Mackinac Island.

[Guitarmaster]

Looking for a good place for an anniversary flight. Preferably someplace not easily accessible by car. Mackinac seems like a great place for a romantic weekend.

Anybody have recommendations for places to stay on the island? How about parking and services at the airport?

 

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[201er]

Airport is pretty desolate. Be prepared to walk or wait for a horse buggy. 

 

One word of advice, don't assume the airport is at sea level just because it is surrounded by water. It's a bit of a ways up. But habit is that anything surrounded by water is elevation zero.

[GaryP1007]

On my bucket list. Would love to hear about it if you go.


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[Godfather]

I like to make a day trip of it and toss the bike in the back or some good walking shoes.  The Grand Hotel is nice but expensive. If only going for a night or two I'd pony up and enjoy the experience.  Easy airport to land at and everyone is eager to help...touchdown to riding around the island in less than 15 mins

[Browncbr1]

1 hour ago, Guitarmaster said:

 

Looking for a good place for an anniversary flight. Preferably someplace not easily accessible by car. Mackinac seems like a great place for a romantic weekend.

Anybody have recommendations for places to stay on the island? How about parking and services at the airport?

 

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

 

 

let us know how mackinac is... I have our 10yr anni coming up in August and was wanting to go there, then over the UP and down through Minoqua and Wis Dells..   on the way back south, does chicago let you fly along the shoreline easily all the way to Indiana vfr?  Or should one expect the need to file IFR and go along V7? 

[thinwing]

We flew there right after Oshkosh and the horse drawn taxi was there in minutes.Normal approach ,instrument as I recall...did not stay at the grand.We had a great view at the Cherokee inn I think....right at the break water.Took our folding bikes but later rented a horse drawn buggy...I ve handled 2/4 horse drawn rigs but these guys are totally trained or acclimated to one great loop..i.e. On automatic.Our horse was called poopsy for good reason as I think somebody fed it burritos with expected result..bring gas mask..

 

[Yooper Rocketman]

I took my wife there this past summer after she had hardly seen me in weeks due to intense completion work on my Lancair.  We walked from the airport to town and back without much trouble.  Maybe 1.5 miles each way.  You can take the "taxi" which is a horse drawn wagon / carriage.  

The Grand Hotel is PRICEY, but there are other more affordable option.  You will be assessed a landing fee by the park service, but I think it was just $10.  There's no fuel available on the Island so plan accordingly.  St Ignace, just a few miles north on the mainland of the U.P., has a very nice airport and fuel should you need it.  There are special pattern procedures (fly over water only until on final), so review the airport diagram and your pattern altitude should be fine.  Lake Michigan is at 600' MSL and the pattern is 1900 MSL.

Browncbr1; if you fly the course you are suggesting after leaving Mackinaw Island you will fly right over my airport (KIMT).  Give me some notice and if I am around, we can host you and your traveler to a nice meal while passing through.

Tom

[Andy95W]

22 hours ago, Guitarmaster said:

 

Looking for a good place for an anniversary flight. Preferably someplace not easily accessible by car. Mackinac seems like a great place for a romantic weekend.

Anybody have recommendations for places to stay on the island? How about parking and services at the airport?

Mackinac Island is awesome!  Best way to arrive is by airplane, hands down.  The airport is actually a state park, manned by state park officials who collect the landing fee.  No cars on Mackinac island, so plan on using a horse drawn carriage.  Unicom can set it up for you, St Ignace Unicom may answer but they have been known to pass along the info to the carriage companies (taxis) on Mackinac.  Even if you can't call until you land, by the time you unload luggage and pay the landing fee the carriage will be there.

At least once, stay at the Grand Hotel.  Take a coat and tie (and dress for the wife), otherwise you won't be allowed into the dining room for dinner (and the dinners are awesome- and included in the hotel price). Enjoy dancing after dinner to big band music.  Don't miss breakfast in the morning (also included in the hotel price).

My Mooney in front of the Mackinac Terminal:

[Browncbr1]

2 hours ago, Yooper Rocketman said:

I took my wife there this past summer after she had hardly seen me in weeks due to intense completion work on my Lancair.  We walked from the airport to town and back without much trouble.  Maybe 1.5 miles each way.  You can take the "taxi" which is a horse drawn wagon / carriage.  

The Grand Hotel is PRICEY, but there are other more affordable option.  You will be assessed a landing fee by the park service, but I think it was just $10.  There's no fuel available on the Island so plan accordingly.  St Ignace, just a few miles north on the mainland of the U.P., has a very nice airport and fuel should you need it.  There are special pattern procedures (fly over water only until on final), so review the airport diagram and your pattern altitude should be fine.  Lake Michigan is at 600' MSL and the pattern is 1900 MSL.

Browncbr1; if you fly the course you are suggesting after leaving Mackinaw Island you will fly right over my airport (KIMT).  Give me some notice and if I am around, we can host you and your traveler to a nice meal while passing through.

Tom

Awesome!  Thanks Tom!  

[BKlott]

We were in Menominee, WI heading to Green Bay when weather issues reared their ugly head back in June of 2014. It was either head Southeast towards home or be a bit adventurous and take "the Northern Route" home. Michelle left it up to me so we opted for adventure flying across Wisconsin and across Michigan's upper peninsula heading towards St. Ignace. 

It was amazing to see just how large the Great Lakes really are and how tiny those big freighters look from the sky! We landed at St. Ignace for fuel and inquired about a rental car. The FBO advised that one car dealer used to have few rentals but gave up so there were none. The FBO was very helpful even going so far as to contact the Avis agent down in Pellston for us. We ended up going to Pellston to leave the plane, pickup a rental car and drove back to Mackinac City for a hotel room.

