast in the winter time might be a cool ideal for the Grand Hotel. 🤔
Just stunning!
It really is. It never gets old.
Thank you💜💜💜
This one really touched my heart. I love Mackinaw and never saw it from the winter perspective. I think the Island touches my heart as it does yours. Thank you
I am so glad you liked it! It’s such a different experience every time I go, especially this time! Thank you for commenting.
@@ignition1991 I hope I have the opportunity to see it in the winter... truth be known, I wish I could live there. Thank you for sharing your experience!
Just beautiful. I'm sure its awesome in the summer, but a whole different atmosphere during the winter.
It really is. There really isn’t a bad season on the island, for sure!
Thank you soooooo much for filming this!!!❤❤❤
Of course! Thank you for watching!
Fantastic photography, editing, and music!
Thank you very much. I always look for the music that will take me back to Mackinac Island.
I love ❤ this place! Never seen it in the winter and was so glad to have found this video! Thank you for sharing it and being brave enough to cross the Mighty Mac in winter! God bless!
God bless! Yes I’ve been up north plenty of times in winter but going to the island this time of year was quite the different experience!
Wowwww OUTSTANDING! Thank you!
Thank you! You are very welcome.
Second time watching this video! It’s beautiful in the winter too! Dude you almost made me cry in the end. I don’t know why but it feels like it’s my home that I’d don’t know I had. I’ve never loved any place I’ve visited so much like Mackinac Island. On my second visit, it immediately brings me joy and peace. It was hard to leave. Even my family is looking forward for a next visit. As always, thank you for bringing me to Mackinac Island virtually. 💙💙💙
I am so glad you love it and it brought you tears and peace, it did the same with me while I was there. Mackinac Island opened my heart up.
Well done. Thank you. October 2021, just two weeks ago, was my 31st visit to Mackinac Island and every year and every visit I experience something new. I decided in 2019 to visit the island in the winter and spent the first week of January hiking the island and staying at the only open winter hotel on the island......Pontiac Lodge and dining at the only restaurant, Mustang Lounge. Correction.....there is also a bed & breakfast residence open in the winter. Experience the island and join the thousands of people from around the world whom have island memories for a lifetime.
Thank you so much for sharing about your adventure! I was there in mid October as well. We walked all the way around the island.
Can you rent a snowmobile to get around the island?
Not that I know of. The visit in the winter is all about experiencing the outdoors......WALK. The workout is remarkable.
The visit in the winter is all about the outdoors. Walk, the workout and fresh air is remarkable.
@@Carolina-si6bz yeah that’s what I thought. I actually said to my wife I’ll bet walking is a great workout. Great work.
Great video. We went up this January. Flew in. Too much ice. 5 degrees. It was a great adventure.
Just on thing. Arnold didn't go out of business. The are Freight only. Still in business. Just no passenger boats.
Oh okay, thank you for that information. That sounds fun! I have ALWAYS wanted to fly in. Maybe one day.
I got married Dec 29-1998 on Mackinaw island it was a beautiful sunny cold day. The snow just sparkled like crystals it was so pretty. Marriage didn't last but the memories of the beauty still does. Just Gorgeous 😎❄⛄and the horse drawn carriage slay ride was the cherry on the cake. Bells jingling and all. I will always love Mackinaw Island. She's like a family member always waiting for you to come back.💓
I could not agree more! Its amazing how even after the marriage didn't last you still see the beauty in the island. Its amazing how some places can just have the effect forever. I had a super bad falling out with a friend in Clare, Michigan, but I still love Clare! There's just something about it that makes it almost feel like that bad event ten years ago never happened there.
I would love to spend a year on Mackinaw island just to see all of the seasons. That is still my go to place when in need peace of mind. 5 hrs from where i live by the expressways but best 5 hrs i could ever spend on the road. I will be going up this spring or early summer. It's calling my name lol 😎
Thanks for the historical information
I am a total history buff!
One of my favorite subjects
Just got back from our annual summer visit, #14 this year! Mackinac Island has captured my heart and soul since the first visit. I feel so fortunate to be able to be there, and long for it the other 51 weeks of the year. Now am really thinking of a winter visit. Thank you for the video!
I hope you can get one in! It’s so worth it, that and a fall visit!
