MICHIGAN TRAVEL NEWS

Latest Local & International Travel News, Guides, Information & Planning Tips

Umbria, Italy, lives life in the slow lane. And Italians wouldn't have it any other way.

The region's tourism officials are in Grand Rapids this weekend as part of the International Wine & Food Festival at DeVos Place. The event will feature Umbrian food and wines as well as pairings from several West Michigan restaurants and winemakers.

For travelers, the chance to learn about the Italian province, located between Rome and Florence, is a real draw. Known as "the Green Heart of Italy," Umbria is home to Grand Rapids' sister city, Perugia, as well as several other small, medieval towns such as Assisi, Spoleto and Narni. Many of them have been carefully preserved and restored.

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When somebody offers to inject you with a needle in the airport concourse en route to your next flight, don't call the cops - necessarily. You may want to consider what they're offering (and not because flying's gotten so bad). More flu shots than ever are being offered in airports; Chicago's O'Hare International Airport expects to give out 6,000 vaccines this year. And it's a good idea for frequent travelers to consider one, whether from an airport, clinic or family doctor, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Commuters and frequent flyers are at a higher risk at catching the flu, research shows, since the virus can last for hours on poles and armrests.

Have those skis and snowboards at the ready. Lake effect snow's combining with the efforts of some 150 new high-tech snow guns to get the Boyne resorts ready for possible opening this Friday, one of the earliest ever. Call before you drive: 800-462-6963 or check the snow gun progress at www.boyne.com.

Can't get there until dark?
No worries. The resort's added new night skiing/riding terrain and two miles of lighted cross-country trails.

Light - in the form of candles, luminaries, and tiny electric bulbs strung on Christmas trees - has long been associated with the holiday season. And little wonder. There's no other time of year in which we're more in need of the reassuring color and glow. Thus, the attraction of some of Michigan festivals centered around light.

Here's a list that includes some of the season's brightest.

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CHICAGO -- Yuletide magic softens the rough edges of the big city as December holiday events transform Chicago into a winter wonderland. Museums, zoos, theaters and stores all get into the act, creating a warm, cozy glow that tempers the freezing weather.

Daley Plaza, in the heart of the Loop, will take on a fairy-tale aura when Christkindlmarket returns for the 13th year. Sip a glass of Gluhwein (hot spiced wine) and sample the German fare -- schnitzel, strudel, bratwurst, potato pancakes -- at this open-air event patterned after the traditional Christmas markets of Germany.

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I have a new best friend for road trips: She has a great sense of direction and never gets rattled if you make a wrong turn or ignore her. She guided me around Indianapolis one Saturday night about 11:30 -- winning a race between her hotel homing instincts and my gas tank, which was running on fumes.

If your favorite traveler is planning to drive into strange territory next year, and you're looking for gift ideas, I would recommend my friend Garmin in a heartbeat: Give or take a little confusion over road construction, she's a GPS system that keeps on giving.

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Iron River's Ski Brule prides itself on annually being the first Michigan ski and snowboarding resort to open in any given year. And in honor of opening week, the resort's offering free lift tickets all day tomorrow (Nov. 14).
Keep tabs on snow conditions at other Michigan ski resorts here.
Or just get into the snow day spirit by checking out a first-ever Michigan.org winter promo spot.

MARSHALL, Mich. -- Embracing its historical heritage, Marshall, Michigan, dons the ambience of a Victorian Christmas with a series of holiday events and activities.

In a city filled with magnificent mansions dating from the mid-1800s to the early-20th century, one of the most intriguing is the fanciful Honolulu House. It was built in 1860 by a former ambassador to Hawaii who missed Polynesian culture and wanted his home to be a wistful reminder of his island days.

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You'll feel the island's history in this cemetery of tidy gravestones marked with American flags. Some 108 people were buried here - soldiers and their families and some of the island's most prominent early officials. Make the trip: http://www.mackinacisland.org/.

PLYMOUTH, Mich. -- Plymouth, Michigan, will host the 27th Plymouth International Ice Sculpture Spectacular, Jan 23-25 in Kellogg Park. The downtown event lures professional ice carvers, chefs, culinary instructors and culinary art students from around the world.

Jennifer Chappell dreads cold, blustery days. But last January, with temperatures in the mid-20s and pockets of snow coating the ground, she and her husband, Mark, and their 2-year-old daughter, Allison, happily bundled up in wintry garb. The Plymouth trio then trekked a few short blocks to check out a magical medley of ice carvings.

"It's a cool family tradition," said Chappell, referring to viewing the Plymouth International Ice Sculpture Spectacular. Chappell, a festival-goer for nearly a decade, said each year she is amazed by the creativity of the ice artists.

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