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Category: Celebrate Michigan! photo contest

Tubing photo makes splash, wins prize

Jay Parker's photograph, "Tubin' on White Lake," wins this week's 2008 Celebrate Michigan! photo contest, and nets him two tickets to an upcoming Tigers game.

More than 800 photographs have been submitted to The Detroit News' Celebrate Michigan! photo contest since it began May 20, showing off what makes Michigan special.

You, too, can spread the word about the people and places of Michigan by entering photos that best capture the unique character of our state. All you need to do is upload your photos to our Celebrate Michigan! photo gallery at detnews.com/celebratemichigan.

Each week, we'll pick a winner who will get tickets to a Tigers home game or another Metro Detroit event. All winners will also be eligible to win one of three Michigan travel adventures at summer's end:

• Garland Resort golf getaway in Lewiston.: Two nights midweek plus two rounds of golf at Garland Resort in Lewiston.
• Grand Traverse Resort: Two-night getaway at the golf and vacation resort near Traverse City.
• Grand Hotel: Two-night getaway for two in late summer or fall at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, including breakfast and dinner.

Enter often! The contest ends Sept. 1.

4th of July, White Lake, MI

Category: Celebrate Michigan

Spend July 4th weekend at Traverse City's cherry fest without spending a fortune

It's a long, lazy 4th of July weekend and you can hang around the shanty and barbecue -- or hit the road and celebrate. If you have cabin fever, but not a lot of dough, you can still get away to Michigan's north country without spending a fortune.

For starters, the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City offers nine days' worth of activities, starting today (July 4th), and many of them are free or budget-friendly. Check out my story, "Cherry Festival on the Cheap" here.

Category: Music

Free Paul McCartney concert boosts Quebec City's 400th birthday party

Canadian media are buzzing about Paul McCartney's announcement this week that he'll play a free concert on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City on July 20.

That's just what the city needed to kick up the buzz -- and attract more visitors --- for its highly-touted 400th birthday celebration.

The appearance in this quaint walled city, where most of the residents speak French (but will try to help tourists in English) -- will mark McCartney's only North American concert date this year and his first ever performance in Quebec City.

The former Beatle made the announcement in a video message taped in London, saying: "...I would like to announce that I am doing a gig -- a big gig -- in Quebec City on the 20th of July.... We're coming to Quebec for the first time. We're going to have a great time! And I would love to see you there."

For a look at Quebec City's 400th birthday festivities, read my April story Quebec City prepares to mark its 400th anniversary with a summer full of music and art

And, if you'd like to join the fun, check here

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Category: Air Travel

New look for NWA.com Check-In boarding passes

If you're a frequent passenger aboard Northwest Airlines flights and use the air carrier's convenient NWA.com online Check-In service, you may have noticed a new look in recent weeks for those print-at-home boarding passes.

The passes now feature your boarding, departure and arrival times right next to each other. They also feature new barcodes similar to those seen in Northwest's new e-boarding pass, introduced in Indianapolis this spring.

Category: Motor City rambles

Beyond Comerica Park

If you venture into downtown Detroit only to catch the Tigers and then head back to the suburbs, you're missing out on many of the wonderful things the city center offers.

If you're skittish about wandering the city on your own, here's an opportunity to explore downtown in the company of others. Inside Detroit is offering a Live and Work Tour of downtown on Wednesday. The three-hour walking tour will stop at landmarks, new developments (including a loft project), the Book Cadillac, and point out hot spots for power lunches. The tour runs from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and costs $20. Check out Inside Detroit for more information.

That tour -- and another planned for July 17, called Live and Play Tour -- sound like great ways to get to know your city.

Category: Golf Travel

Take your daughter golfing -- for free --- at scenic courses around Michigan

You don't have to travel far to feel far away when you're on a golf course. From Monday through July 13, nearly two dozen Michigan golf courses are participating in Take Your Daughter to the Course Week, offering free rounds (and in some cases clinics or instruction) to junior girls who play with a paying adult.

Among those offering the Play Golf America-sanctioned deal are such scenic spots as Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville, Otsego Club and The Loon Golf Club in Gaylord, Manistee National Golf & Resort in Manistee, Crystal Lake Golf Club in Beulah and even a few in Metro Detroit.

Find out details here

Category: Celebrate Michigan

Saugatuck scores as a 'Great American Beach Town'

Saugatuck, that laid-back, artsy community on Lake Michigan, landed on a list of 11 "Great American Beach Towns" published today by the travel website, concierge.com.

If you haven't been there, it is, indeed, a lovely beachside getaway with a small-town feel. And, as the article points out, it's only about three hours from Detroit.

Check it out here

Category: Air Travel

Delta adds fuel surcharge for reward tickets

Delta Air Lines is adding a fuel surcharge for reward tickets obtained through its SkyMiles program.

Passengers using miles for a domestic ticket will pay a $25 fuel surcharge, while international tickets have a $50 surcharge tacked on.

The fee and surcharge increases likely won't be over soon, either. Oil prices are continuing to skyrocket, and while airlines are having some success raising fares as they pare down the number of available seats, they're still having to rely on levying fees for a whole host of little extras to generate revenue to help cover skyrocketing jet fuel costs.

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Category: Such a deal!

Sizzling Summer Special

It's no surprise Michiganians plan to travel close to home this summer, with gas prices at record highs and everything from airline fares to car rental rates rising as well.

For the first time in AAA's annual survey of the most popular summer destinations for Michiganians, two state locales -- Traverse City and Mackinaw City -- ranked in the Top 10. Mackinaw City landed at number 7 and Traverse City closed the ranks at number 10. Our top destination this summer is Niagara Falls, Ontario, just a four-hour drive away. Driveable destinations like Chicago, Toronto and Cleveland also made the list.

Coincidentally, the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau is offering a first-ever, midweek summer special to lure travelers north. The Sizzling Summer Special offers rooms beginning at $115 a night (plus tax, and based on availability) between Sunday and Thursday nights. More than 20 hotels, motels and resorts are participating in the promotion.

Guests must book their stay by calling 800-872-8377. The bureau also is offering 25 percent restaurant discounts as well as deals on golf, wine, entertainment and spa services. Check out Sizzling Summer Special.

Category: Air Travel

With fees up, carry-on is the way to go

With fliers facing new checked luggage fees like $25 for the second bag on most airlines and $15 for the first on some like American, United and US Airways, expect more travelers to opt for the carry-on instead.

It couldn't come at a worse time, since the summer season is notorious for bringing out flocks of infrequent fliers who don't always know the ropes of air travel that well. One suggestion: pay the checked baggage fee if you're not familiar with the carry-on rules. You'll avoid making bitter enemies in the security lines or on-board the plane if you don't commit baggage-related bafoonery (this includes storing your carry-on correctly ... wheels first, in vertically for those overhead bins!).

This video should help you make the most of your suitcase space: