My Life In the Bush of Ghosts by DaddyNewt

Be afraid, be very afraid!!! Once again our Fearsome Finder of Frights has compiled a list of haunted houses, corn mazes and scary attractions. You can also check Absolute Michigan keyword haunted and (as always) if you know of one we missed, please post it in the comments!

Spooky Quotes

'Tis now the very witching time of night,
When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out
Contagion to this world. ~William Shakespeare

Shadows of a thousand years rise again unseen,
Voices whisper in the trees, "Tonight is Halloween!" ~ Dexter Kozen

Hold on, man. We don't go anywhere with "scary," "spooky," "haunted," or "forbidden" in the title. ~Shaggy from Scooby-Doo

History of Halloween - Wikipedia

Halloween has origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain [pronounced: sow- wen] (Irish pronunciation: [ˈsˠaunʲ]; from the Old Irish samhain, possibly derived from Gaulish samonios). The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture, and is sometimes regarded as the "Celtic New Year". Traditionally, the festival was a time used by the ancient Celtic pagans to take stock of supplies and slaughter livestock for winter stores. The ancient Celts believed that on October 31st, now known as Halloween, the boundary between the living and the deceased dissolved, and the dead become dangerous for the living by causing problems such as sickness or damaged crops. The festivals would frequently involve bonfires, into which the bones of slaughtered livestock were thrown. Costumes and masks being worn at Halloween goes back to the Celtic traditions of attempting to copy the evil spirits or placate them, in Scotland for instance where the dead were impersonated by young men with masked, veiled or blackened faces, dressed in white

Halloween Celebrations Rise as Consumers Look to Escape Everyday Realities - via National Retail Federation

The spookiest holiday of the year may bring a bit of needed relief to consumers and retailers. According to the National Retail Federation’s Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGresearch, more consumers plan to celebrate the holiday this year (64.5% vs. 58.7%). This year, the average person plans to spend $66.54 on the holiday, up from $64.82 one year ago. Total Halloween spending for 2008 is estimated to reach $5.77 billion.

Paranormal resources and groups in Michigan

Michigan's Otherside - Your guide to Michigan's paranormal world & beyond

Haunted Places in Michigan

Haunted Michigan

Haunted Travels of Michigan

West Michigan Ghost Hunters Society

SE Michigan Ghost Hunters Society

Ghost Hunters of Southern Michigan

Motor City Haunt Club

Find a pumpkin patch near you

The U-Pick Farms & Farmer's Market 2009 Directory

"This Is Halloween" - from "The Nightmare Before Christmas"

The 2009 Michigan Haunted Houses, Mazes & Attractions List - We have to caution you that many of these sites are graphic - parental guidance is advised!

Amazing Acres Corn Maze and Pumpkin Farm - Edwardsburg
Amazing Acres Corn Maze and Pumpkin Farm is a truly unique family entertainment experience. Take some time this Fall to make memories that will last a lifetime. The farm is over 90 acres and is packed with events for every member of the family, young or old. Explore the 14 acre corn maze with over 3.5 miles of paths. Keep a watchful eye for the 12 hidden check points! The Maze is available both Day and Night!

Amazing Corn Maze - Leonard
Can You Find Your Way Out?

Bestmaze - Williamston/Webberville
If another maze you are interested in will not put their picture on the website there is a reason!!! We have had a system in place for years of sweeping through our maze at end of each night. Even if we have no cars in the Bestmaze lot we still sweep through the maze in case a few kids were dropped off and parents went to Mc Donald's.

Blake's Nighttime Spooky hayride & 3 Story Haunted Barn - Armada
Imagine yourself on a journey through acres of unspeakable fiendish ghouls, special effects, laser beams, strobe lights, and unimaginable horror. Then you've found yourself in the midst of Michigan's larger than life Blake's Nighttime Spooky Hayride. If you survive that then you'll be dared to find your way through Michigan's only 3-Level Haunted Barn and Black Hole. Don't forget the free cider and donuts at the witches cauldron on the hayride! If you survive Blake's Halloween terrors, you can calm your nerves around one of the many bonfires.

Castle of the Dead - Roseville
The Halloween Season is fast approaching! If you haven't experienced the Castle... you have yet to experience true fear! I dare you to compare! NO haunted house can match the fear of the CASTLE OF THE DEAD!!!!!

Circus Park Corn Maze - Clio
This years theme is "Down on the Farm" in honor of our Illustrious Potentate Ivan C. Sparks. There are 2 mazes in our 10 acre field. Come on out and get lost! We will have flashlights available for you nighttime adventures and our nightly campfire will be roaring to warm you up on those chilly evenings.

ChelseaMaze - Chelsea
Our challenging maze has trivia signs and 3 separate entrances that promote competition and teamwork.

Crots Corn Maze - Ottawa Lake
We're open from September 19 through November 1, 2009 Saturday and Sunday Only!

Deadly Intentions - Warren
Our Only Goal is to Scare You to Death

Depner Farms Corn Maze - Caseville
"MaZe-O-Saurus" opened on August 7th and our return visitors are saying it's more corn-fusing than ever! We'll be here
each Saturday and Sunday 'til November 1st, so come on down and GET LOST for a half-a-day or maybe more Open Saturdays & Sundays 'til November 1st!

Erebus Haunted Attraction - Pontiac
World's Largest Walk Though Haunted House

Erwin's Barn of Horrors & Terrorfying Corn Maze - South Lyon
Erwin’s Barn of Horrors with the Mystery of the Black Hole! "Where Evil Stalks"

Exit 13 - Mt. Morris
Flint Area's Preeminent Haunted House

Empire Eagles Field of Screams - Empire
A haywagon ride through a haunted Leelanau fores, always the last 2 weekends of October and Halloween.

Fear Farm - Casco
Corn Fun Family Farm has 2 challenging corn mazes with 4 miles of meandering trails, and for October we have added a new Haunted corn field!

Fun Acres Corn Maze - South Rockwood
Fun Acres Family Fun Farm is a seasonal agritourism adventure for families to learn and play. The combination of agriculture and entertainment is sure to both challenge and entertain your whole family!

Hallowe’en in Greenfield Village - Greenfield Village
Step back in time to a turn-of-the-20th century Hallowe’en. Follow an endless path of hand-carved jack-o-lanterns and meet colorful characters along the way. Feel the whoosh as the headless horseman rides by, banter with a clever witch, and make stops at several treat stations spread throughout Greenfield Village. It’s frightfully fun for the whole family! Members of The Henry Ford receive discount admission and an exclusive opportunity to purchase tickets in advance.

Haunted Barn and Wagon of Fear - Mason
Enter if you dare the Haunted Barn maybe you'll be able to make it through to enjoy the next day or maybe not. Our barn is well over a hundred years old and has seen many strange things, if it could only talk or ... can it. We have many souls in the barn from the century past. Some farm animal souls still linger; they join us now and then. This time they're not on the dinner menu. Be prepared to experience a screaming good time.

Haunted Corn Maze - Bloomfield Hills
three mazes of varying conveniently located on eight acres at Bloomfield Hills Scholls' Historic Bowers Farm.

Haunted Farm of Terror - Lexon Township
Haunted Farm of Terror in Lenox TWP offers over 20 acres of haunted hayrides, corn mazes, horror movies, tasty treats and haunted houses for your haunted Halloween pleasure!

Haunted Hallows - Westland
Acres of Hair Raising Spooky Attractions

Heck of a Corn Maze - Monroe
More than 8 acres! Open weekends September 12 - October 31

HellBlock13 - Wyandotte
You’ve heard the legends and told the rumors. Now find out the truth for yourself. With over 13,000 square feet and indoor waiting, this twisted twisting labyrinth of fear and torment will have your eyes bulging, skin crawling and heart pounding. See if you can break free from the imprisoned demons that are ready to pass judgment on your soul.

Jackson’s Underworld - Jackson
Jackson’s Underworld, were you’ll uncover the soft underbelly of the most impressive animatronics and props not found in any other haunt in Michigan. As you trudge through the massive 30,000 sq ft, keep to the path, we wouldn’t want you to get lost.

Jacob's Corn Maze - Traverse City
We are located 3.5 Miles from West Grand Traverse Bay off M-72. Our farm is on the left, on the hill, has a big silo, and is just past the big windmill!

Krazy Hilda's Barn of Doom & Coleman's Corn Maze - Saline
Be There If You Dare My Pretty...

Miller's Big Red Haunted Hayride - Washington
The wagon pulls out once again as Miller's Big Red transforms the orchard into a foggy playground filled with 9 foot monsters, creatures of the night, and the Demon of Doom. Will you spot them before they spot you?

Morrow Road Haunted Trail & Hayride - Clay
The Morrow Road Film is having another Haunted Trail & Hayride! This fundraiser event will offer a chance to meet the director of the film, and the trail is even longer than last year's in a brand new location! And the hayride will take those brave enough to the actual haunted road at night.

Motor City Massacre - Roseville
Haunted House & Maze of Horror

New Salem Corn Maze - Dorr
Bring the whole family on down for the fall fun extravaganza! Activities include: hay rides, our corn maze, petting zoo, childrens corn maze, 5 acre pumpkin patch, and alot more!!

Night Terrors - Ypsilanti
Beware! This is not just another haunted house! The grounds of Wiard's Orchards south of Ypsilanti, Michigan (near Ann Arbor, in Washtenaw County) are said to be truly haunted. The history of these lands has lived in haunted houses of Michigan lore for centuries. Those who have dared to set foot on the haunted grounds of this old orchard say they can still hear the howling sounds of the night. At least it's been said by the few brave souls who have survived, and the fear will always live on with them. There comes a time in each of our lives when we must face our fears and face the terror of these haunted lands. What's your Fear? Is it the dark? Is it death? Is it the old neighborhood haunted house? Or is it just the unknown? Be prepared to confront those fears at one or all of the Wiard chilling haunted attractions: the Ultimate Haunted Barn, the Asylum, The Mineshaft, Hayrides of the Lost, The Labyrinth and Alien Caged Clowns. Because at Night Terrors WE PUT TERROR IN YOUR FACE!! We're NOT just another haunted house in Michigan!

Phantasmagoria - Okemos
Lansing Area's Premiere Haunted House

Saint Lucifer's Haunted Asylum - Flint
Mid-Michigan's Top Scare

Salem's Haunted Barn - Capac
4000 square feet of Terror

Scarefest Scream Park - Lenox Township
Featuring the Hayride of Doom and Forest of Darkness & Terror Zone Maze!! Metro Detroit's Halloween Park.

Slaughtered at Sundown - Armada
Glimpse the Grim Face of Death

Slaughterhouse, Haunted Maze & Blood Bath & Beyond Hayride - Fowlerville
Haunted House - Corn Maze - Haunted Maze - Haunted Hayride

Spooky Trails - Swartz Creek
Corn maze and other haunted attractions...

S.S. City of Milwaukee Annual Ghost Ship - Manistee
Fridays & Saturdays in October (and Halloween) the 76 year old car ferry features four stories of unsettling oddities

Talladay Farms Corn Maze - Milan
Maps are in sealed envelopes and cost $1. We have checkpoints throughout the maze. If you get lost, you can find a checkpoint and look on your map at the correlating numbers to figure out where you are. If you make it through the mazes without opening the map, you get your dollar back. We will also have letters on the checkpoints. If you can find all of the checkpoints and write down each letter that is at the checkpoints, your name will be submitted for a grand prize drawing at the end of the season!

Terror in Townsend Forest - Clarkston
Dusk til Last Victim, ¼ Mile of TERROR Filled Forest Trails

Terrorfied Forest & Manor - Pinckney
Welcome to The Terrorfied Forest, Southeastern Michigan's Premier Outdoor Haunted Attraction. It's not for the faint of heart, This is TEEN & ADULT entertainment. The tall pines whisper for you to "come, Join your departed ancestors", as you walk among them.
Should you choose to ignore them, they have been known to emerge out of a tree and make off with your soul. You will never know when or where they will appear, but they will know where you are and strike at your most vulnerable moment.

The Crypt Haunted House - Burton
More thrills and chills than ever! It is in your face Crypt chilling! A haunted house with actors and more state of the art effects than any other haunt! Experience the black hole, claustrophobia & more, so beware of the Crypt! Not recommended for small children or sissies.

