Associated Press
WEST CHESTER, OHIO: It's all aboard for a railroad theme park that opened recently inside an 80,000-square-foot warehouse north of Cincinnati.
It features more than two miles of track carrying 90 model trains with G-scale cars the size of a loaf of bread.
EnterTrainment Junction also includes a train museum filled with interactive exhibits, a restaurant, themed party rooms and a large play area for children. Later, there will be a hobby shop and temporary, rotating displays.
The attraction is owned by local businessman Don Oeters, who got the idea from a fellow member of the Greater Cincinnati Garden Railway Society. Oeters says the Junction already has booked 10 bus tours and 25 birthday parties, and a woman has asked to have her wedding there.
Information: http://www.entertrainmentjunction.com/ or 877-898-4656.
Summer special sizzles in Traverse City
If a Michigan road trip beckons, keep in mind that Traverse City's beaches and bays are just as alluring midweek as on the weekends, especially with the Sizzling Summer Special. This promotion offers lodging at 23 hotels and resorts for room rates starting at $115 per night plus tax on Sunday-Thursday nights. The same special adds discounts at area restaurants, stores, golf courses, wineries and spas.
Reservations must be made through the Traverse City Convention and Visitors Bureau. True to its name, the Sizzling Summer Special goes cold after Aug. 28. (800-872-8377; http://www.visittraversecity.com.) Also ask for the free, 108-page Traverse City Area Guide 2008.
— Margaret Backenheimer
Chicago Tribune
