Click click clicking along

This week's surfing puts us on the third coast, http://www.michigan.org. was the first site I visited. Michigan wasn't a destination that loomed large on my must-visit list. Friends, I have to tell you, this web site does its job, I am ready for a few weeks in Michigan and believe me, I hate snow.

The site opens with a round up of seasonal snow stuff before moving through the state and the rest of the year with a listing of all the scenic places and historical aspects of Michigan. Michigan has over 100 lighthouses scattered along the 3200 miles of Great Lakes Coast. Two of the lighthouses are currently bed and breakfast establishments. Some of the other lighthouses available for visiting are pretty funky looking and set in situations of almost indescribable natural beauty. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum has a central exhibit on the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which brings an eerie quality to the lakeshore and mist shrouded lighthouses.

The only negative regarding the Michigan site is that the casual visitor can't get access to information about accommodations - you have to go through the "build your own travel planner" process to find out about lodging.

Prairie Home Companion has cornered the market on Minnesota jokes so I'll spare you my amateurish attempts. http://www.exploreminnesota.com opens to graphics reminiscent of a first grade reader. The banner links to commercial tourism sites are a useful feature. The web page has a "make your own itinerary" feature that efficiently packages the information you solicit. It seems as if it would work well for a car traveler driving through the state.

On the downside, it seemed like I had to click through a ream of pages to get to the actual information. However, there is a big bonus for drivers - the site links to a directions and map feature that will help you get anywhere in Minnesota.

Mississippi evokes images of sleepy southern afternoons and gulf coast holidays - http://www.mississippi.org is a series of tawdry advertisements for casinos. Mississippi does offer recreational options other than throwing money into a slot machine or sliding cards across a table but the state office of tourism wants you to know there are more than fifty ways to lose your money.

Hey, I'm the budget traveler, get it? What attitude do you expect me to have toward gambling?

The site does offer access to a few non-gambled themed itineraries by non-casino info is a bit sparse.

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