The moment we entered our last state was exciting! After years of perseverance, we achieved our goal!
Excellent Hospitality
The Fargo Visitor Center was just a stone’s throw away from our hotel, so we decided to pop in and look for a North Dakota sign.
We were greeted with the warmest hospitality as soon as we walked in! When the lady at the center learned that this was our 50th state, she surprised us with a special certificate and a free T-shirt. It was such a fun photo opportunity, too. We felt so welcomed and excited! It was a wonderful celebration for us. ALL 50 states!
Fargo Movie
Have you seen the movie Fargo?? If so, look what they had! If you know, you know!
Mackinac Island
Before we arrived in North Dakota, we visited Mackinac Island, located on Lake Huron in Michigan. The island does not allow cars. Only bikes and horse-drawn carriages are allowed for transportation around the island. A ferry took us over to the island from St. Ignace, Michigan.
The island is famous for its gorgeous lilacs that line the streets, and they were still in full bloom when we got there! It was such a lovely welcome!
The Flowers
The island is also known for its gorgeous flowers. Many are perennials, but many more are annuals.
A wildflower that is found in the Mackinac forests are Lady Slipper plants. They are a type of orchid. These plants are protected. It is illegal to pick them or remove them from the island. We were lucky to see them!
Arch Rock
The Arch Rock is a natural limestone arch that is a must-see on the island.
We enjoyed the gorgeous view near Arch Rock.
The Grand Hotel
When on Mackinac Island another must-see is The Grand Hotel!
Renowned for having the largest porch in the world, its grandeur makes it a truly magnificent sight to behold.
It was built in 1887 and has a rich history.
We chose to go inside the hotel. Each person must pay $12.00 to enter. It was definitely worth it.
We enjoyed a lovely Manhattan in this red room.
I enjoyed the carpeting inside The Grand Hotel.
But of course we sat on the famous Porch!
Mackinac Island
Mackinac Island has always been on our bucket list, and we were absolutely thrilled to finally visit! What a charming place it is!
Thank You
We just got back from this remarkable road trip that covered 2400 miles! We can’t wait to share more about our adventures with you next week. But for now, it’s time for us to relax and recharge! Stay tuned!
Happy Summer! Stay cool!
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Nancy, you have had another amazing week! Congratulations on visiting all 50 states! What a fun place to reach your goal! I love your photos from Mackinac Island. We visited there several years ago when we were camped in Mackinaw City. We had our dog with us and didn’t get to do the horse drawn carriage or go into the hotel. I really enjoyed seeing the inside. Thanks for sharing another of your fun adventures.
Thank you Beth! We are thrilled that we did it but we are tired! Lol!
Gorgeous! I can’t get over the size of the trunk on that Lilac! I’ve never seen one that big! Congrats on the fun achievement!
Thank you! Believe it or not we were told some trunks are 2 feet in diameter!
Thank you always for visiting!
Mackinac Island isn’t far from my summer stomping grounds and spot I usually visit every few years. You were so lucky to catch it at lilac season and with perfect weather, it appears. I’m assuming you saw “Somewhere in Time,” which they play up big there. And bought fudge, because that’s just what you do! Congratulations on hitting all 50! That’s an accomplishment!
Yes and yes! The fudge was delicious.
We were lucky to see all the lilacs in bloom. Thank you also for always leaving such sweet comments! 🥰
Congrats Nancy, wow, that is quite an achievement! I’ve not bee to N Dakota, it certainly looks charming. The Arch Rock is beautiful! Mackinac Island looks like a wonerful destination, The Grand Hotel is amazing, their colorful decor is eye popping! Thanks for sharing~
Jenna
I always dreamed of sitting on that porch. My dream came true!
It was a gorgeous place!
Thank you always for your sweet comments.
Nancy, congratulations on visiting all 50 states. We still lack many! Mackinac is definitely on my bucket list. Everything about it looks amazing! I know after 2400 miles on the road, you are exhausted. Rest up, my friend!
You know us well! We are tired!
Thanks for all the love!
Stay cool, my friend!
Congrats on visiting all 50 states. Mackinac Island is one of my favorite places. It holds a special place in my heart. Unfortunately, it has become way too popular over the years. I look forward to hearing more about this road trip.
The bikes have taken over!
We got there early in the season, so there were a lot fewer people.
We enjoyed ourselves very much, and the place is beautiful. I always dreamed of sitting on that porch—my dream came true!
Thanks for visiting! Stay cool, my friend.
Congratulations on all 50, Nancy. I am almost there! Loved the Arch and Grand Hotel!
