Don’t miss all the latest information on the 2020 ski season at Michigan’s premier ski resort, Crystal Mountain! Here are the links you need to stay in the know.

• Lift Tickets & Hours
• Rental Equipment: Pro-Tip! Get your rental equipment the night you arrive to avoid lines and hassle on your first ski day.
• Snow Report:

It’s the perfect time to order your Cold is Cool Passport if you are a Michigan Resident with a 4th or 5th grader. For the past two years, we have enjoyed discounts at ski resorts around Michigan for our son. We are missing the ski pass this year, as he is now in 6th grade.

How do you get it?

Visit the Cold is Cool website and complete an online order or print out the form. You’ll need to pay $25. Trust us, if you plan to ski more than a time or two, your pass will be paid for.

How do you use it?

Each resort has specifics in your passbook, which will come in the mail after you order it.

November is typically shoulder season for our beautiful Up North getaway, but here are some great reasons to book this year!  NOTE: Our suggestions do not supplant public safety recommendations for safe protocols during COVID-19.

1. Big Ten Football Traditions: The Big Ten returned recently, but fans won’t be able to experience the same fan experience as is tradition. What if you take your tailgating besties and plan to watch in a small, socially-distant group?
2. Virtual Conference Pod: Attending a Zoom conference virtually? Consider a retreat in lieu of airfare and travel costs where you can set aside the same “retreat” time with yourself or a smaller group. 
3. Virtual School Field Trip: If y

Life during COVID-19 is strange. For parents of school-age children, the compounding factors of “work from home” and “virtual school” can be overwhelming. Many families are struggling, and we know that virtual education flexibility is a luxury. 

After making Laughing Moose Lodge our vacation home during the pandemic, our family started planning to reserve a few weeks at the lodge for WFH/Virtual School up north. We must not be the only ones. A September 2020 NYTimes article featured the new trend of virtual school travel. Our kids have enrolled in hybrid “back to school” options at our southeast Michigan public school district.&nbsp

Planning is strange in 2020, but vacation rentals can be a shiny star on your calendar. We know many of you are yearning for something to look forward to!

Laughing Moose Lodge rentals are available twelve months in advance. VRBO has some general suggestions for when to book in 2020. 

Based on 2020-21 and also previous trends at Crystal Mountain, here are the busiest times with long-term booking demand include:

• Ski Season: December through

Our family LOVES Crystal Mountain. We’ve been coming up for multi-family ski weekends at least once a year since 2010. We cherish our memories and were even more excited to stay on the property this summer in a strange pandemic world. Here’s a photo of our family bike 

Luck was on our side. As we were enjoying the beauty of northern Michigan and amenities of Crystal Mountain’s award-winning resort, the Laughing Moose Lodge was listed and a for sale sign was placed on the property.

Purchasing Laughing Moose and continuing the tradition of hospitality and 5-star standards set by the Boerman family, we closed on the Laughing Moose purchase this month. We can’t wait to make our own family memories and share the lodge with you.

For multi-year renters, we are maintai