Elk Viewing tour and dinner…read more We had no idea what to really expect, but had high hopes for a nice evening. Thunderbay Resort (TBR, for short) exceeded all expectations! We all seated in the Belgian Horse drawn carriages and took off on time for a 60 minute tour over the river and through the woods to dinner. We saw a lot of elk , too. No, these are not wild elk, but they are not domesticated, either. TBR strives to let them thrive as much as possible in a wild atmosphere, but they would never be able to bait them to be in viewing range for the guests if they weren't considered livestock. They openly explain this on the tour. This is not a zoo, folks, you are really in the forests and really viewing some majestic animals in their natural environment. TBR doesn't even intervene with medical assistance as they really let nature do it's thing. Jack (owner of TBR and dad of the chef, Spencer) was our guide. He educated us on the Elk, their history in MI, and of the resort. It was a clear afternoon in the low 30's and after dinner, we all got to experience the clear, dark, star-filled sky in the low 20's. BLANKETS PROVIDED! After dinner's ride was only 15 minutes or so back to the parking lot: A perfect way to cap off the dinner. Oh yeah.. dinner... Fantastic dinner cooked on two antique, wood-fired oven ranges in a beautiful cabin/eating hall decked out in taxidermy and country charm. This is a family run business and worked by the family. They meal is the same one they served when they started this out 30+ years ago. Nothing's changed except the date and building you eat in (it's way bigger now, and has indoor plumbing). The bathrooms are like museums, too. Not just clean, but tons of historical artifacts and knick-knacks to look at. The dinner wine choices are two reds and a white. They are OK. They serve a couple different appetizer wines with your first course and an ice wine with dessert. These were surprisingly good! If you don't want wine, there are soft drinks available and a cash bar for other drinks. This is MI wine, so if you approach it with that in mind, they are pretty good. In all, it's about a 4-4.5 hour experience. Nope, it's not cheap, but you are getting an amazing dinner and magical evening worth every penny. The only thing better would have been falling snow :-) But the stars up here in northeast MI are vivid since you are in the middle of the woods with no close cities anywhere near, so that was also part of the magic.

Golf course is super professional and immaculate! But, we stayed at the chalet on the property and…read morea motel 6 would almost be better. Barely enough pots and pans to cook breakfast, carpet wasn't clean, and it looked like no one had been here in 6 months. Well at least the hot water was scolding hot for my shower.

Waking up breathing clean air, able to see satellites gaze through the night time sky, surrounded…read moreby grassy meadows, tall Timbers, graceful delicate bark characteristics of birch trees foilage the Lake. It's the kind of serenity your spirit needs, A place that's nostalgic, a throw back in time. It's the kind of place you learn to appreciate although you may complain about the vintage cooking utensils or the fact that you have to actually hand wash your dishes and clothes, and your AC unit is simply the same breeze that blows a tall ships sail to the Island of Mackinaw. At Shaginapi your portals that keep you connected to social obligations and the daily grind are pretty much just used only when your forced to take a trip into town to stock your vintage fridge with dairy products (about 30 minutes away) Now I have to admit yes I would rather spend a few weeks with a little more tangible benefits. I mean lets be realistic, who doesn't enjoy a walking distant to the spa or a chilled tall drink with a fancy umbrella served by the "Beautiful People" But I also would like to believe that Nature is good for you, Right? I need not praise. It is beyond my capacity. Nature has got its own powers, strength, beauty and what not. The owners somehow kept this place unique. They keep it simplistic. They keep it pure.

Great family place to stay. We have been staying a week every July for years. The kids love it…read moreand can find tons to do. Swimming, fishing, hiking, beaches, drive to Mackinaw, cooking on the grill every night.

Bea-u-ti-ful! a week…read morelong vacation on the lake? uh...yes please! stayed here last summer w/bf for a wedding & family reunion. so. much. fun! during our week at driftwood resort, we... - rented pontoons & took them out to the middle of the lake at sunset (a definite must!) - went fishing - had a ping-pong tournament in the game room - enjoyed bonfires every night by the fire pit - took dips in the lake (which is shallow) - & lots, lots, more! the rooms were clean & comfortable (bed, linens, etc.). the showers have great water pressure & temperature (which maybe people don't care about, but it was a big plus for me). plenty of space to sprawl out & relax. from the person you make the reservation with to the groundskeeper, the staff at driftwood resort is wonderful about making you feel welcome & at home. very kind & very personable. the rooms, maintenance of grounds, & customer service are absolutely top notch. if you are looking for a little getaway, check this place out!

Great place for families. Quiet setting with water access, kayaks and paddle boards. The playground…read morewas perfect for our 6 and 3 year old. Close to fun activities- beaches, trails, mini golf and restaurants. Cabin was clean and had everything we needed.

Colleen and family were very gracious hosts at Manitou Shores. We stayed in the small housekeeping…read morecabins. They were immaculately clean and very cozy. We were in town for a family memorial service, and she was very patient and helpful despite some changes in our reservation. Really a lovely spot. The lake is right out your door and the hummingbirds came to greet us many times at the feeders. Highly recommended! The only reason why we didn't give five stars was that we dealt with quite a bit of flies during two days of our stay, though folks in town said that that was common for the area.

Very clean, spacious cabins. Situated right on the shores of Lake Huron. Lake is clean, beautiful…read moreviews. Lots to do in the nearby town of Rogers's City. Including bowling, movie theater, bike rentals, parks, waterfall. We come here every year!

