Here are some of the more interesting events, deals, websites and other travel tidbits that have come across our desk recently:
*Dinosaur enthusiasts large and small make an annual trek to the Burpee Museum of Natural History in Rockford, Ill., for PaleoFest, which is March 4-5 this year. The keynote speaker is Matthew C. Lamanna of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, whose topic will be “From Egypt to Antarctica: Discovering Extraordinary New Dinosaurs in the Southern Continents.” In addition to a wealth of speakers, there are kids and family workshops. http://tinyurl.com/zub86vf
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*The Ann Arbor Summer Festival isn’t until June and July, but tickets are already available online. Jazz icon Diana Krall is among the performers. The full festival lineup will be announced in April. The celebration of performing arts and outdoor entertainment is held at multiple venues on the University of Michigan campus and downtown. www.a2sf.org
*More than 200 quilts will be on display March 2-4 at the Indiana Heritage Quilt Show in Bloomington. There will also be workshops taught by nationally known instructors, vendors selling quilting materials and free shuttles to other community quilt exhibits. www.ihqs.org
*Bix Beiderbecke fans will gather March 9-12 in Racine, Wis., for the 28th annual Tribute to Bix Fest. Featured bands include the Honkey Tonk Gang from Germany, Tuba Skinny with Erika Lewis, and Ralph Norton and his Varsity Ramblers. There will also be lectures, new and used records and books for sale, jazz films screenings and more. www.bixfest.com
*The Marsh Madness Sandhill Crane Festival will be March 3-4 at Humphreys Park and Goose Pond Fish & Wildlife Area in Linton, Ind. Held in conjunction with the annual sandhill crane migration, the festival includes bus tours and self-guided driving tours; displays of birds of prey, reptiles and other animals; presentations on snakes, bats and other creatures; and more. www.friendsofgoosepond.org
*Order the 2017 Iowa Travel Guide or view it online at http://tinyurl.com/hxvpr8b.
*The Michigan Golf Show, billed as the largest consumer golf show in the country, will be March 10-12 in Novi, Mich. More than 400 exhibitors will be on hand with equipment and apparel, as well as information on courses, resorts and destinations. There will also be seminars and contests. www.michigangolfshow.com
*The American Birkebeiner in Cable, Wis., is famous for its cross-country ski competition. But two weeks later, March 11 this year, the Birkebeiner Ski Trail will be full of cyclists competing in the Fat Bike Birkie. You can bring your fat bike and compete in 12- or 28-mile races or just watch the fun. Preregister online at http://tinyurl.com/hugl8vs.
*Enter for a chance to win a getaway to Breckenridge, Colo., at http://tinyurl.com/znss4zw.
*Marriott Caribbean and Latin America resorts are offering savings up to 20 percent through a “More Is Less” promotion. We found rates in mid-June at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino for as little as $127 a night. Book by May 31 for travel through the end of the year. http://tinyurl.com/gpjxrxx
*The latest Colorado State Vacation Guide can be ordered at http://tinyurl.com/z5jpkr5.
*”Peanuts” fans visiting California might want to stop in at Santa Rosa’s Charles M. Schulz Museum, which honors the comic strip’s creator. The exhibit “It Was a Dark and Stormy Night” will run until Sept. 10, and “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” will stick around until July 16. www.schulzmuseum.org
Deals and websites have been checked for availability as of press time. 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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