If you ever watched the 1980 film “Somewhere in Time,” you may have put The Grand Hotel on your must-see-IRL list. Starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, the movie is part “Twilight Zone,” part historical romance novel.

The film takes place, in part, at The Grand Hotel on the famed Mackinac Island in Lake Huron. The hotel and grounds are as much a part of the story as the characters.

As an 11-year-old, I was captivated by the movie and its extravagant scenery. I wanted to go back in time and live the lifestyle that the beautiful characters were experiencing. It only took me 44 years to get there.

My husband and I booked a stay for my 55th birthday. Just one problem: If we were going halfway across the country, we wanted to stay in Michigan for several nights, but we could only afford one night at The Grand Hotel. After weighing options, we decided to combine our grand adventure with another bucket list item — renting a recreational vehicle.

Honestly, I don’t know which part of the trip was more fun. Budget-friendly and luxury travel are often extremes, but not always. Here’s what we learned about the similarities and differences of each:

Getting There: Mind the Stink

• Luxury Hotel: Two ferry companies in St. Ignace on the Upper Peninsula and Mackinaw City on the Lower Peninsula run daily schedules to Mackinac Island.

Both ferry companies are similarly efficient and quick to cross the lake, though lines to board the ferries can get long. Priority boarding is available, but only by buying tickets online, not at the dock entrance.

Because Mackinac Island has no motorized vehicles except e-bikes and ADA-approved scooters, horse-drawn carriages await passengers at the dock. The Grand Hotel’s horses are regal and donned in black leather and metal costumes that make them look like they can fly.

The hotel, however, is close enough to the docks to walk so we decided to stroll. The horse-powered town comes with all the rich, fetid and inescapable smells singular to horses.

You need to watch your step in the crowded downtown area and even on the main path entering the hotel. Everywhere are (hopefully) well-paid street cleaners.

• RV Rental: With no experience operating an RV, we went on RVShare.com, and found an RV that looked like something two novices could handle — a Class C 2019 25-foot Entegra Qwest.

Changinggears.com describes a Class C motorhome as “a cutaway van or commercial truck chassis where the driving compartment is an integral part of the RV interior. Class C motorhomes look like an archetypical rental RV, complete with the front cab-over.”

As newbies arriving in Traverse City, we thought it may be wise to stick around locally the first night.

Good decision. When we arrived at the campground, my husband, thinking he was filling the water tank, pumped the fresh water into the sewage tank. It caused a smelly wastewater backup into the vehicle, which he fortunately caught early.

Nonetheless, the RV owner who had delivered his pristine vehicle to us at the airport hours earlier had to come to the campground and helped bail us out. We spent $150 on cleaning products and 3 1/2 hours restoring the vehicle to its original condition. That said, we won’t make that rookie mistake again.

Luggage: Everything Has Its Place

• Luxury Hotel: Lugging a suitcase, even one on wheels, is kind of a drag. Fortunately, the ferry operators and island hotels have a courtesy arrangement to get your bags from the dock on the mainland to your hotel without you having to carry them.

At the ferry check-in, we handed over our belongings, received a claim ticket specific to our hotel, and said farewell to the baggage. Once off the boat, porters on horse-drawn carriages collected them.

We didn’t see the bags again until they were sitting outside our hotel room door awaiting our arrival. We sent the luggage ahead of us on the return. It was waiting in the ferry claim terminal when we arrived on the mainland.

• RV Rental: An RV does not have a lot of room but like a boat, it has ample hidden storage.

We were able to unpack our items, store them in small closet cabinets and drawers, and stash our bags in exterior storage compartments. With frequent changes of clothes, we spent a lot of time arranging and rearranging where the fresh and used clothes went. We extended the slide-out to unpack and pack with enough room to avoid putting our dirty luggage wheels on the bed or table.

Apparel: Clothing Is Not Optional

• Luxury Hotel: My husband thought if he was fashionably styled in slacks, a button-down shirt and a vest, we would be good for dinner. Nope.

To be seated in the Grand Hotel’s Salle à Manger, or main dining room, men must don a coat and tie and women must wear fashionable outfits or dresses.

Thankfully, the hotel lends ties and coats with the big letter “G” on the suit pocket. It was a dead giveaway we were uncouth tourists, but it was convenient.

• RV Rental: The saying that “if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes” did not apply to our time in Michigan. Fortunately, we packed for wavering temperatures and inclement weather, which meant having lots of layers.

Because it rained for two days and we spent a lot of time outdoors, we had to change our dank, rain-soaked clothes often. Leaving them lying around was not an option. While the luxury hotel will do your laundry for you, select campgrounds have laundry rooms, a necessity for living on the road. We were able to wash and dry our clothing for $5.

Value: Spending Like It’s Going Out of Style

• Luxury Hotel: Back at its opening in 1887, Grand Hotel rooms went for $3-$5 per night.

That’s about $165 in today’s dollars. The Grand Hotel’s rate of inflation has exceeded that pace by four times, and that’s for a room overlooking the kitchen roof in the early part of the tourist season — before taxes and resort fees and with a AAA discount.

But if you’re going to go big, go big. My husband ordered a martini or two, $35 a pop.

A snack and two drinks in one of the properties’ clubhouses, $107. Dinner in the hotel’s Salle à Manger cost about $120 per person before tip and adult beverages. Fortunately, breakfast was included in the room rate.

• RV Rental: We thought we would save money by buying groceries and cooking in the RV.

Needless to say, we were not hungry after cleaning the sewage fiasco on the first night. Afterward, we were a little gun shy about using the water for cleaning pots and pans in the sink. Plus, every town we visited had an adorable restaurant. A string of wineries linked town to town.

On Saturday morning, we attended a farmers’ market and purchased local goodies like cheese and maple products. We managed to prepare one meal and sit down for a few snacks in the RV. When we do it again, we will be more conscious of how much food is in the fridge and how often we eat out.

Pace: Go, Go, Go or Stop, Go, Stop, Go

• Luxury Hotel: This may be the biggest discrepancy between luxury and budget travel. The Grand Hotel has the most gorgeous pool I can remember. Little restaurants and high-end snack bars dot the landscape.

A golf course lines the bottom side of the property. A row of private homes on the hotel property leads to a secret staircase down to a woodsy trail. The hotel offers back-to-back daily activities like garden tours, lawn games, tennis and miniature golf.

We could have stayed at the hotel for days soaking in all that there was to do, especially the free activities provided by the hotel. With only one night, we tried to fit as much of it in as we could before it was time to go.

• RV Rental: When we were planning the trip, we looked at stopping points along the way, but we didn’t plan an itinerary.

That may have been our smartest move.

The Northern Lower Peninsula is among the most beautiful places in the world with many surprises we didn’t expect. As we journeyed up and down wine trails, visited small towns and hiked highland paths, we were thrilled that we didn’t have to be anywhere at a certain time.

We booked sites an hour before we arrived at the campground where we wanted to stay for the night. Each campground was well-maintained and felt safe. Park rangers were friendly, campsites were spacious and accommodated electric and sewer.

Other campers were helpful and relaxed. Every location delivered an easy-going experience.

We are convinced that both travel styles have much to offer. Moreso, RVing will be a part of our future.

We’re even planning to do a similar trip in a different part of the country next year. Four nights glamping and one night of luxury. That’s our new 80-20 rule.