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Category: Resorts

Popular west Michigan ranch-resort bites the dust

Sad news from west Michigan and yet another sign of tough economic times: Double JJ Ranch, Waterpark & Golf Resort , a fixture on the Michigan travel scene since 1937 and site of this summer's successful Rothbury Music Festival, closed its doors Wednesday, throwing 150 nonseasonal employes out of work.

A property auction is scheduled for Oct. 30, but the owners hold out hope that the 1,500-acre resort, which has operated under Chapter 11 bankruptcy since July, will be sold to investors, according to spokesperson Michelle Lantz of Lansing.

Court documents show creditors are owed an estimated $22 million and the property is valued at $33 million.

The shutdown marks the end, at least temporarily, of Double JJ's 71-year reign as a popular destination for generations of Michigan families. The property, north of Muskegon, underwent ambitious expansion over the years from an old West-style dude ranch to a four-season resort, complete with a championship golf course, hotel and conference center, horses and riding trails, and a Friday night rodeo. A $12-million indoor waterpark opened less than two years ago.

My 82-year-old mother-in-law still has fond memories of the time, more than 60 years ago, that she and her girlfriends vacationed at the resort when it was known simply as the Jack & Jill Ranch.

More recently, the site became familiar to some 30,000 music fans from around the country who flocked there over the July 4th weekend for the Rothbury Music Festival.

The fate of future such events is uncertain.

A court-appointed trustee has conducted numerous discussions with prospective investors, including some who toured the property in July and August, according to a notice posted on the resort's Web site.

Although Double JJ recently secured a limited financing commitment that will allow it to prepare for an expected sale in October, "The level of available financing, together with the traditional off-peak seasonal downturn in the resort's business ... made continued full-scale operations impossible," the notice said.

A hearing to set a timeline for proceedings is scheduled for Sept. 11.

Double JJ owners Joan and Bob Lipsitz, who own 56 percent of the resort, could not be reached Thursday for comment. "They're no longer on the property," a resort telephone operator said.

General manager Tony Laughlin, in the Web site announcement, said: "It was with a heavy heart that we had to suspend operations at the resort (Wednesday). While we had little choice, given the limited financing available, that does not make the decision any easier. ... We all hope that the sale happens quickly and the resort will soon open once again."

Double JJ will host a scheduled wedding Saturday, according to the Web site, and is working with various groups to relocate other scheduled events. Log home and condo owners will continue to have access to personal residences, but the resort no longer will accept reservations. A small staff will remain to care for the horses and maintain the property.

Travelers with reservations or gift certificates should seek information by e-mailing info@doublejj.com or call (800) Double JJ.

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Category: Celebrate Michigan

Skip the hurricane-studded Caribbean: sail aboard a Michigan windjammer

You don't have to travel to the Caribbean --- especially now in hurricane season --- to take a Windjammer cruise. Just head up to Traverse City where the tall ship, Manitou, this fall offers five themed excursions, from astronomy to wine-tasting, in the waters of northern Lake Michigan and Grand Traverse Bay. Passengers on these multi-day sailings will explore coastal villages, isles and bays while focusing on such diverse subjects as gourmet chocolates, Great Lakes music, lore and history; fall foliage, international wines, and the skies over northern Michigan. The three- and four-day cruises start Friday and run through Oct. 5. For a schedule, rates and reservations, call (800) 678-0383. Learn more about the Manitou here.

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Category: Celebrate Michigan

'3 Days in the D' = Labor Day weekend fun

Last year the travel industry promoted "mancations," a cutesy term for guys' getaways. Now the latest trend is "staycations," or vacations where you can save airfare and gas money by finding cool things to do close to home. With three major festivals scheduled for Labor Day weekend in Metro Detroit, there's plenty to keep everyone entertained with no need to venture out on I-75 or fly today's increasingly unfriendly skies. Check out the details here in my story.

And get additional information below:

Chrysler Arts, Beats & Eats

When: Friday-Monday

Where: Pontiac

Info: www.artbeatseats.com

Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix

When: Friday-Sunday

Where: Belle Isle

Info: www.detroitgp.com

Detroit International Jazz Festival

When: Friday-Monday

Where: Downtown Detroit

Info: www.detroitjazzfest.com

Also on Labor Day weekend:

Michigan State Fair:

Michigan Renaissance Festival

www.michrenfest.com

Michigan Peach Festival, Romeo:

Category: Celebrate Michigan! photo contest

Romeo winter landscape wins weekly photo contest

Wendy Mets of Macomb Township was driving down a dirt road in Romeo this past January when she came across this sunset scene with freshly fallen snow on the ground.

