Boyne Highlands -Canadian Ski Week

     We arrived Sunday night after a 7 hour drive from Toronto. The drive was painless and the border was quick and easy thanks to my consent letter to cross the border alone with my children. All in all, we were at the border crossing for less than 3 minutes. On the drive, we spotted a lot of wildlife including a wolf near the road as we were about to leave Canada and several gorgeous deer in and around Boyne, Michigan.

     We pulled into Boyne Highlands as it was nearing dark and a very pleasant young man from the hotel helped me unload my van as I was alone with the kids. Boyne is, as you would expect, an older cottage like ski resort in Northern Michigan. Most people here seem to know each other and we are met each morning in the halls by smiling and kind people.

Entrance to Main Lodge at Boyne Highlands

     The resort is split into several different hotels. Most of which you can ski to off the hills. I chose to book in the main lodge and luckily have a room that is sprinting distance from the pool. I booked a regular room which has two Queen beds, a full bathroom and a mini-fridge. The room is outdated but clean.

Room at Boyne Highlands

New televisions in each room.

Separate Bathroom Area with full bathtub.

     My favourite part of the room is the bay window which has become my personal reading and blogging nook. It have a gorgeous view and warms up nicely in the sun. 

The view from my bay window reading nook.

    The social centre of the entire resort is the outdoor pool and hot tub area. During the day, relaxed parents gather to enjoy a warm soak while the kids are at ski school. The backdrop of the mountain and warm winter sun all add to the atmosphere. At 4:30 pm, the pool fills with excited and tired kids who have been on the slopes all day. We have been visiting the pool at least twice a day and the kids love the social atmosphere after a day of skiing. 

Hot tub with pool in background.

The pool is heated to 96 degrees. 

    The hotel has three restaurants to eat in and pizza delivery. All are included in the Canadian Ski Week package.  Packages are very reasonable and start at $625 Canadian a week per person, for room, three meals a day and 5 lift passes and adult ski lessons. Kids stay and eat free so the only expense for Will and Charlie has been ski school which runs under $300 per child for 4 all-day lessons beginning at 9:45am and ending at 4:30pm. Besides having to buy the kids warmer clothes this morning, I have not had to spend much extra money here at all. 

Slopeside (Apres-ski pub)

Main Dining Room 

     The kids have now been in ski school for two full days and I am so pleased with the Ski Academy that I have chosen not to review it here but to do a separate post at the end of the week with all the information I have gathered. I have watched some of the lessons and yesterday afternoon even skied a little with Will's class. The kids will sometimes see me ski by and beg me not to take them off the hill. They are truly loving every moment of the academy and in my next post, I will share all the details of this incredible program for kids and adults.

Charlie loving ski school. 

And she is off! 

Will hard at work learning to turn.