Golf

 

Take your pick.  Ironwood Lodge is within a few minutes drive of several absolutely beautiful courses in the area:  

​

The Highlands features The Heather, The Moor, and Arthur Hills courses, as well as the Donald Ross Memorial.  Doon Brae is a nice, recently developed short course.

​

Chestnut Valley is an absolutely beautiful course within only a few minutes, and is priced pretty reasonably.

​

Harbor Pointe is close to the Lodge and offers outstanding views of the harbor.  Availability to the public can vary.

​

If Mini Golf / Putt Putt is your thing, you'll definitely want to take the family over to Pirate's Cove in Petoskey.  One of the nicest mini golf courses we've seen - the holes are challenging, views are excellent, and the kids will stay engaged! :)  This place can get crowded, so morning play is recommended.

​

​

Skiing & Snowboarding

​

The drive to either Nub's Nob or Boyne Highlands is only about 5 minutes.   Both hills are usually ranked at the very top when it comes to Michigan ski resorts.  Although Nub's is our favorite for it's friendliness and feel, Highlands offers outstanding terrain (55 runs) and tons of skiable acres.  Both offer ski and snowboard equipment rentals.  Cross country ski trails and snowshoeing trails are accessible at the Highlands.  Also, Boyne Mountain, in Boyne Falls, is only about a 35-minute drive south.

​

 

The Wine Scene​

​

Michigan has some fantastic wine! Visitors to the Petoskey/Harbor Springs area can treat themselves to a tasting at a single winery or a tour of the many local tasting rooms. With companies that will do the driving for you, spend a day sampling the exceptional products made from Michigan’s cold hardy grapes.

https://petoskeyarea.com/food-and-drink/wineries/

​

​

Other Towns and Things to Try

​

• The closest towns are Petoskey and Harbor Springs. Both are about a 10 minute drive, with Petoskey being the more "metropolitan" town with tons of shopping, supplies and everything else you'll need.  Harbor Springs is more of a "botique" location, with interesting shops, eateries and art/craft shows.

• Traverse City is about an hour and 45 minute drive.

• Charleviox is about 35 minutes.

• Boyne Mountain (Boyne Falls) is about a 35 minute drive.  Boyne recently completed the "Sky Bridge" - the world's longest wooden towered suspension bridge.  The bridge spans the two peaks at Boyne and the views are spectacular.  There's also a zip line and a great indoor water park for the kids at Boyne - Avalanche Bay 

• Gaylord is about a 40 minute drive.

• The quiant Cross Village is about 25 minutes.

• Charlevoix is about a 40 minute drive and is genreally voted one of the best vacation towns in Michigan.

• Mackinaw City is only a 35 minute drive.

• Indian River is another great destination with mini golf, shopping and dining options - a 25 minute drive.

• Walloon Lake (one of the most picturesque lakes in the midwest) is only a 25 minute drive.  On the south side of the lake, there are several quiant shops and waterside dining options.

• Pond Hill Farm has been an absolute favorite locale and entertainment staple for over 30 years in the Harbor Springs area. With its acclaimed farm-to-table restaurant, in-house beer and wine, free concert series, gift shop, trails for hiking and cross-country skiing, and fresh produce, salsas, dressings, and jams for purchase, Pond Hill is a haven for adults. Kids can enjoy feeding the farm animals and fish in the farm’s pond, a gnome house hunt, and Fall Festival Weekends featuring hayrides, a bounce house, apple cannons, and pumpkin smashing. It’s easy to spend a good portion of the day with the animals and activities at this Harbor Springs treasure.

• Biking:  For mountain biking, try the Boyne Forest Trails - 15 miles of trails winding through beautful woods.  For something really different and challenging, try the downhill mountain biking at the Highlands - miles of trails serviced by chairlift.  Bike rentals are available.

• Bayfront Park:  Not really a swimming destination, but a beautiful boardwalk area in downtown Petoskey.  The park spans 25 acres and includes a central promenade & clocktower, Fred Freidli Children’s Playground, Pavilion and Cooking area, and Petoskey City Marina (great for "yacht-watching").

• ​Local galleries are plentiful! The beauty of Northern Michigan attracts many artists and the Harbor Springs area has some of the best. From glass to paintings, jewelry to ceramics, visitors can make a day of going on an art crawl to the local galleries and studios. Find a list of galleries and studios here: https://northernmichiganguides.com/harbor-springs-art-gallery-tour​

• Crooked River Lodge: Indoor Pool Usage is just a 10-minute drive to Alanson where you'll find the beautful log-built Crooked River Lodge. There, you’ll have pool and hot tub access for a small per person fee. The facilities are very clean and family-friendly. Just remember to take your own towels!​​​​​​

​​​

​