MACKINAC ISLAND, Michigan

It was "Somewhere in Time," the timeless, romantic movie starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour that brought this island and the Grand Hotel to the attention of a new generation (and reminded an older generation of things past). Today, the Grand Hotel's front porch - stretching the length of two football fields - greets summer visitors to the island arriving by ferry from Lake Michigan, many of them looking forward to nothing more strenuous than sampling the wares of several Midwest-famous fudge shops.

On your first night, under an unbound sky ablaze with flirting stars, your troubles merely drift away. Waking to the sound of horse hoofs on silent streets, the fail-safe plot you dreamed begins with the daylight. Wrapped in all its graces and grand passions, you're in a beautiful Victorian Mansion on picturesque Mackinac Island.

Tour acres of pristine Mackinac Island beauty by carriage and bicycle. Congregate on a stately white column veranda for the rebirth of storytelling. Promenade the lakeshore boardwalk in the moonlight. Or, simply marvel alone about the wonders of pampered relaxation. Without a sliver of doubt, you'll see the end of your Mackinac Island visit comes too soon.

An oasis for you and your loved ones to enjoy in any season, Mackinac Island enriches all friendships and every family.

Pack up your warmth and run away with your childlike giggles to the magic of Mackinac Island. This is the time for you to leave behind tasks as unimportant as reading these words. This is the time for you to make your Mackinac Island reservations.

Nostalgia is never in short supply on Mackinac Island. Horse-drawn carriages, stately Victorian homes along the bluff, old-fashioned storefronts, time-worn cemeteries, and the venerable Grand Hotel all provide the backdrop for a step back into a gentler time.

About four-fifths of Mackinac (pronounced Mac-in-naw) is state park, where trails and bridle paths are the domain of the horse and buggy and bicycle. There are no cars on this Victorian isle. But curiously, in winter, when there are fewer visitors and many of trails are groomed for cross-country skiing, you may have to share some of that fresh snow with snowmobiles.

SIGHTSEEING You can visit five historic buildings downtown, but military history buffs should march straight to Fort Mackinac, where, from May to mid-October, docents dressed in uniforms styled to the 1880s fire rifles and cannons and play the fife and drums during tours. The fort, which includes 14 original buildings filled with period settings, was built by the British in the late 1700s to help protect the thriving fur trade.

NATURE Before exploring the island's woods, which carpet about 1,800 acres, stop in at the Mackinac Island State Park Visitor's Center to see exhibits on the island's natural history. Then hit the trails (and roads) - about 70 miles of them within the park - and bring binoculars for looks at woodpeckers and warblers (more than a dozen warbler species have been recorded here).

BICYCLING There's only one state highway in the nation without cars, and about the only complaint you'll get from cyclists about M-185 around the island's lakefront perimeter is that the ride is too short - about 8 miles. Pack a picnic and stretch the day, with a stop at Arch Rock on the southeast shore.

CLIMATE In the summers are moderate, with cool mornings and warmer afternoons. Islanders suggest dressing in layers, shedding sweaters, etc, as the day progresses putting them on again in the cool of the evening. Winters are interestingly cold and by February, the Straits freeze and Lake Huron is covered with ice. Average temperatures: May 50-degree, June 64-degree, July 70-degree, August 71-degree, September 63-degree, October 50-degree. Winter holidays and cross-country skiing season, mid-December through March.