Travel For the Arts and Dance Lovers

At the heart of Northern Michigan’s vacation wonderland lays Charlevoix, Michigan. The unrivaled beauty and charm of this classic resort town makes it the crown jewel of northern Michigan vacation destinations. Perched on a narrow isthmus of land stretching between Lake Michigan, Lake Charlevoix and Round Lake provides a magical appeal that has attracted guests for more than 100 years, and makes Charlevoix an excellent area for year round family fun.

The main street in Charlevoix is only four blocks long, but you’ll want to leave plenty of time to stroll from one end to the other. The number and quality of art galleries, clothing boutiques and gourmet restaurants is certain to bring several stops along the way. And that doesn’t even count the number of candy stores, fudge shops and ice cream parlors that are impossible to resist. And don’t forget to look for the number of Earl Young built “Mushroom” or “Hobbit” houses scattered around the edges of the town.

Blue water, white sand, gleaming yachts in one of the world’s most beautiful harbors  that’s just the beginning of what makes Charlevoix so captivating. Elegant Victorian homes, white picket fences and vibrant petunias accent the gracious atmosphere. Many wonderful parks on Lake Charlevoix and Lake Michigan provide the perfect place to sit back and simply while away the time. Many of Northern Michigan’s most renowned golf courses, providing beautiful views and exciting challenges for all levels from beginner to expert lie within a few miles of Charlevoix.

From its many arts and crafts markets, to the classic car shows, to the famous Venetian Festival in July and Applefest in October, there is almost always something fun and exciting going on in Charlevoix for the Northern Michigan vacationer. Just plan your Northern Michigan vacation early… these hugely popular summer fairs cause most Charlevoix hotels, condos, and other rentals to be fully booked in many cases a year a head of time.

Charlevoix’s central location makes it the perfect choice for exploring all that Northern Michigan has to offer. Almost everything in northern Michigan, including Traverse City, Petoskey, Gaylord, Mackinac Island and the Mackinac Bridge, Leelanau Peninsula and the Leelanau Sands Casino, Sleeping Bear Dunes, wineries, and many of the Midwest’s best downhill ski resorts, including Boyne Highland’s and Boyne Mountain (and don’t forget Boyne Mountain’s fabulous new Avalanche Bay Indoor Water park), Shanty Creek and Schuss Mountain, Nubs Nob, and much more are all within an easy hour drive. This area is also renowned for its magnificent colored leaf tours every fall. There are also numerous cross country ski trails and snowmobiling trails in the immediate Charlevoix area.

And bikers, joggers, hikers and skaters, don’t forget the Little Traverse Wheelway bicycle path that cuts right across the front of the Charlevoix Country Club. This 29 mile long paved path runs from Charlevoix all the way to Harbor Springs. Just north of the Charlevoix Country Club, the trail offers a unique 3/4 mile long boardwalk bridging a wetland area rich with wildlife. The trail includes several beautiful stretches directly along the Lake Michigan shoreline, perfect for finding Petoskey Stones, and includes two parks that are perfect for a picnic or scenic resting spot.

All this and more awaits you in Charlevoix, where your Northern Michigan vacation memories will be treasured for years to come.

Many types of catered holidays can help you enjoy your time off, be together with your family, and have a wonderful time. Catered skiing holidays can be great fun for you and your loved ones. However, when you are going on catered skiing holidays, there are several things that you must plan for ahead of time. These things include flights to get you to your destination, the accommodation that you choose to stay in when you are there, and transportation such as rail services and car hire services. All these things are important items to consider as you begin planning your skiing holidays.

Choosing A Destination

The first thing to remember when you are planning skiing holidays is the importance of the destination. There are many great ski slopes all over Europe, and lots of these places offer anywhere from a weekend to a week or more of skiing fun. Many resorts provide skiing holidays in mountain areas that are some of the most beautiful in the world. However, there are several questions that you need to ask before you choose the best place for your skiing holidays.

The first things you need to focus on while choosing skiing holidays are how long you are going to be there, the number of people who are going, and their ages. These are probably the most important factors in deciding where to take your skiing holidays. The length of your skiing holiday will have a lot to do with the destination that you choose. If you are only going for the weekend or a couple of days, you can find a remote and beautiful place to go to for your skiing holiday. If your trip is short, your focus will be on skiing, and it won’t matter if there are not very many amenities or family things to do. The other attractions that might be in the area won’t be as important as the family ski resort itself. You want to choose a ski resort that will allow you to do as much skiing as possible in the short time you have for your holiday.

