Mackinac Island, Michigan

Mackinac Island, Michigan

Trip Duration: 7 Days

 

 

Trip Inclusions:

• Meals: 6 Breakfasts, 2 Lunches

• Tour Director

• Overnight accommodations

• Deluxe motorcoach transportation

• Baggage handling and related gratuitied (where available)

• Taxes

 

 

Trip Highlights:

 

Mackinac Island Ferry

Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry zips you safely to Mackinac Island in just 16 minutes! You may choose from the cushioned seats and wide aisles of the main deck lounge, or experience a spectacular panoramic view of the Straits of Mackinac from the open-air top-deck seating area.

 

Horse Drawn Carriage Ride

Since motor vehicles are not permitted to intrude on the natural beauty of Mackinac Island, there is no better way to visit this historic isle and see the legendary points of interest than by horse drawn carriages. You'll be taken to areas you may not discover on bicycle or on foot. Your tour will be expertly narrated and you'll travel in comfortable, charming carriages "with the fringe on top." You'll see Surrey Hill, Arch Rock, Fort Mackinac and the renowned Grand Hotel. See historic Market Street, Skull Cave, and the Governor's Mansion. The tour lasts approximately 1 hour.

 

Grand Luncheon Experience

Enjoy the Grand Hotel's famous buffet luncheon served in the Main Dining Room overlooking the Straits of Mackinac. This bountiful Grand Buffet, extending nearly 100 feet, offers an assortment of hot entrees, meats and poultry sliced to perfection, crisp salads, soups, fruits, veggies, cheeses, and breads. The dessert table is incomparable with over 20 different selections, all freshly baked each day in their own bakery.

 

Mackinac Island Butterfly House

The Mackinac Island Butterfly House is 1800 square feet of tropical gardens filled with hundreds of live butterflies from around the world.

Visit this fairy tale garden where beautiful butterflies of every imaginable size and color "dance" to classical music and the sound of falling water, fluttering and lighting on fragrant blossoms and the marvelous stone waterfall that centers the garden.

 

Frankenmuth, MI

Frankenmuth, "Michigan's Little Bavaria," delights over 3 million visitors annually with its flower-lined streets and Bavarian hospitality. Come experience another world with unique attractions, shopping, restaurants, and family fun!

 

Lunch at Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn

Established in 1888 and known for its famous all-you-can-eat Frankenmuth-style chicken dinners and German specialties, the Inn boasts seven dining rooms and a Roof Garden. Mini Village of shops is located in the lower level.

 

The restaurant is the home of Frankenmuth's Glockenspiel tower. Bavarian Inn's Glockenspiel Tower houses a magnificent 35-bell carillon, a beautiful figurine movement and an illuminated clock, all imported from Germany! Before striking the hour, and on each quarter hour, the clock sounds the 5-bell Westminster chime.

 

Bronner's Christmas Wonderland

Visit the Largest Christmas Store in the World with thousands of shimmering lights, sparkling ornaments, hundreds of whimsical animated figures and a worldwide selection of over 50,000 trims and gifts, displayed in a European marketplace atmosphere.

 

View  the “World of Bronner’s" - A digital, 25-minute, video presentation is a delight of sights and sounds highlighting the design and production of Bronner’s worldwide selection of trims and gifts.

 

Enjoy a snack at Season’s Eatings. Season’s Eatings offers a varied menu of snack and lunch items…and Christmas cookies! Menu choices change according to seasons. Visit Bronner’s replica of Oberndorf, Austria’s Silent Night Memorial Chapel.

 

The chapel is a replica of the original chapel in Oberndorf, Austria, which marks the site where Silent Night was first sung in 1818. Plaques with the hymn "Silent Night" in over 300 languages line a tranquil walkway.  Once inside the chapel, enjoy a peaceful, educational experience.

