What can be said about this island, unique in the nation, and probably in the world? The Grand Hotel with its Jamaican staff, no motorized vehicles allowed on the island (mostly), and carriage tours with guides not-so-subtly reminding visitors to tip them. Bicycles are everywhere - did I mention everywhere? More ubiquitous than horses, the bicycle riders can be dangerously foolish. Accidents are frequent and trying to cross a street on foot can be treacherous as everyone claims right-of-way. Horse-drawn carriages and taxis tend to rule the road as their size and strength intimidate all but the most reckless. Natives on their bikes can always be spotted - they ride bikes with baskets, and ride with more balance and caution. Young men working for the hotels can be seen riding with luggage stacked so high in a basket, they view their route from the side of the basket.
Employees spend their summers on the island, many staying off island each night, taking the ferry back and forth, making minimum wage plus tips, and leaving the island in October to the 400-500 or so year-round residents. Some employees have been coming for decades and return to Jamaica each fall with an allocated amount of American goods. Horses also ship off the island in October and return in the spring to haul supplies and people from the water taxis that continually disgorge at the docks. There is a year-round school, kindergarten through high school, that services 60-80 students. This up-to-date facility offers a waterfront view most hotels would envy.
One local grocery store remains open over the winter but not much else is open for business. Fudge and t-shirt shops have no reason to stay open. Residents use the ice bridge that forms in the winter to travel via snow mobile to St. Ignace for supplies. The percentage of those going down to their fate through the ice is not a concern - they’ve gone outside the Christmas tree line placed by the Coast Guard or have taken unwarranted risks in crossing in bad weather. And as I was told, "how many people die in car accidents every winter?" Good point. It’s a tight-knit community - tourists are welcome for the business they bring but are known derisively as "fudgies." Natives live inland in a town that is not on the tourists’ map. Wealthy immigrants, mostly summer residents, live on the water with breathtaking vistas and glorious gardens.
And the Grand Hotel - trying to reclaim or reflect the glamor of days gone by? After 6:00 pm, men are required to wear jacket and tie, and women should be in their "loveliest attire". I’m not kidding. That’s what the sign says. At any time, when you enter the hotel, the desk clerk will ask you if you are staying at the hotel. If not, there is a $10.00 fee for walking into the hotel. Don’t show up for an evening event without a tie - they will not provide one for you and will not let you in. Again, I’m not kidding. But to be fair, the hotel is grand.
The island holds its own magic and is a charming place to visit, even if you don't stay at the very grand Grand Hotel.
