Midwest Skiing? Get Off Your Rockies High-Horse and GO!

Great skiing, in Wisconsin?  Actually, YES!  True, the Midwest is not Colorado nor Switzerland, nor even Vermont, but if you live in the Great Lakes region and are looking for an easy, drivable, long-weekend ski retreat, Michigan and Wisconsin have some wonderful options.  Remember that the Great Lakes have their own mini-climates, which, depending where you are, produce some exceptional snow and ski conditions, even if a bit on the sub-zero temps side.  Two of our favorites are Boyne Mountain near Petosky, Michigan and Granite Peak in Wausau, Wisconsin.

Boyne Mountain

What’s great about Boyne?  The snow- it’s fresh snow all the time because it literally snows ALL. THE. TIME.  Yes, over a January weekend you do need to cover up every inch of your body to protect from the freeze, but the slopes are second-to-none in the area.  Additionally, the main resort, The Mountain Grand Lodge and Spa, is home to an unrivaled spa, an indoor water park for the kiddos, and fine dining at the Edelweiss Room, not to mention an indoor/outdoor pool (yes, even when it’s 10 below!) area.  You never have to leave the property!  While it’s a bit of a haul from Chicago (about a 6 hour drive, the last hour of which is 100% white-knuckle), and the weekend price tag is likely to induce sticker shock, there is no better Midwest ski option than Boyne.

Granite Peak

For an easier, more affordable Midwest ski escape, look no further than cute-as-a-button Wausau, Wisconsin (about 3 ½ hours from Chicago) and Granite Peak State Park.  We just returned from our annual ski weekend with family friends, and as creatures of habit, we have the routine down pat.  While there is no resort on the ski slopes, we opt instead to stay in town at the Jefferson Street Inn, right on the town square, which is definitely the best hotel option in Wausau (although there are numerous chains in the surrounding area).  City Grill is our choice for dinner and drinks the first night- even by big-city standards they have delicious typical Wisconsin fare (read: fried cheese curds).  We ski all day Friday and Saturday morning, then go ice skating in the town square, and tubing at a local park, which I think we might even like better than the skiing!  Wrap it all up with the Wisonsin institution of Saturday night prime rib the Hiawatha Lounge, one of the Dairyland state’s numerous “supper clubs”.

Travelers Tip:  If you’re renting skis, skip the lines and beat-up equipment at the ski area and rent at the ski shop in town.  Prices are actually better, and the equipment is like-new.