 

Click this link to see the inside the world's largest Christmas store! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h1p15mQxHc&t=16s

 

Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation

Step into a world where past innovations fuel the imagination of generations to come. A vibrant exploration of genius in all its forms, Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation allows you to experience the strides of America's greatest minds while fully immersing yourself in their stories. Step inside the bus where Rosa Parks took a stand by taking a seat. Play pilot as you explore flight innovations, starting with the Wright brothers' achievements, or make yourself at home inside Buckminster Fuller's circular Dymaxion House. Put yourself in the place of the movers and shakers who blazed the trail to where we stand today. And in doing so, discover your own path.

 

Ford Rouge Factory Tour

Upon arrival at the Ford Rouge Factory, see the Manufacturing Innovation Theater filled with jaw-dropping special effects, from "floating" 3-D laser projection mapping and high-energy audio to a breathtaking behind-the-wheel finale.A short elevator ride up to the Rouge Visitor Center's observation deck provides a panoramic view of the 10 acre environmentally inspired "living roof" - the world's largest - on top of the final assembly building. Finally, an elevated walkway will take us high above a world-class assembly line, giving all an up-close look at how F-150 trucks are built and get set for some eye-opening encounters. As the tour ends, you will walk through a gallery of legendary vehicles produced at the Rouge including the Ford Model A, Thunderbird, Mustang, and the Ford F-150.

 

Cross in the Woods National Shrine

It was declared a national shrine by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on September 15, 2006. With the largest crucifix in the world (31 feet high for the statue), it has become one of the most famous and most frequently visited shrines in Michigan.The highlight of the shrine is a large wooden cross and bronze figure of Christ by sculptor Marshall Fredericks. The site also includes outdoor and indoor churches, numerous smaller shrines, and a nun doll museum.

 

 

Need to Know:

 

This tour may not be for everyone. Main Street is level, however the island itself is very hilly and steep.

 

Horse drawn carriage ride - Getting into and out of the horse drawn carriage is difficult. There is a high climb to get into the carriage and sometimes the horses sway, making it difficult to get in. There are no step stools to assist guests into the carriage.

 

Inn on Mackinac - All rooms have a shower/tub combo. No grab bars are available. A room with shower stall can be requested. Hotel has an elevator. No refrigerators available.

 

 

Accessibility:

 

This tour is not suited for those who use a wheelchair or a mobility device regularly.

Starr has a select quantity of wheelchair accessible motorcoaches available; therefore, we suggest you contact a Travel Advisor to discuss any needs you may have before reserving your trip.

 

 

Accommodations Day 1 and Day 6: Hampton Inn & Suites, Elyria OH

 

The hotel features an indoor pool and fitness center. Guestrooms include refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, iron/board, and hairdryer.

The hotel has 3 floors with elevator access.

 

*Baggage handling offered on departure from Hampton Inn Elyria, but not on arrival*

 

Accommodations Day 2: Drury Inn, Frankenmuth, MI

 

The Drury Inn & Suites Frankenmuth, with its Bavarian style architecture, makes an ideal place to stay. Each guest room includes a hair dryer, iron/board, coffee maker, microwave, and refrigerator. The hotel also has an indoor pool & whirlpool. The Drury Inn is conveniently located near restaurants and shopping.

 

Accommodations Day 3 & 4: Inn on Mackinac, Mackinac Island, MI

 

This Victorian bed and breakfast was built in 1867 and has retained its quaint, old fashioned charm. The Inn's facilities have been updated to meet the needs of the modern traveler while preserving its colorful history. Today, completely remodeled and redecorated, this beautiful Victorian Inn opens its doors as a bed and breakfast. All rooms are air conditioned and equipped with a private bath and color TV. All rooms have a shower/tub combo and no grab bars are available. There is a seasonal pool with a sundeck on the Inn's property.

 

Since there is no restaurant, all meals can be accommodated at the Inn's sister property - The Murray Inn, located a few blocks away. This is a non-smoking property. No refrigerators are available. Hotel has an elevator.

 

Accommodations Day 5: Hampton Inn & Suites, Troy, MI, Hilton Garden Inn, Troy, or Auburn Hills Marriott Pontiac (features the same in all 3 hotels)

 

The hotel features an indoor pool and Fitness Center. Guestrooms include coffee maker, mini refrigerator, hair dryer and iron/board. The hotel is Non-Smoking.