Whether you are craving sun and sand or big city buzz, the Lansing City Airport has you covered so you don't have to drive for hours to get to your take-off spot. Find the best and cheapest airfares and deals departing from Lansing.

The Capitol City Airport is located at:

4100 Capitol City Boulevard
Lansing MI 48906

You can also check out their website at www.flylansing.com.

Don't wait!

If you like excitement, trucks getting mean and dirty and extreme performances and stunts, you need to hurry and get your ticket to the Monster Truck and Thrill show. The show will last a little over 2 hours and be aware that the doors will open an hour before the start.

One day only: Saturday February 10, 2007
One Location: The Jack Breslin Student Event Center
                    East Lansing, Michigan
Ticket Prices:
Kids under 12: $5.00 in advance or $7.00 day of show
Adults 13 and over: $15.00 in advance or $17.00 day of show
MSU students & faculty: $10.00

Tickets are available at the Breslin Center Ticket Office and all TicketMaster locations. Charge by phone (800) 968-2737 or (517) 432-5000.

What you will see:

• Big Foot (2006 SUper Duty Ford)
• Raminator (2006 Dodge Ram)
• Little Miss Dangerous (1944 Willis)
• Scarlet Bandit (2006 Ford Expedition)
• Bad Habit (2001 Silverado)

Stunts and extreme performances will follow with the Big Air FMX Insanity Team (you will see some flying in the air 50 feet above ground) and the Quad Racing.

This is definitely a guy thing or a perfect occasion for a Father-son evening of fun!

Enjoy!

Karima.

Dates: February 9-10-11, 2007
Location: Lansing Center
              333 E. Michigan Ave,
              Lansing, MI 48933

With over 250 exhibit booths to choose from, this event will delight all hunters at heart and give them the opportunity to find new accessories, habitats, firearms, some of Michigan finest "trophies" and much more.

If you have attended this gathering on prior years you will be glad to learn that a few enhancements have been added to improve your experience:

• Food-Plot and Habitat Improvements Super Seminars (one two-hour seminar on basic requirements and steps to successful food plot development).
• Food-Plot Demonstration area & Information Center 
• Firearms Scopes added to Optic Hands-on Information Center
• Speakers on topics different than last year's (these seminars are FREE)
• New Products Special Display area

To these new 2007 features, are added the regular topics and items that have revealed to be very useful and successful among visitors.

• Deer & Turkey Skeleton complete identification
• Shooting ranges for kids of all ages (a lot of fun!)
• Michigan Deer - Bear - Elk - Turkey Trophy Contest & Display
• Cooking Demos: Venison and other Wild food (come prepared to take notes and sample some great tasting food)
• Byron Ferguson Archery Trick Shot
• Live Big Game animals
• Special Education Displays

Ticket information:
Adult two-day: $16.00
Adult one-day: $9.00

12-18 yrs old one-day: $7.00 if hunter safety graduate (must show proof, otherwise $9.00)
6-11 yrs old one-day: $3.00
5 yrs old and under: FREE

Have fun!

Karima.

I am a big coffee and hot chocolate drinker. I can admit that I am weak and need my daily caffeine and would not be able to keep my eyes open if i didn't have it.

If you are like me or if you simply enjoy a cup now and then when you meet out with a friend, here are my favorite places to get your Nectar of the Gods.

• Starbucks Coffee:
  One is located inside Barnes & Noble at the Lansing Mall;
  One is located inside Kroger's Grocery store in Lansing

 The reason i am listing it first is because i love their skinny mocha in the winter and their double chocolate chip frapuccino on warmer days. The one located in the Lansing Mall gives you the convenience of being able to sip your coffee while sitting and browsing through some magazines or cook books in Barnes & Nobles.

• Beaners Gourmet Coffee:
  536 Elmwood Rd, Lansing (across from Meijer's)
  8741 W. Saginaw Hwy, Lansing (across from Art Van)

 This is a very popular choice and i have to admit that their Caramel Mocha is very very comforting especially when covered in whipped cream with a drizzle of caramel syrup... Need i say more? Valuable coupons are usually available on their website at www.beaners.com. 

•  Coffee Jam:
  6427 Centurion Dr., Lansing
  (517) 327-1111

This restaurant/coffee place offers breakfast, lunch, coffee and the BEST no-bake cookies you will ever taste for only $1.25. They simply melt in your mouth. Add to it a skinny Almond Joy coffee and you will reach seventh Heaven. Note also that they deliver, which is very convenient when it is snowy outside.

