We often get questions from newbies who want advice for visiting Michigan's wine trails, and we started thinking ... Who better to advise them of the best food, accommodations and entertainment along the way than the people who spend the most time there? (Psst … that's YOU!)
Today we begin soliciting input for our brand new feature, MBTB's Get Me to the Grapes! Guides. We're so convinced that these will be well received and useful that we're planning to put a big ol' button on the right-hand side of the front page linking to them. These will be online travel guides outlining "must see" and "must do" features around Michigan's wine trails. And all of the content will be fueled by YOU.
Read on for how you can get involved — and possibly win big (including a pair of tickets to Toast the Season in November, courtesy of the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association) for giving your opinion!
For the next two weeks, we'll be actively seeking your recommendations on:
- Lodging (including hotels, inns, B & Bs, campgrounds, cabins/cottages, etc.)
- Dining (ranging from hole-the-wall diners to upscale, fancy fare)
- Attractions/Entertainment (like museums, historic landmarks, theaters, unique shops, beaches, scenic sights, etc.)
- Other (various tips that might not fit into the other categories)
Just to clarify, we're not looking for winery recommendations here; we're focusing on all of the ancillary places along the wine trails.
Anyone who emails a recommendation to cort@michiganbythebottle.com for inclusion in the guides by 5 p.m. Oct. 26 will be entered in a random drawing to win a Get Me to the Grapes prize pack:
- A couples ticket to Toast the Season, courtesy of the Leelanau Peninsula Vintners Association, an amazing holiday celebration at 20 member wineries on the Leelanau Peninsula, featuring food and wine pairings, gifts and more (winner can choose weekend: Nov. 3-4 or Nov. 10-11).
- A Michigan By The Bottle "I Support the State with Every Sip" T-shirt (Size L)
- A copy of "The History of Michigan Wines: 150 Years of Winemaking Along the Great Lakes" by Lorri Hathaway and Sharon Kegerreis, courtesy of the authors.
Getting rewarded for giving your opinion, how nifty is that? EACH recommendation gets you an entry into the contest.
When submitting an item, please put "Grapes Guide" in the subject line and include:
- Your first and last name and city of residence. (Please note that your name and city will appear on the GMTTG Guides.)
- The wine trail/area to which your recommendation pertains (i.e., "Old Mission Peninsula," "Pioneer Wine Trail," etc.).
- The name of the place/attraction you're recommending (preferably with a link to their website, but at the very least, a general crossroads and city).
- A description of at least one complete sentence (but the more detailed the better) of why you recommend this.
Even after the contest has concluded, we'll continue accepting any recommendations you may have for future updates. And we'll most likely have periodic campaigns soliciting more suggestions so we can keep freshening up the info.
Feel free to email us at cort@michiganbythebottle.com with any questions. We're looking forward to the great discoveries ahead!