I was born in Traverse City 70 years ago! Last spring my husband and I made a trip to TC and then on to Mackinac Island staying at the Grand Hotel in their preseason week! What a gem! We enjoyed it so much and felt so good to come back to my roots!!! Thank you for this beautiful video in winter. Not sure I could brave that cold. Just wondering where would you stay in the winter??
Thank you! Yes, it’s awesome up there and I am so happy you were able to make it back. In the past, the Pontiac Lodge has always been the only place open in the winter. I stayed there last winter and it was awesome!
Beautiful!!! We love Mackinac Island and our favorite time to visit is October because some stuff is still open but the crowds are gone. No matter how busy Main street is, though, you can just hop on your bike and head to the interior trails or the quiet side of the island and find plenty of solitude. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. New sub here.
Hi! Thanks so much and welcome! I appreciate it! I’ll sub back! Yes even on the busiest of days a trip to the center of the island is as peaceful as ever!
@@ignition1991 Thanks. And yes, we love bringing bikes to the island so we can easily get off the beaten path and explore. Your video definitely made us want to head over during the winter sometime!
Love that "No Parking Between Signs" sign at the 8:20-mark. In other words, "Park your snowmachine here but not here...or over there..." Instant classic. 😁
Haha yah! Lot different than a car.
Now I want to go after watching your video. Haven't been there in many years. Love ❤ Mackinac Island.
I hope you can make it! I do too!
Christmas on that island must be like something off a 19th century Christmas card!
Very true. I thought it might be kind of like a Hallmark Christmas movie. You know we will see plenty of those soon enough!
My favorite movie was filmed there, hoping to get there myself one of these days, Somewhere in Time. Such a beautiful place and a beautiful video. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for watching! I hope you can make it!
Loved our visit and enjoyed the winter scenery. So different from summer.
PJ you knocked it out of the park with this video! I made a choice 21 years ago to move to the desert so that I never had to see snow again, and even I found myself wanting to make this trip. Great job my friend!
Hey! Thanks buddy. Every place is beautiful in its own right! There’s a time for snow and a time for heat, and we are all born with our own preferences. For you, living in a place with no snow is something you like, but it enables you to appreciate snow from a distance and to want to visit snow on occasion. Arizona is on my bucket list!
These are Spruce Trees, Pine Trees and White Birch Trees. The White Birch Trees were used by the Indigenous people to make canoes and to build shelters for a living. Those are very dominant 400 miles north at the very tip of the upper peninsula as you go toward Houghton-Hancock and Copper Harbor, Michigan.
I lived way up at the tip of the upper peninsula and it is magical in the fall and especially in the winter. Right out of Dr. Zhivago and Northern Exposure! If you want to see what life is like up there watch the series Northern Exposure which is supposed to take place in Alaska but it’s very much like the furthest north in the upper peninsula. People are so friendly and welcoming in the UP!
I have spent time up there in the fall. My Dad loves to go up there! Love it! Thank you for sharing!
I love the idea of an automobile free environment!
It is amazing! It is so quiet and peaceful!
Thank you for braving the cold and wind to record the winter beauty of Mackinaw Island. I have been there many times in the summer and Fall but it was such a treat to see the winter views. Your choice of music was lovely.
Thank you so much! I picked the music before I even left for the trip, I knew what I wanted lol. Thank you for your nice comment!
Great video! Love the visuals and very informative as well!
Thank you! I actually copied Alfred Hitchcock for a lot of this!
Looks like Mac Island would be a wonderful place for x-country skiing.
Certainly looks that way, but I’m not sure. I don’t know anything about it on the island.
What a beautiful video. Thank you for sharing. I been to Mackinac Island in the late Summer. It was so beautiful and relaxing there. 🤗💞
Yes, Mackinac Island is beautiful all times of the year.
Mackinac Island one of my favorite places as to go to in the summer. I can't wait to go back there again. Thank you for the video.
You are welcome! 2021 is gonna be a great year.
I used to spend two weeks a summer there. Very beautiful peaceful place
Two weeks? Most I’ve ever stayed is one night! That is awesome.
Great video! It's such a different world in the winter time up there.
It sure is! It’s amazing.
