Here are some of the more interesting events, deals, websites and other travel tidbits that have come across our desk recently:
*Grab your lederhosen: Oktoberfest will be Oct. 8-9 in downtown Lake Geneva, Wis. There will be German food and a beer tent, naturally, along with German music, a giant pumpkin weigh-in, kids activities and more. 800-345-1020, http://tinyurl.com/huo67my
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*For fans of Halloween haunted houses, the Amhurst Asylum in Valparaiso, Ind., will be offering lots of frights during weekends in October. The 23,000-square-foot attraction will operate Fridays and Saturdays during the first part of the month and Thursdays through Sundays later in the month. There will also be daylight hours for younger kids on two Sundays. 312-646-0778, www.amhurstasylum.com
*The Rockford, Ill., tourism folks have a list of fall events and places to enjoy fall color in their area at http://tinyurl.com/zunldao.
*Vacations By Rail, which offers train-centric vacation packages in North America and Europe, has early booking bonuses for travel Oct. 21 to March 31, if booked by Oct. 31. Bonuses include a free pre- or post-night hotel stay on trips such as the Chicago to New Orleans & Western Caribbean Cruise package, which features round-trip travel on Amtrak’s City of New Orleans train and a seven-night Caribbean cruise aboard Norwegian Cruise Line. 877-929-7245, http://tinyurl.com/h7robqr
*ROW Adventures offers a variety of active vacations through the holiday season that range from hobnobbing with giant tortoises in the Galapagos Islands to kayaking in Cuba’s Bay of Pigs. Check them out at http://tinyurl.com/zrynepv.
*Leaf peepers can find updated fall color information for Wisconsin at http://tinyurl.com/j4magme.
*The Biketoberfest Motorcycle Festival and Rally will be Oct. 13-16 in Daytona Beach, Fla. www.biketoberfest.org
*The Michigan Hemingway Society will hold its annual fall Hemingway Weekend Oct. 14-16 in Petoskey, Mich. The society and the weekend focus on the state’s influence on author Ernest Hemingway’s works. During his boyhood, his family spent summers in Michigan. This year’s conference focuses on 1919, the last year Hemingway spent at the family summer home on Walloon Lake. www.michiganhemingwaysociety.org
*More than 2,000 rowers from across the country are expected to compete Oct. 9 at the Head of the Rock Regatta in Rockford, Ill. The 3.2-mile race is held on the Rock River and draws thousands of spectators. http://tinyurl.com/zc9rayu
*Balloons Over Mount Vernon on Oct. 14-16 will feature hot-air balloons decorating the sky over the southern Illinois town. There will be nightly balloon glows, tethered balloon rides and a classic car show. There’s also a fly-in for winged aircraft and classic planes on display. http://tinyurl.com/jn8wwcd
*The Rural Arts Road Trip will be Oct. 7-9 in Calumet County, between Milwaukee and Green Bay. The self-guided route will feature 11 locations with artists and craftspeople working in a variety of media. There will be artist demos, works to buy and edible souvenirs like artisan cheeses and raw honey. 920-286-0971, www.ruralartsroadtrip.com
*Order the Wisconsin 2016-17 Fall/Winter Event Guide or view it online at http://tinyurl.com/jv4evcs.
Deals and websites listed here have been checked for availability as of press time, but the listings are not endorsements.
Send tips at least a month in advance to ChicagoTribTravel@gmail.com.
Phil Marty is a freelancer.
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