Mountaintop And Sleigh Ride Dinners

Dec. 7, 2014

A Rare Winter Treat

While mountaintop and sleigh ride dining have long been popular activities at western ski resorts, northern Michigan is now embracing the tradition with signature style. Offering exquisite cuisine, breathtaking views and a truly unique experience to savor long after the weather warms, there are many options from which to choose. We explored two area ski resort options, as well as an elk viewing sleigh ride dinner that USA Today deems a Top 10 Winter Event.

Boyne Mountain’s Aonach Mor Moonlight Dinner unfolds on Boyne Highland’s North Peak. A 15-minute sleigh ride leaves the hotel lobby at 6:30pm taking guests to the top of the peak where the mountaintop lodge is aglow with candlelight and an acoustic guitarist plays softly in the background.

On clear nights, the lights of the Mackinac Bridge are visible nearly 30 miles away and deer can often be seen quietly climbing the moonlit slopes.

"It’s a beautiful, peaceful ride to the top of the ski hill in the horse drawn sleigh"¦ and occasionally, on the way back down, the northern lights have lit up the sky. That’s a real treat," enthused Erin Ernst, resort spokesperson. "There are blankets to bundle up in, to stay warm during the ride, and you can always cuddle."

The charming day lodge features wallto-wall windows and high pine ceilings with white linen-covered tables and a crackling fire rounding out the elegant, yet rustic, ambiance. The menu includes French onion soup, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, fresh local vegetables and roast tenderloin au poivre, followed by chocolate fondue with assorted fruits and cookies for dipping. Aonach Mor Moonlight Dinners are offered Saturday nights in January, February and early March for $72 per person, plus 20 percent gratuity. Dinners are also hosted during the holidays, Dec. 27-30. Reservations are required. Call 231-526-3021.

Wind your car up through the hills of Shanty Creek Resort to the Lakeview Restaurant and Lounge at the top of the Summit Slopes, and a wall of windows–offering beautiful panoramic views of the Antrim County countryside–awaits. The Lakeview offers incredible sunsets over Lake Bellaire and, after, twinkling lights dot the distant shoreline as night falls on the skiers and riders romping on the lit slopes below.

Executive Chef Andrew Reh, recently named Michigan’s Culinary Star of the Year by the Michigan Lodging and Tourism Association, whips up innovative regional fare coupled with Short’s fine craft-brewed beers. The macadamia-covered walleye is a local favorite, the veal meatloaf with wild mushrooms is a deliciously sophisticated twist on simple comfort food, and the twisted pasta offers a pasta lover’s dream. While dinner is served nightly, reservations are recommended on winter weekends.

Thunder Bay Resort near Hillman hosts one of the more unusual sleigh ride dinners in the state, and in North America, according to both Fox News and USA Today; both news outlets rate the elk viewing and gourmet dinner sleigh ride package among the top 10 winter sleigh rides on the continent.

Participants travel over the Thunder Bay River and through the woods to an idyllic log cabin where they enjoy a mouthwatering five-course dinner.

"The sleigh ride is about 45 minutes. Once at the cabin, you cozy up to a split stone fireplace while chefs prepare your meal on antique wood cook stoves. The dinner includes samples of five to seven local wines, a shrimp cocktail, chicken noodle soup, salad, crown roast of pork, roasted potatoes, and pear or apple crepe and white chocolate mousse-filled pizzelles," said Carrie Kuzewski at the resort’s reservation desk. "People love the event. We have many who have done it several times." According to Kuzewski, the elk that winter in the area are often seen during the ride.

The cost for the experience is $89.50 per person. Call 800-729-9375 for sleigh ride dates and reservations.