MICHIGAN TRAVEL TIPS
FROM
THE HOLOGLOBE PRESS
(The 27th Edition)by
Victor Edward Swanson,
Publisherwww.hologlobepress.com
RULES OF USE
The reports and stories contained on this Web page have been put together with information taken from "The Victor Swanson Fabulous Files of Places to See in Michigan and Wisconsin" and with information obtained from operators and staffers of tourist attractions and from press releases, Web sites, and other sources. The reports and stories are provided as a public service by Victor Swanson and The Hologlobe Press. Almost all persons and entities, such as staffers of radio stations, may freely use the materials; neither AAA Michigan nor any employee of AAA Michigan may use, distribute, download, transmit, copy, or duplicate any of the material presented on this page in any way or through any means.
- - - Travel Thoughts for Everyone - - -
Since April 2003, I have created a little over two dozen Michigan Travel Tips editions, each of which is an Internet-only publication that gives information about places and things to see in Michigan and each of which is current for one month. Normally, each edition of Michigan Travel Tips has a main theme, and this edition of Michigan Travel Tips does have a main theme, but it is not a theme that might be only about parks or be a fictional story that shows off real places that exist in Michigan (a presentation provided for variety and fun and as something different on the Internet). This edition of Michigan Travel Tips has a hodgepodge of information, such as material that I have finally been able to transfer to my electronic files from scraps of paper about places to see in Michigan or information that is presented because of a question that someone recently asked me about Michigan.
The first information is about outdoor "fairs" that take place in Michigan, and the fairs are those that have ties to the state government, a county government, or a local government, and I especially present the information to give people who are unfamiliar with Michigan an idea about the types of outdoor fairs that exist. Generally speaking, in Michigan, the time for outdoor fairs is from midsummer to the end of October. One type of fair that a person can find or attend in Michigan is a local fair, which might be like a two-day art fair or a fair that celebrates some type of fruit or vegetable on a weekend or over several days, such as a strawberry festival (such as the Belleville National Strawberry Festival, which is held annually in Belleville of Wayne County in the Lower Peninsula each June) or a cherry festival (such as the "National Cherry Festival" at Traverse City around the July 4th holiday). By the way, throughout the year, there are festivals for potatoes (such as the Posen Potato Festival at Posen of Presque Isle County in the Lower Peninsula each September), melons (such as the Melon Fest at Howell of Livingston County in the Lower Peninsula each August), blueberries (such as the National Blueberry Festival at South Haven of Van Buren County in the Lower Peninsula each August), et cetera (there is a fungus festival called the "Humongous Fungus Fest" at Crystal Falls of Iron County in the Upper Peninsula each August). The state is made up of 83 counties, and many counties have what are generically called "county fairs" (if a county holds such a festival it will be held once a year), and such a fair could have amusement rides, crafts booths, games for adults and games for children, demolition derbies, car races, and animal shows, and there are often contests, such as baking contests, animal-judging contests, and flower-judging contests; the oldest annual county fair in the state is the Lenawee County Fair, which, this year, will be held at the Lenawee County Fairgrounds at Adrian (in Lenawee County of the Lower Peninsula) from August 13, 2006, through August 19, 2006 (the first fair was held in 1839). County fairs are fairs that involve many communities, unlike a local fair, but county fairs are not the biggest fairs in the state. The biggest fair in the state is the annual "Michigan State Fair," which, this year, will be held at the Michigan State Fairgrounds at Detroit (Wayne County of the Lower Peninsula) from August 23, 2006, through, September 4, 2006. Besides the Michigan State Fair, there is also another fair that involves more than one county, and that fair is the "Upper Peninsula Stair Fair," which, this year, will be held at the U.P. State Fairgrounds at Escanaba (of Delta County in the Upper Peninsula) from August 15, 2006, through August 20, 2006.
Incidentally, I have added new information about the U.P. State Fairgrounds to my electronic files. I only recently learned that an indoor driving range exists at the U.P. State Fairgrounds; a driving range is used as a place to hit golf balls (with golf clubs). The driving range has been in existence since 2004.
