Mix the best Americana summer traditions like s’mores, fireworks and BBQ with some fun trendy stuff like footgolf and e-bikes, add a stunning view of Lake Bellaire and throw in a couple of award-winning golf courses and you get a glimpse of Shanty Creek Resorts’ lineup for summer vacation.
Calling themselves, “The Official Sponsor of Summer Vacation,” Shanty Creek Resorts celebrates the Nation’s Fourth of July birthday with its 9th annual Freedom Fest on Friday, July 3rd at 6 pm. The party is complete with a BBQ and beer tent, bounce house and kids’ games, live entertainment, face paintings, and of course, a spectacular fireworks display at dusk. The event takes place behind the Lakeview Hotel atop Summit Mountain overlooking Lake Bellaire and its westward sunset views. Admission is free. There is a nominal fee for some activities.
Biking Shanty Creek—The Only Fleet of E-Bikes in Northern Michigan
Explore Northern Michigan by bike, only easier—try Shanty Creek Resorts’ fleet of e-bikes, the first of their kind in Northern Michigan. It’s a seven-speed traditional bicycle with a boost: it also includes a battery-powered 4-speed motor that assists with each crank of the pedals. With an e-bike, navigating the rolling hills of Shanty’s 4,500 acre property is both fun and easy. Available for rent in the Summit Village Fitness Center.
You can also take traditional bikes or e-bikes a little further west to Glacial Hills Pathways—a 30-mile maze of intersecting hiking and biking trails where knobby tire enthusiasts will discover some of Michigan’s most coveted single-track riding.
Shanty Creek Resorts’ Guests Play Golf Four Ways
Choose from either of Shanty Creek Resorts’ two Top 20 ranked Michigan courses, The Legend or Cedar River. “The King” Arnold Palmer designed The Legend. And at the National Golf Course Owner’s Association convention, The Legend was recognized as the 2015 Michigan Golf Course of the Year and a finalist (among four!) for the National Golf Course of the Year. If you’ve never played The Legend, add it to your bucket list.
For beginner golfers, or those who still play like a beginner, try the under-the-radar splendor of Schuss Mountain’s course. The Summit course is where Shanty Creek supports several of the PGA’s initiatives to grow the game including par three tee boxes on every hole, standard and 15” big cups on every green.
The Summit also sports nine 21-inch holes of Footgolf on the back nine. Footgolf is a hybrid of golf and soccer that’s been growing in popularity in recent years. The idea of blending golf and soccer is decades old. In the 1980s Dutch fans created footgolf rules and courses and it’s now a recognized tournament sport in more than 20 countries, and the American FootGolf League lists 85 participating U.S. courses, including The Summit. Footgolf is played with a regulation #5 soccer ball, and its basic rules are like those of golf. The first shot at each hole has to be taken from the tee, and players must play past the usual array of bunkers, trees, water hazards and hills.
Summer Water Fun on Chain of Lakes
Of course Northern Michigan summer vacation isn’t quite complete without some water fun. And Shanty Creek has options galore along the Chain of Lakes, with the shores of both Bellaire Lake and Torch Lake within view. Whether you want to splash in the sandbar made famous by Kid Rock, fish for walleye and trout, or paddle your kayak in the mild rapids of the Jordan River, it’s all available to guests at Shanty Creek Resorts.