Blackjack Lodging Report

This is written for the many UMD senior renters who wanted us to be the guinea pigs for this housing alternative.

Lodging at Blackjack Ski Resort:

We are located in Bessemer, Michigan about 115 miles east of Duluth. After 5 days at Blackjack Ski Resort, here are my early findings:Our one-bedroom apartment is fairly spacious and fully furnished with comfortable chairs, TV, towels, linens, all kitchen utensils, including tableware, microwave, toaster, corn popper, etc. The kitchen area is less convenient than ours at UMD. The range is the small apartment-sized and likewise the refrigerator, unlike the full-sized appliances we enjoy at UMD. I miss the double sink the UMD kitchens have. An important note: There is no telephone and our cell phone has no service here. Cell phone service will likely be okay for most others. The bed is queen-sized. The bedroom has an additional lavatory - a nice convince for two people. The sofa is convertible to a single bed. Storage is a problem for those like us with too much stuff. We miss that extra bedroom we enjoy at UMD. The temperature has been pleasantly cool but so far we haven't required heat. The result from turning it on was nothing. In our building there are six apartments. I assume they are all essentially the same. There are a few other buildings scattered around. I think they have apartments with more bedrooms.It is very quiet here - no traffic or airplanes. At night it is completely dark the way we like it. So far, insects haven't been a problem. We can walk anywhere we like on the ski slopes with expansive views or on the gravel roads through the deep hardwood forests where we see many deer. We haven't explored beyond our immediate area but we have been told of many regional attractions. The Post Office and library are 5.5 miles away and a Super Walmart is 8.5 miles. The rental price was quoted at $400 monthly with maybe a senior discount of 10%. So far, we've paid nothing and signed nothing. They gave us the keys without even knowing our names. I'll report later about the price and other happenings. Picture One and Picture Two.