My wife and I were engaged on Mackinac Island, and my family is from nearby Harbor Springs. I grew up hearing stories about running "ice boats" across the straights in winter to run mail back and forth when the straight iced in. I didn't know you could visit the Island in winter. I am definitely adding this to my bucket list. 🙂
I hope you can! It is a great trip.
It looks beautiful! Thank you for sharing this with us. I have only been to Mackinac Island once, when I was in high school. It’s definitely a place I want to visit again. Great job PJ!
Thank you and I hope you do. There’s so much to the island!
Wow PJ! Over 172,000 views on this video now! CONGRATS! 🎉
Thank you so much! I can’t believe it!
Very interesting! I've only been there in the summer.
It’s a much different vibe in the winter! Cold, not as easy to get around, but just wonderful!
Wow!! Your channel popped up when I searched Mackinac Island, you did a superb job showcasing the upper peninsula and the Island in the winter. We live on the Canadian side, SSM, Ontario and we go every summer to the Island! We've missed it last year, and anxiously waiting for the borders to reopen. Would love to see it also in the winter 😍
I am so glad you like it! I am so sorry you had to miss it last year, but hopefully that border opens up soon and you can come back. I love SSM, MI! I’ve only be to the Canadian Soo once and it was 15 years ago. Hopefully again soon!
Loved my first visit to the island in October 2020 with my hubby and all his siblings and spouses. We were celebrating his oldest sister's 60th birthday! It was a wonderful experience even though it rained a couple hours that day! Could eat some fudge from there right now😋 Food aside..the flowers and old time story book charm makes it a place i would love to live if my husband could handle the cold winters😊 Enjoyed the winter tour ...looks like a perfect place to spend Christmas!
I got to see the Christmas tree earlier this year. It was amazing!
Staying on Mackinac Island through the winter is on my bucket list.
Yes, Mackinac Island in the winter should would be a cool experience!
Love our State of Michigan ! ❤❤❤❤
I sure do too!
Thanks for sharing your trip!
Of course!
Loved the video. Have been up there but did not get to go to the island. We were in Grand Forks ND at the time Thank you
It was years before I visited Mackinac Island for the first time and I always just passed by. That first visit in my 20s was so worth it. I hope you can make it one day!
I knew about this charming island just today (November 25 / 2021 - Thanksgiving Day), and i've already fell in love with it! This is one of various videos i've watched today about this lovely islandl
I am glad my video could be one of many that inspired you. There are a lot of great videos about the island here on the platform! I hope you get the chance to go!
I wish I had flown in to the airport there back when I was an active pilot. I did visit the airport when visiting the island; nice hike up.
Yah it’s quite the hike to the middle of the island. I stayed at a hotel in St Ignace with my window facing the water, and I could see the light from the airport. That was cool!
What a beautiful perspective. Thank you so much for sharing this special endeavor.
Of course! Thank you for watching.
I went there this past May (2022). So beautiful. We stayed in St Ignace and Ferried over. Had lunch at the Grand Hotel. I am originally from Jamaica and it was awesome to meet so many Jamaicans working there for the Spring/Summer season. It was just the absolute highlight of my trip around Michigan.
That is always great to see. It reminds me that there is so much more of the world beyond my bubble. I’ve had the pleasure of talking with countless people who come from across the globe to work on Mackinac Island and the stories of how they found their way to Mackinac and what they do in the off season are always cool to hear.
Interesting to see the island in winter. My grandparents lived outside Mackinaw City on the lake during the summer so I'd get to spend a week there each year. Never got to experience that area in the winter. Many fond memories of the island.
Thank you for sharing your story! Those are great memories.
Love St Ignace, too.
It is a wonderful city!
Winter adventures can be very enjoyable. Just a different feel than visiting in summer. Great vid. Thanks for posting.
I love my winter visits. I’ve done it twice now and it never disappoints!
Wonderful footage! Thank you. I miss Michigan. Grew up there, now live on the west coast✨
I know the feeling. I’m living in Vermont for a season and I miss my Great Lakes so much!
I just happened upon this video. I haven't been to the island for nearly 40 years, and never in the winter, but this beautiful video really captured the unique and special feel that could only be Mackinaw. This brought back a lot of memories for me, and the feelings that go along with them. I still put red geraniums out every year to bring a little of Mackinaw to my home that is now far away. Thank you for sharing, you have done an excellent job here.
