In March, we announced an exciting partnership between Pure Michigan and Coca-Cola^®. As a part of this effort, people across the country have the chance to win one of four Pure Michigan vacations through MyCokeRewards.

Today, we’re excited to share that the Traverse City prize package, which includes airfare and travel, is being featured on MyCokeRewards now through June 6^th. Visit MyCokeRewards.com to learn more!

Additional Pure Michigan prize packages include Mackinac Island, Detroit and the Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway.

By teaming up with Coca-Cola^®, Pure Michigan is looking forward to introducing Michigan to new audiences and showcasing what makes our state a terrific travel destination.

The Pure Michigan 400 Mustang at the 2012 Tulip Time Festival

Since we announced the Pure Michigan 400 Mustang sweepstakes last month, have you spotted the vehicle on the road?

Starting with the Tulip Time Festival in Holland last week, the custom-made Roush Mustang began making its way around the state. Now through the Pure Michigan 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in August, let us know if you spot the car at various Pure Michigan events!

Here are a few places to look out for the Mustang:

Hot Rod Power Tour
What better place for the Pure Michigan Mustang than at the Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour? The tour will come to Muskegon on June 3^rd, and will include a performance fair with booths and displays of everything on the car enthusiast’s wish list.

Michigan 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
In advance of the Pure Michigan 400, head to the Irish Hills on June 17^th for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Besides the Mustang, see NASCAR stars, such as former MIS winners Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart, who will return to MIS for this action-packed day of side-by-side racing.

International Bridge Walk
On June 30^th, walk one of the most picturesque 2.8 mile walks during the Sault Sainte Marie International Bridge Walk. People of all ages and at all fitness levels are encouraged to take part in this walk to enjoy fantastic views while snapping pictures (maybe one of the Pure Michigan Mustang) that will last a lifetime.

National Cherry Festival
From July 7^th – 14^th, enjoy family fun in Traverse City at the annual National Cherry Festival. Look out for the Pure Michigan Mustang while taking in colorful parades, marching bands, music shows, sporting events, amusement rides and more.

Let us know if you see the Mustang on the road or at events this summer by posting a photo to the Pure Michigan Car Culture Facebook page or tweeting us at the Pure Michigan cars Twitter handle.

For more information on how you can win the custom-made ride, visit michigan.org/mis.

Karman Hotchkiss, contributing writer for Michigan Travel Ideas, shares insider tips on how to successfully navigate and get the most out of any art fair this season.

This year, I plan to kick off the art fair season with a one-two punch of festivals—the East Lansing Art Festival and the Michigan State University Arts and Crafts Show. These dual events—across the street from each other in East Lansing—give me a taste of just about every kind of art you can imagine.

As you head to art fairs in your area this summer, here are a couple of tips:

• Pack a cheat sheet with measurements and paint colors. My friend Susan doesn’t venture into an art show without her little zipper bag of home data. She knows the exact measurement of that space above the fireplace and has paint chips for her hard-to-match lavender bathroom. So when she falls in love with a painting, vase or rug, she knows if it will fit or match.
• Chat with the artists. Art fairs usually put you face-to-face with the creators. What a great way to learn the story behind each piece. At last year’s East Lansing show, I learned delightful details about wood turning from Michigan artist Ted July, whose wooden bowls with bark rims intrigued me. This year, you’ll find him at booth #94.
• Don’t miss the kid art. Most festivals sponsor a hands-on area for children and display works from local schools. This is a wonderful place to experience the pure joy of unaffected artistic expression. It might even draw out your inner artist.
• Check out companion shows. Wherever there’s a sophisticated juried art show, you can bet there’s probably a grassroots arts and crafts fair nearby. (In East Lansing, a mere boulevard separates the two.) These craftier shows offer plenty of fun, interesting, sometimes more practical finds that complement the work of the professional artists. 
• Go home with something. If a big piece isn’t in your budget (or won’t fit in the car), you can still go home with a memento. Many artists sell note cards, magnets or other small reproductions of their work. These are a great way to celebrate artistic spirit without spending a lot.

For a listing of art shows in Michigan this summer, please visit michigan.org.

