Elvyn Lea Lodge in Boyne City is the perfect place to host your next holiday get together. Guests enjoy comfortable accommodations in twenty guest rooms with varied bed configurations. Two lounges, 44 wooded acres with trails, a spectacular 1.5 acre event lawn, and fire pit area are also available. With the log-beamed ceilings in the lounge and pine walls throughout, this authentic “up north” lodge offers modern comforts and amenities, yet has retained its rustic charm.
Voted “Best Steakhouse” in Michigan by MLive, Vernales Restaurant in Harbor Springs is serving up delicious food for your family’s Christmas celebration. In addition to a dine-in menu, they also have to-go orders and off-site catering. You can feast upon flank steak, brisket, broiled whitefish, chicken parmesan, penne alfredo, and more. Whether you’re looking for a meal at their steakhouse or something to bring back for a Christmas at home, Vernales will be serving up a delicious holiday menu all season long.
Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville is hosting a Holiday Celebration from Dec. 16 to Jan. 6. This celebration includes everything, from the 17th Annual Snowiest Snowflake Contest and photos on the mountain to outdoor laser tag and a family campfire. Stop by anytime over the three weeks for holiday fun!
Left Foot Charley Winery in Traverse City invites visitors of all ages to experience Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night on Friday, Dec. 8. Unsilent Night is a free, outdoor participatory sound sculpture of many individual parts played through a roving swarm of boom boxes, mp3 players, iPhones, iPads, laptops, all carried through a cloud of sound which is different from every listener’s perspective. Unsilent Night is an international event that has taken place in cities, such as New York, Los Angeles, Missoula, and Melbourne. Detroit and Traverse City are the only Michigan cities among the members of the international community that are part of this phenomenon.
There are so many ways to celebrate Christmas with Shanty Creek Resorts in Bellaire. Plan a weekend getaway to relax, unwind, and celebrate. Choose the weekend before Christmas when Santa will visit to read holiday classics during Storytime with Santa, taking advantage of Breakfast with Santa the following morning, and the annual Tannenbaum Blitzen celebration Saturday night. Saturday wraps up with the Torchlight Parade, led by the big guy himself, down Schuss Mountain. Shanty Creek Resorts also has a gift to you this holiday season: Join Santa on the slopes of Schuss Mountain on December 25th and ski for free!
Three events at the Grass River Natural Area in Bellaire lets your family bring out their creative side. Take a break from the holiday hustle and bustle on Saturday, Dec. 9, to create an assortment of holiday crafts and gifts. Return on Saturday, Dec. 16, to create nature ornaments and decor using glass globes, wood, candles, and objects found on the trail. Each weekend brings another exciting craft to help you decorate your home for the holidays.
During the holiday season, Charlevoix’s restaurants offer a festive variety of unique holiday food options. Enjoy a variety of Christmas lights downtown and in residential areas, and visit the area’s shops to find unique gifts for someone special. Also Castle Farms in Charlevoix will have a holiday train display open through Dec. 23.
Starting Dec. 15 and ending Dec. 31 is Light Up the Soo, an event where the citizens and local business owners of Sault Ste. Marie decorate their homes and businesses celebrating the holidays. Your family will love the beautiful lights and decorations that are put up over town as part of this community event.