She snapped a photo with her newly purchased Pentax K10 D, using a manual setting of F/6.7, 1/125 of a second exposure and ISO 100.

Mets' photo, titled "Michigan Winter Wonderland," is the final weekly winner of this year's Celebrate Michigan! photo contest on detnews.com.

Michigan Winter Wonderland!

Mets wins two Tigers tickets and becomes eligible for a random drawing for one of three Michigan travel adventures:

• Garland golf getaway: 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 at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, including breakfast and dinner.

The winners will be announced next week.

More than 1,800 photographs have been submitted to the 2008 Celebrate Michigan! photo contest since it began May 20, capturing the unique character of our state. Enjoy the photos at detnews.com/celebratemichigan.

While the contest has closed, all year long you can upload your photos to our Celebrate Michigan! photo gallery.

Also, find a list of recommended upcoming events in Michigan and Michigan travel ideas in our Travel section.

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Category: Celebrate Michigan

Mackinac Island is an ideal fall destination

Like other Michiganians, I've made the pilgrimage to Mackinac Island many times over the years, mostly during the warm summer months. Those trips conjure up memories of throngs of fudgies crowding Main Street, sweating through an afternoon tour of Fort Mackinac and glimpses of the famed porch at the Grand Hotel during a horse-and-buggy tour.

A few years ago, I traveled to the island for a fall getaway at the Grand Hotel. Autumn turned out to be an ideal time to visit Mackinac. While the Grand Hotel was busy with guests, the island seemed almost uninhabited. The familiar crowds were absent from Main Street. There was plenty of elbow room inside the small fudge shops and boutiques. And pedaling the perimeter of the island, I passed only a handful of other bicyclists.

The island's tourist season doesn't end this holiday weekend. The Grand Hotel offers several getaway packages through the end of October. They range from a Fall Wine Appreciation Weekend Sept. 5-7 to Ballroom Dancing Weekend Oct. 17-19. Packages start at $899 per couple. Other packages and details are available at Grand Hotel.

The island also has events through the fall. Check out Mackinac.com

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Category: Celebrate Michigan

Readers point the way to more Michigan 'Sweet Stops'

Turns out the 20 Michigan Sweet Stops readers shared in an earlier story here in The Detroit News weren't enough to get travelers through the summer. So here are more suggestions from other readers on where to satisfy our collective sweet tooth around the state during the upcoming Labor Day weekend travels and fall color season: Cindy J. Briggs of Southfield raves about Shatila Bakery in Dearborn, which she visits with co-workers when they need a treat. "This place is a paradise of Middle Eastern desserts, and there is also an ice-cream section," she says. "You might have to take a number and wait a bit, but it is worth it." David Williams of Oden recommends Jesperson's Restaurant and Pie Shoppe in downtown Petoskey: "After 105 years these folks know what they're doing," he writes in an e-mail. "The cherry berry pie is so fresh you can almost close your eyes and pretend you're picking the succulent fruits yourself. The banana cream pie is ambrosia and even your Mom's apple pie isn't this good, I'll bet." Ibtisam Field of Dearborn Heights writes in about how much her late husband, John, loved stopping at House of Flavors in Ludington, even though summer lines may stretch around the building in late afternoon or evening. "It's the best ice cream we ever tasted," she says. "John's favorite there was chocolate cherry amaretto." Kelly Crawford of Clarkston recommends the vanilla caramels at Veni's Sweet Shop in downtown Niles, calling them addictive, and also notes the packed parking lot around Sherman's Dairy Bar, which serves up homemade ice cream; it's off U.S. 31 near South Haven. From Alan S. and Susie Jonientz of Birmingham comes a thumbs up for chili chocolate cherries at Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor. And Shelley Goodge of Grass Lake maintains: "One Michigan favorite that should get a mention is The Parlour in Jackson. Anyone who's lived in Michigan long enough will be reminded of Farrells with their HUGE sundaes."

Category: Win me!