The Deadland Haunted House - Davison
Bring all your friends out to see what we have in store for you...

The Fear Factory - Mt. Clemens
30 Minutes of Relentless Bloody Terror

The Haunted Forest - Dryden
Take a guided 20 minute tour through the haunted forest. The forest is not recommended for children under ten.

The Haunted Winery - Farmington
"We Are Not Out To Make A Killing -We Just Want To Scare The Hell Out Of You!"

The Haunting - Adrian
A Haunted House to Die For

The Homer Mill - Homer
Ever Been So Scared the Hairs on the Back of Your Neck Stand Up?

The Lab - Grosse Ile
Called one of the best themed attractions in the U.S. by Haunted Attractions Magazine, The Lab boasts more scares per square foot than any other haunted attraction. Gen-Tech Laboratories is a secret government funded genetics lab, where something has gone wrong…very wrong. Mutants, freaks, zombies and 9-ft tall monsters roam the halls, along with all the demented doctors who are ready to use you as their next experiment in this interactive adventure.

The Scream Machine - Taylor
The Scream Machine IS BACK!! HAS BEEN REVAMPED AND EXPANDED!! With new special effects and scares for the 2009 season including BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND.. THE HELLEVATOR!! THIS PORTAL TO THE UNKNOWN takes you to the depths of your worst FEARS WERE NIGHTMARES AND REALITY COLLIDE.

Twist of Evil - Brownstown
Twist of Evil is Downriver's Premeir Haunted Attraction... THE PLACE THAT GIVES DEMONS NIGHTMARES!!

Uncle John's Cider Mill Corn Maze - St. Johns
Get lost in Uncle John’s 5-acre corn maze!

Westview Orchards Corn Maze - Washington
Well, you knew Tom Izzo was outstanding in his field ... so he's been honored with a six-acre corn maze in his image.

Katrina Schumacher, co-owner of Westview Orchards and Adventure Farm in Washington Township, said Izzo and Michigan State's Final Four run were the inspirations for the maze -- which proclaims him "Coach of the Ear." Ha!

Wrong Turn Campground & Bloody Butcher House! - Hudson
Hours: Dusk 'til whenever!

Wildflowers by Leon Baker

In Michigan, the number of native plants being buried under bulldozers is decreasing, thanks to the efforts of the Cranbrook Wildflower Rescue Committee in southern Michigan and the Leland Wildflower Rescue in northern Michigan. The Cranbrook committee has been in operation for over 25 years, the Leland committee for over 15. Both of these groups are formed of dedicated volunteers who have saved thousands of Michigan woodland plants each year, digging up native species before their habitats are razed for development. These folks have learned a lot and offer these tips for people wishing to start similar rescue programs in their areas.

A couple things to do if you're interested in starting a program, remember that you have to get signed permission from the developers or the property owner to take plants from the property. You should also have a plan for where to plant the rescued plants. They could be transplanted to a community garden, and some end up in private gardens as well. For example, every Memorial Weekend the Leland Wildflower hosts a sale of all of their plants with the proceeds going to the Leelanau Conservancy.

Here's an interesting article about wildflower rescue in Michigan and elsewhere from USA Weekend.

ArtServe Michigan is a statewide arts and cultural advocacy organization that seeks to support, strengthen and build awareness of arts, culture and creativity in Michigan.

This Wednesday (March 18, 2008) in Lansing, ArtServe Michigan hosts their annual Arts & Culture Advocacy Day. It offers artists and arts supporters a chance to network with peers from all over Michigan, to learn about important issues and the state, to speak with legislators about the importance of the arts in our state.

Lake Michigan Film Competition

One attraction is the Lake Michigan Film Competition, which offers cash awards to filmmakers whose film was at least 1/4 shot, produced or financed in the states that border Lake Michigan: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The categories for the awards are Feature, Documentary, Short Film and Student Film. We are very pleased to offer the Message Makers Most Promising Student Filmmaker Award, a prize package worth $10,000.Once again, filmmakers from the Mid-Michigan area will come together to write, shoot, edit, and premiere an original five-minute production in a mere 48 hours. Participants will be given specified elements, such as a theme, prop, or line of dialogue at the start of the competition, and they must incorporate these elements into their finished film to be eligible for an award.

