Mark your calendars for the Three Oaks Flag Day Celebration

For several years we have been visiting Three Oaks, Michigan in June for their annual Flag Day Parade. The weekend is full of festivities culminating with a long parade on Flag Day that is really just small town Americana at its best. The parade is about two hours of patriotic veterans groups, marching bands and floats with royalty from little towns in Southwest Michigan. As I tuned in to the Inaugural events on Friday, I noticed the Mid-America cowgirls were participating. They are always part of the Three Oaks Flag Day parade, so it reminded me that I now have a 2017 calendar going and its time to add this favorite annual event.

Three Oaks is one of our favorite places for a summer day trip from the Chicago area. With a downtown area full of artsy shops, cute cafes, a local history museum, a distillery, art galleries, a live theater and a theatre that features independent and foreign films, there's plenty to do do and see within just a couple blocks on the main street. Add in summer farmer markets and scenic roads that entice bicyclists and it adds even more reasons to visit. It's also close to many beachside towns that sit along the shores of Lake Michigan and within a few miles of several wineries.

Find updates on the festival and parade on the Facebook page "Three Oaks Flag Day Weekend and Parade." The festival takes place June 9 - 11 with the parade on Sunday, June 11.

Travel and Adventure Show

If you're in the Chicago area or not too far from it, you may want to consider paying a visit to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center where the Travel and Adventure Show continues tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Learn about hundreds of vacation destinations across the country, across the globe or in your own back yard - from Belize to Taiwan to Italy to South Dakota, Florida, Arizona and places as close as Michigan's coastline, Springfield and Milwaukee.

Kids age 16 and under are free, so it's an economical way to have some family fun as you dream together about your next travel adventure. Some of the hand-on fun includes scuba diving, riding a camel and trying out a segway.

On the several stages are speakers and demonstrations, including travel celebrities Rick Steves and Samantha Brown, experts on travel adventures brought to you by AAA and chefs and local food celebs. Take in the Culinary Fight Club at the Taste of Travel Theater at 1:30

If one of your resolutions this new year was to do more traveling, this is the place to be. So many ideas under one roof. For more info and tickets, go to travelshows.com