Fat, fluffy snowflakes began falling from the night sky as our family trudged across Boyne Mountain Resort's back patio toward the Skier Services Center. It had been a long, tiring car ride from our southern Wisconsin home to this resort in northern Michigan, and our teens were skeptical that this place would be worth the eight-hour drive they'd just endured.

"Look how beautiful the snow is!" I said a bit too brightly.

The kids pretended not to hear me.

Suddenly a group of girls clad only in swimsuits and towels came galloping through the snow, laughing and shrieking on their way to the outdoor hot tub. A big grin burst onto the face of my 16-year-old son, Tim -- the same grin that crept onto 15-year-old Molly's face a few minutes later when two buff young snowboard dudes emerged from the Skier Services Center to outfit her for her snowboarding lessons the next morning.

Now that our kids had deemed this place cool, we were ready to have some fun.

Boyne Mountain Resort is the largest ski resort in Michigan and one of the largest in the Midwest. Started in 1947, it initially offered skiers one ski run -- complete with tow rope -- and a small warming hut. Over the decades, the place steadily grew into today's mega-resort, which features 61 runs, more than 20 miles of cross-country trails, a tubing hill and a skating pond, with lodging for more than 2,800 -- and counting.

Along the way, the resort became known as the birthplace of the modern snowmaking gun; there are more than 300 scattered across the property, ready to belch out a snowstorm whenever Mother Nature isn't being cooperative. Boyne was also the first Midwestern resort to install high-speed chairlifts (including the country's first six-seater), so no matter how dense the crowds, skiers get whisked to the top quickly.

Anyone tired of the slopes has other options for fun. Last year the resort spent $72 million on a new indoor water park. The Mountain Grand Lodge contains one-, two- and three-bedroom suites , most with kitchenettes, and features amenities such as plush bedding topped with thick duvets. A spa occupies the lodge's lower level, while the 88,000-square-foot indoor water park -- the nation's first in a ski resort -- is next door.

Snowboarders hit sister resort

About 45 minutes away by car is Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs, Mich. While Boyne Mountain is larger than Boyne Highlands and has more of everything -- ski runs, cross-country trails, restaurants, etc. -- Boyne Highlands shouldn't be overlooked.

The sister property has the most vertical feet in lower Michigan (552) and the longest run in the state (1.25 miles). It also sports a terrain park -- and the snowboard dudes at the Skier Services Center told us on the QT that Boyne Highlands was a bit more snowboard-friendly than Boyne Mountain. Best of all, lift tickets are good at both spots, so die-hard skiers can ski at one place in the morning and drive to the other for the afternoon.

Saturday morning we were up early, eager to check out the skiing at Boyne Mountain. Molly and my husband, Ed, signed up for a two-hour snowboarding lesson, while Tim immediately hit the slopes. Those options were too dangerous for my timid tastes, so I walked over to the cross-country ski chalet and asked for a few not-too-challenging routes. The folks behind the counter mapped out several routes, which they tucked into my pocket, along with a complimentary granola bar.

The resort had been bustling when I'd left (we found out later it turned out to be the busiest day in resort history), so I was happy to find it was positively serene on the Nordic trails. I glided through pine forests and stands of hard maple, past a shabby-chic abandoned farmhouse, drinking in the beauty. And the silence. Over the next three hours I saw only a few other souls on the well-groomed trails. To top off my experience, a dusting of glittery snow began falling as I returned to the chalet.

During our lunchtime rendezvous back in the room, Ed and the kids gave the skiing and snowboarding conditions a thumbs-up. And despite the record crowd, they said they never felt overwhelmed. In fact, thanks to the high-speed chairlift, their typical wait in line was only three or four minutes, with one 20-minute wait when some ski-school participants came through (they have priority in the lift lines).

Historic town adds appeal

After lunch, Ed and the kids clumped back outside for more skiing. I hopped in our van to check out the town of Petoskey, about 20 minutes away. With 7,000 residents, it's the largest city within 50 miles. Renowned for more than a century as a prime vacation spot, the city highlights its downtown Gaslight District, a four-block swath of specialty stores.

Originally, the Gaslight District was filled with shops that wealthy vacationers simply couldn't live without, such as Tiffany's, Waterford Crystal and Sak's Fifth Avenue. Those stores are gone, but the buildings they were in look much as they did back then and feature virtually all independently owned shops such as Roast & Toast, a gourmet coffee and sandwich joint, and Ward & Eis, a store featuring artwork and leather goods from around the world.

I did some browsing with a steaming cup of Roast & Toast joe in hand, then hopped back in my van to check out the several blocks of attractive, pastel-colored Victorian homes I'd spied nearby. Turning onto a snowy street, a sign proclaimed I was entering the Bay View Association, a National Historic Landmark. Pulling over to the side, I fished out a guidebook that said I'd just discovered a unique Methodist/Chautauqua community dating back to 1875.