Travel

An estimated 2 million Michigan residents will travel 50 miles or more from home during the upcoming Christmas/New Year’s holiday, confirms AAA’s latest travel survey – the highest number of travelers for this holiday period since AAA began its Michigan survey in 1999.

With winter weather fast approaching, AAA Michigan is seeking donations of coats, hats, gloves, scarves and blankets at all of its 38 full-service branches statewide from December 4-16. Donated items will be delivered to a designated local charity for distribution to needy families in the area. To locate the nearest full-service AAA branch, visit AAA.com.

An estimated 1.5 million Michiganians said they will travel during the 2006 Thanksgiving holiday period, says AAA Michigan. The vast majority of travelers in Michigan and surrounding Great Lakes states (91 percent) will stay with relatives – a significantly higher percentage than the rest of the nation

Wet and cold weather, including snow, brought the curtain down fast on the 2006 fall color show, with most of Michigan now past peak, reports AAA Michigan.

On August 10, 2006, British police announced the arrest of several individuals in connection with a major terror plot against airlines traveling from Britain to the U.S. As a result, the U.S. government elevated its terrorism alert to Red, the highest level for flights originating in the United Kingdom bound for the United States. Additionally, the threat level for all commercial aviation operating in or destined to the U.S. has been raised to High, or Orange. Travelers have been prohibited from taking liquids of any type into the airport beyond security check points. This has resulted in slowdowns and passenger anxiety at some security checkpoints across the U.S.

Americans have lost their anxiety about overseas travel and are now hitting the skies to Europe and other international destinations this summer, according to research and sales data released by AAA.

1) You can see the world’s tallest lighthouse in:

The City of Ann Arbor has joined the list of Michigan cities with AAA Four Diamond properties. During a special luncheon ceremony conducted at Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant today (March 28), The Earle Uptown, located at 300 South Thayer in Ann Arbor, received its first AAA Four-Diamond® plaque.

Five Michigan high school students have advanced as state finalists in the AAA Travel High School Challenge. The students will match travel wits and destination knowledge against each other in the state finals next month to win a $1,000 U.S. savings bond and a trip to Orlando, Fla., to compete for more than $100,000 in scholarships and prizes in the national finals.