If your skiing holiday is going to be longer than a few days, the location and amenities of the place that you choose for these skiing holidays are both very important. When you are going to take a ski holiday that lasts longer than just a few days, the other things that you can find to do become much more vital to you. For a long trip, you will need other things to do, no matter how much you love skiing. You will need to make sure that you choose skiing holidays at places that have restaurants, shopping districts, entertainment, and other activities. These will allow you to take a break from skiing, and make your skiing holidays more enjoyable overall.

The ages of the people going on your skiing holidays are also very important. If you are going on skiing holidays with your children, you need to choose places that have ski lessons for children, and fun activities for them as well. With your children along, you also want to research the safety of the ski resort even more thoroughly than you otherwise would. Remember again, that with children, you are going to want to pick your skiing holiday locations where there are lots of things for them to do besides skiing.

Getting There

Once you have chosen a place for your skiing holidays, you have to decide on the best way to get there. The travelling that is involved often costs more than the actual skiing. However, there are many deals on flights and packages to various destinations for skiing holidays, if you know where to look. If you can save money on airline flights, you will have more money to spend on your skiing holidays.

The accommodation that you choose is also an important part of planning family skiing holidays. Whether you stay on the actual site of the family resort, or somewhere near the slopes, you want to be able to get there easily each day to ski. Remember, if you are staying at the place where you are skiing, it might be more expensive. However, your ski slope fees will usually be included. If you find an accommodation that is much cheaper than the resort, but where skiing is nearby, you might find this to be less expensive, but you probably will have to pay for the ski slope fees.

There are other things to consider as you plan your skiing holidays. Things like rail services that can get you to your destination, and whether or not you want to do a car hire are all decisions that you have to make before you leave on your trip. You will find that if you take the time to plan your skiing holidays before you go, you will be able to relax and enjoy them much more.

If you would like to try somewhere different this year, why not consider taking your next camping trip in Florida. Rated as one of the best states for its camping sites, tent camping in Florida will probably leave you with memories that will last a lifetime.

From swamps to huge forests and from peaceful lakes to glorious endless beaches the state of Florida has something for everyone. One thing is sure. Your tent camping in Florida is guaranteed to be jammed packed with totally new experiences for all to enjoy.

Tent Camping In State Parks

There are various State Parks that are open to the general camping public and each showcases a different outdoor setting from the other. If you are looking for glorious unspoiled beaches, then Grayton Beach State Park might be just what you have been looking for. This beautiful camping ground also offers furnished cabins together with running water and electric hook-ups.

Suwannee River State Park will give you a camping experience of days gone by. With a river setting, your camping experience can relaxing or fun filled with various water activities like canoeing. Pets are also no problem, and all the usual modern facilities like hook-ups for water and electricity are also available.

If pearly white sandy beaches and crystal clear blue water are important to you, then head on straight to Cayo Costa. Rated as one of the best camping venues in Florida, Cayo Costa has camping sites for both cabin and tent camping.

Camping in Florida is a lot of fun if you find yourself at Bahia Honda State Park. Crystal blue waters with pearly white sandy beaches and lots of shady palm trees will greet you at every turn.

Florida National Parks

The Everglades National Park is classed as the premier destination of many campers. With a wide variety of wild life, countless swamp areas and mangrove forests, this camping destination offers something for everyone. It is nearly impossible to describe the beauty and diversity that awaits you there and this is a case where seeing is believing. This natural sanctuary offers several campsites both inland and along its glorious sandy beaches.

If you like fresh springs and exceptional campsites, maybe Ocala National Forest could be the place for you. With various recreation areas, tent camping in Florida will keep you occupied during most of the day.

For a family atmosphere, you cannot really go past Salt Springs. It offers wonderful picnic spots and various activities like canoeing, hiking and swimming that will keep the kids busy. The main reason for its popularity is the swimming hole where the underground springs keeps the water at a very nice 72 degrees nearly all year long. Juniper Springs is another campsite that offers the above activities with the added bonus of snorkeling.

If you have a passion for wildlife, then tent camping in Florida has a few nice treats waiting for you. Alligators, egrets, armadillos and several species of wild birds are all basically at your doorstep.

Isn’t it time that you tried something new?