10 Chicago Tribune | Life+Travel | Section 6 | Sunday, June 16, 2019 C
NEW TO USE
Watch a balloon
race in Galena,
dine in a vineyard
By Phil Marty
Chicago Tribune
Here are some of the more
interesting events, deals,
websites and other travel
tidbits that have come
across our desk recently:
■ The Great Galena Bal-
loon Race will be June
21-23 in the popular north-
west Illinois town. There
will be balloon races each
day, along with night glows
and a car show. An art show
and live music are also on
tap. www.greatgalena
balloonrace.com
■ Tickets are on sale for
Dinner in the Vineyard, a
five-course meal at Gather-
ing Ground’s vineyard on
Washington Island in Door
County, Wis. The event
isn’t until Aug. 29, but it’s
limited to 50 people, so
early ticket purchase is
advised. The meal will be
prepared by Door County
chefs. tinyurl.com/
y3ks5yhv
■ The Kalamazoo Scenic
Bicycle Tour will get rolling
June 29 in Kalamazoo,
Mich. There will be routes
of 15, 31, 62 and 100 miles,
Oahu’s Kailua beach is named best in the U.S.
By Caleb Jones
Associated Press
KAILUA, Hawaii — In
Kailua, the sand is soft and
white, the water is clear
and calm, and the view is
exactly what you would
expect from a beach in the
Hawaiian Islands.
Those are among the
reasons Oahu’s Kailua
Beach Park has been se-
lected as the best stretch of
sand for an annual list of
top U.S. beaches.
Stephen Leatherman, a
coastal scientist and profes-
as well as a 10-mile guided
family ride. New this year
are challenging routes of 31
and 62 miles on gravel
roads. tinyurl.com/
yy7d6r4f
■ St. Louis is planning a big
Fourth of July bash with
Fair Saint Louis at Gateway
Arch National Park. Sched-
uled July 4-6, the free event
includes concerts, an air
show, fireworks, family
activities and more. www
.fairsaintlouis.org
■ Coaster Campout is an
opportunity to camp under
a canopy of roller coasters
at Michigan’s Adventure
amusement park in
Muskegon, Mich. The event
is the night of June 28 and
includes exclusive ride time
and food. You have to bring
your own tent. The fund-
raiser for the Boys & Girls
Club of America has very
limited availability, so early
reservations are a must.
tinyurl.com/y6ocm8an
■ The S.S. Badger car ferry
offers a unique way to
watch Fourth of July fire-
works. The ship will depart
from Ludington, Mich., the
night of July 4, cruise along
the shoreline until sunset,
sor at Florida International
University, has been draft-
ing the list under the alias
“Dr. Beach” since 1991. He
uses 50 criteria to evaluate
beaches, with the most
important categories being
water cleanliness, safety
and management of the
beach environment and its
facilities. Leatherman uses
data from the U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency
to grade the beaches on
water quality and has been
to all the beaches on his list.
Beaches in Hawaii are
consistently ranked high.
The Great Galena Balloon Race lifts off June 21 in the popular Illinois tourist town.
then anchor offshore to
view the waterfront fire-
works display. Tickets are
$52 per person and include
a picnic buffet. Two cash
bars will be available.
tinyurl.com/y625oc7h
■ The 44th annual Sturgis
Falls Celebration will be
held June 28-30 in Gateway
Park and Overman Park in
“I love Waikiki Beach.
No question about that — a
world-famous beach — but
Kailua is a lot smaller and
quieter,” Leatherman said.
“You don’t have big high-
rises and all that. Kailua is
on the other side of the
mountains. It’s like a differ-
ent world.”
In recent years, Leather-
man has awarded extra
credit to beaches that pro-
hibit smoking, which all
Oahu beaches do. He thinks
other beaches should fol-
low suit.