Thank you for commenting! I love your geranium story! I hope you can one day make it back to the island. Some stuff has changed in forty years, but a lot is still the same, and there are always new adventures to be had.
I live 30 miles south of the Bridge and go to the island 7-8 times a year. I have rode my snowmobile across the ice bridge… when it’s available in the winter. The island is my happy place. I love the remote places on the island. It is paradise to me…. Love it. Thank you!
That’s awesome! Great stories. I wish I lived closer!
Really nice video ignition. I enjoyed the winter look. I went once in the early spring. Really fun
I love it so much more when fewer people are there. Just becoming one with the island and letting it show me what it really is.
Is Jane Seymour's portrait still hanging in the Memory Hall from "Somewhere In Time?"
The Memory Hall was a small dining room they covered in some red fabric. I have no idea where the picture actually is, but the hat Christopher Reeves wore when he went back in time is on a display for the movie right by Carletons Tea Store in the hotel, and an artist rendering of her photo is down there too. If you go downtown Mackinac Island, Baxters Coin Shop in the movie is Baxters Somewhere in Time Shop and you can buy the photo, as well as shirts for the movie!
@@ignition1991 Thanks.
No problem. Yah I was pretty disappointed to not see the room when I was there. I believe, have not proven, but believe that is is the small private dining room just off to the left near the main entrance to the dining room.
@@ignition1991 I know they used to have SIW annual parties and Jane Seymour was in attendance and posed next to her portrait from the movie.
@@ignition1991 Sorry, I meant "Somewhere In Time"
Absolutely beautiful!! I’m gonna try to make it happen this year, we are going to try to make it to the island.
This video was beautifully done! You did an amazing job Pj.
Thank you so much! I hope that you can!
Thank you for sharing this adventure.
Of course! Welcome to my channel. Having experienced Mackinac Island in all kinds of weather, I can't pick a favorite. But, the silence and stillness of the winter time have a special place in my heart.
Thank you so much for that picturesque view of a place I've long been obsessed with!! 🥰 I too adored the movie, 'Somewhere in Time' with the glamorous Jane Seymore and the late Superman, Christopher Reeves.❤🤩💋 I'm strictly a summer gal and hope to go there someday!!!!! Found your channel thru Jamie @ the snowdogs😛Thanks to you both.
Thank you so much! Yes! I actually got to meet Jane!
I watch Jack Barnwell TH-cam’s and it’s amazing that perennials even come back!
I've always wanted to go there because of the movie Somewhere in Time. Looked beautiful.
I hope you can make it!
Gosh, I have not been to Mackinac Island in close to 30 years. Looks like I need to make a return trip. I think the dogs would enjoy themselves too. There are many geocaches hidden on the island, winter would probably a good time to go find them since there are not a lot of people around.
Yes, its literally night/day compared to summer. In the summer its as crowded as a block of New York City, the winter the complete opposite.
Awesome video. We went to Mackinac Island for the first time this year, 2022! I would love to do a winter trip there! Thanks for sharing this video.
Of course! That first trip is always so exciting!
I love to see a place just like it is, without crowds but showing its beauty. Thanks for the little history input. Maybe one day I'll spend a few months in Michigan.
I hope you can!
Their missing a opportunitie for cross country skiing and snow shoe hiking.. ironically you can't ride a motorcycle but a snow mobile is ok..go figure.. beautiful anytime of the year!!.❤️🇺🇲
I did see a few people out and about on snow shoes. Also met some dogs! I honestly just loved the sound of the quiet island with my snow boots being the only thing breaking the silence and the wind in the trees. Truly beautiful any time of year!
@@ignition1991 agreed!.❤️🇺🇲
Wow, your video is amazing and so informative. We visited Mackinac in 2019 to attend the Grand Garden Show. We stayed at the Grand Hotel and fell in love with the island. I have always wondered what the winter would look like. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much! My mom just visited the grand garden show! Welcome!
Thank you for inspiring me to visit there in winter, I had a best time in island that I had have been.💕🌳🌳🌳🌳
I’m glad you liked it and I’m even happier that you went and had your own adventure! The island shines in all seasons! I also love all your other videos too!
