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Thursday, September 29, 2011

Niles Haunted House

'Tis now the very witching time of night
when churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out
contagion to this world.
-Shakespeare's Hamlet
That most bewitching time of year draws nearer, casting a spell over thoughts and inclinations, causing otherwise sane and practical people to seek out creatures of the night. As the ancient celebration of Halloween falls upon us, thousands of terror-seeking souls make their annual pilgrimage to Niles, Michigan, resting place of haunts so scary, Kelly and I could only make it through with the lights on.

Death, our Tour Guide
On an overcast Friday afternoon, we arrived at Niles Haunted House Scream Park to meet Death, our tour guide for the evening. Dark robes, extreme pallor, unnatural white eyes: while unsettling in his appearance, he proved to be a wealth of knowledge. We were, after all, at no mere haunted house, so who better to provide insight to the planning and psychology that goes into a dark and deranged production than Death himself?

How big of a production are we talking about? Niles Haunted House features six haunted attractions over 44 acres. Building begins in January for its mid-September debut when, on an average night, 150-200 volunteers creep around and creep out up to 13,000 visitors.What's most impressive? Niles Haunted House is a non-profit that raises over $75,000 for local charities.

Niles Haunted House
Calling all Hogwarts fans! The haunted house's theme changes annually, and this year's is "Scarry Potter." As Ron would say, "Brilliant." Death led Kelly and me through the opening scenes outside of the haunted house, and I couldn't help but smile at the quidditch field and graveyard with wand wielding wizards. Our lights-on tour continued inside through notable settings from the Harry Potter series: the Forbidden Forest, Hogsmead, and the "Grand Staircase" with its portrait covered walls, serving as your starting point to a hundred different routes (you have to go through an estimated eight times to see every room).

Jumping spiders, moving floors and walls, and a famed elevator: nothing is really as it seems. Unique scares left our hearts racing even when Death gave us a heads up. An insiders tip? If you just experienced a crash, blast of air or unexpected pop of a prop, there's more than likely a ghoul nearby waiting to scare you too.

CarnEvil
Clowns. I hate clowns. What is it about these sadistically grinning, brightly colored devils that make our skin crawl? Perhaps it was Stephen King's 1986 novel It that forever demonized that which once represented cheerful children and cotton candy. Perhaps it's the creepy carnival music so often accompanying them. Either way, in CarnEvil, there's no escaping clowns nor the sounds of a calliope. As Kelly and I approached, still in broad daylight, with the lights still on, we hesitated at the door where wooden blocks merrily spelled "die." We turned around and walked out, only to regain the conviction of duty to you, dear blog readers, and reentered. We really need to reexamine our priorities.

I honestly can't give great depth of detail on CarnEvil, as I hurried through as quickly as possible while looking down or up but never really at anything. There were clowns. Everywhere. Big clowns and little clowns. Seemingly innocent clowns doing seemingly innocent things. Clowns who were obviously up to no good. No, never again. Stop with the clowns, West Michigan!
 
Field of Screams
We began our journey through Niles Haunted House's outdoor maze well before the sun began to set, which gave us the benefit of a well-lit day, and it was still mind boggling. Kelly and I walked in circles, backtracked along stark black walls, and stared at each other with baffled and, yes, fearful expressions. Mind you, we made our visit before the park was open, so we weren't waiting for creepers to jump out at us or lead us astray. The feeling of being lost was scary enough without the added fright.


Once we made our way through the opening labyrinth (which took us about twenty minutes), the maze continued on just as twisty and turny, only now it upped the ante: creepy baby dolls, grave yards, birch forests, a well-positioned hearse... We were lost. We were scared. The sun was beginning to set.

Eventually we found our way out (not without great effort) and moved on to the next attraction. We were told that in the dark of night, it can take hours to make it through.

Dark Terror-tory Haunted Hayride
Outdoor rides are often great spooks for the little ones (and Kelly), and this one proved no different. On a nice autumn night like the one we had, a trip through the woods pulled by tractor makes for the perfect night cap. This is the only attraction that Kelly agreed to go through while the park was open and fully staffed with spooks and ghouls. Death called her out on her cowardliness, but Kelly cared not.

The highlight of the hayride, themed Deadtime Stories, is the fire breathing dragon.Yes, actual flames burst from its reptilian mouth. Still it was calm, tame compared to the rest of the Scare Park, and sometimes the narration was hard to hear over the chatter of the passengers, but if you have young children, there's the perfect amount of startling-but-not-to-scary antics.

Midway of the Macabre
All of the attractions, which also include Underworld Unleashed, stem from the midway which has its own set of haunts to explore. You can send your friends to the electric chair, shoot corn cobs at unsuspecting maze-goers, or visit with the Monsters of the Midway (this is where Death hangs out nightly). Barbara the Gray Witch is available for tarot and palm readings, and she is absolutely charming and hilarious. She kept Kelly and I rolling with her puns. We also had time to chat with Zendor before his puppet show, which I volunteered for but was dragged off by Kelly before we could participate (sorry, Zendor!).

If you are after a good scare this Halloween season, you certainly cannot miss Niles Haunted House. It takes its claim of being one of the "scariest, creepiest, most blood-curdling attractions this side of the Continental Divide" dead seriously.

Niles Haunted House Scream Park is conveniently located between Detroit, Chicago, and just over the Indiana border. Before you go, creep over to WMTA.org for a $7 off coupon.

