Awaken Travel Club | 2027 Tour Pick #3
Mackinac Island
Fudge, rocking chairs and horse-drawn carriages. No cars allowed!
Chicago, the Grand Hotel & the Great Lakes | Hosted by Cindi & Denise
✈️ Flights + the ride to the Atlanta airport included
The trip
Why we love this one
Mackinac Island feels like stepping back a hundred years. There are no cars, just horses, bicycles and the famous fudge shops, and we spend two nights at the Grand Hotel, rocking on its long white porch above the water.
The trip starts in Chicago and ends in Detroit, with gardens in Grand Rapids, a Prohibition-era history tour, the Henry Ford Museum, and a farewell dinner with the sounds of Motown along the way. It is a gentle pace, perfect for a fall getaway.
The highlights
What we'll do together
Two nights at the Grand Hotel
Dinner in the elegant dining room, coffee with the hotel orchestra, and that famous porch.
Mackinac by horse and carriage
An island tour by carriage with stops at Arch Rock and a carriage museum, then free time for shops and fudge.
Chicago
A guided architecture tour down the Magnificent Mile, the Loop and Millennium Park, and a welcome dinner at Harry Caray’s.
Michigan history & Motown
Alden B. Dow’s landmark home and studio, Prohibition-era stories in Detroit, the Henry Ford Museum, and a Motown-filled farewell dinner.
The route
Where the road takes us
- 1ChicagoDays 1 & 2
- 2Grand RapidsDay 3
- 3Mackinac IslandDays 4 & 5
- 4Bay City & MidlandDays 6 & 7
- 5Detroit & DearbornDays 7 to 9
Ferry to Mackinac Island. Cars aren’t allowed on the island, so it’s carriages, bikes and walking from there!
Day by day
Your itinerary
- 1
Day 1: Chicago, Illinois
Arrive in Chicago. Nothing is scheduled today, so rest up or head out and explore on your own.
Stay: Hyatt Regency Chicago - 2
Day 2: Chicago
A guided morning tour of Chicago’s architecture: the Magnificent Mile, the Wrigley Building, the Loop, the lakefront and a walk through Millennium Park. Free afternoon for a museum or a river boat ride. Welcome dinner at Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse.
Stay: Hyatt Regency ChicagoMeals: Breakfast, Dinner - 3
Day 3: Grand Rapids, Michigan
North to Grand Rapids for an afternoon in the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park.
Stay: Courtyard Grand Rapids DowntownMeals: Breakfast - 4
Day 4: Mackinac Island
A scenic drive to Mackinaw City for lunch on your own, then the ferry across to Mackinac Island. Check in to the Grand Hotel and have dinner at the hotel.
Stay: Grand HotelMeals: Breakfast, Dinner - 5
Day 5: Mackinac Island
A horse-drawn carriage tour of the island, with stops at the Surrey Hills Carriage Museum and Arch Rock. Free time in town for shops and fudge. Dinner in the hotel’s elegant dining room, then coffee and the orchestra.
Stay: Grand HotelMeals: Breakfast, Dinner - 6
Day 6: Mackinac Island to Bay City
A slow morning on the island, then an afternoon drive to a riverfront hotel in Bay City. Free evening on the river walk.
Stay: DoubleTree by Hilton Bay City RiverfrontMeals: Breakfast - 7
Day 7: Bay City to Detroit
A guided tour of architect Alden B. Dow’s home and studio, a National Historic Landmark. In Detroit, an afternoon of Prohibition-era speakeasy and gangster history. Dinner on your own.
Stay: Hilton Garden Inn Detroit DowntownMeals: Breakfast - 8
Day 8: Dearborn & Detroit
The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, then the historic homes and workshops of Greenfield Village. Farewell dinner with a local musician sharing the music and stories of Motown.
On the Oct 7 - Oct 15 departure, today visits the Ford Rouge Factory instead of Greenfield Village.
Stay: Hilton Garden Inn Detroit DowntownMeals: Breakfast, Dinner - 9
Day 9: Detroit, Michigan
The tour ends after breakfast.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotels listed are the current plan and can change to a similar hotel.
The details
What's included
Included
- ✓Your flights, plus the ride from the Chattanooga area to the Atlanta airport
- ✓8 nights in hand-picked hotels, including 2 nights at the Grand Hotel
- ✓12 meals: 8 breakfasts and 4 dinners
- ✓A professional tour manager with the group the whole way
- ✓Motorcoach travel between every stop, plus the ferry to Mackinac Island
- ✓Guided sightseeing and admissions: Chicago architecture tour, Frederik Meijer Gardens, the carriage tour of Mackinac Island, the Alden B. Dow home and studio, Detroit’s Prohibition history, and the Henry Ford Museum
Not included
- –Tips for your tour manager and motorcoach driver
- –Meals not listed in the day by day
- –Optional add-ons and anything on your free time
- –Travel insurance (we strongly recommend it)
The pace
Light and leisurely. You should be able to climb a flight of stairs, board a motorcoach, and walk on your own at a relaxed pace for up to an hour.
Fall 2027 departures
Dates
Sep 3 - Sep 11, 2027
Sep 4 - Sep 12, 2027
Sep 9 - Sep 17, 2027
Sep 18 - Sep 26, 2027
Sep 19 - Sep 27, 2027
Oct 1 - Oct 9, 2027
Oct 7 - Oct 15, 2027
Ford Rouge Factory instead of Greenfield Village
✈️ Every tour includes your flights and the ride to the Atlanta airport. We are finalizing group pricing now and will share it soon.
Oct 7 is the last departure of the 2027 season.
Tour 3 of 3
Is this the one?
This is one of three tours on the club's 2027 shortlist, and you get a say in which one we take first. Cast your vote on our club poll. It only takes a second!
The other two picks
Traveling with you
Your hosts
Cindi Sanden
Denise Karnes
Cindi and Denise started the Awaken Travel Club because travel is better with people who get it. We handle the planning, the questions and the details, so all you have to do is pack and come along.