We loved it too! Thanks for the love sweet friend!
What an accomplishment! Kudos for reaching your goal! I’ve lived in Michigan my whole life and have never been to the Island. If your trip took you through the Detroit area you were less than an hour from where we live.
We did go near Detroit. You live in a beautiful area!
Mackinac is a lovely place and I am so glad we got to see it. Hope you get to one day.
Thank you always for your kind words!
Congratulations! This is a wonderful accomplishment. The Grand Hotel is spectacular!
Thank you so much! We were thrilled with our accomplishment! And yes, the Grand Hotel is indeed Grand!
Thank you so much for visiting!
What a fun road trip Nancy and visiting all 50 states is quite an achievement! The number of states I have visited I can count on 2 hands. 😊 The Grand looks so picturesque, interior and exterior included. I’ve read it’s haunted as well as other parts of Mackinac Island. Did you do a ghost tour? Wishing you a wonderful week ahead! ♥
We heard it was haunted, but here’s a funny story for you. We swear our room was! The TV would come on all by itself and then switch channels, along with raising the volume. We finally had to pull the plug on the TV set. That pretty much was enough ghosts for us. Lol!
Thank you for all the love.
Stay cool!
Congrats! That’s a big deal….visiting all 50 states. I’m curious to know why ND has the “Best For Last Club”. Is that a thing? I also want to visit all 50 states…but should I save ND for last??? Please educate me! :o)
I believe that many people who visit all the states leave North Dakota for last as it might be hard for them to get too. I am not sure. We saved it for last as it just worked out that way. Fargo was a lovely town and easy to get around.
It was so wonderful that they had this all set up for us. They had no idea we were coming! Great customer service!
Woohoo! And congrats! And thanks — as always — for the pics! Honestly, are you sure you don’t work for the Mackinac Chamber of Commerce? Visitors Center? Your photos are fabulous! xoxoxo! 🥰
You are so kind! Thank you!
It was a gorgeous place to visit! 🌺
Thanks for all the love Vickie-Lou!
Nancy Lou…you’re the best. xoxoxox! 🥰💕🥰
Congratulations Nancy! That’s quite a feat, and I bet you had a lot of fun doing it too. I once had a dream of living in a motorhome for a year or two and traveling to all 50 states in one extended road trip. I don’t think that’s going to happen, but I’d still like to see as many states as possible.
I hope you do get to see them all.
This took us years but it was worth it!
Thank you for the visit.
Congratulation 🥳 What an amazing achievement and thank you for all your gorgeous photos. As usual, they are fabulous.
Thank you Clare! You are always so sweet! ☺️
Oh Nancy, what a wonderful adventure you’ve been on to visit all 50 states!!! My beloved hubby and I lived in Michigan for about 18 months but never made it to Mackinac Island. I have always wanted to go there. Thank you for sharing all the beautiful pictures. I know you had a fabulous time. I look forward to seeing more of your trip. ❤️
Thank you Kitty! It was a lovely trip to see two Bucket List items! Lots of fun!
Thank you always for your kind words.
Stay cool my friend.
What a marvelous adventure! Congratulations on visiting all 50 states–that is quite an achievement!
Thank you so much. It was a lot of fun! Quite the adventure!
Stay cool my friend!
Congratulations on visiting your 50th state, Nancy! From Mackinac to there, wow! Did you fly then drive home? You are making the most of your summer!
Thank you so much!
We drove the whole route. We took the northern route through the UP to get to Mackinac Island. Then pushed forward to North Dakota. After that we drove south through Minneapolis then Chicago then home.
Thank you so much for always visiting. How sweet of you!
Stay cool my friend!
Congratulations on visiting your 50th state! It looks like you had a lovely time on Mackinac island too.
We sure did. The hotel is really Grand! Thank you so much for the visit. Stay cool!
Congratulations Nancy…welcome to the club…We too, have been to all 50 states ….I have to admit though, we never received a certificate…perhaps because we just entered the final state and didn’t mention it to anyone. LOL
……and we have visited Mackinac Island several times. On our anniversary, we stayed in the ‘Jane Seymour Room’ in the Grand Hotel (The Jane Seymour Suite was added in 2005, featuring furniture and linens from her Grand Hotel – Mackinac Island Collection,)…I don’t know if they still have the room in her name from the famous movie. (Movie: “Somewhere in Time” with Christopher Reeve.). We also ate in the Main Dining Room where one was required to dress up for dinner. Per the hotel: “Here, dressing up for dinner is a tradition, In fact, after 6:00 PM in the Main Dining Room, and 6:30 PM in the main areas of the hotel, we ask you to put on your finer attire for the fun and fancy of it.” It was all such fun visiting all the places that were in the movie…very romantic! Did you see the movie?