Haunted High Five,

-Shannon

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Fall Color Report- Wednesday 9/28


Colors in the Cadillac area along U.S.131 are about 20 percent right now. The predominate color is still yellow and there are various shades showing. The maples are showing more orange and red now and the sumacs are a brilliant red.
In Mason County the ash are in full swing with color ranging from deep plum to orangey yellow. Some maples are just starting to show, some are blazing red, and  some are still green. There is about a 30 percent color change over all
In Eaton County the trees are still mostly green. Colors on M79 between Charlotte and Nashville are starting to show between 15-20 percent. The soybeans are orange-yellow in the area.
In Calhoun County the colors are still mostly green, with red maples showing some reds and the marsh areas showing some browns, oranges, and yellow. The best colors are in the swampy, low-lying areas. Staghorn sumac is showing bright reds.
In Jackson County, 10 percent of trees were showing fall colors. There are more colors in the marsh and prairie vegetation.
In Van Buren County the walnuts are about done. Maples are mostly green with a few yellow.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Fall Color Report- Wednesday 9/21

The colors are slowly starting to change here in West Michigan.

North of Cadillac, the trees are starting to pop with reds and yellows. The sugar maples seem to be the first to change and there is an overall 15-20% total color change at this time.

In the Grand Rapids area there is a 5-10% color change, and in southwest Michigan there is only about a 5% change.

Make sure to check back next Wednesday for an updated report- and hopefully more color!

Friday, September 16, 2011

What's your thing?

There's only been one draw-back to our new What's your thing? campaign: everyone has had "Do Your Thing" by Basement Jaxx stuck in our heads.



This weekend is the perfect time to head out and take your photo for the What's your thing? contest. Gather your friends, get creative, and do your thing! (do do dododo...) I can't wait to see what you come up with.

High five,

-Shannon

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Savin' Lives

I'm going to tell you a secret about WMTA Executive Director Rick Hert. Are you ready? Move in a little closer... He's a blood-giving rock star. No really, our ever-modest leader has donated blood 199 times. Yes, that would be nearly 25 gallons. If that's not impressive, I'm at a loss for what is.

Post-poke: Kelly, Me & Rick
Last month, Rick inspired Kelly and me to give as well during a Michigan Blood Drive sponsored by our friends over at Pure Michigan. While squeezing away and filling our pints, we got to talking about what an exciting event it will be when Rick makes his 200th donation. Then we had a brilliant idea.

Another little WMTA secret: Kelly and I think we have brilliant ideas just about every day. This time, dare I say, we struck gold. For WMTA's 95th Anniversary, let's get 95 donors. A few phone calls to our West Michigan pals, and the idea became an event.

Ladies and gentlemen, please open your hearts and your veins with WMTA for our first ever blood drive! If you are in the Grand Rapids area on October 17, head over to the JW Marriott between 10 am - 6 pm to help us reach our goal. We'll be hanging out in Ballroom C. Even better, you don't have to worry about parking downtown since donors can park for free at the JW's parking garage.

If you're one of the first 95 donors to register, you'll receive a Grand Rapids Culture Pass and a half-pint of chocolate milk from Country Dairy. If you read this blog regularly, you know that for Kelly and me, this is like a dream prize pack. I just about fall over myself for all things art (have you seen the line up for the Grand Rapids Ballet Company this year? Amazing!) while Kelly could very well be Country Dairy's number one fan. I think between the two of us, we've been to Moo School six times (and we're going again later this month!).

Yes, we're all a-buzz here at the WMTA HQ. Between blood drives and What's your thing?, there's certainly much to be excited for. Mark your calendars, and we'll see you next month!

High five,

-Shannon

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Introducing “What’s Your Thing?”



The West Michigan Tourist Association launched a brand new campaign today titled “What’s Your Thing?” Travelers have discovered that they can do just about anything in West Michigan, but how do you decide exactly what it is you want to do?

WMTA took these questions into consideration and have an answer; the new WMTA.org.

With the new “What’s Your Thing?” campaign, WMTA allows travelers to search by experience to tailor a one of a kind trip to their needs. WMTA.org now allows travelers to tailor a one-of-a-kind experience to their exact specifications.

With a new campaign comes a new giveaway!

The driving force behind the new campaign is a YouTube video titled “What’s Your Thing?” The video showcases travelers from all over the mid-west taking part in their favorite West Michigan activities. The end of the video asks viewers to send the WMTA pictures or videos of themselves doing their favorite thing in West Michigan. Participants can send in their photos/videos through wmta.org or on the WMTA Facebook and twitter pages. All participants will be entered to win one of five grand prize giveaways. Winners will be drawn on August 31, 2012. Prizes include:

Prize 1: Overnight stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Mackinaw City and 2 adult boat tickets for the Beaver Island Boat Company. *

Prize 2: Two night stay at the Cherry Tree Inn and Suites in Traverse City, private wine tasting tour at Brys Estate in Traverse City, and one season pass to Crystal Mountain.

Prize 3: Overnight stay at Parkview Cottages in Ludington, overnight stay at Open Acres Lodge in Cadillac and a copy of the photo book Ludington State Park: Queen of the North by Todd and Brad Reed Photography.

Prize 4: Overnight spa escape package stay at the J.W. Marriott Grand Rapids, four  passes to the Grand Rapids Children Museum, two family four packs for the John Ball Park Zoo, and four corn maze and jumping pillow passes to Robinettes.

Prize 5: Overnight stay at Lake Bluff Inn and Suites in South Haven, a couples weekend stay at Oak Cove Resort in Lawrence, four frightful nightful passes to Niles Haunted house, and a family four pack to the Gilmore Car Museum in Hickory Corners.


So get on out there, do your thing, take some photos, and send them our way! We can’t wait to see what your favorite thing to do in West Michigan is!

Check back periodically as we upload travelers photos to our blog, Facebook, and twitter pages- you may just see yourself!