VISIT CANTON

Autumn is for fall foliage, harvest festivals, and FOOTBALL! It is the perfect time of year to plan a road trip with your crew, furry friends included. Pack up and hit the road for a long weekend in Canton, Ohio. Whether you’re a fan of state parks, presidential museums, or halls of fame, visit Canton and check a few destinations off your wanderlust wish list.

Plan for overtime because there is also a full playbook of local wineries and breweries. Visit eight local wineries on the Canal Country Wine Trail and craft breweries across Stark County, from a local farm to a luxurious spa resort. Prefer spirits? There’s a distillery too! Recuperate after a full day of play and stay overnight nearby, or even on-property, in your choice of unique accommodations. Take a timeout and huddle up in America’s playing field this season!

Spirit of Adventure

MUSKEGON LUGE ADVENTURE SPORTS PARK MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN

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Forget the chill, and experience Olympic-style thrills with a visit to Michigan’s Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park — one of only four facilities of its kind in the United States. Located in Muskegon State Park, along the shores of Lake Michigan, this adventure center lures people out of hibernation and into a winter wonderland packed with activities like cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating, hockey and, of course, luge.

Race down the 850-foot track while reaching speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. Three-time Olympian Frank Masley designed the track, which uses natural ice instead of refrigeration. Although shorter in length than the Olympic tracks in Lake Placid and Salt Lake City, this luge is well-suited for beginners. Equipment and training are provided to teach how to maneuver and zip through the course’s six curves.

Those not interested in trying the luge can merely visit as a spectator or experience the beauty of Muskegon State Park on skis. Visitors can crosscountry ski through forests and over dunes on one of the many trails by day or zip through the lighted paths at night. (The park also offers adaptive rentals for those with lower-body mobility issues.) Snowshoes and skate rentals also allow for hours of hiking or gliding over the western Michigan ice and snow. Tall pines envelop several natural ice areas with designated rinks for various interests, whether it’s hockey or family skating.

Nightfall doesn’t stop the fun, either. The luge track is lit for evening runs, and there is a quarter-mile illuminated figure-eight loop through the white pines. Then it’s time to cozy up at the bonfire garden and listen to the crackling fire while sipping a hot chocolate with family and friends. 462 N. Scenic Dr., Muskegon, Michigan 49445, 877/879-5843, msports.org — Sarah Miller

Famous Falls

Situated in the Allegheny Mountains of rural Tucker County, West Virginia, the 2,358-acre Blackwater Falls State Park gets its name from the dark-hued water flowing over its iconic 57-foot main waterfall, but that is just the beginning of the natural beauty found here. It has remained one of West Virginia’s most popular state parks since opening in 1937, and those visiting during autumn can enjoy the colorful views as Blackwater Canyon transforms from its summertime shades of green to an explosion of oranges, reds and yellows.

The park’s main waterfall gets its amber color from red spruce and hemlock needles that fall into the Blackwater River. It is accessible by way of a 214-step boardwalk with scenic overlooks or the quarter-mile Gentle Trail located on the opposite side of the falls. The park is also home to other waterfalls, including the picturesque Elakala Falls, which is accessible by the halfmile, out-and-back Elakala Trail that starts near Blackwater Falls State Park lodge.

With 20 miles of hiking trails, Blackwater Falls State Park offers up some of the most scenic vistas in the Mountain State. At an elevation of 3,000 feet, Lindy Point Lookout offers views of

Blackwater Canyon and is accessible by a 0.3mile out-and-back trail. Those seeking a more difficult hike can opt for the 1.5-mile Balsam Fir Trail. Beginning at the Harold Walters Nature Center, hikers traverse groves of beech and maple trees before passing through a stand of balsam fir and looping back to the park’s recreation building.

