JUL

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Boyne Highlands Resort,
Harbor Springs

around the resort in search of magical
powers and the crown to the kingdom.
Take part in an endless roster of family
activities, including a snowman search,
Wii game night, family bingo, a snow
castle contest, a family bonfire and more.

WHILE YOU'RE THERE Take a break
from the slopes to get in on plenty more
activities at and around Crystal Moun-
tain. Rent skates or bring your own for
a whirl around Crystal's outdoor skating
rink, where lessons and hockey time can
also be reserved. Test your skills with
paintball in the snow; cruise around the
resort's new winter bike trail on fat tire
snow bikes; enjoy a horse-drawn surrey
ride, followed by a hot chocolate and a
warming bonfire; and take a soothing dip
in the outdoor hot tub. Rent snowshoes
and explore Crystal Mountain's prop-
erty, or hike through the on-site 30-acre
Michigan Legacy Art Park, where art and
nature integrate seamlessly along the
densely wooded trails.
Check out nearby Crystal Adventures
(crystaladventures.com) to rent snowmo-
biles and direct access to a network
of groomed snowmobile trails and
ask the concierge about dog-sledding
excursions. Rent a movie from the
Park at Water's Edge; see a live owl,
hawk or falcon with Crystal Center's
Birds of Prey program; or schedule a
winter Steelhead fishing trip on the
nearby Betsie or Platte rivers. And
in-room babysitting means mom and
dad can escape to the luxe Northern
Michigan-inspired Crystal Spa — the
Midwest's only LEED (Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design)-
certified spa and recently named
Sustainable Resort Spa of the Year
by the Green Spa Network — for a
dual massage or just a soak in the
outdoor meditation garden's private
hot tub. Or treat your teen to a Junior
Swedish-Style Back Massage.
RATES start at $129 per night, per
adult.
CONTACT (800) 968-7686;
crystalmountain.com.

www.redth read magazine.com

BOYNE HIGHLANDS RESORT,
HARBOR SPRINGS, MICH.

Indulge in a winter retreat chock full of
as much excitement as you crave at Boyne
Highlands Resort. Purchased in 1964 as
an elegant extension of Boyne Mountain
(first opened as the Boyne Ski Club in
1948), the resort's name was inspired by
its resemblance to the lush rolling hills of
Scotland's mountainous regions, which
in turn inspired its relaxed setting and
architecture of an English country estate,
which guests can soak up in 405 rooms
and suites, condos, townhouses and cot-
tages.
Majestically towering above the
100-year-old town of Harbor Springs,
the deepest harbor on Lake Michigan
and framing Little Traverse Bay, Boyne
Highlands Resort is just 27 miles from its
sister Boyne Mountain Resort in Boyne
Falls (and a 41/2-hour drive from Metro
Detroit); the two offer interchangeable lift
tickets and season passes for a fantastic
snowsport value on two mountains.
Home to the Golf Channel's Big Break
X: Michigan, Boyne Highlands is the

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largest ski resort in Michigan and offers
the highest vertical skiing and snow-
boarding, at 552 feet, in the Lower Pen-
insula. Voted Best Ski Resort in Michigan
by the Oakland Press, the Highlands
offers 55 trails, eight lifts on 435 acres,
plus four terrain parks, one half pipe, an
8-foot wall ride and more than 30 fea-
tures to test your riding skills. Guests can
meander among snow-covered pines on
nearly 22 miles of tracked and groomed
trails (including 1.5 miles with naviga-
tional lighting) or race with a variety of
programs.

FOR THE KIDS Kids age 8 and under
sleep, ski and eat for free at Boyne High-
lands. A 16-acre beginner area, a kiddie
carousel and two Magic Carpets give the
kids plenty of space to stretch their ski
legs. Kids ages 3 6 and 7-12 can take part
in the Highlands' SnowSports Academy
(which offers a Learn to Ride Guarantee)
for ski camps. The academy has a Learn
to Ride snowboard program for kids
aged 7-12, plus a brand-new Riglet Park
teaching area for on-snow play with run

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terrain and features designed to introduce
children ages 3-6 to snowboarding. Kids
can chill out at the Main Lodge arcade,
with a Ping-Pong table, pool table and
video games, and can give mom and dad
a break at the Polar Cubs Child Care,
which entertains and cares for children 2
months and up.

WHILE YOU'RE THERE Take ski-
ing and snowboarding lessons with the
SnowSports Academy or improve your
racing technique with the Highland's
Austrian-led ski school race-team experts.
Kids (5 and up) and parents alike will
thrill on the area's only tubing run —
twist and turn down an 800-foot-long
lane on an inflated tube, then ride a rope-
tow back to the top. Soar through the
trees at your own pace or race a friend on
the Highlands' single and twin zip rides
(minimum weight: 60 pounds) on lines
up to 50 feet high and more than 1,350
feet long — the longest in Michigan.
Ice skate on the Main Lodge pond,
snowshoe on a trail lush with mature
spruce and pine; explore snow-covered
paths on horseback (ages 7 and up;
ages 7 and under can get a 15-min-
ute thrill on ponyback); experience
a guided dogsled tour with Iditarod
sled dogs from Nature's Kennel
(natureskennel.com); or take a
snow-groomer ride, horse-drawn
wagon and sleigh ride and rent a
snowmobile, then soak in year-
round indoor/outdoor pools and hot
tubs (one of which is the Midwest's
largest). Treat the family to a sleigh-
ride-transported mountain-top din-
ner at North Peak, a day lodge with
views of Mackinac Bridge on clear
nights. Indulge in a Signature Bam-
boo Massage at the brand-new Spa
at Boyne Highlands in the resort's
Heather Highlands Inn.
RATES start at $108 per night, per
adult.
CONTACT (800) GO-BOYNE or
(231) 526 3000; boyne.com or
rideboyne.com. RT

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