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People who want choice campsites in popular state parks need to plan ahead. Here's how to do it.
In Wisconsin, campsites can be reserved 11 months in advance. The most in-demand campsites are in Peninsula and Devil's Lake state parks and the Crystal Lake and Clear Lake campgrounds of Northern Highland-American Legion State Forest near Minocqua; call ReserveAmerica, 888-947-2757. There's a $10 reservation fee.
We get a lot of questions at MidwestWeekends from people planning vacations.
We’re glad to help, because we believe in planning. Spontaneity is a wonderful thing, but it’s risky in summer, when the rest of the world also is on vacation.
Most common questions: Where can I get a deal in the Wisconsin Dells/Duluth/Minneapolis? Where should I stay? What should I bring to a rented cabin? How can I avoid bugs?
After years of traveling around this region, I can answer nearly every travel question except one: “Can you give me the name of a good lake resort?’’
No, I can’t. Only you and your therapist know what you consider a good lake resort.
Staying at a Minnesota lake resort is not like staying at a Marriott. There may be chipmunks living under your cabin, and fish that nibble your legs when you wade. Squealing children may run past your window while you’re trying to read.
In the Upper Midwest, travel can be competitive.
Many events are so big and so fun that everyone wants to go. If you want to go, too, you'll have to act fast to stay ahead of the crowds.
Start thinking about summer lodgings at the start of the year. At Custer State Park in the Black Hills, campsite reservations for the entire season open Jan. 2.
As soon as the leaves have fallen and cold winds start to blow, the holidays get under way. This is the season for craft fairs, theme feasts and Christmas parades. Here are some of the best of 2009.
Holiday Parade in Oshkosh, Wis. Look for floats, marching bands and, of course, Santa Claus. 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12.
Long before Chaucer wrote "The Canterbury Tales,'' inns were a place to meet interesting people. They still are. When travelers gather for breakfast, or for evening drinks and hors d'oeuvres, they tell stories and trade tips that pave the way for the next day's travel.
If you're on vacation and you want to get to know an area, staying at a B&B gives you a big head start. Supplying
information and personal service is how B&B proprietors set themselves apart from hotels.
They've certainly helped me over the years. Sometimes, I feel like the Blanche DuBois of travel journalism: Wherever I go, I depend on the kindness of strangers.
When reserving a hotel room, there are deals, and then there’s Priceline.
Five years ago, I tried the on-line bidding service, which has a big catch: You don’t know what hotel you’ve
reserved until you’ve paid for the room. We got a hotel in Miami’s South Beach that had a decent location but was
noisy, had an unfriendly staff and charged an extra "resort fee.''
After that, I’d had it with Priceline – until friends made me reconsider.
If you're planning a vacation, remember this: The people have spoken.
They've spoken about the meals they ate, hotels they slept in, tours they took, attractions they visited and people they met. They've gone on and on about beaches and bars and bathrooms and what they had for breakfast.
It's the kind of thing that bores their friends to death — and yet strangers around the world are eating it up.