Recently, a man named Steve asked me where he could find information about events going on in Michigan. The purpose of Michigan Travel Tips is not to provide a list of events that will be taking place in the near future, but I do from time to time mention events, as I have done already through this edition of Michigan Travel Tips, and, anyway, other entities publish a list of events, either in paper form or in Internet-only publications. I will note, here, that the Web site for the Upper Peninsula Travel & Recreation Association is one entity that regularly publishes a list of events that will be taking place in the Upper Peninsula, and, for one, that list can be found at the Web site for the Upper Peninsula Travel and Recreation Association, the main address to which is www.uptravel.com. Yes, the Web site for the Upper Peninsula Travel and Recreation Association does contain information about when "fairs," such as county fairs, will be held, and some of the fairs are the Ontonagon County Fair (at Greenland of Ontonagon County from August 27 through August 30), the Chippewa County Fair (at Kinross of Chippewa County from August 27 through September 4), the Gogebic County Fair (at Ironwood of Gogebic County from September 10 through September 13), the Iron County Fair (at the Iron County Fairgrounds at Iron River of Iron County from September 17 through September 20), the Houghton County Fair (at the Houghton County Fairgrounds at Hancock in Houghton County from September 24 through September 28).
Warning: Do not think entrance to a local fair is restricted to locals (local citizens), and do not think entrance to a particular county fair is restricted to the residences of the county in which the fair is held, and do not think entrance to either the Upper Peninsula State Fair or the Michigan State Fair is restricted to residences of Michigan--anyone may attend the fairs that take place in Michigan.
It is update time. It looks as if the people who run the Air Zoo, which is an aviation museum at Portage of Kalamazoo County (in the Lower Peninsula) hope to have the new Michigan Space and Science Center--a new museum--open in the fall (for the start of the 2006-2007 school season). The people who operate the Yankee Air Museum, which is being operated out of Willow Run Airport (of Wayne County of the Lower Peninsula) are still--through a Web site (www.yankeeairmuseum.org) urging people to donate materials that can be used in the new museum (the building that was the main building for the museum burned down on October 2, 2004), and the people who run the museum provide a list of some of the materials that are needed through the Web site, and the people remind you that aircraft of the museum are being used or displayed at events this summer, such as the Pontiac Airport Open House (at Pontiac Airport at Pontiac, Oakland County, the Lower Peninsula) on August 13 and the Romeo Airport Static Display (at Romeo Airport at Romeo, Macomb County, the Lower Peninsula) on September 3.
Keep in mind: Another reason Michigan Travel Tips does not provide a big list of events is events can sometimes be canceled, such as because of bad weather, though cancellations usually are only likely to happen with small events, and since Michigan Travel Tips is published monthly, it is impossible to report on last-minute cancellations.
Last month (June 2006), a company called Sphere USA opened up a new tourist-attraction ride at Mt. Brighton Ski Area (or only "Mt. Brighton")--a ride that should be around for at least this 2006 summer. In essence, Sphere USA opened up a new wet-because-of-water amusement ride at Mt. Brighton, and the ride is associated with an "Aqua Sphere." The "sphere" is a 12-foot diameter ball, which is made up of an inner chamber and an exterior chamber, which is filled with air and is a protective chamber (used to protect what is in the inner chamber). The new wet-because-of-water ride is known as "aqua sphereing," and aqua sphereing involves having two persons get inside the inner chamber of the sphere with three gallons of water and be in the sphere while the sphere rolls down a hill. Sphereing in the "dry mode" had already existed before "aqua sphereing" became available last month, and, in the dry mode, riders are strapped into the inner chamber and do not slip around in water within the sphere as the sphere goes down a hill. Mt. Brighton is at 4141 Bauer Road, Brighton (of Livingston County).
Let me say, "If you are a person who is used to only being in the city and if you really want to see what Michigan is like, go to a rural area far from city lights or street lights or any lights at night when the moon is not up and see what you see!"
