The minute we arrived at Boyne Mountain Resort I started looking for Johnny and Baby. I’m not saying I would have joined in a late-night dance party with the resort workers, but I did carry a watermelon around for a good hour before I gave up the search.
(If you have no idea what I’m talking about, I’m sorry, we can’t be friends.)
Okay, so I’m sorta joking except that Boyne Mountain Resort felt exactly like the summer resort portrayed in Dirty Dancing (meaning a relaxed oasis of outdoor fun, not a hidden sub-culture of bumping and grinding). There were lawn games in the yard, golfing at a nearby course, servers around the pools, and movies at dusk by the ski lift. There were endless activities and things to do on our vacation. The Grahams like to do a mix of activities and napping so Boyne Mountain was the best place to go for a week-long getaway.
Boyne Mountain Resort is located on 5,000 acres in Boyne Falls, Michigan, about seven hours north of Indianapolis. It was the perfect travel distance to feel like we were away from our normal lives, but we didn’t have to spend too much of our precious vacation time driving. The resort, which is well-known for skiing in the winter, turns into this magical place of adventure in the warmer months.
They have a huge water park, arcade, salon and spa (the biggest one in the state of Michigan–get the hot stone massage; you can thank me later), a play center if you need a few hours without the kids (!!), heated pools, zip lining, mountain biking, adventure camps for kids, hiking, and scenic rides on the ski lift (we stopped at the candy store on our way up and the girls LOVED the ride up while filling their bellies with sugar). You can take pony rides or horseback trail rides, play on segways, paintball, golf, or visit Deer Lake where you can paddleboard, kayak, and boat. There’s also a tiki bar right on the beach. I’m not saying that was my favorite spot one afternoon, but it totally was. My bartender-friend Dawn knows how to make a delicious margarita. Or margaritas.
We were at Boyne Mountain Resort for eight glorious days. We went with our friends Christine and Ed and another couple and between them they had four boys and, let me tell you, my two scrappy girls can definitely hold their own with some rough-and-tumble boys. We might even have a love connection. Stay tuned for an engagement announcement.
Every night at 7:30 there was storytime in the library with milk and cookies. I didn’t even have to read my kids bedtime stories on vacation, the resort had someone to do that for me! And then after milk and cookies, you could head out to the fire pit where they had s’more kits ready for you to roast. I’m not telling you how much weight I gained on vacation, but it rhymes with smirty smounds. Ugh. (Plus, there were many restaurants located on the property and the Trophy Room would deliver pizza to the pool while you were swimming. Oh my gosh, it was just too wonderful. Related: I’m now doing a sugar and bread detox because I had four of everything they served at the resort.)
I asked the girls what their favorite part of vacation was and Harper said “Doritos.” Which just proves she’s my daughter, unfortunately. Ellie said it was a tie: the waterpark because she was brave enough to go on all the big slides and the castle room she slept in. Did I mention the castle room? In some of the suites they have a kids’ room with two sets of bunk beds and the outside is made to look like a castle. The girls loved being able to play in their castle and then both sleep on top bunks. Our suite could easily have slept ten which is why my parents came up and joined us for few days also. They used me for my suite and I used them for free babysitting. A win-win, really.
Our week of vacation was amazing. Boyne Mountain Resort might just be my new favorite vacation destination. Just don’t tell Florida, please.
And they have Kayaks that PLUS SIZE ( that’s me) can fit in!
They sure do! With room to spare! And even if you steal them… 😉
looks like fun! Does the indoor water park get cold though? I imagine the water is heated but what about when you get out of the water?
It was warm and steamy inside the water park all day. I would bet it’s even warm in the winter; I can’t imagine how pretty it looks as you race down a water slide and see the snow outside on the mountain.