First time visiting the Petoskey area over the 4th of July. We booked the Sweetheart room for two…read morenights. The property was covered in a variety of flowers and trees and had many different native birds as well. We do not have horses and there is a barn for them if you want. There are many trails in the area and one is right across the road. The owner is super friendly and knowledgeable of the area and is also a superb cook! The breakfasts were plentiful and had a good variety for any pallet. If you explore downtown Petoskey make sure you book a cruise on the ferry and explore Bay Harbor or Harbor Springs. It's only $10 round trip per person! With the current climate, once a room is booked the others are not rented out so you have the property to yourself. We will be back and stay again for sure!

From the owner: "New to Yelp, Grace Grange Lodge hosts people in need of nature, travelling with dogs or horses,…read moreand serves great food including menu items for restricted diets if requested. Featuring easy access to several trails for horseback riding, cycling, and hiking."

We decided to add a little adventure to our Mackinac Island trip with the grandkids and rent a…read morecarriage from Jack's. The idea of driving our own horse and carriage around the island sounded like the perfect "pinch-me" moment. Now, the weather... that part wasn't on Jack's. What started as a gorgeous morning turned into a cold, windy, "wish-I'd-brought-another-layer" kind of afternoon, which definitely put a damper on things--but that's Mother Nature's fault, not the establishment's. Our 2:30 reservation had us checked in quickly, and by 2:45 we were on our way with Jake, our horse for the day. Poor Jake. He didn't seem bothered by the chilly air--in fact, I imagine he'd take that over summer heat--but he looked worn out, like this was his third or fourth loop of the day. He trudged along so slowly that what was supposed to be a 90-minute ride stretched into two hours and twenty minutes. The hardest part, though, wasn't the pace--it was the hills. These carriages don't have brakes, so while Jake pushed hard to get us uphill, the downhill was brutal. He had to zigzag side to side like a slalom skier, straining under the weight of the carriage to keep control. It was really tough to watch, and toward the end most of our group actually got out and walked just to give him a break, because none of us could stand seeing him struggle anymore. What also struck me as odd was that no one asked about weight before sending us off. We were a group of six (two kids included), probably around 900 pounds total. You'd think that might matter when it's just one horse navigating steep hills without any braking system. To their credit, the staff admitted it shouldn't have taken that long and only charged us for an hour and a half, which was fair. But still--the ride dragged on, Jake was clearly exhausted, and what should have been a charming island trot ended up being more stressful than enjoyable. Had we taken a carriage out early in the morning, and the horses are more energetic for the day, perhaps the experience would've been better. But I'm just not sure. All in all, not the magical experience we were hoping for.

What a cool experience to drive a horse and carriages around the island. We had no idea what we…read morewere doing but the horse kind of lead the way for us. We really enjoyed it.

