Connect With Us   Facebook | Twitter | Pure Michigan Blog | Monthly Newsletter

- May 2011 -
Media story tips in this issue: 

• WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW
  
• LOOKING AHEAD - LONG LEADS
  
• WHEELY GOOD FUN
  
• ON THE HUNT
  
• GET FESTIVE
  
• LIFE'S A BEACH PARTY
  
• CARS IN BARNS
  
• FLY WITH US
  
• WINGING IT
  
• COME SAIL AWAY
  

• QUAKE ON THE LAKE: Pontiac Lake will host the Inboard Hydroplane National Championships, July 16-17, with more than 150 teams taking to the water where speed records have been set on boating’s fastest one-mile race course in the country.
• PADDLE UP: The winding waters of the Muskegon River will welcome paddlers age 5 and up from across North America for the annual United States Canoe Association’s National Canoe & Kayak Championships in Newaygo, August 9-14, 2011.

WHEELY GOOD FUN

May is National Bike Month. With more than 1,300 miles of Michigan bike trails, cycling enthusiasts and casual riders can enjoy scenic vistas in state parks, along coastal shorelines, in our national forests and more. The latest bike trail news comes from Marquette where volunteers are working toward the goal of 100 miles of single track at South Trails by 2020. As of now, 30 miles are completed. On May 14, 50 teams of 5 members each, will run the Big Bay Relay, not bike, to raise funds to support the single track project. The annual Superior Bike Fest rolls into Marquette June 24-26, and will feature many levels of racing including a Criterium race on downtown streets. There will be lots of races and lots of prizes. Leave your training wheels at home and contact us for bike trail information and more cycling events this summer.

ON THE HUNT

Spring brings an abundance of outdoor activities, from beautiful blooming blossoms to steelhead fishing, biking nearby trails to the woodland crop of the elusive morel mushroom. Michigan is home to 3 spring morel festivals: the Mesick Mushroom Festival (May 6-8), the Morel Mushroom Festival in Lewiston (May 7) and the National Morel Mushroom Festival in Boyne City (May 12-15). Search for the mysterious morel on a guided mushroom hunt or sample the delicacy of the mushroom. We have long time schroomers who can supply tips on hunting for this springtime delicacy.

GET FESTIVE

The long Memorial Day Weekend is a time of remembrance and the unofficial start of summer, kicking-off a season of celebrations across the state. Sample a wee bit of Scotland at the Alma Highland Festival, meet President and Mrs. Lincoln at Coldwater’s Civil War Days, or tune into the Detroit Electronic Music Festival in the birthplace of the techno sound. Contact us for a calendar full of fun events.

LIFE'S A BEACH PARTY

Muskegon’s Michigan’s Adventure Amusement Park gets underway on May 28 with the new “Beach Party” attraction – a giant interactive water playground in the park’s WildWater Adventure Waterpark. A 90 foot blast from a huge geyser will set the playful mood along with 150 water play features including several waterfalls. Guests can drench each other with fire hoses and water guns for a good soaking. Dive in anytime for more information about Michigan’s many summer attractions including several indoor and outdoor waterparks.

CARS IN BARNS

It started as a hobby with a birthday gift of a car in need of restoration, and has grown into one of the top automobile museums in the U.S. In addition to showcasing a variety of vintage vehicles in big red barns on former farmland in Hickory Corners, the Gilmore Car Museum, now celebrating its 45th anniversary, hosts special exhibits and events. Honk if you want details.

FLY WITH US

We couldn’t be prouder! Michigan was the number one choice for best fly fishing in the U.S. by Field & Stream magazine (April 2011). According to Field & Stream “….the first brown trout in America was planted here. Trout Unlimited started here. You're never more than a few miles or so from a fly-fishable body of water. There's bass, pike, panfish, steelhead, salmon... and the carp fishing can rival some of the best "flats" action in America, no joke.” We can help you cast a great fish story, reel-ly.

WINGING IT

Feathers will be flying June 1-4 when the inaugural Leelanau Peninsula BirdFest welcomes visitors for 12 guided excursions and lectures. The area is also home to the 44-acre Charter Sanctuary, a safe haven to more than 130 species of migrating, nesting and resident birds. Premium excursions at an added charge offer a pontoon-boat trip to the Cedar River Preserve near Lake Leelanau, an expedition to the Arcadia Dunes Prairie Installation to spot upland nesting birds and a voyage by two-masted schooner to view the nesting grounds of Caspian terns, gulls and cormorants at Gull Island. Pre-registration is a must. Several of the excursions are free of charge. Tweet us anytime for more information on this and other Michigan birding events.

COME SAIL AWAY

Visitors can leave the traffic and stress of driving behind and sail to Michigan. Beginning May 26, the historic S.S. Badger Carferry will set sail for another season on Lake Michigan between Michigan’s Beachtown of Ludington and Manitowoc, Wisconsin. The last of the coal-fired steamships operating in North America, this is a one-of-a-kind experience. Looking for other Great Lakes getaways? Check out America’s first high speed auto ferry, the Lake Express Ferry for another ride to begin a Pure Michigan vacation.