Michigan's four separate seasons provide a wide variety of activities for residents and visitors. During winter, inland lakes freeze over to allow ice skating, outdoor hockey games and ice fishing. Snow blankets the ground, giving winter lovers terrain for downhill skiing, snowmobiling, tobogganing and cross-country skiing. Locations all over Michigan offer opportunities to escape from everyday life and enjoy winter, while many offer a place to escape from winter.
Boyne Mountain Resort offers events for all seasons, but is best known for winter activities. The resort has beginner to advanced hills for skiing and snowboarding, and a network of trails for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Boyne Mountain has a hill earmarked for tubing, areas for ice skating, and a zipline adventure ride that lifts you over the resort and allows you to race above the ground. Snowmobile rental is available and dog sledding is offered. Horseback trail rides and horse-drawn sleigh rides add to your winter adventure. Lodging includes Austrian theme houses, chalets, hotel rooms and mountain cabins, with the most comfortable lodging in the Mountain Cabins, Creekside, and Mountain Grand Lodge and Spa. For an escape from winter, the spa has saunas, steam rooms, whirlpools, massage and treatment service, an indoor pool, and fitness facilities. Michigan's largest indoor waterpark, Avalanche Bay, has a surf simulator, slides, pools, rides, climbing walls and an arcade.
Shanty Creek Resort in Northwestern Michigan's Antrim County was rated by Skii magazine as the Midwest's number-one destination in value, dining, lodging, weather and apres ski activities. Lodging is in Schuss, Summit and Cedar River Villages, with accommodations including a luxury hotel with a fitness center and spa, villas, suites and condos. Shanty Creek's restaurants are Weiskopf's Grill, Ivan's, Arnie's Grill and the Lakeview Restaurant. Schuss and Summit Mountains have 49 ski runs for all different levels from beginner to expert. and four snowboarding parks. Cedar River has a tubing park and the resort has miles of groomed trails designed for cross-country skiing. Snowmobiling is available on miles of local trails and children's activities are offered throughout the season.
Zehnder's Splash Village Hotel and Waterpark is a hotel in Mid-Michigan's Frankenmuth, which houses America's largest family restaurant, known for their chicken dinners. The hotel has 152 rooms, including 63 family suites, a spa, a video arcade, an indoor swimming pool and an indoor waterpark. The 30,000 square feet indoor year-round waterpark features a lazy river, hot tub, slides, a play area with a 400-gallon dumping bucket, a toddler area, geysers and water sprays. Zehnder's has a Snowfest every winter with snow-sculpture and ice-carving artists from around the world, snow-sculpting contests, food, refreshments, entertainment and exhibits. Visitors to Frankenmuth can't miss a visit to Bronner's, the world's largest Christmas store, which features a selection of Christmas ornaments, trims and collectibles.
