September 9 – 16, 2025 

Yes, Friendship Tours, again! Yes, Peter Pan Coach, again!  Leaving the planning, reservation making and driving to professionals is my travel preference these days.
What attracted me to go on this trip?  An Island that takes you back in time to when there were no trains, planes and automobiles.  Transportation choices on the Island are limited to your own two feet, real horsepower and bicycles.  There is an 8.2 mile Highway (M-185) that encircles Mackinac Island perfect for bicycling, my favorite mode of transportation.

I’m calling this adventure my “If You Could Turn Back Time Tour.”

Day 1   Is a looooong day of travel.    7:30 a.m. start and first “Check in” is  5:30 p.m. at The Chautauque Harbor Hotel  10 Dunham Ave Celoron, NY.  (dinner in the hotel.)  This is a beautiful hotel on Lake Chautauque  ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ . Our room has an amazing view from our room and private balcony.  We are only here for one night. I wish it were more.

Jamestown, where Lucille Ball (I Love Lucy) grew up is the next town over. A quick walk, next door to the hotel, is Lakefront Celeron Park where  “ugly” Lucy and “pretty” Lucy statues “sort of” pay tribute to Lucy.  

Day 2   6:45 a.m.  Buffett Breakfast in the hotel and back on the coach.  Destination …   Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Cleveland, Ohio, where inductees receive Musics Highest Honor.   We were only allowed 3 hours to self – tour the museum.  I’d recommend more time for serious Rock and Roll  fans.  We had enough time to quickly peruse the 7 floors of artifacts and watch 4 documentaries (Elvis,  Saturday Night Live, Live Aid and a musical medley of performance clips.)   The building is currently under renovation and we were told to return in 2026 to enjoy the total transformation.  Cher and Neil Diamond are two of my favorite Legends!

Check in – 5:30 p.m.  Doubletree Detroit-Dearborn 5801 Southfield Expressway, Detroit, Michigan  (Dinner in the hotel).  Another looooong day!  Nice thing is we’re here for two nights. 

Day 3  A reprieve  8:00 a.m. Breakfast Buffet in the hotel. 

9:00 a.m we’re off to the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village.  We are back in time again …Riding in horse drawn coaches, being chauffeured in Model T’s, riding on a steam train and even two rides on a  “menagerie” carousel that was built in 1918.  Much more fun than I had anticipated.  Admission alone is a self walking tour.  “Riding”  was an optional “add on”.  $19 (group discount, regular $25).  This gets you unlimited rides all day on the Steam Train, Horse drawn coaches, Model T cars and the Herschell-Spillman Carousel in Greenfield Village.  Greenfield Village is a working farm with historical buildings from all over the U.S. relocated there.  The Henry Ford Museum was  not “all about cars” as I had imagined.  It was about trains, planes and automobiles.  A must do is seeing a documentary in the Giant Screen IMAX Theater (another add on $5).  The 2:00 show was “Trains” .   The scenery and music transformed these transportation Giants into mystical creatures blasting through blizzards and across mountain ranges.  

Day 4  8:00 a.m. Breakfast Buffet in the hotel and 9:00 a.m. on the road again.  

Board Shepler’s Mackinac Island Ferry 

 Our “Taxi to the The Island House Hotel Mackinac Island, Michigan via Horsedrawn Carriage.

I had a list as long as my arm of things to see and do on the island.  Even though it had been a long day,  checking off  a sunset walk through town and along the boardwalk was accomplished.

Day 5. Breakfast at The Grand Hotel

After breakfast we toured Mackinac Island State Park on a 3 horse drawn carriage and visited landmarks like Arch Rock, 

The afternoon was spent doing what I had come here to do … bike the 8.2 mile Highway.  The only traffic hazard we encountered was “horse exhaust”  aka: horse poop!

 

Day 6   Early morning 7:30 a.m.   Breakfast Buffet at the Island House and Taxi back to Shepler’s Ferry  and Mackinac City.  A sad Farewell to Mackinac Island.

Check – In Zehnder’s  Splash Village Hotel and Waterpark.  Frankenmuth  1365 South Main St. Frankenmuth, Michigan. I am thrilled!    I love water parks and especially Lazy rivers.

“Our journey back in time is still not over.

Dinner and Pretzel Rolling at the Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn Restaurant.

Day 7

EARLY 7:30 a.m.  Breakfast Buffet at the Hotel.  Next stop Canadian Border, Port Huron.

Check In – Country Inn and Suites 5525 Victoria Ave Niagara Falls, Canada …   I’ve lost count of how many  times I’ve been to Niagara Falls.  I am always excited to be going back.  

I looked forward to 
Dinner at the Skylon Tower in the Revolving Dining Room again.

Day 8

 7:00 a.m.  Deluxe Continental Breakfast at the hotel and then Homeward Bound!!!  Another wonderful adventure. 
NOTE:  To those that read my  Bay of Fundy blog.  I sadly report that our border crossing at Port Huron pretty much duplicated our border crossing in and out of New Brunswick in July.  There were no lines and few vehicles crossing in either direction.