I truly can't imagine a more beautiful, peaceful and FUN to spend summers. I was lucky enough to…read morespend my childhood summers as a camper and then many as a counselor. I learned many new skills, how to be (somewhat) self sufficient & (most importantly) established lifelong friendships. 18 years later (yet feels like I was siting around the campfire yesterday) it's time to start looking into overnight camps for my own kids. I heard Liz, who has now taken over camp from her father, is going to be in the North Shore giving a presentation. While I wasn't ready to send my daughter away quite yet, figure I could start the brainwashing since I can't imagine sending my kids to any other camp than this one. I drag my very reluctant 7 year old daughter there who tells me in the car "I'm not going. Walden is your dream, mom...not mine." However, 5 minutes within Liz's presentation she tells me she's going for the entire summer and has already listed out all her activities...lake swimming, horseback riding, nature. She also informs me she won't be showering the entire time. Lovely...that part not part of my "dream" The brainwashing worked so well that she insists on going to Walden this summer. However, I still think she's too young so compromise by saying we'll make the drive up to camp so she can see it and we can spend a few days in Northern Michigan. We also conveniently time our visit with when a few of my lifelong camp friends will be picking up their older kids from the 2 week session. After a 7+ hour drive from Chicago to Northern Michigan with a 7 year old in tow I begin to wonder if the trip was really worth it. However, within minutes of stepping onto camp grounds I realize it was so worth it. Camp looks more beautiful than ever (hello new Mess Hall!). I felt like I was in a time warp when I saw that all the Area Heads (Waterfront, Athletics, Horseback Riding, etc) are STILL there. And these people don't seem to age...perhaps I need to start drinking Cheboygan water? And everyone was so smiley and friendly...both staff and campers. Like my future campers there are so many 2nd generation campers there living the same dream their parents lived many years ago. And every camper or counselor we chatted with seemed to be on their 6th, 7 are so many 2nd generation campers are there. My friends kids who we picked up were all smiles after their first Walden experience. My daughter loved visiting camp even more than she loved Liz's presentation. We ran into Liz within minutes and she was extremely welcoming and really made the effort to chat with Devon and get to know her...and her husband, Scott, was very friendly as well. She was also in awe of all the (messy) cabins and made me take pictures of all the cool stuffed animal holders, pillows etc that she wanted to bring to camp when she was lucky enough to attend as a camper. She even revised her previously made schedule to include waterskiing and tubing after watching the fun. One of things I love about walden is that you get to make your own activity schedule so you can do all the things that you really love to do! I also love that it's not overly competitive when it comes to sports and activities so everyone feels like a winner at camp...I appreciated that philosophy as a camper and even more as a parent of future campers. They are very flexible with the length of camp- perhaps more flexible than when I was a camper. Campers have the option of staying 2,4, 6 or 7 weeks. And they even offer a mini mini 3 day camp for their youngest campers, which I really hope they continue to offer since I think it's a great way to get a taste of Walden..and have heard from others who have sent their kids that it's a really well run program (just like the rest of their programs). So excited for my future campers to make memories at this magical place during future summers! As the saying goes...Walden Days. Walden Nights...there's nothing to do back in the city.

Life changing 3 weeks for my 11 year old son! He grew into himself and worked through the…read morechallenges of being homesick the first week. He came home more confident and comfortable in his own skin. He loved kitten and bunny care, water sports, and outdoor cooking. He will return this year and he can't wait. Thank you Camp Walden!!!!!

This was the most fun trail ride that I have ever had! I try to go…read moreHorseback riding on every vacation that I take and this is a top 3 for me (Hawaii and Cabo are also in the top 3 for reference!). They put me on the perfect horse and led me to the state park trail to have the best trail ride with directions for my ideal return. Thank you for offering this fantastic service. 10/10 recommend.

This place is very good just my guide was very very rude. If you ever come here do not go with the…read morelady with the red curlyish haired lady. :) sorry I don't know her name. Other than that I would recommend.

Good facility. Great 1:1 arena training for our 5yo. Even good for older people like me. Same group…read morethat does the Lakes of the North Stables.

Do not buy from this lady. Dishonest, angry and rude. Does not do her homework when she buys…read morefor clients.

A true drama free barn! Large pastures with encloses, stalls in the barn and plenty of grazing…read moreland. It's right on the Boardman River and connected to the best horse trails in Traverse City, Michigan and all of Grand Traverse County. If you love to ride your horse, this is the place to ride!

Mean lady I asked if they still had trail rides she said meanly no im on vacation I said what about…read morein the future she said meanly again im on vacation n no im not having any today I said I did not ask about today and she hung up on me . Sandys stable in Bellaire is the best sweet people all ways kind .

My grandsons have been going to this camp for several years and they have been transformed with…read moreconfidence and care for others! I cannot say enough wonderful things about the camp in their staff. Recently, we discovered a glitch in registering a family. The Camp staff knocked themselves out in order to provide a space for a child in need. I cannot say enough about the professionalism and integrity of the camp staff and everyone related to Lake Louise Christian Community!

From the owner: Summer Camp Programmingread more