• Paramount Coffee Company:
  130 N. Larch St, Lansing
  (517) 372-5500  

  2250 N. Grand River Ave, Lansing
  (517) 371-7165

To tell you the truth, i have never personally tried these places but have heard a lot of positive comments about them from friends and co-workers so I will list it and will let you be the judge. Let me know what you think! 

• Nestle Toll House:
  Located inside the Lansing Mall at 5330 W. Saginaw Hwy, Lansing
  (517) 323-1800

I love this place! They have a great Turtle Mocha and a variety of cookies to choose from. Cold drinks such as smoothies or frapuccino's are also available.

Enjoy this selection and keep your eyes open!

Karima.

Have I not already mentioned that Lansing is full of resources if you are looking for something different to do? Well here is another example: the Lansing Lugnuts.

Playing at the Oldsmobile Park in Lansing, the Lugnuts is our local Baseball team and the 2003 Mid-West League Champions!

Aside from enjoying a good baseball game, you can also wander around the Park to fill up your stomach visiting their many concession stands and vendors. Great merchandise including clothes, accessories and sporting goods are also available at affordable prices.

If you are interested in purchasing tickets, the Lugnuts offer Single game tickets are very good prices, as well as Season tickets available with different package options. Note that the stadium counts 26 luxury suites available for reservations.

The great company I work for, Municipal Employee Retirement System of Michigan (MERS) always hosts a yearly evening at the Lugnuts as part of a team building exercise. It is always a great time for us all and the opportunity to chat, watch the game and have something to eat.

For the fans, mark your calendars that April 03, 2007 the Lansing Lugnuts will meet the Michigan State Spartans for the first time ever!

Be prepared for an evening of excitement and make sure you buy your tickets early!

To purchase your tickets or leanr more about the Lansing Lugnuts or the Oldsmobile park, visit their official website at www.lansinglugnuts.com.

The Stadium is located:
505 E. Michhigan Ave, Lansing
(517) 585-4500.

Have a great time!

Karima.

Some of you may have heard about this event over the radio. The Lansing Center is going to host a Great Sale Merchandise on the following dates:

• Friday 01/19/2007 from noon until 10pm
• Saturday 01/20/2007 from 10:00am to 9:00pm
• Sunday 01/21/2007 from 11:00am to 6:00pm

The Great Merchandise Sale is an always awaited yearly event where you can do some serious shopping damage as items will be 80% off regular retail prices.

The admission fee is $6.00 and will definitely pay for itself. The sale will take place in Hall A of the Lansing Center, located 333 E. Michigan Ave in Lansing.

You will be able to find the best deals on Brand Name clothing, accessories, jewelry, Barbies, Toys and much more!

Hope to see you there!

Karima.

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 If you are feeling this way and are wondering what the best places are for a fun night with friends, music and maybe a beer, look no further. Lansing has some great clubs to satisfy this urge. Below are my picks for the best nightclubs in the Lansing area.

• Club 131 / Harper's Brew Pub
  131 Albert Ave., East Lansing MI
  (517) 333-4040
  www.harpersbrewpub.com

Call ahead to get on one of their VIP Lounges or their Plush VIP lounges to skip the waiting lines and taste comfort. Club 131 is located right below Harpers downtown East Lansing. Note that they are only open on Friday's, Saturday's and some Thursday's.

Funny note: Shortly after i moved here from France about 6 years ago, a group of friends and I went down to this club for a post Work Christmas party, hoping to enjoy some real fun. Unfortunately, i didn't know that i had to have an ID with me since there is no age minimum to drink back home in France.... Soooo... I was refused at the club not having my ID with me ... No hard feelings but i learned my lesson!

• The Exchange of Lansing
  314 E. Michigan Ave, Lansing
  (517) 319-4500
  www.lansingexchange.com

With Live music every night, a full menu to order from, cigars and no cover charge, I am thinking that if you've never been there before, you should definitely try it. Great variety of music from smooth jazz to pop music and more.

• Roxy's Night Club
  7711 W. Saginaw Hwy, Lansing
  (517) 622-7978

This is probably my favorite one because of the variety of dance music played, from R&B to hip-hop to more classical yet still "dance-able" taste to satisfy all audiences. The dance floor and the setting are very comfortable and appropriate for private conversations or frenetic moves to the sound of music.

