Thumbs Up! Michigan

• MUSH!: There’s mush ado about mushing in the Upper Peninsula, where you can experience the excitement of dog sledding from behind a team on a guided excursion, or cheer from the sidelines at two major racing events, the U.P. 200 & Midnight Run and the Copper Dog 150 each February and March.
• CHERRY UP: Everything’s coming up cherries in Traverse City for the 85th National Cherry Festival July 2-9, 2011. Most of theactivities are free, including parades, entertainment, and the cherry pie eating and pit spitting contests.

It’s not exactly going over the falls in a barrel, but on Saturday, September 11, professional canoe teams will race a 17-mile course down the Tahquamenon River at Tahquamenon Falls State Park in the Upper Peninsula.The two-person teams will begin at the Lower Falls and finish at Whitefish Bay. Spectators can enjoy a gorgeous hike along the banks of the river and the course, or get in on the action by entering the Paradise Fun Run, a shorter one-person canoe race that is open to amateurs and paddling enthusiasts. This is the land of Longfellow's Hiawatha:"…by the rushing Tahquamenaw…”.   We can tell you more about the race and the one of the largest falls in the contiguous states.

Michigan’s free fall color show is about to begin. No tickets required. Fall color updates begin on September 15 at michigan.org. If you are looking for unique ways to report the autumn blaze we can help you – from balloon and train rides, lake cruises, hiking and biking trails, state parks, cider mills, apple picking, driving tours and a myriad of fall events, we’ve got hues covered.

The crisp air and turning colors of autumn mark Michigan’s harvest season that will paint the perfect backdrop for a winery or vineyard tour. Michigan wineries and destinations celebrate the season with events including vineyard races and walks, and stomping competitions. Roll up your pants and we will help get everyone ready to stomp thru one of Michigan’s more than 70 wineries this fall.

Last year’s $250,000 grand prize winner barely had enough money to reach Grand Rapids and a local family volunteered a place for him to sleep. His rags to riches story only gets better as he received 3 commissions for his paintings and continues to paint every day. ArtPrize changes the canvas of how art and people connect. Right now 1713 world-wide artists are making the final touches on paintings, sculpture, multi-media creations and more to vie for the largest prize money in the world offered for an art competition and voted upon by event attendeesusing social media technologies. We can give you a glimpse of the some the art that is on its way to Grand Rapids for the September 22-October 10 event that attracted more than 200,000 attendees in the 2009 inaugural year.