Last week, I took my first trip of the year to Lake Michigan and enjoyed my favorite pizza on Silver Beach.

It was so great to see so many people outside again, eating up every ounce of the near-70 degree day that they could before Mother Nature swept in with more chilly days. Nonetheless, it seems that winter days are officially behind us for awhile (knock on wood), and that means tourism season is just around the corner.

To celebrate that, for the second year, Leader Publications will showcase all the great things that draw thousands of people to this region not only during the summer months, but year round, in our annual travel publication.

As we prepare Explore Michiana, which is geared toward far-away travelers and Michiana residents alike, we are seeking help from the people who know the diverse communities that make up this great region the best: you.

In the next few weeks, our reporting staff will be hitting the streets of nearly two dozen communities to talk with passersby and experience some of the iconic locations our area is known for. We would love your input on the hidden gems, favorite hot-spots, best dining choices and any other opportunities you think visitors should know about. Please feel free to share those ideas with me by calling me at (269) 687-7713, or emailing me at ambrosia.neldon@leaderpub.com.

To supplement the content we are generating, we will need photographs to illustrate just how beautiful these communities are. So, once again, we are inviting photographers of all levels of expertise to submit photos of their favorite Michiana locations and activities.

The sky is the limit as far as content. Basically, we want to see the people of Michiana in action — doing what you love to do in the places you love to do it. Photos may include landscape images, shots from festivals and events or family day trips. The only rule is that photos must have been taken in Michiana.

The photo contest opens Monday, April 13, and will run through May 1. Once the submission period has passed, the public will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite pictures in two places: on Leader Publications’ website (leaderpub.com) and on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Leaderpubcom).

The photo with the most combined votes will win the Readers’ Choice award — a $250 Visa gift card.

Three staff judges will vote on their favorite photos as well. The winner of that contest will also win a $250 Visa gift card. In addition, three honorable mention submissions will receive a free pizza from Pizza Transit in Niles.

If a chance at $250 isn’t incentive enough, photographers will have the opportunity to have their photos published in Explore Michiana. More than 30,000 copies will be distributed across the entire region — which means more than 30,000 people will see your work!

To enter, simply go to our website and click on the “Contest” tab in the upper right corner of the webpage. All instructions and rules can be found there.

I encourage you to join the editorial staff and myself to get out and enjoy this beautiful weather — and take your camera along. We’d love to explore Michiana right along with you.

 

Ambrosia Neldon is the managing editor at Leader Publications. She can be reached at ambrosia.neldon@leaderpub.com, or by phone at (269) 687-7713.