Discovering the Short

Discovering the Short shows a selection of short films from the 2006 East Lansing Film Festival appeared on WKAR-TV and was  produced by MSU students led by former student Randy Flick and faculty member Robert Albers of the MSU Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media.. The "short film" has long been the point of entry into the art of filmmaking and every year the East Lansing Film Festival offers aficionados a chance to view high quality short films made by professionals from all over the country.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Watch more of Discovering the Short on YouTube.

More Links...

ELFF 48/5 contest entries - filmmakers write, shoot, edit, and premiere an original five-minute production in a mere 48 hours.

Making the scenes: Local filmmakers race the clock for 48/5 - via Lansing City Pulse

For much more on the ELFF, check out elff.com, the ELFF MySpace Page, the ELFF on Flickr, the East Lansing Film Festival's B-Side Community. You may also be interested in MichiganFilm.org, a web site that highlights independent films from Michigan filmmakers and seeks to network those filmmakers and actors together.

More Michigan Film Festivals on Absolute Michigan's Michigan Film Festival Page.

Fleetwood Mohawk by aTanguay

Food at the Fleetwood Diner is, as one might expect, no-frills, hot as blazes and delicately flavored with whatever else has been on the grill all day. This is a good thing. Come here for all manner of eggs, bacon, sausage, etc., burgers the way you want them, greasy fries, BLTs, tuna sandwiches and more. Don't miss the Fleet's most famous meal, Hippie Hash, a dizzying fry-up of shredded potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and broccoli all bound together with feta cheese and some kind of meat if you want it.

The Fleetwood has no official web site, but satisfied customer Jim Rees maintains a great Fleetwood Diner site with history, photos, links and updates like No news is good news. The Fleetwood has not been torn down for a parking garage. The Fleetwood has not gone out of business. It's still there, serving up food and coffee 24 hours a day.

Check out the original Fleetwood in Ann Arbor, the Fleetwood in Lansing and the latest Fleetwood in Kentwood (Grand Rapids) on our Absolute Michigan Map of Michigan.

Rosie's Diner by bellzatk

All month on Absolute Michigan we'll be featuring Michigan restaurants. Week one is Diners & Hometown Favorites and the first of these is "the original queen of diners and the most famous diner in the world." Rosie's was featured in the Bounty paper towel commercials that starred Nancy Walker as Rosie the Waitress, and of course we have to link over to a YouTube video of one of the commercials. That media spotlight continues to the present day - with Rosie’s featured in the inaugural episode of Food Network’s new show Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. RoadsideOnline has an interesting feature titled Saving Rosie's Diner that tells how current owners Randy and Jonelle Roest purchased Rosie's in January of 2006.

Their menu features lots of what you want from a diner: burgers, sandwiches (even fried egg and bologna), fried chicken, meatloaf, hand-dipped shakes and malts and even diner-made pies.

You can visit the web site for Rosie's Diner and see where it is on Absolute Michigan's Map of Michigan.

books may well be the only
true magic by Where's Walden

Horizon Books, Traverse City, Petoskey, Cadillac
Northwest lower Michigan's independent, family-owned bookstore since 1961. Horizon Books was featured in the Wisconsin State Journal as one of the country's best independent book stores.

The Higher Self Bookstore, Traverse City
The Higher Self Bookstore is a New Age, New Thought, Metaphysical entity that offers the opportunity for personal growth, healing, enlightenment, knowledge, intuition development, health and well-being, along with materials and merchandise that supports one's path, belief system, awakening and rebirth.

The Cottage Book Shop, Glen Arbor
Located in a historic log cabin in the heart of the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore, The Cottage Book Shop offers a carefully selected inventory of new, used, and old books for Michigan and the Great Lakes, Ccottage design and decorating, shipping, logging, and farming, children's books. They also feature quality literature and signed and first editions of many local authors.

Leelanau Books, Leland
Leelanau Books isn't the biggest bookstore in the real or digital world but they can order and get you anything that is available in print or production. They have an extensive Leelanau and Michigan section and a great children's and young adult section as well.

