Our family enjoyed a terrific experience on December 28th at Thunder Bay Resort in Hillman, Michigan. Hilmman is located about 20 miles from Alpena and the Lake Huron shore. Our adventure began with a horse drawn sleigh ride through the woods to a large log cabin. There, we were treated to a gourmet dinner and wine tasting. During dinner, owner Jack Matthias provided guests with some fascinating information about the elk herd located on the resort property and the challenges over the years as he has worked to maintain this unique visitor experience.
Dinner consisted of 5 courses. The first course was a shrimp cocktail and an apple torte. Next up was a hearty chicken noodle soup. The Thunder Bay Salad, a sweet mix of cabbage made up the third course. Then came the main entree, a crown roast of pork done to perfection and served with
Michigan red potatoes. Finally, the dessert, a white chocolate mousse filled pizzelle topped with raspberry & white chocolate topping. Wine from Stoney Acres Winery in Alpena was provided liberally throughout the meal and paired to match the courses. All warm dishes were cooked on a wood stove by resort co-owner Jan Matthias. Dinner was marvelous and she obviously has the system mastered to provide consistent results.
Then it was back on the sleigh to view the elk. Although the herd, which numbers about 75, is in captivity, its range is substantial due to the large amount of property owned by the resort. We were able to get an up-close view of several cows and their young out in the open as well as several bucks kept behind fencing for our protection. The sleigh drivers provided ample time for guests to photograph these magnificent animals. It was truly a unique family experience!
More photos are available in the Thunder Bay Resort Set on my Flickr site.
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