Michigan winters can be rough and sitting inside all the time honestly gets so old. Jake and I often find ourselves in the same old “dinner and a movie” routine but last week we decided to get out and so something different by snowboarding at Mt. Brighton!
I grew up in the Metro Detroit area and I ALWAYS was a winter kid. Skiing, snowboarding, sledding, snow angels, you name it, I did it. When I met Jake in college, I asked him if he had ever been snowboarding. Once he told me no, I made it my mission to take him! We put it off for SO LONG, I was excited to finally experience this together.
We visited Mt. Brighton because they have 25 trails and over 130 acres (its also the perfect location for anyone in the Metro Detroit or Lansing/Ann Arbor areas) and rented snow boards, boots and helmets. The staff was so helpful making sure we had gear that fit perfect and walked Jake through the entire process. Even though I grew up boarding, I was a little rusty and it has been a long time since I had rented.
We were there on a Monday afternoon which was perfect for us “beginners” because the hills were pretty quiet and it took a lot of pressure off of Jake. It was also so relaxing to be together and basically get the place to ourselves for the day haha! Jake and I spent the whole day laughing and tumbling down the bunny hills using the “magic carpet” to get around but it was honestly SO FUN. I was raving about it on Instagram literally all day and I still am!
Planning fun dates in the dead of winter can be SO HARD! I love being active and being outside too so this was perfect for us. After a few good falls down the hill, we decided to head inside and warm up by the fireplace (FYI there are multiple and they’re gorgeous). We visited the Ski Hill Grill which is like a large dining hall with a bar on one side. We hung out inside and just relaxed for a bit while watching everyone come down the slopes. One of my favorite memories as a kid, was hanging with my friends in the ski lodge on a Friday night with all of the slopes lit up, totally brought me back!
Toward the end of or day after more runs down the bunny hill, Jake was getting so much better! He learned how to use his heels to stop, and I learned not to laugh when he fell lol. We went inside for dinner before we hit the road to head home. We had drinks and dinner at the Ore Creek Grill. I wasn’t expecting such a modern restaurant since I was used to the chicken tenders I would eat as a kid, but our dinner was delightful as any other date night. We sat by the fire and enjoyed our time together gazing at the snow. Everyone complains about the cold, but no one talks about beautiful and bright fresh white snow truly is.
If you are wanting to try your hand at skiiing or snowboarding, let me tell you, Mt. Brighton is the place to do it. I have been to a lot of different resorts and it can be very overwhelming to navigate something new let alone learn a new skill on the snow! Jake and I had so much fun together, we actually talked about going again one more time before winter is gone for good.
There is plenty of information about rentals, ski passes and other property details on their website. The staff was so helpful, I am sure they can answer any question you might have as well. So now I am curious, have you ever tried skiiing or snowboarding? I wanna know below!
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