Bridge Street Book Shop, Charlevoix
In their shop, they'll go to the ends of the earth for their customers. You can expect the same service from them by mail, phone, fax, or computer. They are a full-service independent bookstore located in Charlevoix, Michigan - the beautiful northwest corner of the mitten on Lake Michigan.

McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey
For 14 years, McLean & Eakin, Booksellers has been located in the historic gaslight district of downtown Petoskey, and you can find something for anyone and everyone under the McLean & Eakin awning. Their special sections include Hemingway, Children's Interests, and Everything Michigan.

Boyne Country Books, Boyne City
Boyne Country Books is located in the historic downtown of Boyne City Michigan on the shores of Lake Charlevoix and is a full service bookstore with new and used books, toys, gifts and games and a full coffee bar including expresso's and latte's.

Explore more of Michigan's great books, bookstores, authors and publishers at Absolute Michigan keyword Michigan Books!

We say Detroit Auto Show, you say..?

We're going to continue to call the 2008 North American International Auto Show the "Detroit Auto Show" until we receive a convincing argument to stop. "North American International Auto Show" is just too long and NAIAS sounds like some kind of acronym thought up to make everyone happy that doesn't. The NAIAS history page doesn't explain why the Detroit Auto Show changed its name after 82 years in 1989. Concept Carz suggests that it was because Detroit Auto Show became an international event that year, but Edmunds says that BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volvo first joined the show way back in 1957.

Blogging the Detroit Auto Show

If you like your coverage on the irreverant side, look no further than the 2008 Detroit Auto Show on Jalopnik. Gawker's car blog features coverage headlined by Detroit's own Ray Wert, photos, video, an active user community and a weakness for bad jokes. Over at Autoblog they pile up the photos as fast as the car companies can dish them out - check out this post on the Cadillac Provoq fuel cell concept for a taste. If you like your cars oil-free, you should keep an eye on Autoblog Green (be sure to watch the video of the Toyota A-BAT - it's got "cutest pickup" nailed down). Pretty much everyone with a blog is covering it of course, from Cars.com to Popular Mechanics to the My Little Pony blog. We were going to run down newspaper coverage as well, but it's enough to give you the links to the Detroit News Auto Show pages - their article on The Race to Be Green probably sets the tone for 2008 - and the Freep's NAIAS coverage.

Detroit Auto Show Photos

The photo at the top right is murcielago roadster by joojanta from the Absolute Michigan pool. He has a great set of photos called NAIAS 200x with more. You can see a whole lot more by checking Detroit Auto Show and/or NAIAS on Flickr. The blogs & papers above are another great source of photos of production cars and concepts and you can get daily pics from the official 2008 North American International Auto Show media site through MSN. If you'd like to step back in time, check out this Detroit News Rearview Mirror feature The Detroit Auto Show: from beer gardens to tabernacles to Cobo Center and the 1957 Detroit Auto Show from the Michigan Historical Museum.

Detroit Auto Show Video

Once again, the blogs and papers above have video. For more, we turn to a YouTube search on Detroit Auto Show (see the most recently added NAIAS videos). A few notable ones are the Weekend Drive tour of the booths at the 2007 NAIAS, the Auto Channel's 23 minute "Press Pass" tour (one of MANY they have), Wheels TV presenting to 2007 Concept Cars, Governor Granholm talking about the future of Michigan's car industry and the Auto Network givingyou a look at the Opening Ceremony. One of the coolest things about a major show is the level of technical sophistication of the displays. A great example of this is the Jeep Waterfall.

Attending the Detroit Auto Show

The NAIAS web site - ok, so I'll type it - has everything you need to know about attending the public show ($12 for adults this year) and the black tie charity preview. If you can't attend, you might squint your eyes and see if this detnews.com virtual tour does the job for you. If you do attend and take pictures or video, we'd love it if you'd share them with us on Flickr and YouTube!

Anything else to add or ask? Post it in the comments!

Cross Country & Downhill Ski Racing

The Michigan Alpine Competition Council (MACC)

The MACC race series covers 12 races over five weekends each year at Boyne Mountain and at Searchmont (Canada). It is open to virtually all adult recreational racers and also to the 15, 16, and 17-year old children of MACC racers.

