Updated August 2026 · Built for families staying in Harbor Springs
Most families overpack for Northern Michigan. The weather swings more than the season suggests, and the house already covers a lot. Here’s what actually matters — and what you can leave at home.
Leave these at home
All of this is already at The Bird House. Packing it again is wasted trunk space.
- Kitchen gear. Full kitchen, fully equipped. Cook real meals without hauling a thing.
- Half your clothes. In-unit washer and dryer. Pack about half what you think for a week.
- A pack-n-play. Available on request — don’t wrestle one into the car.
- Blackout curtains. Every bedroom. Kids actually nap and sleep in.
- Entertainment. High-speed WiFi throughout, smart TV and games, and a lower-level kids play zone.
- Anything for the hot tub or fire pit. Both are here. Just bring suits.
Every season, no exceptions
- Layers — mornings run 15–20° colder than afternoons here
- Light rain jacket (weather shifts fast off the bay)
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Reusable water bottles
- Kids’ snacks and the specific foods they actually eat
- First-aid kit and any prescriptions
- Sunscreen — yes, in winter too; snow glare is real
- A bag for Petoskey stones (someone will start collecting)
❄️ Winter & ski season Dec – Mar
Nub’s Nob is ~7 minutes out, The Highlands ~8. You’re driving in ski clothes, not gearing up in a lodge.
- Ski or snowboard gear — or plan on renting locally
- Helmets for everyone
- Two pairs of waterproof gloves per kid. One pair is never enough
- Base layers and wool socks
- Snow boots (separate from ski boots)
- Neck gaiters or balaclavas
- Hand warmers
- Swimsuits — the hot tub after a ski day is the whole point
- Indoor slippers; the lower level is where everyone lands
☀️ Summer Jun – Aug
Petoskey State Park beach is ~7 minutes; downtown Harbor Springs ~10.
- Swimsuits and swim diapers for little ones
- Beach towels — one per person
- Sand toys and buckets
- Water shoes or sturdy sandals
- Life vests for young swimmers
- Bug spray, especially for evenings on the deck
- Sun hats
- Bikes and helmets, or plan to rent in town
🍂 Fall Sep – Nov
The Tunnel of Trees is the drive you came for. Evenings get cold faster than people expect.
- Fleece or a warm mid-layer
- Warm hats and gloves for evenings
- Boots that handle mud
- A real camera if you own one
- Blanket for the fire pit
🌸 Spring Apr – May
Mud season is real. Pack like it.
- Waterproof boots — not optional
- Layers; it can be 40° and 65° the same day
- Full rain gear
- Bug spray by late May
👶 Traveling with little kids
- Sheets for the pack-n-play (the house has the pack-n-play, on request)
- Baby monitor
- Stroller — trails and downtown are stroller-friendly
- Nightlight
- One familiar comfort item per kid; new house, new room
The ones people actually forget
- Phone chargers (and one extra)
- Prescriptions — the nearest full pharmacy is in Petoskey, ~15 min
- Sunglasses
- Reusable grocery bags for the Toski Sands run
- A little cash for farm stands and Pond Hill Farm
Staying at The Bird House?
Five bedrooms, sleeps 11, hot tub and fire pit on a private wooded lot — 7 minutes from Nub’s Nob, 10 from downtown.
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