When a planetarium show is about to begin, the planetarium room is usually dark, maybe so dark, it is hard to see your hand in front of your face, but soon there is something to see, and today, there is something new to see at the planetarium at Cranbrook Institute of Science, which is in Bloomfield Hills (of Oakland County in the Lower Peninsula). On Friday, June 16, (2006), the staffers of the planetarium at Cranbrook Institute of Science began to use a new planetarium projector, which is a "Digistar 3 SP2," which was made by Evans & Sutherland Corp., and it seems the projector is the highest-level of planetarium projector in existence in the state right now. Generally speaking, several shows are given at the planetarium each day in the afternoon, and there are evening shows on Friday, and some of the current shows are "Michigan Sky Tonight" (which is a continually updated presentation) and "Ultimate Universe." The main address to Cranbrook Institute of Science 39221 Woodward Avenue (follow the signs to the planetarium).
I recently discovered my files did not list two racing places with "Northern Michigan" in the names. On Saturday evenings this summer, stockcar races are being run at a race track called "Northern Michigan Speedway," and on each race day, time trials begin at 5:00 p.m., and the true racing begins at 7:00 p.m.; Northern Michigan Speedway is located at Elmira (along Huffman Lake Road and not "Huffamn Lake Road," which was listed in an advertisement in a newspaper), which is in Otsego County. This summer, on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays--at least--drag races are being held at "Northern Michigan Dragway" (once called "Manistee County Dragway"); this dragway is located along Potter Road near Kaleva, which is a place in Manistee County of the Lower Peninsula.
As you can see, I have indeed presented a hodgepodge of information in this edition of Michigan Travel Tips, and that is partially because, within Michigan, there are many different types of things to see.
Your travel tips about Michigan in this edition of Michigan Travel Tips are:
The Air Zoo and the Michigan Space and Science Center, Portage, Kalamazoo County, the Lower Peninsula.
Cranbrook Institute of Science, Bloomfield Hills, Oakland County, the Lower Peninsula.
Northern Michigan Dragway, near Kaleva, Manistee County, the Lower Peninsula.
Northern Michigan Speedway, Elmira, Otsego County, the Lower Peninsula.
Sphere USA at Mt. Brighton, Brighton, Livingston County, the Lower Peninsula.
The Yankee Air Museum, Willow Run Airport, Van Buren Township (near Belleville), Wayne County, the Lower Peninsula.
Here are some upcoming events in Michigan:
The Chippewa County Fair (from August 27 through September 4), Kinross, Chippewa County, the Upper Peninsula.
The Gogebic County Fair (from September 10 through September 13), Ironwood, Gogebic County, the Upper Peninsula.
The Houghton County Fair (from September 24 through September 28), the Houghton County Fairgrounds, Hancock, Houghton County, the Upper Peninsula.
Howell Jaycees Melon Festival (from August 18, 2006, through August 20, 2006), Howell, Livingston County, the Lower Peninsula.
The Humongous Fungus Fest (from August 10, 2006, through August 13, 2006), Crystal Falls, Iron County, the Upper Peninsula.
The Iron County Fair (from September 17 through September 20), the Iron County Fairgrounds, Iron River, Iron County, the Upper Peninsula.
The Lenawee County Fair (from August 13, 2006, through August 19, 2006), the Lenawee County Fairgrounds, Adrian, Lenawee County, the Lower Peninsula.
The Michigan State Fair (from August 23, 2006, through September 4, 2006), the Michigan State Fairgrounds, Detroit, Wayne County, the Lower Peninsula.
The National Blueberry Festival (from August 10, 2006, through August 13, 2006), South Haven, Van Buren County, the Lower Peninsula.
The Ontonagon County Fair (from August 27, 2006, through August 30, 2006), Greenland, Ontonagon County, the Upper Peninsula.
The Pontiac Airport Open House (August 13), Pontiac Airport, Pontiac, Oakland County, the Lower Peninsula.
The Posen Potato Festival (from September 8, 2006, through September 10, 2006), Posen, Presque Isle County, the Lower Peninsula.
The Romeo Airport Static Display (September 3), Romeo Airport, Romeo (which holds its Michigan Peach Festival from August 31 through September 4 this year), Macomb County, the Lower Peninsula) on September 3.
