After a recommendation from a family member to bring our children (ages 12 and 9) to Granite Peak over their winter break, we looked into the hotel options in the area. While there are several options close to the Granite Peak Ski area, none are all that great. When you consider all of the ski gear and "stuff" that comes with a family of 4, a tiny room isn't so appealing. Then we asked my sister and her family to join us...so now our crew doubled in size to 8. We have had great experiences using VRBO in other parts of the country, and this was no exception. There were not too many options for our large group and so last minute, when this home popped up as an option and it was exactly what we were looking for, we booked right away. With 4 spacious bedrooms, everything newly remodeled and clean, it was far nicer than any hotel room we could have booked. The owner, Tony, met me at the property upon check-in to walk me through the home and showed me how to use the tv's, fireplaces, appliances, etc. He was so kind and excited to share his home with our families. Being new to VRBO, he was very open to suggestions and feedback, and even checked in with me during our stay to be sure we were comfortable. We had plenty of space to spread out and enjoy games, reading and relaxing after a long day of skiing. We were able to cook our own meals (the kitchen appliances are brand new and so nice!) It was also a bonus to be able to enter into the laundry area through the garage to remove all of our cold weather gear. The view out the back of the house was stunning! A stark contrast to the city life we live in Chicago. We even had several deer stop to visit one night...a real treat for us all! The kids loved warming up in the hot tub after skiing, surrounded by snow and nature! The house itself is so lovely and the location is just amazing. Located at the base of Rib Mountain, just a 3 minute drive up Park Road and you are at the drop-off for several of the Granite Peak Ski chair lifts. In fact, I dropped my husband and 2 kids off at the top of the hill one morning so that they could get a jump on their day, having already purchased their lift tickets online for the week (something we highly recommend). Given the home's proximity to all of the state park's amenities, I can only imagine what it would be like in the summer months as well! Grab some friends and head to Wausau to ski Granite Peak for a long weekend or week and stay here!