The Michigan Cup

The Michigan Cup cross-country ski racing season takes place from December through March. More than 20 Michigan Cup races are scheduled throughout Michigan at many XC ski resorts and trails, with a variety of distances, technique, interval and mass starts. Racers can compete individually, in age groups, and in team competitions. All ages and abilities are welcome.

Michigan NASTAR Racing

Thousands of recreational ski racers of all ages and ski levels hit the slopes each winter to earn bronze, silver, gold and platinum medals, either for the joy of racing or in hopes of making the trip to the annual NASTAR Championships.

North American VASA

The 2008 North American VASA will be held on Traverse City's VASA trail on the weekend of February 14-15, 2009. The weekend features races of many lengths for a variety of ability levels.

White Pine Stampede

Billed as the Midwest's premier Nordic skiing event, the annual White Pine Stampede is a point-to-point race (10/20/50k) from Mancelona to Bellaire. Much of the course is on private property, meaning that the only chance you have to ski the beautiful trail is on race day (Feb 7, 2009).

Michigan Ski Links

U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum

The U.S. National Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame and Museum is located in the City of Ishpeming in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the birthplace of organized skiing in the United States. It is home to an extensive collection of artifacts and archives relating to the history of skiing. It has 20,000 square feet of space containing displays on over 350 Honored Members, trophies, clothing and equipment and includes a gift shop, library and theater.

Michigan Snowsports Industry Association (MSIA)

The goal of the MSIA is to increase awareness of snowsports in Michigan and to introduce new individuals to skiing and snowboarding. Learn about a few of their programs including free skiing for Michigan 4th graders right here!

Photo credit: Michigan Ski Racing - Shanty Creek, thanks also to the Michigan Snowsports Industry Association.

Alpine Vally Ski Resort by 老六

Michigan is home to some of the best cross-country & downhill skiing and snowboarding in the Midwest. All month on Absolute Michigan, we'll be featuring all aspects of Michigan skiing with profiles of regions, resorts and trails along with a mountain of photos, video and information about the history and present day skiing experience in Michigan. As always, if you have a link to add, post it in the comments or send us an email!

The OFFICIAL Directory of Skiing in Michigan offers a comprehensive list of the places to ski, snowboard and otherwise get from the top of the hill to the bottom. The Michigan Snowsports Industries Association is dedicated to increasing awareness of snowsports in Michigan and introducing new individuals to skiing and snowboarding, and has some great deals to check out. Weather Underground Ski Michigan offers up-to-date snow conditions for all the resorts in Michigan. Michigan Skier can give you all the latest news on skiing in Michigan, as well as info on everything you need to know about skiing in Michigan. You'll also want to drop by SkiMichigan.com.

If Nordic Skiing is your thing, Michigan Nordic Racer offers regularly updated trail reports from all over the state. The Great Lakes Nordic Council has some more info for Michigan. If you're feeling competitive, how about training for the Michigan Cup Series, the Michigan Tech Christmas Classic (Dec 15-16, 2007 in Houghton), White Pine Stampede (Feb 2, 2008 in Mancelona), the North American VASA (Feb 9, 2008 in Traverse City).

Of course, you don't need to compete to enjoy cross country skiing. In fact, you don't even need snow for Nordic Walking from Michigan-based SkiWalking.com. In addition to great opportunities at Michigan's national, state and local parks, check out the cross country skiing guide from Travel Michigan. You don't even need to let challenges stand in your way of enjoying to snow: Michigan Ski for Light is a non-profit organization promoting cross-country skiing and other outdoor activities for the visually- and mobility-impaired.

If you want to keep on eye on the conditions at the slopes, check out this list of Michigan ski resort webcams from SkiCentral and another at Snow Eye. While we don't have too many photos of skiing in the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr, we're hoping to see a lot more as people get out and enjoy the skiing. Michigan in Pictures has a few ski photos including this feature on Boyne founder Everett Kircher. On the Snow offers a few photos from Michigan ski resorts and Lars Jensen has some great photos from cross-country skiing at the Pictured Rocks and other locations.

