One of the Few Times Cars Were Ever Allowed on Mackinac Island

The popular tourist destination has remained famously car-free since 1898.

In fact, automobiles are flat out banned with the exception of a few emergency vehicles. Mackinac Island's highway M-185 is known as the only highway in America where cars are not allowed.

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Michigan's Mackinac Island is a slice of heaven that is trapped "somewhere in time", and that's what makes it so special. However, there have been a few exceptions to the rule!

One of the few times you'll ever see a car on Mackinac Island is watching the famous Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour romance film Somewhere in Time. The stars spent time on the island where the famous 1980 film was shot leaving a lasting legacy that still draws fans to the historic Grand Hotel to this very day.

As I was watching the film with my boyfriend for our very first time over the Valentine's Day holiday we couldn't help but notice something that stood out to us:

There were scenes that clearly show cars being used on Mackinac Island!

That immediately threw up the red flag for us Michiganders watching the film. In the movie Christopher Reeve is a young aspiring playwright who flees Chicago for some rest and relaxation at "The Grand Hotel", but it seems this fictional Grand Hotel is not the same as our Grand Hotel. Adds the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau,

While visitors can’t take a car to Mackinac Island, some exceptions have been made over the years. For one, a few vehicles were allowed on Mackinac Island for the filming of the 1979 movie “Somewhere in Time” starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.

Knowing very little about the movie I assumed the plot would involve Mackinac Island as the setting, but it's never explicitly addressed. The original setting in the book the film is adapted from, Bid Time Return, actually takes place out west in Nevada. 

I also learned Reeve and Seymour claim to have fallen in love during their time on Mackinac Island, but broke up once Reeve learned his ex was pregnant with his child.