@@ignition1991 oh! Gosh! Thank you so much!. I love to editing more than filming and anything else. But find out not many peoples are watching. 😁 around when I feeling down you helped me to get going by you share my video in your community 😊
I think that was very sweet of you and I can tell you are very inspiring and supportive person and genuine good hearted. Unfortunately that I am not in to cooking show so that I haven’t been in Dan’s live show 😞 witch is make me feel bad that I am not much supportive. And I am not used to Skype chatting 🤪 still that I keep connect with your channel and keep in touch. I saw you did collaborate with snow dogs. Hope it went well😊 💕🌳🌳🌳
Such a nice island! It's so great~ yes, no plan makes an unexpected pleasure sometimes 😄🤗👍
It is a wonderful island, and days where the unexpected happen can be such a good thing!
Living in southern Appalachia, I enjoy traveling north through Michigan as the state is a treasure in my opinion; however, Mackinac Island is beyond my favorite place within the state--rare gem indeed😊
It truly is. I live in Vermont currently and truly miss it!
Now this is a beauty, eh? Great work on shooting, editing and music. Love the Arch and The Grand Hotel in winter. Did Jane come up and ask, "Is it you?"
Lol no she did not but I bet she would love it there in winter!
I love the video and your adventurous spirit. What is the music that starts at 5:29? It's the perfect backdrop for the mood.
Hello and thank you. It’s from a service I use called Epidemic Sound and the music is by Sight Of Wonders and is called “Northern Skylight.”
@@ignition1991 Thank you so much!
I’ve been several times and just love Mackinac island. I’ve always wanted to go in the winter. I was lucky enough to take a carriage ride thru the state park there. Or is it national park? Can’t remember but it was so peaceful. Our carriage driver was a young guy from Norway. He came to Mackinac every summer to work. Such a nice place to be.
It’s a state park now, was formerly a national park. It is beautiful and I love it there! Can’t wait for next summer.
This video is amazing and beautiful I loved it it definitely a good tourist video to watch
Thanks friend! I could not do these without friends like you!
@@ignition1991 you're welcome
Awesome Video Sir. i was there a few weeks ago. is amazing see how it look in the winter.
Yah! I was last there in early August. My love for Mackinac Island only grows!
Love that island also!
Favorite place!
Spending the week between Christmas & New Years is on my bucket list.
I have lived & worked on the island for numerous seasons.
Currently living in Bangkok, Thailand
Any information, assistance, advice in planning this wonderful trip will be greatly appreciated
Can't wait to return to my happy place💜💜💜💜💜
Hello! Thank you for commenting. There are only two hotels at this point that stay open through the winter, Pontiac Lodge and Bicycle Street Inn. Doud’s Market is open, and the Mustang and Broken Spoke vary day to day.
@@ignition1991 Spoke is now Douds Irish Pub
Awesome Video!!!
Thank you!
We are new to MI and we are making our first visit August 7th. Very much looking forward to our summer adventure. I lived in CT all our my life until recently. We used to visit Block Island RI frequently including during the winter..
Awesome! I apologize for my late comment. Welcome to Michigan! I actually live in Vermont part time now near Brattleboro so I’m right up I-91 from Connecticut and the Connecticut River is very near to me. I hope you had a great visit. Block Island is on my bucket list!
@@ignition1991 We completed our visit to Mackinac despite my wife having broken her ankle just prior. I had her practicing riding a bicycle because it had been years. She fell down whilst at a standstill. She got her leg twisted up in the frame. We went to Mackinac equipped with a wheelchair. The island is beautiful. I would place it above Block Island...which is also beautiful! Make sure you check BIRI off your list! Thanks for the greeting!
Thank you so much for sharing your great adventures in Mackinac Island. My interests in that island grew after I watched the movie "Somewhere in Time " a beautiful love story I will never forget. ❤
Wow! It looks very beautiful in the wintertime. Can you see the northern lights from Mackinac Island?
If they are out and it is clear, I’m sure you can. I never have personally.
