We received nearly 100 awesome suggestions for lodging, dining and attractions along the Michigan wine trails from our readers over the last two weeks, but luckily, we didn't have to choose the best: We turned everything over to the trusty random number generator at Random.org to select the winner in our GET ME TO THE GRAPES! Guides contest. And the winner is ... JANET ROZYCKI!
Janet, please email us at cort@michiganbythebottle.com by 9 a.m. Sunday to claim your prize: two tickets to Toast the Season, courtesy of Leelanau Peninsula Vinterns Association, a Michigan By The Bottle T-shirt and 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.
We'll be running periodic contest campaigns to solicit suggestions for the guides, which we'll begin assembling shortly and which will be linked to the front page of the site. Even between the campaigns, we'll be accepting more recommendations, so please feel free to send them our way as you think of them. We're especially in need of more suggestions along the Pioneer Wine Trail, Lake Michigan Shore Wine Country and other offshoot trails. So come on, fans, hit us up!
Read on for more info on what we're looking for...
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!)
We'll be using your 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.
We're 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.
Recommendations can be emailed to cort@michiganbythebottle.com with "Grapes Guide" in the subject line. Please 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.
Feel free to email us at cort@michiganbythebottle.com with any questions. We're looking forward to the great discoveries ahead!
