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Avalanche Bay – Boyne Mountain

Last weekend we had the opportunity to enjoy a free stay at Boyne Mountain, including a one day pass to the indoor water park, Avalanche Bay.  We received this stay in return for this promotional post.  We are not obliged to give a positive review.  All opinions are my own. 

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We are traveling all around Michigan and neighboring states to experience all the indoor water parks so we can share our experience with you.

Boyne Mountain and Avalanche Bay are located about 15 minutes off of I-75 in Boyne Falls.  The trip from Metro Detroit is about 3.5 hours if you drive straight through, but with three little kids, it took us 5 hours both ways, stopping to eat and rest along the way.

Avalanche Bay boasts that it is the largest indoor water park in Michigan.  The 88,000 square foot facility features fun for all ages, including slides, lazy river, splash zones, children’s play area, hot tubs and a surf simulator.

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We spent a majority of our time in this hot tub.  We all LOVED it.  The water was nice and warm, but not too warm.  Luckily it wasn’t too busy and there was plenty of room for us to enjoy the space without infringing on others.

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Next to the hot tub is this pool area.  It is designed for younger guests.  There are a couple of water features and a slide which Naomi (age 22 months) could climb into, but I needed to catch her at the bottom.  The water in this pool had a maximum depth of 2 feet with one side featuring a zero depth entry.  The area also provided basketball nets with basketballs and spray jets in the ground which were entertaining for the kids.

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The Splasherhorn is the host to the parks big bucket.  800 gallons of water rushes down from the top of the icy snow top mountain every few minutes.  I tried it once and it was rather powerful.  The structure also includes interactive water features and two medium-sized slides.  The purple slide was a favorite with all three of my children and allows guests to go down two at a time.  I was able to go down the slide with Naomi on my lap which was the highlight of the water park for her.  
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The Lazy River is a winding waterway filled with spray features, bumpy rapids and more.  Single and double inner tubes are available for guests to use.  Carlyn (age 4.5) enjoyed this part of the water park the most.

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Situated behind the Lazy River is Blizzard Bay and the Downhill Mat Racer slide.  Blizzard Bay is a deeper pool which hosts basketball nets and the Haute Route Water Crossing (pictured below).  All of the kids enjoyed crossing the icebergs many times.  Naomi even joined in on the fun and I liked how we were able to help her cross by being in the water to hold her hand and move the icebergs.

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The Downhill Mat Racer offers four lanes of speed.  Riders race to the finish line on mats that are used like toboggans, as they slide to the bottom on their bellies, face first.

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 My personal favorite ride was the Rip Zone which is a surf simulator.  Surfers can use a body board or surf board on this exhilarating wave machine.  I rode on this twice and it was certainly a high thrill ride.   If you have teens, this will likely be one of their favorites in the park.

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Avalanche Bay is home to three big water slides, The Vertigo Cannonbowl Slide, The Big Couloir, and The Super-G Slide. The Vertigo Cannonbowl Slide requires a single or double tube as you ride down to a giant bowl which swirls you around, then you get flushed out the bottom and into the lazy river.  Rosa and I rode this a few times together and enjoyed it.  The Super-G Slide is another tube slide but this one is more traditional with drops and turns and goes pretty fast.  Rosa rode this several times solo.  The Big Couloir is a launch capsule slide that drops riders down a steep tunnel where you can accelerate up to 38 feet per second to a 360 degree super loop.

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Overall, we had a fantastic time and we would love to go back and enjoy the water park again.  I recommend staying in the area for at least three nights as the drive for just a weekend stay did not seem worthwhile with three little kids.  Also, water park admission is NOT included in your hotel stay, unless you pick a package that specifically states that it is.   Day passes are available, so it isn’t necessary to stay on the property to visit.

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LOVE THIS!!!