Karman Hotchkiss, a native Midwesterner, is a contributing writer for Michigan Travel Ideas. Every time she attends an art fair, she wants to go home and lock herself in her crafting room for a week.

Did you know that May is National Bike Month? In honor of that, we thought it would be fun to roundup some of Michigan’s bike trails. With more than 1,300 miles of bike trails of Pure Michigan, there are plenty of options to explore.

To learn more about biking in Michigan, visit michigan.org.

Paint Creek Trail
From the City of Rochester north through the City of Rochester Hills, Oakland Township, Orion Township, and the Village of Lake Orion, the Paint Creek Trail follows the Paint Creek as it meanders through fields, prairies, woodlands, and marshlands. Approximately 8.9 miles long by 8 feet wide, the trail’s all-weather limestone surface makes it ideal for year-round activity.

Potawatomi Trail
The Pinckney Recreation Area is an ideal destination for picnicking, fishing, boating, and of course – bike riding along the Potawatomi Trail. The area includes modern campsites, rustic camping and backpack camping along the trail, making it the perfect spot for a weekend long adventure.

Bald Mountain Loops
If you’re interested in mountain biking, check out the Bald Mountain Loops at the Bald Mountain Recreation Area. The picturesque park area has some of the steepest hills and most rugged terrain in southeastern Michigan, and includes 15 miles of marked hiking and biking trails.

Copper Harbor Trails
Award-winning Copper Harbor Trails offers a variety of natural obstacles, challenging climbs and fun downhills. Located at the northern tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan’s beautiful Upper Peninsula, riders can enjoy scenic streams, woods and rock bluffs along the trails.

Lakeshore Trail
The Lakeshore Trail offers riders scenery of Lake Michigan, Muskegon Lake, dunes, parks, and the City of Muskegon. The nearly 10 mile, paved Lakeshore Trail is designed to provide users a convenient, relaxing and safe cycling environment, ideal for beginners with plenty of places to park and rest along the trail. The trail also gives riders pedestrian access to historic and maritime attractions, dining venues, lodging options and seasonal festivals.

With Mother’s Day coming up this weekend, we asked our Facebook fans to tell us what they think the best way to celebrate with moms in Michigan is. Whether you’re spending the day with mom, friends, family or loved ones, it’s most importantly a day spend time together.

Below are some of our favorite responses. Happy Mother’s Day to all Pure Michigan moms!

“At the Watervale Inn on Lowering Herring Lake. Lovely Mother’s Day dinner which all mothers will adore.” – Cindy Engdahl

“Go to local park and take a walk/play with entire family!” – Julie L Jimkoski-Isabell

“My Mom and I use to head to Saugatuck to see what shops had opened and this weekend the Tulip Time is still going on so lots to see and enjoy. My favorite part if the weather was nice enough was just taking a walk on the beach with her. It was a gift to use both.” – Melissa Craig Derrick

“My Mom and I enjoy going to Frankenmuth for the afternoon – lunch and walking around and shopping ” – Judy Munro

“An ideal mother’s day is if all of my kids can get together with me. A BBQ in the yard and play a game of baseball.” – Ann Momski

“Going to the Grand Rapids Art Museum.” – Dara DeVries

“Heading to the Grand Hotel with Mom and daughter!” – Cheryl Fritze

“Having your kids come home to spend time with me on Mother’s Day. Not doing anything in particular… just spending time.” – Lynne Swietoslawski Stenger

“A breakfast picnic on the beach at South Haven!” – Loreen Hall Atkinson

“Spend more time with your Mothers. That is the best gift EVER!” – Helen Warner

With the weather getting warmer by the day, it’s time to stock up on spring and summer essentials that will keep you feeling (and looking!) cool all season.

From outerwear to home goods and collectibles, the Pure Michigan Store offers a variety of items to help prepare you for warmer months. Here are a few of our favorites.

Pure Michigan Bike Bottle:
Stay hydrated on spring and summer bike rides with the Pure Michigan Bike Bottle. And since the bottle is reusable, it can take you from the bike trails to the pool to the grocery store – it’s an essential for long days on the go.