• The Silver Dollar Saloon
  3411 E. Michigan Ave, Lansing MI
  (517) 351-2450

This is a nice club as well with a pretty big dance floor and live music on Friday's and Saturday's. I was there once only but it left me with a good overall impression.

Lansing offers a lot more of nightclubs but these are my favorites one. If you are into topless entertainment, i'm sure that Deja Vu on Jolly Rd in Lansing will work, so would Omar's club on Michigan Ave, accross from the Lansing Center. I am not telling more about these because i obviously don't like them. So if you want more information about it, well get to searching.......!

Enjoy your night!

Karima. 

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For those who do not favor playing in the snow or have already watched the most recent movie releases from Blockbuster's, entertainment can often mean heading to the nearest movie theater and see Leonardo DiCaprio in his most recent performance or maybe go for a comedy instead.

The Lansing area offers many close by movie theaters you can choose from. Here are my top 3 picks all located in the city of Lansing:

1. Celebration! Cinema in Lansing:

200 E. Edgewood Blvd, Lansing
(517) 393-7469
http://www.bigscreenmovies.com

Great Concession Stand with stuffed pretzels and very comfortable form-fitting seats. Also has an IMAX theater and is located nearby shopping center. You can also choose to precede or follow your movie with dinner at the Texas Road-house Restaurant right next to it.

2. NCG Eastwood Cinema:

2500 Showtime Dr, Lansing
(517) 316-9101
www.ncgmovies.com

What is great with this recently built theater is that the variety of things you can do before or after your movie is tremendous. Some of the best restaurants in Lansing are located in the Eastwood Towne Center where this theater is. Shopping will also keep you busy if you need to kill some time before your show starts.

3. Lansing Mall Cinema:

921 Mall Dr. W, Lansing
(517) 321-1521
www.lansingmallcinema.com

Although they don't offer form-fitting seats like Celebration Cinemas or NCG, comfort is still very important and the concession stand will let you order pretzel bites, pop-corn and more. The advantage with this smaller theater is that because it does not offer as many movie choices as other theaters do, the ticket price is much lower and you still get to enjoy a good movie alone or in good company.

My current movie picks: Blood diamond, The Good Shepherd, We were Marshall and Primevil.

Enjoy your show!

Karima.

For those of you looking for a hotel to host a business meeting, the meeting facility feature is added next to each hotel if it is a service they are currently providing.

My top 5 picks out of the list are indicated with a *.

Best Western Midway Hotel *
7711 W Saginaw Hwy, Lansing MI
(517) 627-8471 or (877) 772-6100

Suites available, complimentary breakfast, pets allowed, indoor pool, internet access, meeting facilities.

Nearby: Lansing Mall, many department stores (Walmart, Target, Michaels arts & Crafts and much, much more), multiple restaurants to choose from (Applebee’s, Cheddar’s, Carraba’s ....), movie theater.

Clarion Hotel & Conference Center
3600 Dunkel Dr, Lansing MI
(517) 351-7600

Suites available, complimentary breakfast, pets allowed, indoor pool, internet access, meeting facilities.

Nearby: Fenner Nature Center.

Country Inn & Suites
6511 Centurion Dr, Lansing MI
(517) 827-7000 or (800) 456-4000

Suites available, complimentary breakfast, indoor pool, internet access, meeting facilities.

Nearby: Lansing Mall, many department stores (Walmart, Target, Michaels arts & Crafts and much, much more), multiple restaurants to choose from (Applebee’s, Cheddar’s, Carraba’s ....), movie theater.

Courtyard by Marriott-Lansing
2710 Lake Lansing Rd, Lansing MI
(517) 482-0500

Suites available, indoor pool, internet access, meeting facilities.

Nearby: Eastwood Towne Center (shopping mall with great variety of restaurants).

Econo-Lodge
1100 Ramada Dr, Lansing MI
(517) 394-7200

Complimentary breakfast, outdoor pool, meeting facilities, pets allowed.

Nearby: Fenner Nature Center, IMAX Celebration Cinema.

Fairfield Inn-West *
810 Delta Commerce Dr, Lansing MI
(517) 886-1066

Suites available, complimentary breakfast, indoor pool, internet access.

