Travel calendar

Chicago

Walking with dinos

If you loved the movie or Universal Studios' ride "Jurassic Park," save your fossils for a ticket to "Walking with Dinosaurs - The Live Experience," a theatrical arena show setting up at Chicago's United Center Aug. 7-17. Based upon an award-winning BBC television series, the show allows the audience to witness 10 species of colossal beasts evolving and interacting with amazing realism. (312) 559-1212 or www.dinosaurlive.com.

Air & Water Show

It might be middle-aged, but at 50, the 2008 Chicago Air and Water Show is still about lean and mean flying and gliding machines. The U.S. Navy Blue Angels and the U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team star over three days of heart-pounding stunts along Chicago's stunning lakefront and on the water at North Avenue Beach. Aug. 15-17. www.Cityofchicago.org.

Midwest

World of faeries

If a yearly visit to a local Renaissance Faire isn't enough, head to Vasa Park in South Elgin for the World of Faeries Festival Aug. 2-3. Dab some patchouli behind your ears and browse fairy art and crafts, magic shows, sword fighting demos and lots of folk music. Flit over to www.the worldoffaeries.com or call (815) 788-1630.

Mendota corn festival

Get your roughage at the 61st annual Mendota Sweet Corn Festival, Aug 7-10, when the city serves up 50 tons of free, hot buttered sweet corn as well as musical entertainment, a large flea market, beer garden, grand parade and a carnival with rides and games for adults and little shavers. For details and directions, they're all ears at (815) 539-6507 or go to www.sweet cornfestival.com.

Surfing Lake Michigan

No need to travel to either coast to ride a righteous wave. Start planning a trip to surf Lake Michigan during late summer and early fall when the water is warm and wave size gets nearly gnarly. Many locations along the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore are ideal for surfing and body boarding and Sleeping Bear Surf & Kayak offers lessons as well as a selection of skimboards, surfboards and body boards. Call (231) 326-9283 or, yes, surf over to www.sbsurfandkayak.com for information.

Humongous fungus

Surprise! The humongous fungus is not located in your teenager's laundry basket, but rather in Crystal Falls, Mich., where the world's largest and oldest living organism covers 38 acres.

The Humongous Fungus Festival is more than celebrating the 100-ton 'shroom: enjoy a youth golf tournament, ice cream social, live entertainment, Fungus Fest parade, street dance, mushroom cook-off, car show, duck race and a humongous picnic, rummage sale and pizza. Aug. 7-10. Call (906) 875-3212

Worth the Trip

Burning Man 2008

Burning Man is an annual festival/experiment dedicated to self-reliance, self-expression and art held in the Black Rock Desert, 120 miles north of Reno, Nev. Past themes have included Time, Outer Space, The Floating World, Hope and Fear and the 2008 theme is American dream. Expect sculpture, installations, performance, exhibitions, art cars, costumes and other oddities at this commerce-free event. Aug. 25 to Sept. 1. Try to figure it out at www.burningman.com.