Northern Michigan Ski Trip

I've lived in Michigan all my life and I still think "up north" is one of the most magical places on earth. It's seriously like a whole other world just a few hours drive from where we live. If you haven't had the chance to experience it yet I highly recommend adding it to your travel bucket list. Of all the times I've traveled north, it always seems to be during the summer and fall months. Check out my Traverse City guide from our anniversary trip last summer. And while both of these seasons are gorgeous in their own special ways, I was excited to be able to head north during the winter. My college friends and I decided to plan a ski trip to ring in the New Year. There are SO many great ski resorts to choose from but after doing some research, and taking lodging into consideration to fit all 10 of us, we decided on Trout Creek and Nubs Nob!

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First let's talk about Trout Creek. I seriously can't say enough good things about this place. My family and I had stayed here a few summers ago so I was excited to return. They can house groups of all sizes with 1-bedroom units suitable for a couples trip all the way up to 5 bedroom, 3 bath units (think bachelorette parties, golf trips, family reunions, etc). We stayed in the 3 bedroom/2 bath loft which was a perfect fit for all of us. The condos are centrally located close to Petoskey, Harbor Springs, and Mackinaw Island which makes it a great home base for experiencing all the fun the area has to offer. And if you are heading up north for a ski trip like we were, they are also right down the road from Boyne Highlands - another top rated resort. But with all of their other amenities they offer you may never want to leave.

Rental guests are able to enjoy all of the following amenities:

• Indoor/outdoor pool and hot tub
• Hiking trails in the summer
• Snowshoe rentals/trails in the winter
• Game room
• Playgrounds
• Tennis courts
• Basketball hoops
• Corn toss game
• Horseshoe pit
• Pickleball court (bring your paddles!)
• Sand volleyball
• Soccer nets on open field
• Games, books, jigsaw puzzles, movies available at front desk
• Fishing in on-site stocked ponds
• Gas and charcoal grills
• Discounts to various area restaurants and attractions

The condos themselves are so cozy with a fireplace and central living area for all of your guests to spend time together. They also come with a fully equipped kitchen which was great for us because we were all able to bring food and split the cost. We were having such a blast that we decided to just stay in and ring in the new year in our condo.

Now onto the real reason for the weekend - hitting the slopes! Both my husband and I had never skied before so I'll admit I was a bit nervous. One of the other reasons we decided on Trout Creek is because they offered a free shuttle to Nubs Nob as well as discounts on lift tickets. We were there on a holiday weekend so unfortunately we didn't get to take advantage of the discount but we will be back for sure! 

Nubs Nob was the perfect place to learn how to ski for the first time. They offer one of the biggest bunny hills in the area and the best part - it's FREE. We were able to spend a few hours on our first day getting the hang of things (aka falling a lot) without even having to buy a lift ticket. Their bunny hill is also unique in that it has a chair lift take you to the top so you are able to get the hang of that tricky bugger as well before having to maneuver on it with all the pros. One of the guys in our group also took a private lesson which allows you the opportunity to improve your skills during one-on-one time with an instructor.  ​​

Once I was able to stay on my feet down the entire bunny hill, we purchased a half day lift ticket and hit the slopes. Nubs Nob offers 53 ski slopes and trails on three separate peaks. The trails are all expertly groomed and they have the ability to create their own snow which makes for great conditions even if Mother Nature isn't cooperating *cough cough this December* We purchased a two day rental so we had plenty of time to explore all of the trails. Pintail Peak on the south side was my favorite and has so many beautiful and scenic runs through the woods. I was still a bit wobbly at the end of the first day, but by day two I had finally got the hang of things and even conquered some of the blue hills. And when we'd finally had enough skiing we headed inside to warm up and grab a cold drink from Nubs Pub! 

Overall it was such a fun way to ring in the New Year and we've officially found a new sport we love (golf still remains top on the list). Do you love to ski? Where is your favorite place to hit the slopes?