I remember growing up and thinking, “there’s nothing to do in this town.”

Today, I laugh at that naive teenager.

The older I get and the more time I spend in Michiana, the more I realize I haven’t even scratched the surface on all the opportunities for adventure.

Each year, as we put together our Explore Michiana community guidebook, I’m floored by the number of businesses, restaurants and activities that continue to prosper in southwest Michigan and northern Indiana.

And it’s more than just beaches and football games, although those certainly help to spark commerce and draw tourists. We have loads of public art, plenty of places to explore the outdoors and an ever-growing craft beer and wine community.

Perhaps you’re like my young self and are unsure of all there is to do in the region. Or maybe you’ve heard of a place but have no idea where to find it or what it has to offer.

Hopefully the magazine inside your newspaper today helps answer those questions.

For the third year, we’ve created a guide for Michiana’s arts, restaurants, outdoor fun, sports and other major attractions.

Of course due to space constraints we can’t list every business, restaurant, golf course, etc. that exists in the region, but we did our best to freshen the list and highlight some of the favorites in each community.

Again this year, the magazine includes a page for each of the villages and cities within Berrien and Cass counties in Michigan and northern St. Joseph County in Indiana. You can find demographic information about each community, as well as popular dining spots and five places we think you shouldn’t miss.

To find these destinations, our editorial and advertising teams did a little exploring ourselves. Our newsroom staff visited each community in the publication to take photos and our ad team talked to countless business owners.

Once again, a map offers a visual representation of the region, and directory listings in the back half offer categorized lists of things to do. Looking to get out and see a ball game with the family? Look at our outdoor section. Want to see a show at a local theater or concert venue? We’ve listed those options, too. And many more.

New in the 2016 Explore Michiana guide, we’ve talked to people leading the game in several trends in Michiana. The owner of Greenbush Brewing talks about the prospering craft beer industry and a Journeyman representative discusses why Three Oaks was the perfect place to plant one of the Midwest’s most popular distilleries.

Parks directors from all over the region explain the opportunities for outdoor excursions that many may not even know exist. Leaders of several local art movements talk about places to see public art and how the fad has helped draw people to their communities.

To put it simply, there really is no shortage of things to do in this region. Just flip through the pages of Explore Michiana, and you’ll discover how true this is.

 

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