MAP Your Way to a Winter Adventure

 To some, winter is a time to stay in and sit by the fire; others suffer from “cabin fever” and the wailing wind is a call to adventure. If you are one of the latter, we have some great news. Our state is very beautiful in the winter, there are plenty of places to go during the season, and you can get some great deals on your wintry adventures. That’s because your Canton Public Library card is your gateway to a variety of free and discount offers to a multitude of destinations all across Michigan.

These offers come courtesy of The Library Network’s Michigan Activity Pass program, which allows you to use your library card to claim a pass for a variety of discounts. You can check out one pass per card every seven days, and you have seven days from when you claimed the pass to use it.

Sound good? Head over to the Michigan Activity Pass website. From there, click on the blue “Get Pass” button in the top right corner of the website. That takes you to the “Start Your Adventure” portion of the page where you’ll select your library. You’ll also enter your starting location, and a search radius for how far you want to travel. You can choose from 25 miles, 50 miles, 100 miles, or unlimited if you really want to see some places on the other side of the state. If you know the venues you want to visit or the type of places you want to go to, you can enter those details into the keyword option of the “Start Your Adventure” box.

After you’ve entered that info, hit the green search button in the bottom left corner of the box. There will be a few second delay as the screen loads the search results. Towards the top of the screen, you will see a map with pins in it of numbered locations that offer passes and meet the filters you entered on the previous screen. Below that will be a numbered list of venues with passes ordered by how close they are to the location you entered. Next to each entry on the list are two buttons. Clicking on the first one, “Venue Details”, will give you a brief description of the facility, as well as links to the destination's website and driving directions. Clicking on “Pass Options” will bring up a list of available passes for that facility and the dates they’re being offered.

If you don’t see any you like, just click on the “Hide Passes” button and you’ll be able to browse venues again. If you do see something you’re interested in though, click the green “Get Pass” button. A new box will pop up with details about the pass you’re going to claim. To claim it, click “Continue”. You’ll then be asked for your Canton Public Library card number. You must have a library card to claim a pass. Next, you’ll enter your first and last name. Entering your phone number and email are optional, but if you want an electronic copy of your pass, make sure you enter your email. Then click “Reserve” to claim your pass. Once your pass is reserved, save it to your Google or Apple Wallet or print it from the confirmation screen if you want a hard copy. Now, you're ready to explore! Let the world be your snowy oyster.