Michigan’s 19.3 mil­lion acres of forests burst into a daz­zling dis­play of fall color each year, with the deep greens of conifers com­ple­ment­ing the reds, oranges and yel­lows of maple, birch, aspen and oak trees. Lining two-lane high­ways or fram­ing rush­ing water­falls, aqua lake waters or mean­der­ing streams, the color sweeps across the state start­ing in the Upper Peninsula about mid-September, and reach­ing the south­ern Lower Peninsula around the end of October.

Mission Point Resort, Mackinac Island’s largest and most diverse resort, is announc­ing a “Fall Stimulus” pro­mo­tion with a sale on fall vaca­tion pack­ages that is the most afford­able on the island. The two-week fall spe­cial will run from Sept. 1–14.

Gather the fam­ily, pack the suit­cases, fuel up the car and get ready for an adven­ture! The new 2009/2010 West Michigan: Carefree Travel Guide has been released and is ready for down­load. This year-round travel plan­ner is your guide to all the best places to stay and play through­out the entire west­ern half of the Lower Peninsula, from the Michigan-Indiana state line to Mackinac Island.