On a recent trip to northern Michigan, I was in business mode when a local asked if I was planning to visit Mackinac Island. I had no idea what Mackinac Island was but could tell that it was a ‘must do’ based on the enthusiasm of the woman who made the suggestion.
So, I looked it up and got more excited as I read about this special place where there are no cars. You get there via a ferry across the Straits of Mackinac (waterways connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron) and are greeted by the smell of horse poop. That’s how people and things move around if not on foot or a non-motorized cycle. The Grand Hotel sits overlooking the lake and boasts one of the largest porches in the world, lined with rocking chairs and more geraniums than I’ve ever seen in one place. Imagine a bright, white, painted porch perched over blue water with brilliantly red geraniums.
Thanks to a tour by a hotel historian, I learned more about this National Historic Landmark than I knew was possible and found myself imagining what it was like to be there in the ’20s and ’30s. As I walked back down to the late afternoon ferry, I veered off onto a barely visible path that wound into the evergreens and then opened into a vibrant garden that was kept hidden for years until a tourist informed USA Today, causing a surge in visitors wanting to experience it. Another magical place with a small stream and again, so many flowers in one place, looking serene and welcoming.
As the chilly water sprayed my face while heading back to reality on the ferry, I realized that other than snapping a few pictures, I had not been tempted to use my phone to check email or text or do anything other than be present in the moment in that special place. I pledged to find more time to be wherever I was instead of somewhere else.
– Becky Sharpe, CEO