The other beaches on
Cedar Falls, Iowa. Live
music will include jazz,
Dixieland, country, rock ’n’
roll and blues. There’s also
a parade, carnival, market
and lots of food and drink.
www.sturgisfalls.org
■ Q-Fest takes place June
28-30 in downtown Quincy,
Ill. The weekend will in-
clude an art festival, live
this year’s list are Ocracoke
Lifeguarded Beach on
North Carolina’s Outer
Banks in second place,
followed by Grayton Beach
State Park in the Florida
panhandle; Coopers Beach,
Southampton, N.Y.; Duke
Kahanamoku Beach on
Oahu; Coast Guard Beach,
Cape Cod, Mass.; Caladesi
Island State Park, Dunedin-
Clearwater, Fla.; Hapuna
State Beach Park on Ha-
waii’s Big Island; Coronado
Beach, San Diego, Calif.;
and Kiawah Beachwalker
Park, Kiawah Island, S.C.
Michael McDonald and
Megadeth. www.summer
fest.com
■ The 21st Annual Bay
Harbor Vintage Car and
Boat Festival will be June
20-22 in Bay Harbor, Mich.
Highlights include the
parade of classic cars on
June 22 and the display of
vintage wooden boats.
tinyurl.com/y4f8p2f4
■ Renewable energy and
sustainable living will be
the focus of the 30th anni-
versary Energy Fair in
Custer, Wis. There will be
speakers, workshops and
exhibits, along with live
music. www.theenergy
fair.org
■ If you’ve wondered how
pickles are made, you can
find out on a tour of Sech-
ler’s Pickle Factory in St.
Joe, Ind. The tours are
offered Monday through
Thursday until October.
tinyurl.com/yxvcngcb
Deals and websites listed
here have been checked for
availability as of press time.
Listings are not endorse-
ments. Send tips at least a
ILLINOIS OFFICE OF TOURISM month in advance to
ChicagoTribTravel
@gmail.com.
music, a food court and
beer and wine tent. Phil Marty is a freelancer.
tinyurl.com/y3n26u63
■ Summerfest, billed as the
world’s largest music festi-
val, will have Milwaukee GEOQUIZ ANSWER
rocking June 26-30 and
July 2-7. Among the head- Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa,
liners are Willie Nelson, Kansas, Kentucky, Ne-
Alison Krauss, Jennifer braska, Oklahoma and
Lopez, Lionel Richie, Tennessee.
CALEB JONES/AP
Oahu’s Kailua Beach Park has been crowned the best
stretch of sand in the U.S. in “Dr. Beach’s” annual rankings.
ILLINOIS
GALENA GREENBRIAR COUNTRY INN
Step back in time-relax in historic lodgings. Fireplaces,
whirlpool tubs, TV’s, hand delivered breakfast basket to
your door. Walk to restaurants & shops. Midweek special.
Gift certificates available. (815) 777-3153
billnybo@att.net • www.greenbriargalena.com
MACKINAC ISLAND, MICHIGAN
LAKE VIEW HOTEL
Summer getaways include 2 nights accommodations
(family of 4), continental breakfast, 4 ferry ride tickets,
$100 restaurant gift card, all taxes and fees!
Visit www.lake-view-hotel.com or call toll free
(800) 207-7075.
BICYCLE STREET INN & SUITES AND WATERFRONT
COLLECTION
Superb Main Street location with walkout balcony rooms
and suites. Visit www.bicyclestreetinn.com to view
current special offers or call toll free
(855) 560-8005.
WISCONSIN
WHY BE A TOURIST, WHEN YOU CAN BE A
RESORTER – ELKHART LAKE, WI
Vacation in an authentic lakeside resort village, where
being a Resorter is not only a way of life but a feeling
of belonging. You’ll be welcomed by a community
filled with familiar faces, while indulging in luxurious
accommodations, a delicious culinary scene, a crystal-clear
lake, abundant recreation and a lively nightlife.
For package details, visit www.ElkhartLake.com
To advertise here please call
312-222-4070