My kids and I stayed here for a family reunion (of approx. 85 people) recently. The property…read moreitself is nice--clean, very quiet, far enough away from city lights that you can see lots of stars at night--but I had a couple of issues with the cabin we stayed in. The back deck was accessible from my bedroom on the main floor, but the door to the deck was stuck so badly at the top that I had to use all my strength to yank it open. I was afraid I would end up breaking the glass in the door, so I left it alone after that. Secondly (and I suppose this is minor), the shower head in the main floor bathroom was one that shot out thin streams of water quite forcefully. After a while it felt like needles on my skin. Not pleasant. Oh--and if you want something more than barely-adequate hotel-style linens and towels, you'll have to bring your own. Overall, though, it was a nice getaway at a reasonable price, and great for a family reunion.

Love it here. Fall colors are crazy right now (at least they were in the fall when I wrote this…read morething). Hit up the indoor hot tub for some R&R.

This weekend, I went skiing at two awesome ski resorts with my dad, named Treetops and Otsego Ski…read moreresort. Otsego was even funner than Treetops. It had a café, five individual lifts, plenty of fun trails and a massive terrain park. The café at Otsego was a very nice one, and had a large fire which was great to come into on a cold day. Unfortunately I wasn't able to be there for too long, and therefore couldn't see too many things that they served, but one thing I know was that the hot chocolate is great and the candy bars are delicious. The trails at Otsego were also great, but had a bit of a higher skill level. They had a few easy blues and greens, like Für Elise and Alan's alley for begenners, but no bunny hill, a load of blacks like waterfall and master's, two steep duo trails that me and my dad very much liked and even a few fun double blacks like Bob's Glade, a exciting and adrenaline-giving slope that emptied out into a easy green. The terrain park was also super fun, with gigantic jumps that sent me very high up into the air but no rails, which was ok but not as cool as it could be. The only rail I could find was a few rotten blocks of wood that someone had thrown together and then left to the power of the forest.

One thing about this place is it is clean! Everywhere I looked was clean but everything is also run…read moredown. Our room was comfortable enough but outdated as were the exterior and hallway finishings. We were attending a conference and every staff member we encounter was friendly and helpful. The camaraderie at the bar was fun and comfortable however the pool area was like something out of a scary movie. I wouldn't mind dining or attending a conference here again but will find other accommodations next time.

Staff is exceptional! We purchased ski passes online, but weather took a major turn to 45 degrees…read moreand it rained all night. Staff graciously switched our pass date to a new date. Unheard of in this industry! Kudos to the friendly and helpful staff!!

Everyone seems to complain about the rooms. I agree, they're not good. It's the golf we go here…read morefor, and the courses are great. Unfortunately, they do nothing to help pace of play. It always sucks. This last trip, on our second day, we left after taking almost 3 hours for 6 holes. A ranger actually came up to us and explained how 2 groups ahead of us they were taking way too long to find lost balls. Why the @#%&# would he not insist that they limit their search time? We left after just those 6 holes. I love the courses, but I doubt I will ever play there again. Even on "good" days it's nearly 6 hours for as round. What a shame. I'm sure as long as they fill their tee sheets, they will never have their rangers do anything to speed up pace of play.

Bottom line: boats and motors are nicer than jack's, but cabins are run down and everything is…read moreoverpriced for what you get. Cabins are so close together that with the windows open I could hear the neighbors peeing. Not my idea of getting away from it all.. Stayed here two nights for a quick fishing trip while visiting family in michigan. Cabins are a good size, and well furnished, including satellite TV and wireless for people who don't like to fish. Unfortunately we had 4 mice that ran around the cabin both days we were there. I'm not scared of mice, snakes etc but I was expecting better for the amount of money I dropped staying here. The owner apparently knew about the mice problem and brushed it off, giving us a couple traps to kill them, which we eventually did. Would have appreciated an offer to switch cabins. The 14' Lund boats are nice, one looks like new, the others are older, but still look to be in pretty good shape. The outboards are very nice tohatsu 4-strokes which are helpful to save gas while you explore the lake. Unfortunately, while on the water I discovered my trolling motor didn't work. Upon inspecting it, I noticed the nut on the prop wasn't tight, preventing the motor from spinning the prop. I discussed it with the owner, hoping to be refunded for the cost of renting the troller, but she disagreed with the loose nut and said that it probably hadn't been charged (it had, all night with a battery tender). No refund. Between the mice in the shabby cabins and the troller, I definitely won't be back. Canadian resorts are cheaper, cleaner, and offer much better fishing.

Pros.The staff was super nice,the cabins were clean,we caught well over 150 fish in 5 days ranging…read morefrom 3" to 15",the area was beautiful,and they had plenty of bait available. Cons.The boats were just that boats.No fish locator and no live well.The pontoon boats had lawn chairs to sit on and the other boats were very basic for what they cost to rent I expected much more.The lake was weedy shallow and VERY stumpy.If I had to guess I would stay 60% of the lake is fish able.4 of the cabins didn't have attached bath rooms which looked like a major inconvience.In my opinion if you want catch fish Fletchers pond can produce if you want a decent boat to fish with bring your own and maybe a spare prop.

Very rustic, beautiful cabins on the lake. Great place for the family reunion. Lots of floating…read moretoys, firewood provided. Equipped with BBQ.

My family has been coming up to Cedars Resort every summer for 56 years and it is home to us! We…read morelove coming to this peaceful lake with the charming and well-kept cabins. The amount of outdoor amenities exceed expectations and we are never without something fun to do on and off the lake!

Had an amazing time on the tubing hill. The line was quick and housed the opportunity to journey…read morenumerous times. The associates were highly friendly and knowledgeable. They ensured safety and made the adventure memorable

Cute little ski hill just outside Grayling. There isn't any chairlifts but there is a T-bar. The…read morekids had a great time and we didnt have to worry about them getting lost! The tube park is great and for only $10 an hour, it is very well worth it!!