The Upper Peninsula State Fair (from August 15, 2006, through August 20, 2006), the U.P. State Fairgrounds, Escanaba, Delta County, the Upper Peninsula.
- - - Public Service Copy for Broadcasters (four pieces) - - -
Number One:
On a long driving trip in Michigan--such a long one-day
drive--a person could get fairly tired, and the prospect of maybe
getting tired while making such a drive could be a reason some
people do not like to make long drives in Michigan. If you know
someone who is thinking about maybe taking at least a
three-hundred-mile drive to some place in Michigan, urge them
to do what the publisher of The Hologlobe Press does--make
at least four or five rest stops during the one-day drive. Make
stops at rest areas, gasoline stations, grocery stores, convenience
stores, and restaurants. Remember: Don't put off a trip to,
maybe, the Northern Michigan Speedway at Elmira for Saturday
evening races because the drive will be long. Instead, make your
trip easy by making many short rest stops. To learn about places
to see in Michigan, go to the Web site of The Hologlobe
Press--www.hologlobepress.com--and see the "Michigan
Travel Tips" stories.
###
Number Two:
If you were to look at a calendar of events for Michigan
that covers the next couple months, you might think that you
could travel the state to events and not make it near home for
weeks. Think about this. You could attend the National
Blueberry Festival at South Haven from August 10 through
August 13, or be at the Humongous Fungus Fest at Crystal Falls
during that period. The Lenawee County Fair is on from August
13 through August 19, and that will be at Adrian. There's a
melon festival at Howell from August 18 though August 20. The
Michigan State Fair is on from August 23 through September 4,
and you have to go to Detroit for that fair. By the way, the
Upper Peninsula State Fair will be open at Escanaba from
August 15 through August 20. And the Posen Potato Festival
is from September 8 through 10. I cannot tell you about all the
events, but I can urge you to enjoy your safe traveling in
Michigan--buckled up.
###
Number Three:
Now, I have something put together by The Hologlobe
Press. Two 2004 public acts of Michigan, which became
effective on October 1, 2005, have new rules about the buying
and selling of vehicles, and the acts are Public Acts 493 and 495.
One of the new laws requires the seller/owner of a used vehicle
to be with the buyer at a Secretary of State office during the
process of transferring the title of the vehicle from the seller/owner
to the buyer. After a vehicle is sold, the seller/owner of the
vehicle must keep a record of the sale for at least 18 months,
and that record can be a "photocopy of the reassigned title" or
a document that notes the vehicle identification number of the sold
vehicle, the buyer's name and address, the buyer's driver's license
number, the purchase price, the date of sale or transfer, and the
signature of the buyer. And as always, The Hologlobe Press hopes
you to enjoy your safe traveling in Michigan.
###
Number Four:
This summer, you should see or do something new in the
Detroit area, and through this little report compiled by The
Hologlobe Press, I am going to pass along two ideas. This
summer, a part of Mt. Brighton is open to people who want to
try something new, and that something new is called "aqua
sphereing." When you do aqua sphereing, you get in a
12-foot-diameter ball with someone else and three gallons of
water and roll down a hill. If you'd like to try aqua sphereing,
keep Mt. Brighton and "Sphere USA" in mind. Mt. Brighton
is in Livingston County. Cranbrook Institute of Science is in
Oakland County, and "Cranbrook" has a new "Digistar 3 SP2"
projector in the planetarium, and two of the shows at the
planetarium are "Michigan Sky Tonight" and "Ultimate
Universe." Remember: Cranbrook Institute of Science is in
Bloomfield Hills, and Mt. Brighton is at Brighton, and keep those
little children in safety seats.
###
- - - Contact Information - - -
The Hologlobe Press
Postal Box 5455
Dearborn, Michigan 48128-0455
The United States of Americacopyright c. 2006
File date: 10 July 2006To see the next edition of Michigan Travel Tips,
click on: Travel #28.
To see the previous edition of Michigan Travel Tips,
click on: Travel #26.
To see the catalog page for Michigan Travel Tips,
click on: Travel.
To go to the main page of The Hologlobe Press,
click on: www.hologlobepress.com.
###