My wife and I came to Mackinac Island for our first time in 2004 and we stayed at the Chippewa Hotel Waterfront! We loved it so much that we’ve continued our tradition every year. And with our recent trip towards the end of May, we celebrated our 20th year coming to the Chippewa on Mackinac! Over the years, the team at the Chippewa Hotel Waterfront have become like family to us which Is why I always say it’s our home away from home. It truly is.
We always go to Mackinac Island leaving from St. Ignace because we love driving over the Mackinac Bridge as we look over to the right and see the island and imagine the fun we’ll have on our much-anticipated trip.
I love the boat ride over and have lots of excitement and anticipation as we approach Mackinac Island. A dream coming true once again.
As we were getting off of the boat, it was great seeing our friend Archie arriving just in time to pick up our luggage and take it to the Chippewa!
I’m always amazed at how Archie can carry and balance all of our heavy luggage which is why I call him, Arch Rock!– photo courtesy of Jill Sawatzki
It was great biking down Main Street again and loved seeing the familiar sites that we’ve biked and walked past over the years and it felt like we were home again when we pulled up to the Chippewa Hotel Waterfront!
It was like a great family reunion seeing our good friends Bart, the Front Desk Manager, Camille in housekeeping, Ntombi, Front desk and Archie! Absolutely, we had to pose for a selfie!
Our room was ready when we arrived and then Bart handed us a beautiful Pink Pony bag that was bulging from the surprises they packed inside for us. We were excited to see that we were In room #304 and we’ve stayed in that beautiful room many times!
Our room was spectacular as always and the view from the balcony looking at the harbor was gorgeous with the sun sparkling on the water.
So much fun being back and staying in one of our favorite rooms for 5 days and nights!
It was exciting opening up our Pink Pony bag with a thoughtful welcome back note and beautiful Pink Pony glasses that had a new logo celebrating the Pink Pony’s 75th Anniversary! We’ve celebrated 20 years of Pink Pony excellence and it’s exciting to think about their history for the previous years.
Another cool thing is that the Chippewa Hotel Waterfront is the proud home of the Pink Pony, which is our favorite place to have a great meal, listen to music and enjoy meals in a variety of their dining areas inside the bar area, their enclosed dining area overlooking the bay and their outdoor waterfront patio bar and grill. It’s no wonder that the Pink Pony was just awarded 3 Red Hot Best awards for 2023 in My North Magazine’s Best of Northern Michigan contest for Best Restaurant, Outdoor Dining and Happy Hour! Now, that makes me happy!
There’s no better place to have another great lunch and seeing our good friend Brian Bailey than at the Pink Pony and catching up and sharing about our families.
Brian is the GM of the Chippewa Hotel Waterfront, the Pink Pony and their sister hotel the Lilac Tree Suites and over the years, we’ve become good friends with Brian and his family.
The weather on the island was beautiful with the sun shining, no rain and we loved biking the 8.2 miles around the island on M-185, cruising along the majestic shoreline as we gazed at the crystal-clear water that is Pure Michigan. We also biked in the interior of the island by the West Bluffs, Hubbard’s Annex, the airport and more as we explored more of our island adventures.
We biked up Cadotte Avenue towards the Grand Hotel, parked our bikes and walked Into the Secret Garden which was blooming in all it’s beautiful majesty!
We loved stopping at our favorite places like Arch Rock, then on the shore facing the Mackinac bridge and British Landing.
We continued on M-185, that I call Highway to Heaven and biking towards town, we re-entered Main Street and cruised towards home- the Chippewa Hotel Waterfront.
The Chippewa Hotel Waterfront is in full swing for the 2023 season and they’re looking forward to seeing you too! There’s lot’s of exciting times waiting for you on Mackinac Island this season! Give my friends a call at 800-241-3341 to make your reservations at the Chippewa Hotel Waterfront. They’ll have a room or suite ready for you with your name on it. Have a great time on and tell them I said hi!
George Piliouras for the Chippewa Hotel
- Like Us on Facebook: facebook.com/Chippewa.Hotel.Waterfront
- Like Us on Twitter: twitter.com/chippewahotelmi
- Check out our Trip Advisor reviews