Baby, it’s cold outside, but don’t let that keep you hibernating all winter. Invigorate your family fun with winter travel. Try different activities to shake up chilly days and keep the kids (and you!) from going stir crazy with cabin fever. Here are a few weekend getaways to get your plans started.
This article was recently updated on Oct. 1, 2024 by Metro Parent’s Assistant Editor, Nikki Roberts. The update included her research and fact-checking expertise to provide the latest information on winter weekend getaways for metro Detroit families, aligning with Metro Parent’s mission to provide the top parenting resources for local families. Questions? Please reach out to nikki@metroparent.com.
Indianapolis, Indiana
Families interested in unique indoor activities will relish a visit to the Circle City, Indianapolis. Train lovers will savor sleeping in a real Pullman train car at the Crowne Plaza at Union Station. Or, splurge and stay at the stunning Bottleworks Hotel and try local eats at The Garage Food Hall across the street.
Check out the redone Dinosphere exhibit at the world’s largest children’s museum, or tackle an interesting sport at the Fowling Warehouse. For extra festive fun, take a spin around Holliday Park’s ice skating rink, open until March 1. Find your groove at the world’s only interactive drum and percussion museum, Rhythm Discovery Center. Find juice, baked goods, dog treats and more at the Indy Winters Farmers Market.
Muskegon, Michigan
Families apt for outdoor adventure best head to Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park. Not only can you luge like an Olympian on a natural ice track, but you can also ice skate through a wooded trail, snowshoe across Lake Michigan sand dunes and cross-country ski around a lighted and groomed trail. Kids will love the weekend luge clinic, where a coach teaches them how to luge, conducts a fun competition and holds an awards ceremony afterwards. You can also zipline in the winter (weather permitting).
Indoor fun can be had, too. SociBowl just opened in downtown Muskegon with duckpin bowling, Skee-ball, darts, pinball and oversized yard games. Older kids might enjoy USS Silversides Submarine Museum, where you can walk into a decorated World War II submarine. Muskegon Museum of History and Science offers hands-on, interactive exhibits and free crafts on Saturdays. Check out the Carr-Fles Planetarium, a free public planetarium with complimentary shows on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Boyne Falls, Michigan
Boyne Mountain Resort offers an excellent Midwest winter vacation with its Swiss-inspired resort village featuring ski-in, ski-out privileges, Michigan’s largest indoor waterpark and the state’s largest spa facility (perfect for parent pampering).
Spend your days hitting the slopes or gliding down the water slides. Evenings can be enjoyed in warm outdoor pools, bubbling hot tubs or around crackling bonfires with gooey s’mores. Kids will love the 84-degree Avalanche Bay, with steep slides, mat racers, a lazy river and surf simulators. The Adventure Center offers horseback riding through the snow, ice skating, tubing, fat tire biking and sno-go biking, which is downhill biking (and an excellent option to help hesitant skiers shred with the rest of the family).
Opened in fall 2022, SkyBridge Michigan is the world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge at 1,200 feet long. Walk 118-feet high in the air surrounded by panoramic views, weather dependent.
Angola, Indiana
Tobogganing is the name of the game at Pokagon State Park. The dual- track refrigerated toboggan run is open for thrills through Feb. 23. Climb the 30-foot tower and get ready for a 20-30 second thrill ride. Rent toboggans by the hour and slide down the quarter mile course at speeds up to 40 mph. A warming center with restrooms and concessions is available.
Wild Winds Buffalo Preserve in nearby Fremont gets wonderful reviews for up-close tours of wild bison herds roaming across the 400-acre preserve. Winter tours are majestic in freshly fallen snow and are held on Saturdays. When hunger strikes, Clay’s Family Restaurant is a country diner known for out-of-this-world pies. Eat pizza, pasta and breadsticks at family-run Caruso’s Restaurant. 6 Autumns Food & Spirits offers steaks and seafood with live music.
Hocking Hills, Ohio
Walk amongst gorgeous winter scenery in Hocking Hills, Ohio, where frozen waterfalls and snow-covered trees surround Hocking Hills State Park paths. Open year-round, seven different hiking areas, including Ash Cave and Conkle’s Hollow, delight icicle enthusiasts, then trickle into spectacular waterfalls come spring. Just be careful on icy areas, wear boots and dress the kids in snow pants so they can slide around. Sledding, ice skating and ice fishing are options at Lake Logan State Park.
Snuggle up in a cozy cabin or some of the area’s unique accommodations where you can stargaze and soak in the natural landscapes. Hocking Hills Lodges offer a bevy of beautiful homes with amenities like hot tubs and fire pits. Sleep in a heated yurt for a glamping getaway to remember. Railroad enthusiasts will enjoy The Hocking Hills Caboose, a 1950s red train car parked in the woods. With five sleeping berths, it’s a fun tiny escape, but probably best enjoyed when the weather isn’t super cold.
Crystal Mountain, Michigan
Southwest of Traverse City near Sleeping Bear Dunes, you’ll find the skiing and snowboarding haven of Crystal Mountain. Home to 59 downhill runs, 3 terrain areas and 7 glade areas for alpine skiing, families can revel in exhilaration and rejuvenation. Certified snow sports instructors are on hand to teach children as young as 3-years-old to those over age 55 in the Retired Not Tired program.
Fat tire biking, skate skiing, snowshoeing Michigan Legacy Art Park with 20 viewable sculptures, or ice skating in the heart of Crystal’s village are popular off-slope activities. You can also partake in a horse-drawn surrey ride pulled by beautiful Belgian horses or snowmobiling on nearby groomed trails. Families get a kick out of outdoor laser tag and archery, even in winter. Or stay inside and create a puffy pillow or puppet. The outdoor hot tub or Crystal Spa are tranquil ways to focus on your well-being.
Harbor Springs, Michigan
If a ski trip is calling you, The Highlands in Harbor Springs is opening the first and fastest six-person bubble chairlift in the Midwest, called Camelot 6. So get ready to shred even more powder while staying at the resort, which turns 60 this year!
The new Slopes After Sundown skiing under the lights on Wednesday and Thursday evenings provides access to 326 acres in the moonlight. All Day Kids Camp can build skills from pizza slice and French fry moves up to perfecting skiing and snowboarding performance. You can snowshoe, cross-country ski or ride fat tire bikes, then take a dip in the resort’s heated outdoor pool and hot tub.
Frankenmuth, Michigan
Visit Michigan’s Little Bavaria for The Christmas Experience, a magical time full of twinkly lights and jolly moments. Shop a huge selection of ornaments, décor at Bronner’s CHRISTmas Wonderland, the world’s largest Christmas store. Clip-clop around the garland-adorned town in horse-drawn carriages and see the 40-foot tree with 23,000 synchronized lights. Kids can take pics on Santa’s lap or write him a letter listing their holiday wishes.
Indulge in Frankenmuth’s world-famous fried chicken dinners with so many sides that it’s impossible to go hungry. Stay at the Bavarian Inn Lodge where the whole family can splash in pools, whirlpools and water slides, play at the arcade and indoor mini golf, then shop for gifts and toys. German food like schnitzel and giant Bavarian pretzels will fill your bellies before you happily nod off to sleep.
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