Pure Michigan Seasonal Blend T-Shirt:
Brighten up your t-shirt collection with this Pure Michigan Seasonal Blend T-Shirt. The variant color grading makes this shirt fun and unique for any season, and the crisp look and feel make it a staple for sunny days.

Pure Michigan Grill Cover:
This Pure Michigan Grill Cover is proudly Made in Michigan using the finest commercial grade outdoor vinyl. The cover, available in two sizes, will keep your grill in pristine shape while letting you show your state pride to guests and neighbors.

Pure Michigan Dog Leash:
Don’t forget about your pooch, who will be ready for more walks outside! The Pure Michigan Medium Mutt Dog Leash (also available to fit “big wolves”), made of 100% nylon webbing for prolonged use, will keep your pet looking stylish all season long.

Pure Michigan Wine Glasses:
Spring and summer is the perfect time for sitting outside and sipping on your beverage of choice. Wine lovers should check out the Pure Michigan Set of 17 oz. Stemless White Wine Glass (also available for red wine), which are great for enjoying any Michigan wine.

Last month, our Pure Michigan Facebook community shared some great photos of Tigers’ Opening Day fun, blooming flowers, sunrises and sunsets and more. Check out a gallery of some of our favorites that we posted on our Pure Michigan Flickr page.

Discover plants, birds, barn animals and more at the Kalamazoo Nature Center, a fun, informative environment for the entire family. The editors of Michigan Travel Ideas share this springtime find, as well as other kid-friendly stops in Kalamazoo.

Interpretive Center: Young children love to push display buttons to release animal odors and bird calls. They can see fish live in area waters in the aquarium. Before heading out walk the trails, learn plant names in the domed greenhouse.

Barn: In May, the timber-framed barn opens for weekends. See baby farm animals: ponies, chicks, sheep and goats.

Trails: More than a dozen gravel footpaths wind through pine and hardwood forest and alongside ponds and marshes. Though trails range in difficulty, most are less than a mile long. A few highlights:

• Beach Maple Trail: Take this .7-mile trail to see spring wildflowers in all their blooming beauty.
• Habitat Haven Trail: Just over a half a mile, this winding woodland path loops around a pond where marshy plants like Joe Pye weed harbor frogs and turtles. 
• Bluebird Trail: A bit longer (2.7 miles each way) and more challenging, this trail goes through a variety of habitats, including a 144-acre tallgrass prairie. You’ll see lots of daisies, purple coneflower and big bluestem grasses.

Events: There are events planned for almost every day of the week and many on weekends. Kid-friendly activities include Small Wonders (stop at interactive stations geared to the under-5 set), Creature Features (where the animals come out from behind glass), Groovy Growing (kids under the age of 5 can visit the Learning Garden to see what’s growing in the sustainable farm project) and story times. 

More to explore: Want to make a weekend of your trip?

• Kalamazoo Valley Museum: This three-story museum blends history and science, with tons of hands-on activities (free!). At the “Science in Motion” exhibit, build a race car using supplied parts and race it around a track (kids love this, but we saw plenty of dads having fun, too). In the nature exhibits, kids can create a miniature tornado or tidal wave.
• Food Dance: Funky Food Dance restaurant specializes in local food. The kids’ menu includes polka-dot cakes for breakfast and a pint-size burger for lunch and dinner.
• Radisson Hotel: The 5,000-gallon saltwater aquarium on the lower level will entertain.
• Air Zoo: Kalamazoo’s signature attraction features airplanes from the earliest fliers to advanced military craft and eight amusement park-style rides, including a 3-D space shuttle ride.

Today we’re excited to introduce a new Facebook app that allows fans to bring the beauty of Pure Michigan to desktops, mobile phones, Facebook and Twitter pages.

We know our fans enjoy Michigan photography and have shown interest in accessing photos from around the state. Now, you can do just that! 

Fans can choose from 12 different images that highlight Michigan’s natural beauty and unique destinations. After selecting a photo, you have the ability to download the file that best fits the specific device or social network being used – whether it’s for your Facebook timeline photo, Twitter background or desktop image.  Fans are also able to share a link to the app through Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest.

