Celebrating Turtles, Great Stores, Boat Races, And More on Mackinac Island!

CELEBRATING TURTLES, GREAT STORES, BOAT RACES, AND MORE ON MACKINAC ISLAND!

I love Mackinac Island. It’s the only place that connects with me where everything else falls away. I love the solitude of being on this magical island, my love of biking through the many trails on the inner island and going around the 8.2 miles viewing perfect, crystal clear waters. I love Mackinac’s community spirit where people reach out to others, the beautiful homes on the bluffs as well as homes in the tranquil, inner island, and I love Mackinac’s history.

The early settlers on Mackinac Island were Native Americans who came to the shores on birch bark canoes. As the story has been told, the Native Americans thought the shape of the island resembled a turtle, so they named it “Mitchimakinak” meaning “big turtle.” The early French settlers adjusted the name from the original pronunciation and they named it “Michilimackinac” and finally, the English shortened it to the present name that we all know and love to “Mackinac.”

The Lilac Tree Suites & Spa’s name honors the beautiful Lilacs that bloom every Spring and bathe the island in splendor and aroma. In the spirit of honoring the great turtle history on Mackinac, this season we designed new Turtle Room Suites that are specially decorated with beautifully adorned turtle quilts. The new Turtle Room Suites coupled with our white wicker chairs and tables give everything a warm, welcoming summer lake cottage look and feel. The summer cottage feel at the Lilac Tree Suites & Spa makes you feel right at home, like a dream come true.

My wife Brenda loves to shop but I’m not much of a shopper. The exception is that I love shopping on Mackinac. I can browse through the rows and rows of shops on Main Street and shop for great Mackinac products and souvenirs. One of the things I love about the Lilac Tree Suites & Spa is that some of the best places to shop are right outside the door. The Island Bookstore has a great variety of books on all things Mackinac, great books and toys for kids, plus tons of funny books that you’ll only find there- I can attest to that! 🙂 Speaking of turtles, Great Turtle Toys has lots of fun toys, games, and kites for flying high over Mackinac’s beaches and parks for kids of all ages – that includes us adults.

The Leather Corral is a fun store with lots of toys, stuffed animals and unique gifts that will make great memories of Mackinac when you go back home. And after lots of biking and walking, the Birkenstock Store will be a welcome site for your tired feet with countless styles of comfortable sandals for all occasions in all shapes, colors and sizes. Little Luxuries of Mackinac Island is a charming gift boutique that specializes in Michigan themed gift ideas carefully selected from over 200 local artists. Betty’s Gifts has been a tradition on Mackinac Island for years and sells unique island themed gifts and souvenirs for all ages.

Plus, after a long, fun filled Mackinac day, there’s no better place to treat yourself than at the Lilac Tree Spa that’s front and center in the courtyard. Enjoy a Swedish massage and Aromatherapy, Deep Tissue massage, and even a Couple’s massage. Plus Hot Stone Treatments, Bath & Body wraps, Facials and more! Your body will say “sweet”!

Plus, Bell’s Beer Bayview to Mackinac Race starts in Port Huron and finishes on July 18^th on Mackinac Island. This is followed by Chicago Yacht Club’s Race to Mackinac where 326 sailboats leave Chicago on July 23^rd and trek 333 miles coming to Mackinac on July 26^th. It’s the world’s longest freshwater sailing event and recognized as one of the most prestigious sailing events with more than 3,000 racers from all over the globe. The views from our 3^rd and 4^th floor suites with balconies are a spectacular place to witness all of the boats as they come into view in all their glory as they come to Mackinac to finish!

Give us a call now to make your reservations for you sweet Turtle Suite or any of our sweet suites at the Lilac Tree Suites & Spa! We’re looking forward to your return!

George Piliouras for The Lilac Tree Suites & Spa