Detroit Trip Idea: River Days Festival

Celebrate summer in Detroit with a stroll along the revitalized Detroit International Riverfront. Marking the first official day of summer, June 21, the fourth annual Detroit River Days Festival is scheduled this year for June 18-21. Enjoy an eclectic mix of land- and water-based events that include dog acrobatics, a tugboat parade, coastguard search-and-rescue demonstrations, live music, and a big fireworks display over the Detroit River. The family-oriented festival is organized to showcase the city’s newly renovated RiverWalk as well as celebrate the close ties between communities in Detroit and Windsor across the border in Ontario, Canada.

Photo credit: Detriot, Michigan (Corbis)

Where to Find Budget Culture in the Midwest

Find culture on the cheap in these five laid-back Midwestern cities:

Indianapolis, Indiana
Visit the Indianapolis Museum of Art or the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art for free, or visit the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis on one of its free admission days.

Minneapolis, Minneapolis
Admission to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and Minneapolis Sculpture Garden are always free. St. Paul’s Como Zoo and Conservatory is also free, and the Minnesota Historical Society hosts free admission days to historic sites in the Twin Cities.

Best Budget-Friendly Ski Vacations

These budget-friendly ski resorts offer amenities and activities for everyone from seasoned skiers to first-timers.

Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa, Thompsonville, Michigan
With ski and spa packages starting at $139 per person per night and a variety of other wallet-friendly deals, this full-service ski and golf resort offers a variety of activities, lessons, childcare and more at reasonable prices. Voted top Midwest ski resort by SKI magazine in 2005, the resort offers 45 trails plus two terrain parks and a 700-foot halfpipe.

Vail Cascade Resort, Vail, Colorado
This AAA Four-Diamond resort at the base of Vail Mountain offers a variety of lodging styles and sizes, and an extensive list of attractions and activities for year-round fun. Take advantage of special packages catering to families, spa-lovers, foodies, and hardcore deal-seekers.

Get Wet in Detroit

You might know it as “Motor City,” but let’s not forget that Detroit, Michigan, is the maritime gateway to both Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie to the south. Little wonder, then, that water activities abound, including sailing, fishing, water-skiing, sailing, jet-skiing, and more. Northerly Macomb County, part of the greater metro Detroit area, offers 31 miles of shoreline and more than 100 marinas, earning it the moniker the “Nautical Mile.” One final piece of watertight Detroit trivia: the world’s only floating post office, the J.W. Westcott II, can be found on the Detroit River.

Photo credit: Sailboats on Lake Erie (courtesy, Michigan Tourism)