If I had planned ahead...this was just a spontaneous change to our travel plans...I would have made reservations for the Grand Hotel. We took the ferry over to the Island and had the lunch buffet (read: gorge yourself on great food and desserts) then enjoyed rocking on the Grand Hotel's famous front porch overlooking the straits. The weather was absolutely perfect and I could have sat there all day. It was that nice.

We hiked around the island on the pathways, many of which are paved and shaded. You'll want to spend some time at Fort Mackinac as it has some very interesting history and neat displays. We plan to return to the island someday and stay at the Grand Hotel. To get a better feel for the place see if you can get ahold of the film entitled "Somewhere in Time" starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.

You do need to dress up on the Hotel property in the evening but casual is fine the rest of the time. Have fun, you will enjoy the trip!

[Guitarmaster]

Thanks for all the replies! Our anniversary is next week and although I know it's cold, I was kind of thinking that would be a neat place. I called up there to the tourism Bureau only to find out that there are only two places open to stay and one place to eat so it's going to be a place to hit in September when the colors change. I think a flight up Door County and across would be a nice flight for the fall.



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[Guitarmaster]

Meanwhile, I'm looking for someplace maybe down in the Ozarks.

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[carusoam]

Where is the MSEr hotel BnB..?  Was that the Ozarks?

Can't remember the key word to search for...

Mackinac sure looks enjoyable.  

Best regards,

-a-

[air cooled dad]

That's in Little Switzerland, NC I think. Wife and I were looking for a quick getaway this weekend but it's not open until April. 

https://switzerlandinn.com/

 

[flyboy0681]

2 hours ago, air cooled dad said:

That's in Little Switzerland, NC I think. Wife and I were looking for a quick getaway this weekend but it's not open until April. 

https://switzerlandinn.com/

 

One more vote for Little Switzerland. My wife and I spent a few days up there to get away from the Florida heat and it really did the job.

By the way, has anybody heard from Gary Jensen recently?

[Bob_Belville]

6 hours ago, flyboy0681 said:

One more vote for Little Switzerland. My wife and I spent a few days up there to get away from the Florida heat and it really did the job.

By the way, has anybody heard from Gary Jensen recently?

Gary is alive and well and posting fishing pics on FB now and then. He winters in FL and will back up here soon if not already getting the Inn ready for the season. (He hangars his J right behind my E at KMRN.) 

[MyNameIsNobody]

On 3/17/2017 at 6:03 PM, Guitarmaster said:

Meanwhile, I'm looking for someplace maybe down in the Ozarks.

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Hot Springs Arkansas is nice.  Flew there for a weekend.  The springs are fun.

[Guitarmaster]

We are going to head down to Branson.  Was able to use our timeshare there.  Looks like a nice place and it's close to the downtown airport. 

Go relax and take in a show or two.  Wife has been wanting to visit there so we can check that off the list.

We are now planning on doing Mackinac in the fall with the colors.

I would love to go to the Bahamas, but it's just not happening with four of us.  Just not enough lift for us and the bags and the raft.  When the kids are off to school, it sounds like a great place to find a quiet island (Cat island?) and get away for the two of us. 

[Guitarmaster]

11 hours ago, air cooled dad said:

That's in Little Switzerland, NC I think. Wife and I were looking for a quick getaway this weekend but it's not open until April. 

https://switzerlandinn.com/

 

Whats the closest airport?

[Godfather]

Avery County Airport (7A8) is fairly close but vfr day only. Looks like a great place to stay...on my bucket list now. 

[Bob_Belville]

9 hours ago, Guitarmaster said:

Whats the closest airport?

 

9 hours ago, Godfather said:

Avery County Airport (7A8) is fairly close but vfr day only. Looks like a great place to stay...on my bucket list now. 

KMRN is the all weather airport, about 1 hour drive. Enterprise rental are available and sometimes the Inn can provide transportation since the Inn owner keeps his 201 here and is back and forth quite a bit.

Nancy and I usually spend our anniversary weekend up there (July 10), temps are at least 10F cooler than in Morganton and the Friday night Seafood buffet is 1st class.

[flyboy0681]

27 minutes ago, Bob_Belville said:

 

KMRN is the all weather airport, about 1 hour drive. Enterprise rental are available and sometimes the Inn can provide transportation since the Inn owner keeps his 201 here and is back and forth quite a bit.

Nancy and I usually spend our anniversary weekend up there (July 10), temps are at least 10F cooler than in Morganton and the Friday night Seafood buffet is 1st class.

I flew into Hickory. Good facility with great service, about an hours drive from the Inn.

[M20F]

I am a Beaver Island (KSJX) fan myself.  

Edited March 19, 2017 by M20F

[neilpilot]

On 3/17/2017 at 6:03 PM, Guitarmaster said:

Meanwhile, I'm looking for someplace maybe down in the Ozarks.

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Ever been to Gaston's in Lakeview?  Cabins along the river, decent trout fishing and a restaurant (good Sunday buffet).  No car needed. So long as it's relatively dry, their grass at 3M0 is Mooney friendly.  If not, they will shuttle you to/from KBPK.

[Bob_Belville]

6 hours ago, flyboy0681 said:

I flew into Hickory. Good facility with great service, about an hours drive from the Inn.

Hickory's fine but we're closer to Little Switzerland. And we have the MSC on field, just in case.