Special events, indoor promotions increase winter tourism

By ELIZABETH FERGUSON
Capital News Service
LANSING — Vacationers in the Grand Traverse region this winter can do a lot more than ski. At Shanty Creek Resort, skiers can take a shuttle to downtown Bellaire, home of popular breweries like Short’s Brewing. Black Star Farms winery in Traverse City now offers horse-drawn sleigh rides on the winery’s grounds. As of last year, visitors can snowshoe a trail connecting Brys Estate Vineyard, Bowers Harbor Vineyards and the Jolly Pumpkin Brewery of Old Mission Peninsula. In a bid to expand tourist-related economic activity, businesses like these and across the state increasingly provide indoor tourist experiences to complement the great outdoors.