Travel Tuesday, September 4

As the seasons start to change, travelers are scrambling for their last few moments in the sun. Last weekend, a reported 16.1 million travelers took to the skies, with millions more on the road, to celebrate the Labor Day travel period.

To help travelers round out their long weekends in Illinois, the former Chicago Architecture Foundation hosted the grand opening of the Chicago Architecture Center. I was delighted to attend the ribbon cutting, which kicked off the 200,000-square-foot center's grand opening weekend at Mies van der Rohe's 111 E. Wacker. The museum's exhibits cover the gamut of topics related to Chicago architecture, such as a model of the city's early evolution after the Great Chicago Fire or a gallery showcasing Chicago’s best-known architects. I have a feeling the Architecture Center will soon become yet another must-visit attraction in Chicago.

I was honored to take the stage at the Great Wolf Lodge in Gurnee as keynote for the Visit Lake County Annual Luncheon. During the afternoon, we celebrated the economic impact of travel as well as acknowledging the amazing developments taking place in Lake County and around Illinois. The work of local DMOs is invaluable to the success of our state, and I continue to encourage as many businesses as possible to partner with these wonderful organizations.

A special congratulations to Anderson Japanese Gardens in Rockford for being selected to represent Chicago in a new initiative from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ms. Chisato Takeuchi, a Japanese garden expert from Saitama, Japan, visited the garden to give a lecture and demonstration as part of an effort to introduce Japanese experts to the United States. This is a great honor for Anderson Japanese Garden and we're so proud to have such an amazing cultural institution in our state.

And if you haven't picked up your new Fall/Winter Travel Illinois magazine, now's the time. This gorgeous new issue features perfect fall getaway ideas, a Q&A with Chicago food icon Rick Bayless, and a cover feature for Illinois Made maker Tangled Roots Brewing Company in Ottawa. Order your copies today or download our digital version on EnjoyIllinois.com.

Your friend in Illinois Tourism,

An abundance of reclaimed materials in his hometown of Rockford inspired Jeremy Klonicki to start creating custom frames.

As word got out and his collection of reclaimed materials grew, Jeremy began creating bigger frames and incorporating light into his displays. He joined up with Carmen Turner and together developed MainFraiM into what it is today — a collection of artisans who turn old elevator shafts, planes and salvaged wood into works of art.

Each MainFraiM piece is inspired by the materials used to create them, whether it be a light installation made from things found in an old garage, or a beautiful piece of furniture crafted from an old building.

MainFraiM is more than its art, though; it’s a community. Jeremy and Carmen share their workshop with other artisans, forming what they like to call it a "Habitat for Art" — a place for once-forgotten items to shine again.

You can visit MainFraiM’s workshop to see the artisans in action, or stop by the Prairie Street Brewhouse in Rockford and look for the giant 17-foot chandelier, one of Jeremy’s favorite MainFraiM creations.

Meet more of the makers, creators, artisans and craftspeople that make Illinois thrive at the Enjoy Illinois website.

American to No Longer Offer Direct Flights from Chicago to Some Asian Markets
Higher fuel prices and increased competition from Chinese airlines has caused American Airlines to rethink nonstop flights from Chicago to some Asian countries. Daily nonstop flights to Shanghai will end in late October, with daily flights to Tokyo scheduled to drop to three days per week in December. Although American remains optimistic about both markets, the affected Asian routes have been described as "colossal loss leaders."

Download the New Global Business Traveler Report from Skift
Curious about the state of global business travel? Is it growing? Shrinking? Staying the same? The 2017 Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) forecast predicts the business travel sector will reach $1.6 trillion by 2020. But is it true? The 2018 Skift Global Business Traveler Report is a research-based initiative, examining the impact of factors from personal preference to digital trends on the evolving world of corporate travel. And best of all? It's available for download FREE from Skift and Turkish Airlines. Get yours today.