On this last trip in our motorhome, (April, May and June) we re-visited 20 states in 3 months…which is always fun because places change so much. Example: The museum at Little Big Horn Battlefield had been “boxed up” and stored as they are in a huge rebuild and remodel of the facilities…and only open on week-ends til it is all rebuilt. We were ok with that as this was our 4th visit.
Your photos are amazing and gorgeous! Thank you for sharing and again congratulations. Blessings my friend.
Thank you so much, Kari! You then know how excited we were when we went to the Visitor’s center and were greeted with such extraordinary celebratory excitement!
Congratulations to you for seeing all 50 states. Our country is gorgeous through and through!
Thank you always for your sweet comments, dear friend.
50 states! That is so awesome and I am sure you have seen such beautiful views. My husband travels for work and the past few years he has added states like south Dakota, Montana, Colorado.. to the states he has been to.
http://www.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
That’s wonderful to hear about your husband. Perhaps you could join him on some trips.
Thank you for coming by and spreading kindness!
Stay cool, it’s hot!
Congratulations, Nance! What a fantastic achievement. I can’t think of a cooler goal to conquer for two adventurers like you and Sweet Man.
Awe… thank you Mr. Mark! You made my day!
How wonderfully exciting to hit all 50 states! Congratulations! When I saw the lobby of The Grand Hotel, I thought perhaps you had made another trip – to the Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, WV! I recognized that Dorothy Draper style immediately, and it looks a whole lot like the Greenbrier. I know DD’s protege, Carleton Varney (aka Mr Color), took over her design house, and it looks more his updated, DD style. So BEAUTIFUL! He will be missed!
Can’t wait to read more of your travels on this 2400 mile trip! Mackinac is beautiful -those lilacs, wow! We’ve never been there, but it sure does look inviting.
Thank you so much for visiting Rita! It’s always so good to hear from you. 🥰
Mackinac Island goes back in time, and The Grand Hotel does a Grand job of making you feel like you are in another decade. It was an extraordinary place!
Thank you always for your kind words. Stay cool, my friend!
CONGRATS to you!! What an accomplishment!!! I love the Grand Hotel as the movie “Somewhere in Time” is one of my all time favorites….Thanks for sharing!!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
Hi Debbie! Thanks for the stopping by and spreading kindness. I am so glad you know how beautiful The Grand Hotel is! We loved it!
Thanks for all the love!
Stay cool, it’s HOT!
So glad to discover your blog and to read this post about your adventures. Congratulations on visiting all 50 states. That is quite the accomplishment. Oh how I love the photos from the Grand Hotel. Definitely worth the $12 entry fee. Grand indeed. Thank you for linking up with us!!
Thank you so much for having the party! It’s a lot of work!
I am so glad you enjoyed seeing the Grand Hotel! It is one of the most beautiful places I have seen in a long while.
Thank you for taking the time to comment! How kind of you!
Nancy, congratulations for visiting all 50 states! Our country has so many wonderful and beautiful spots to see. The island you visited looks breathtaking with all of those gorgeous blooms and water views that you shared. I can’t wait to read more about your adventures. Take care, sweet friend!
Thank you so much for stopping by, Shannon. I hope you are staying cool.
Mackinac Island is a step back in time. In fact, the movie “Somewhere in Time” with Jane Seymore and Christopher Reed was filmed there.
Thanks for all the love! Stay cool!
Congratulations, what an accomplishment! This is on our bucket list to, it is roughly 5 hours from our house. Your pictures make me want t go now!!!
I sure hope that you can go. It was Grand! Thank you for your kind words. Stay cool, my friend.
Congratulations on visiting 50 states! I loved reading about your adventures. Thank you for sharing with us at The Crazy Little Lovebirds link party. We enjoyed catching up and reading all about your time.
Thank you so much for hosting! Thank you also for enjoying the post. It was a Grand Adventure.
Congratulations on enjoying the best of 50 states! Do you have a favorite after visiting all of them? Mackinac Island reflects the charm of a bygone era and is so very colorful! Love the scent of those lilac trees!
Every state has its own beauty to offer. Some states we did as young children with our parents. Some with our young families. And then the rest sweet man and I did together. Sweet memories made within each of them.
And yes, Mackinac Island is a place set back in time with the most glorious lilacs!
Thank you so much for the love.
Happy Summer. I hope all is better with you dear friend.