NEWS TO USE
Here are some of the more interesting events, deals, websites and other travel tidbits that have come across our desk recently:
The 56th anniversary of the World Championship Snowmobile Derby will be run Jan. 17-20 at the World Championship Derby Complex in Eagle River, Wis. Billed as the “Indianapolis 500 of Snowmobile Racing,” the event features sleds reaching more than 100 mph. Finals are Jan. 20. www.derbycomplex.com
A Festival of Ice takes place Jan. 11-13 in Carmel, Ind. Professional ice carvers will be at work demonstrating and competing. For those interested in how it’s done there will be an ice-carving class, which costs $75 and requires advance registration. There will also be a chili cookoff, ice skating, an ice bar and more. tinyurl.com/ y9pootvj
The American Queen Steamboat Co. has a June 23 to July 15 sailing aboard the paddlewheeler American Queen that explores large segments of the Mississippi River in the Midwest. Starting from New Orleans, the cruise includes port calls at Nottoway Plantation in White Castle, La.; St. Francisville, La.; Natchez, Vicksburg and Greenville, Miss.; Memphis, Tenn.; New Madrid, Mo.; Paducah, Ky.; Cape Girardeau, Mo.; Chester, Ill.; St. Louis; Alton, Ill.; Hannibal, Mo.; Clinton and Dubuque, Iowa; La Crosse, Wis., and Red Wing, Minn. tinyurl.com/y7lrdt5r
There will be Siberian husky sled dogs, ice sculpting, sledding and snowshoeing Jan. 19 at the Snow Day Festival at Plum Creek Nature Center in Crete Township near Beecher, Ill. The movie “Frozen” also will be screened. https://tinyurl.com/snowdayfest
Order the 2019 Missouri Travel Guide or view the digital version at tinyurl.com/y9hxsmba.
Check out special offers at ski hills around Wisconsin at www.travelwisconsin.com/deals. Promotions range from 25 percent off lift tickets to deals on lodging.
Kickapoo Valley Reserve in La Farge, Wis., will hold its Winter Festival on Jan. 12. If Mother Nature cooperates, there will be sledding and cross-country skiing, snow sculptures, ice cave hikes, horse-drawn sled rides and more. tinyurl.com/yc2rp8vu
An Eagles in Flight Weekend will be held Jan. 25-27 in Turkey Run State Park in Marshall, Ind. Visitors have the opportunity to view eagle nests and roosts and see live eagle, hawk and owl programs. Lodging is available at Turkey Run Inn. tinyurl.com/ ybufjr2p
You can drink your wine and exercise, too, with the Vine to Wine Snowshoe Tour offered by Grand Traverse Bike Tours in Suttons Bay, Mich. Participants snowshoe on a trail that includes Suttons Bay Ciders, Ciccone Vineyards and bigLittle Wines. The tour is offered on select Saturdays from January to March and is priced at $45 if you use your own snowshoes or $55 with rental snowshoes. tinyurl.com/ y6wpdo6n
Get hooked on all things fishing Jan. 10-13 at the Ultimate Fishing Show at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Mich. There will be hundreds of booths with tackle, boats, representatives from destination resorts and more. There’s also an indoor lake, 5,000-gallon fish tank and seminars. www.showspan.com/ufd
Deals and websites listed here have been checked for availability as of press time. Listings are not endorsements. Send tips at least a month in advance to ChicagoTribTravel@gmail.com.