Indian Trails Blog

The holidays are truly the most wonderful time of the year, especially in Michigan where there are so many ways to make every minute of the season count. This year, start a holiday bucket list for your group and choose from destinations that offer some of the state’s best and most festive events.

The holidays are fast approaching and with them come hours and hours of gift shopping for co-workers, pals and family. But why head to the mall when you can make Christmas shopping an event to share with your group? In the fashion of the Christmas markets that are a centuries-old tradition across Europe, Christmas markets and shows are becoming an American tradition too! If your group loves unique, fun and fanciful shopping, consider these holiday markets around the state for your pre-Christmas getaway.

If you’re not a Detroit native, you might never have attended the Thanksgiving Day parade there. Instead, you probably watched it on the television from your couch or in your kitchen as you prepared cranberry sauce or stuffed the turkey. Ranked the second best Thanksgiving Day parade in the country, it’s become iconic to Detroiters and to out-of-state Michiganders who want only good things for Detroit. So, if your church, school group, or group of extended family or friends want to be a part of helping make it No. 1, consider attending this holiday season. 

As the days shorten and long hours of darkness lie ahead, there are plenty of ways to drive the chill away, and that includes enjoying some of the amazing performing arts options in Michigan. No matter your group’s preference, you can find everything from comedy to a theater to dance performed on gorgeous stages by gifted artists. Winter is the best time to enjoy the performing arts so here’s a rundown of six great possibilities for your next group trip.

Winter means people are more likely to stay inside due to the cold weather. And before you know it, the holidays will be over and we will begin the long trek from Christmas to springtime. So now is the perfect time to plan and book your group’s mid-winter break, and if you want to stay warm, there’s no better place to go than one of Michigan’s many beautiful, fun and entertaining resort casinos. Check out some of the options and start planning!

Chicago is a city of many artistic attributes and among the most beloved are the theaters. Shows range from contemporary hits like “Hamilton” to classics like “Hello Dolly,” “A Christmas Carol” and the opera “La bohème,” each produced in theaters with their own interesting histories. Your group will be enchanted by the entertainment and the venues. Here’s a list of some theatrical options upcoming around Chicagoland.

The words “man-made” don’t often relay the reality represented in a structure’s enormous size, massive span, extreme height, or extraordinary ability. Michigan, in fact, has many man-made marvels — breathtaking feats of engineering expertise — that offer a look into our history and our future. If you want an eclectic tour that your group will be talking about for a long time, try this tour of Michigan’s engineering marvels in the Upper Peninsula:

“History” is a relative term. It means different things to different people depending upon family roots, where you live, how you live, and what your interests are. But one thing about history is common to everyone ... it’s fascinating! So, when planning a history-related field trip to Chicago, the opportunities to maximize history for your students are many. To help you narrow the field, we researched four outstanding options that just might make this field trip your most memorable!

Michigan’s long legacy of ingenuity and innovation is well known and has helped shape our nation and the world. But when it comes down to pure engineering, a few exceptional examples outshine the rest. If your group loves to learn about buildings and structures that are bigger than life, that are expanding the future, or have withstood the test of time, plan a charter tour to these engineering marvels in the Lower Peninsula.

Teaching is a challenge, but no matter what STEM subject your class is involved in, Chicago can help with field trips your students are sure to remember for years to come. From a million years ago to the future of the universe and everything in between, consider these four amazing possibilities — each with programming for students in pre-K through grade 12 — for a STEM field trip in the Windy City.