Native American guide Don Chosa
points out wild rice beds to his son

Delayed six weeks due to extremely low water levels, teenagers, an American Indian guide and volunteers on Saturday held the fourth annual planting of wild rice in a project aimed at restoring the once abundant grain to northern Michigan.

The groundbreaking Manoomin Project has teamed hundreds of at-risk teens with American Indian guides who have planted over a ton of wild rice since the summer of 2004 .

Manoomin means wild rice in Ojibwa.

Wild rice disappeared from Michigan over a century ago and is a vital part of Native American ceremonies and traditions.

"You are the first ones to bring wild rice back to the area," the teens were told by American Indian guide Dave Anthony of Marquette. "I am pleased that you are here and what you are doing today is very important."

"This is very, very significant, this is a gift from the creator, it's food grown on the water," said Anthony, who attends Northern Michigan University (NMU) and belongs to the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa (Ottawa) Indian based in Harbor Springs, MI. "Wild rice is the original North American grain and is very nutritious."

The importance of the project was not lost on the teens who picked up a few Ojibwa words.

Danny 'broadcasts' or spreads
wild rice seeds into the Dead River

"Megwiich," said Danny Carello, 13, of Ishpeming saying "thank you" to nature in Ojibwa while carefully tossing wild rice seeds into a small pond along the Dead River.

Shawn Molda, 15, of Gwinn said he learned that wild rice develops in stages including the "floating stage."

Anthony taught a special blessing to the teenagers and adults volunteers like Marquette County Juvenile Court child care counselor Jim Rule.

After a prayer, Anthony passed out a small amount of crumbled leaf tobacco to each participant who sprinkled the flakes into the river as a symbol of thanks for the planting.

This year's planting was delayed from mid-September because wild rice seeds were not available from Wisconsin tribes due to extremely low water levels that have had a major negative effect on this year's crop.

On a Saturday in November, the teens planted four pails of wild rice by carefully tossing the seed into slow spots in the Dead River near Marquette

The wild rice seeds are from Minnesota and were planted less than 48 hours before an approaching major winter storm.

Manoomin Project volunteer Tom Reed of Marquette, Michigan said the at-risk youth volunteer to plant and study wild rice "in lieu of community service."

"This is about educating the kids and not about punishment," said Reed.

Greg Peterson is a UP news reporter and volunteer media advisor for the Manoomin Project, the Earth Keeper Inititiative and the Turtle Island Project - all interfaith environment projects involving youth, Native Americans and 9 faith communities with 140 churches/temples.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Sandusky by Michael Schout

The word of the week is shipwreck, and all November on Absolute Michigan we'll be featuring tales of the dangerous side of Great Lakes. A staggering 6,000 vessels have been lost to the fury of these inland seas, and approximately 1/3 of those were lost in Michigan waters. Michigan Shipwrecks offers a comprehensive list of shipwrecks throughout Michigan's waters. The Department of Environmental Quality - Shipwrecks offers a ton of information about Michigan's 11 underwater preserves (soon to be 12) that include nearly 2,400 square miles of Great Lakes bottomlands and waters.

The cold, fresh water of the Great Lakes has preserved thousands of shipwrecks, proving a perfect opportunity for divers who come from all over to explore the wonders beneath the waves. You can find some dive & scuba shops and clubs on Absolute Michigan.

Even if you're not a diver, you can still explore wrecks by taking a tour on a glass bottomed boat with Shipwreck Tours out of Munising, Michigan. A bit further east along the Superior Shore, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and the Whitefish Point Light Station houses artifacts from countless shipwrecks, including the famous Edmund Fitzgerald. The Museum is located on Whitefish Point, known as "the graveyard of the Great Lakes," where more than 300 ships have been lost.

Shipwrecks can also be viewed from where you're sitting. Our first selection on the Absolute Michigan station at chime.tv featured a great diving video from the St Clair River (click the vid to go to YouTube if it's choppy!). Also have a look at Michigan Mackinaw Straits Scuba Diving to see some of the great wrecks in the Straits or Scuba Dive Wrecks in Lake Superior. Be sure to also have a look at shipwreck photos on Michigan in Pictures.

What did me miss? Let everyone know in the comments!

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