Nearby: Lansing Mall, many department stores (Walmart, Target, Michaels arts & Crafts and much, much more), multiple restaurants to choose from (Applebee’s, Cheddar’s, Carraba’s ....), movie theater.

Hampton Inn of West Lansing *
525 N. Canal Rd, Lansing, MI
(517) 627-8381 or (800) HAMPTON

Suites available, complimentary breakfast, internet access, meeting facilities, pets allowed.

Nearby: Lansing Mall, many department stores (Walmart, Target, Michaels arts & Crafts and much, much more), multiple restaurants to choose from (Applebee’s, Cheddar’s, Carraba’s ....), movie theater.

Holiday Inn South/Convention Center
6820 S Cedar St, Lansing MI
(517) 694-8123

Suites available, indoor pool, internet access, meeting facilities.

Nearby: Fenner Nature Center, IMAX Celebration Cinema.

Holiday Inn Lansing West/Conference Center
7501 W. Saginaw Hwy, Lansing MI
(517) 627-3211

Suites available, indoor pool, internet access, meeting facilities.

Nearby: Lansing Mall, many department stores (Walmart, Target, Michaels arts & Crafts and much, much more), multiple restaurants to choose from (Applebee’s, Cheddar’s, Carraba’s ....), movie theater.

Lansing Quality Suites Hotels
901 Delta Commerce Dr, Lansing, MI
(517) 886-0600 or (800) 456-6431

Suites available, complimentary breakfast, internet access, meeting facilities, pets allowed.

Nearby: Lansing Mall, many department stores (Walmart, Target, Michaels arts & Crafts and much, much more), multiple restaurants to choose from (Applebee’s, Cheddar’s, Carraba’s ....), movie theater.

Radisson Hotel *
111 N. Grand Ave, Lansing, MI
(517) 482-0188 or (800) 333-3333

Suites available, indoor pool, internet access, meeting facilities.

Nearby: Lansing Shopping District.

Red Roof Inn-West
7412 W. Saginaw Hwy, Lansing MI
(517) 321-7246

Internet access, pets allowed.

Nearby: Lansing Mall, many department stores (Walmart, Target, Michaels arts & Crafts and much, much more), multiple restaurants to choose from (Applebee’s, Cheddar’s, Carraba’s ....), movie theater.

Residence Inn by Marriott-Lansing
922 Delta Commerce Dr, Lansing MI
(517) 886-5030

Suites available, complimentary breakfast, indoor pool, internet access, meeting facilities, pets allowed.

Nearby: Lansing Mall, many department stores (Walmart, Target, Michaels arts & Crafts and much, much more), multiple restaurants to choose from (Applebee’s, Cheddar’s, Carraba’s ....), movie theater.

 Sheraton Hotel *
925 S. Creyts Rd, Lansing MI
(517) 323-7100

Suites available, indoor pool, internet access, meeting facilities, pets allowed.

Nearby: Lansing Mall, many department stores (Walmart, Target, Michaels arts & Crafts and much, much more), multiple restaurants to choose from (Applebee’s, Cheddar’s, Carraba’s ....), movie theater.

Springhill Suites
111 S. Market Place Blvd, Lansing MI
(517) 627-0002

Suites available, complimentary breakfast, indoor pool, internet access, meeting facilities.

Nearby: Lansing Mall, many department stores (Walmart, Target, Michaels arts & Crafts and much, much more), multiple restaurants to choose from (Applebee’s, Cheddar’s, Carraba’s ....), movie theater.

  Incorporating pleasure and entertainment to study, MSU also offers the conveniency of nearby structures such as the Wharton Center or the Breslin Student Events Center if you are the mood for an evening show, or the Abrams Planetarium if you would rather loose yourself in the stars.

Museums such as the Kresge Art Museum, the actual MSU museum or even the Bug Museum will also prove to be resourceful in covering a wide range of interests or hobbies.

If you are into sports, I probably don't need to mention the opportunity for you to catch a Spartan game at the campus and cheer in the crowd for our local teams of football or basketball. Be sure to wear your green and white and say hi to Sparty, the MSU Mascotte.

Last, let me recommend the best place for fresh ice cream: MSU Dairy Store. It's a taste you won't forget. You might even choose to learn how to make cheese?

Whether you want to sign up for a class, visit the gardens or simply see what a national landmark looks like, Michigan State University is the place to be.

Go Green, Go White!!!

Karima. 

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