As a NW Michigander for most of my life (other than the 17 years in Chicagoland), there is one thing that I have learned along the way; while traveling to see other places is fun and perhaps a learning experience, but take time to check out some of the greatest places in Michigan - both upper and lower peninsulas have some of the best scenery and food to die for (ok, don't literally die lol). I totally agree that the best time to head up to the Island is late fall and winter. Less or no crowds, and all of the time to take time to smell the roses (or cedar, fresh air, etc.). Life is short, and take time to explore the beauty in your own backyard. 🌎💖💖💖🤗
I couldn’t agree more! I currently live in Vermont and even though it sure is beautiful, Michigan is so beautiful to come home to and I can’t believe how much I miss it. I think often about my next trip to Mackinac Island and all the other amazing places in Michigan.
@@ignition1991 I really didn't realize how much my home state meant to me until I went to the big city and then I discovered how much it was a part of me. (Had to endure much teasing from friends and family since I had said that it would take H*** freezing over before I came back lol). I am sure that you have many places lined up to visit (and all will be amazing, I am sure) but if you find that you need a few to add on, let me know. 😎 By the way, I really enjoyed the video.
What a gorgeous hike!
I have never experienced anything like it!
The Grand Hotel has always reminded me of an enormous elegant ship from a bygone era....like the Titanic. Love that movie, "Somewhere in Time" that was filmed there. Have your kleenex ready if you've never seen it before. Thank you for sharing this great footage with us.
Great movie with Chris Reeves. Love to go there sometime.
They do a “Somewhere In Time” movie festival there every year.
I was there in the summer one my fave places I’ve ever visited, (and I’ve been to over 35 states) Always wondered how it looks like in the winter. Thank you! Great video!
I have been all over the country as well, and I agree. The more I travel and talk to non-Michiganders who visit, I realize I’m not entirely biased in my opinion that it really is one of the greatest places on Earth!
Loved my trip to Mackinac Island. The hotel's porch is off limits for everyone except hotel visitors. Hope you enjoy a summer visit.
If you pay $10 for the self guided tour, you can go up there. Other than that, yah it’s off limits.
Beautiful, there still is wonder to be found. Kindness is what matters. Father loves us all.
Agreed, there is still so much to be found!
I’ve visited several times in the summer, but never in winter. I see no one chased you away from the Grand,lol I’m always telling people who visit Michigan, you have to go up North, Traverse City area, Mackinaw Island and the Soo Locks to name a few. I lived in the Kalamazoo /Schoolcraft area growing up, my brother and his wife live in TC. I just came back from visiting family.
I love Michigan. I currently live in Vermont and miss home a lot!
I really appreciate this kind of slice of life/travel vlog style. Plus you've got a wonderful accent. Looking forward to taking a family trip out that way, as we've covered most of the east coast and are now looking toward the Lakelands.
Of course! Thank you for the comment, and welcome! I currently live in Vermont and there is so much to see in this world!
@@ignition1991So true! I spent a large portion of my childhood in Vermont. It's such a beautiful state. We still take day trips to the Quechee gorge almost every summer.
I’ve always wanted to visit Mackinaw Island.
Good to know it’s possible to visit in Winter.
Love this vlog, you’re a natural.
I’ve subscribed 👍🏻
Thank you so much! I hope you can make it! I highly encourage you to plan a trip!
What a lovely video! We have never been because of the crowds but my husband and I do enjoy the cold and snow. I think we actually might consider it now.
I hope you do! The Pontiac Lodge is usually open during the winter, so I would contact them and check for pricing, etc. Not a whole lot is open, but it is awesome!
Haha this is a different kind of adventure for sure! Not sure I could stand the winds there, but it looks equally as beautiful as a hot beach, just in a different way. Nice information and facts too buddy. 😍 New subscriber
Welcome! I like that comparison! More videos like this coming soon.
My mother and I spend a whole winter/spring on Mackinac Island from December 2018 to May 2019.
Very cool! What an experience that must have been!
@@ignition1991 It was very enjoyable.
Wow!!! The snow is so beautiful!! What a unique experience. ❤ You were cracking us up when you said the game is "where's the road?" 🤣That sounds terrifying. Then getting onto that boat in the icy water. We've never done anything like this. So cool! Now we really want to check out Mackinac Island in the winter! ❤
Thank you so much. Yes I literally was on the phone with the ferry company every day for one week before I went. There was a snow storm just south of the bridge and then it cleared right up as I came around the curve.