52 Michigan Weekends (Winter)

52 Michigan Weekends: Great Getaways and Adventures for Every Season
by Bob Puhala
2000 (3rd edition)

This guidebook is organized by season, with suggestions for a variety weekend outings throughout the state of Michigan. I've selected a few winter weekend recommendations, most relatively close to Kalamazoo.

West Michigan Winter Weekends

1. Loving the Luge
North Muskegon
"Watching television coverage of the Olympic Winter Games can put lots of crazy notions inside a person's head. Goof stuff, like riding the luge. So here I am, challenging the 600-meter luge run at Muskegon State Park's Winter Sports Center in North Muskegon."
Winter weekend, weather permitting. Fee (covers use of sled, helmet, insurance.)
Muskegon Winter Sports Complex

2. Snowmobiling Snofari
Whitehall
"The winter festival often draws more than 500 machines that roar in a ferocious ribbon through winding woodland trails near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. The fest tracks through about 90 miles of trails groomed and tracked by the Department of Natural Resources."
[It looks like the Snofari festival is no more, but the trails remain and Whitehall is still popular for snowmobiling.]

3. Christmas Holidays
Ottawa County
"Communities all across the county get in on the fun with the towns of Grand Haven, Holland, and Zeeland hosting the lion's share of activities."
Grand Haven: parade and tree lighting, craft shows, class-homes tour, nativity scene
Holland: chorale programs, Christmas pageant, Dutch crafts, "Pioneer Christmas" at DeGraf Nature Center.
Zeeland: Christmas Card Lane, caroling, parade.

4. Downhill Thrills
[not strictly West Michigan]
"When it comes to skiing in the Midwest, you can find best bang for your bucks at Michigan ski resorts."

Most Upscale Atmosphere: The Homestead, Glen Arbor
Best Family Resort: Crystal Mountain Resort, Thompsonville
Best Buy: Boyne Mountain, Boyne Falls
Best Local Lore: Indianhead Mountain, Wakefield
Best Wilderness Skiing: Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park, Ontonagon
Best Mountains: Searchmont Resort, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

5. Nordic Pleasures
[including some outside W. Michigan]
"Of course there's nothing wrong with using your old long boards. That's what I hope to do most of this winter while plying Nordic trails at a half-dozen of Michigan's top cross-country ski resorts."

Short-ski paradise: Crystal Mountain Resort, Thompsonville
Schussing the Dunes: Sugar Loaf Resort, Cedar
Family Adventures: Wilderness Valley X-C Ski Center, Gaylord
Luxury Schussing: Grand Traverse Resort, Acme
Top 10 Haven: Shanty Creek Schuss Mountain Resort, Bellaire
King of the Canucks: Stokely Creek Ski Touring Center, Goulais River, Ontario

It looks like this book is out of print, but your library may have it.