There's still time to be a China (book) winner

So you missed traveling to Beijing for the Olympics. That doesn't mean you're a loser! You still could win a book that may whet your appetite for a visit -- even though "garlic cattle penis" is one of the menu items author J. Maarten Troost spotted while researching it.

For a chance to win "Lost on Planet China: The Strange and True Story of One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation, or How He Became Comfortable Eating Live Squid," send me an e-mail at srpollack@detnews.com.

Meanwhile, congratulations to the Travelblog's two other winners of China travel books, Nicole Gerring of Detroit and Paul Algee of Ypsilanti.

Send me a postcard if you go!

Category: Celebrate Michigan! photo contest

Reward at the end of the rainbow

As is so often the case in Michigan, a little rain brings a little sunshine, too. That's what Lea Rinn of Chesterfield found earlier this month when a giant rainbow appeared over Anchor Bay.

Rainbow on Anchor Bay

"I decided to go over to Brandenburg Park in Chesterfield so I could walk down the pier and get a better shot," Rinn said. "As soon as I got there it started pouring again, but I decided to stay because the rainbow was so beautiful and so close. ... Everyone at the pier was overcome with the beauty of the rainbow on Anchor Bay. Before it slowly faded, a lot of people visited the pier to see the rainbow."

Rinn's photograph is this week's winner of the The Detroit News' 2008 Celebrate Michigan! photo contest and two tickets to an upcoming Detroit Tigers game.

More than 1,600 photographs have been submitted to the 2008 Celebrate Michigan! photo contest since it began in May, showing off what makes Michigan special. It's a great time to spread the word about the people and places that make this state great by entering The Detroit News' Celebrate Michigan! photo contest at detnews.com/celebratemichigan.

Give us your best shot of one of those special Michigan sunrises or sunsets, the towering pine forests of northern Michigan, kids frolicking in one of our Great Lakes or visiting one of our wonderful landmarks. We'll choose the 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.

Each week, we'll choose a winner to receive tickets to a Tigers home game who will then be eligible to win one of three Michigan travel adventures at summer's end:

• Garland golf getaway: 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.

Don't delay! The contest will end Sept. 1.

Category: Travel planning

Check out PC Magazine's top 'undiscovered' travel Web sites

For some travel buffs, getting there is half the fun. But for others, the planning part -- with all the required decisions -- is a hassle big enough to make them stay home.

That could change thanks to PC Magazine's Top 100 Undiscovered Web sites of 2008, which includes a section on the best sites to help you travel with ease. Here's a rundown:

EveryScape - www.everyscape.com - Lets you explore both the street view and interiors of buildings and find hotels, restaurants and popular tourist sites with reviews from Yelp.com.

Farecast - farecast.live.com - Tracks price trends to help you buy with confidence. Allows you to easily compare, filter and sort flight results from hundreds of airline, hotel and agency Web sites to find the exact trip that's right for you.

Happy Median - www.happymedian.com - Offers meeting places in the middle of up to four addresses so you can rendezvous with friends, whether you're looking for a restaurant, movie theater, golf course or lodging.

InsideTrip - www.insidetrip.com - Provides a true insider's view on how to buy travel by offering not only the best prices, but also the ability to search by TripQuality score and comfort level.

TripIt - www.tripit.com - Builds master itinerary using your travel confirmation e-mail. Complete with flight/hotel info, maps, driving directions, weather reports and much more.

Check these out and let me know if they work for you at srpollack@detnews.com.

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Category: Such a deal!

Follow the Yellow Brick Road to Minneapolis

A chance to see Wicked the Musical is as good a reason as any to get out of town for a few days.

The Broadway smash arrives in Minneapolis a month before its run in Detroit (by all means, catch it at the Detroit Opera House, if you can), and the four-star Radisson Plaza Minneapolis is offering special packages "to make guests feel as though they have indeed found themselves over the rainbow."

The Wicked Good Deal rates range from $129 to $279 per night (based on double occupancy) and include two cocktails at the hotel's Fire Lake Grill House and Cocktail Bar, parking, bottled water, free high-speed Internet access and late checkout on the day of departure. The Radisson Plaza Minneapolis offers details on the package and room availability.

Unfortunately, the package does not include Wicked tickets. But the Wicked Good Deal sounds like a bewitching offer and a good reason to visit Minneapolis.