Somewhere In Time

   

If you have never seen the movie "Somewhere in Time", know that it is our favorite movie of all time and if you've never seen it, please take the time to watch it and then remember this blog entry.

     Muggy and I have just returned from a magical fantasy adventure at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island.  It had been our plan to spend the day on Mackinac Island to celebrate our 37th anniversary on June 28, 2012. At the last minute, we chose to spend the night at the Grand; little did we know the adventure and fun and blessings we were about to enjoy.

Waiting for the ferry

    
      We boarded the ferry bound for Mackinac Island about noon on Thursday, June 28^th and arrived at the island about 20 minutes later.   Mackinac has the attribute of making you think you've stepped back in time.


 As we came around the southeast end of the island, the Grand Hotel, in all its splendor came into view and it was like we were entering a dream.

The Grand comes into view

 As the ferry docked, our minds were imagining the fun and adventures we were going to have.  We rode in a carriage from the dock area to the front entryway of the Grand, disembarked and climbed up the red carpeted steps to the parlor level of the hotel.  The Grand is everything and more that you can imagine of a luxurious and splendid hotel.  It is richly and lavishly decorated and the staff are waiting at your beckon call for anything you may desire. 
 
We went to registration and were promptly given the keys to our room, number 366.  We knew we would have an interior room without a lake view, but we were fine with that.  We ambled through the hallways until we found an elevator and rode to the third floor.  The hallways of the Grand are immense and we started down the hall looking for our room.  I quickly noted that the interior rooms had odd numbers and the lake view rooms had even numbers….remember, our key said 366! 

Versailles Suite

            As we approached 366, we both stopped in our tracks. Above the beautiful green door of room 366 was a sign that said “Versailles Suite”. 

We looked at each other and said there’s got to be some mistake, but we tried the key and the door swung open to reveal a room beyond anything we could have imagined.  Now, I wish to begin to tie in aspects of the movie with our stay.  Christopher Reeve’s character is given the “wrong” room key when he travels back in time to meet Jane Seymour’s character, so we were off to having some fun.  Oh, by the way, the suite next door to us was the “Somewhere in Time” Suite!  And the view from our room was identical to the view that Reeve’s had in the movie.

Incredible room!

We were fairly certain that the desk would be calling us soon to say there had been a mistake and we would have to move; but we used the bathroom and messed up the bed quickly!! 





Then we went for a walk to explore this magnificent structure and its many rooms and stairways and hide-aways. 

On the largest outside porch in the world

We enjoyed coffee on the porch (the largest outside porch in the world!), then a drink at the Cupola Bar overlooking Lakes Huron and Michigan and the Mackinac Bridge. 
         

Maedel Twin

We had the great adventure of meeting Marilyn and Carolyn Maedel, twins who have vacationed at the Grand during summers for past 26 years.  These twins are quite the characters and are actually relatively famous for their adventures with Mike Rowe from “Dirty Jobs”.  Their picture with Mike Rowe hangs prominently in the parlor level hallway. 

Our room is top level, immediately over Muggy's right ear!

            We went out for dinner and then walked along the beach like the two main characters in the movie.  We were going to go dancing but decided to relish in enjoying the luxuriousness of our room and returned there.   

We asked the hotel to bring us a DVD of “Somewhere in Time” and we watched the movie again as we listened to the clip-clop of horses on the pavement outside our window. 

            While watching the movie, we realized there were some strong similarities between the movie and our being here at this time.  In the movie, Reeve travels back in time and checks in to the hotel on June 28, 1912…exactly 100 years to the day that we are here!  When we noted this we weren’t sure what the night or the morning might bring.  We were definitely caught up in the romance and fantasy and fun of what we were experiencing!

            The day dawned beautifully with the familiar sound of horses clip-clopping up the drive to the hotel.  The sun shone brilliantly in an azure blue sky and the water glistened in the early morning sun as we looked out our window and wondered if time had passed us by, or just where we were. 

            Soon, we were boarding the ferry for the return trip to the mainland, relishing the past 24 hours and knowing that these memories will last a lifetime. 

            We have been blessed to enjoy these past 37 years together and the blessings continue as we create new memories from somewhere in time!