With accommodations ranging from the recently renovated 54-room lodge featuring an indoor swimming pool and fitness center to 39 cabins to primitive and electric camping sites, travelers can choose their ideal overnight stay. 1584 Blackwater Lodge Rd., Davis, West Virginia 26260, 304/259-5216, wvstateparks.com

Nathan Havenner

Shining On

e lighthouses along Michigan’s northeast shoreline have helped guide more than a century’s worth of sailors. Of the seven that dot this stretch, the ones north and south of Alpena invite travelers to visit and learn more. Take the 7 Lighthouse Adventure, which includes stops at ve locations along nearly 78 miles of U.S. Route 23. ( e other two lighthouses, found on under Bay Island and Middle Island, can be seen only by private charter boat.)

Begin the driving tour at the northernmost 40-Mile Point Lighthouse in Rogers City, Michigan. Named for its distance 40 miles southeast of Old Mackinaw Point and 40 miles northwest of under Bay, this tower houses a museum and a shipwreck trail. Visitors can also climb to the top of the tower between Memorial Day and when the lighthouse closes in October. Next, head south to visit both the Old Presque Isle and New Presque Isle lighthouses. Located on Lake Huron’s Presque Isle, each light has unique features. e Old Presque Isle Lighthouse is perfect for a fall visit with its haunted past. e New Presque Isle Lighthouse is the tallest on the Great Lakes that travelers can ascend (for a small fee). Visit on a clear autumn day to take in views of the surrounding fall color and perhaps Duck Island across the lake in Canada. e next stop heading south along the shore brings travelers into the city limits of Alpena for a glimpse of the Little Red Lighthouse. While the grounds are not accessible to the public, the lighthouse’s cherry-red exterior can be spotted from Alpena’s marina and breakwall. e nal and southernmost stop of the driving tour is the towering white column and red windows of Sturgeon Point Lighthouse, which guards a notoriously rocky shoreline. Travelers over 48 inches tall can ascend the tower for a small fee when a volunteer is on-site. For more information about the 7 Lighthouse Adventure, go to visitalpena.com. — Gracie Wilson

Please call ahead before traveling to confirm operating hours for each destination.

DESTINATION ADVERTISER Illinois

IL1 Bald Eagle Watching, riversandroutes.com PAGE 54

IL2 Giant Public Art Sculptures, bigthingssmalltown.com PAGE 33

IL3 Medieval Torture Museum, medievaltorturemuseum.com PAGE 46

Indiana

IN1 Indiana Dunes National Park, nps.gov/indu PAGE 53

IN2 Muncie Delaware County Visitors Bureau, visitmuncie.org

PAGES 54, 55

IN3 Old Lighthouse Museum, mchistorical.org PAGE 48

IN4 Rolland Center for Lincoln Research, friendsofthelincolncollection.org

PAGE 50

IN5 Visit Bloomington, visitbloomington.com PAGES 8, 37

IN6 Winterlights at Newfields, discovernewfields.org PAGE 22

Kentucky

KY1 The Brown Hotel, brownhotel.com PAGE 19

KY2 Danville-Boyle County Convention & Visitors Bureau, danvillekentucky.com PAGE 16

KY3 The Great American Dollhouse Museum, thedollhousemuseum.com PAGE 34

KY4 Northern Kentucky Convention & Visitors Bureau, meetnky.com PAGE 19

KY5 Paducah CVB, paducah.travel PAGE 12

KY6 Red River Gorge Ziplines, redrivergorgezipline.com PAGE 51

KY7 Visit Bowling Green, KY, visitbgky.com PAGE 52

Michigan

MI1 Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park, msports.org PAGE 60

MI2 Saint John’s Resort, saintjohnsresort.com PAGE 40

MI3 Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council, swmichigan.org

PAGE 53

MI4 Traverse City Tourism, traversecity.com PAGE 2

MI5 Warda Patisserie, warda-patisserie-midtown.square.site

PAGE 16

MI6 7 Lighthouse Adventure, visitalpena.com PAGE 62

New York

NY1 Buffalo Wing Trail, buffalowingtrail.com PAGE 18

NY2 The Finger Lakes Region, fingerlakestrail.org PAGE 52

NY3 Ganondagan State Historic Site, ganondagan.org PAGE 23

Ohio

OH1 Adventures in NE Ohio, adventuresinnortheastohio.com

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For all locations, see map on page 64.