In addition to the 12 images currently available to choose from, we plan to add additional images throughout the year.  With many fans submitting their own Michigan photos on the Pure Michigan Facebook page, another feature of the new app will be one fan photo each month available for download alongside the campaign photos.  Pure Michigan’s Facebook community will vote to determine each month’s fan photo.

Give the new photo app a try and let us know what you think!

After 30 years as a resident of Traverse City, writer Mike Norton has come to love all four seasons of the year in his adopted home. He freely admits that it took some time before he could properly appreciate the subtle beauty of a Northern Michigan spring—but now he’s an enthusiastic fan.

I may be one of the few people who arrived in Traverse City without having much of an idea how popular this place was in the summer months. I know better now.

But somehow it’s the other seasons of the year that have become especially precious to me  over the years, precisely because they’re not as well-publicized as summertime. That’s especially true of spring, which may be the loveliest time of year in the Traverse City area. Spring in these latitudes isn’t for sissies — it can be devilishly hard to predict when it will arrive or how long it will last. But I’ve lived through spring in a lot of nice places, and a proper Traverse City springtime is really just as good as it gets.

The summer crowds and heat haven’t arrived yet, and everyone seems to be wearing a mellow glow. I don’t know if it’s friendliness, or just gratitude that winter is finally over, but they seem genuinely glad to see you. People will stand in line for an hour to get a sundae at Bardon’s Wonder Freeze, the town’s iconic ice cream stand, mainly because they’re so busy chatting and getting reacquainted with each other that they don’t realize how long they’re standing there. 

I’m an incurable pedestrian, so most of my favorite experiences involve walking – and spring walks here are a feast, whether I’m ambling down a long deserted stretch of beach searching for Petoskey stones or hunting for morel mushrooms in a sun-dappled forest, listening to sudden bursts of birdsong from the branches overhead. 

Of course, there’s a lot of other stuff to do around here in spring.  It’s just that the season seems to bring a different kind of traveler to this land of dunes, lakes and forests. They’re looking for something special — a quiet retreat from the humdrum, a village shopping adventure, or a tasting tour of the beautiful wine country of the Leelanau and Old Mission peninsulas. (And it doesn’t hurt that in spring the enchantment of Traverse City is available at very reasonable prices.)

Here’s a little tip: between now and May 17, the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau is offering a special “Traverse City Escape” package that combines special rates at participating hotels and resorts with great deals at some of the area’s best restaurants and special discounts on shopping, spa services, movies, wine tastings and other entertainment.

So what would I recommend to my visiting friends? Well, on a single morning, you could enjoy one of the best meals you’ve ever had, amble through the shops and stores of a friendly, tree-shaded lakeport village like Suttons Bay or Elk Rapids, or cast your line into one of America’s most famous trout streams. You could paddle the shores of a forest lake, search for delectable morel mushrooms on the wooded hillsides, or just take a drive through the most gorgeous displays of spring wildflowers you’ll see anywhere.

With more than 150 inland lakes and hundreds of miles of Lake Michigan shoreline — including the majestic Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, voted “Most Beautiful Place in America” last fall by viewers of Good Morning America –Traverse City offers almost limitless opportunities for boating, sailing, canoeing, kayaking and fishing. (And although the water’s still a little chilly for swimming, I’m constantly surprised how many good sunbathing days there can be in a Traverse City spring!)

Surrounding Traverse City are deep, fragrant forests crisscrossed with trails for hikers, horseback riders and cyclists, and more than 20 golf courses with some of the most striking configurations ever designed. This is Michigan’s “Golf Coast,” an area Golf Digest named #12 on its list of the World’s Top 50 Golf Destinations.

Even the farms here are surrounded by incredible scenery. Long known as the cherry capital of the world, Traverse City is also an increasingly famous wine-producing region, with over 30 wineries and tasting rooms offering tours and tastings of their award-winning vintages, and its many restaurants are creating a national reputation for their fresh, innovative regional cuisine. And spring is an excellent time to enjoy some of it before everybody else arrives!

Mike Norton, a native of Grand Rapids, spent 25 years as newspaper writer and columnist before starting a second career as media relations director at the Traverse City Convention & Visitors Bureau. An avid hiker and an enthusiastic (if rarely successful) mushroom-hunter, he lives in the village of Old Mission.