This is our second stay at WBL and all comments in my review from last year still hold true. I wanted to write another review to give BIG kudos to the owners and staff for how well they handled the power outage this week. Major storms blew through the area on Sunday, knocking down many trees and leaving over 100,000 people without power including WBL. Immediately steps were taken to clear the downed trees and power lines, and to provide services for all the guests here. A generator was brought in to keep the kitchen going so there was never an interruption in meal service, and we were amazed at how quickly the mess was cleaned up. Clearly the owners have no control over the weather and how fast the power is restored, and the hard work of everyone on staff minimized the inconvenience and made the whole event a bit of an adventure. This type of thing can ruin a vacation, but thanks to great management, it was hardly a blip in our week. Well done!

What an awesome week with our family. White Birch Lodge staff and owners continue their 'magic': gorgeous comfortable venue, excellent food, great programs for our kids, safe beaches and water activities for the whole family, evening campfires by the lake, and so much more. The warm, clear azure-colored waters of Elk Lake were so inviting during a week of sunshine and the summer warmth of Northern Michigan. There are people here this week from all over the United States...and beyond...who've chosen White Birch Lodge for their family vacation. No wonder this is the Sine Qua Non of American Plan resorts that guests like us are drawn to return to year after year. The Conrad family who own the lodge, and the wonderfully caring staff who shepherd new guests from week to week, are beyond extraordinary; we'd like to adopt them all. I do know our kids practically cry when we reach the end of our week and have to leave. I think we've already made enough memories in the space of only a few days to keep us warm for the entire winter. And the week isn't over yet! God bless White Birch Lodge.

White Birch Lodge (WBL) is an amazing family vacation experience, like no other! We take other vacations (in addition to our annual trip to WBL) and we own our own lake house...No other place compares to being at WBL.

Although the accommodations are very rustic (think of the movie "Dirty Dancing"), they actually add to the charm. You don't go to WBL to feel fancy...YOU GO TO RELAX! There are no TVs in the rooms and the kids forget that they own electronics (so do the adults). Instead, the kids are beyond excited to go to the planned kids activities or to learn how to water ski/wakeboard. They try paddle boarding or kayaking while the adults are sitting on the beach reading, playing tennis or just taking a nap.

The staff is amazing and is made up of mostly college-aged kids who grew up vacationing at WBL. They know how magical the place was for them and work with great attention to make sure that everyone (young and old) has the same experience. The guests typically vacation the same week each year and since you can't just try WBL once, they usually end up coming every year for generations.

The meals are all served family style and are served each day at 9:00, 1:00 and 6:00. Instead of haggling with the rest of the family about when we are going to eat, where we are going to go, how we are going to get there, what we are going to wear, etc. (like other vacations), we roll off the beach, find our flip flops and stroll up to our table. No hassle, no mess, nothing to think about!

We were talked into trying WBL (when our oldest child was just an infant) by a friend who grew up going there for their annual family vacation. We had NO INTENTION of our first trip to WBL to be anything other than a one time vacation to Northern Michigan...Fast forward 15 years and we haven't missed a year. Our kids look forward to this vacation more than they do every other vacation and holliday combined (including Christmas and their birthday). Most kids have a countdown clock to Christmas; every year when we leave, there isn't a dry eye in the car and our kids start the countdown clock to the next year @ WBL, with holidays coming and going in between.

I will always owe a debt of gratitude to the Conrad Family (who have become friends) for the memories that their resort has given us. They could sell their land for millions and walk away. Instead - the third generation of Conrads (Mike) is now running the resort and works incredibly hard to make a decent living so the rest of us can make the best family memories of our lives!

On the way up this year, my 12 year old said "Dad - We aren't really going on a vacation; we're kind of just going home." She is right!