‘Snow virgins’ can win free trip to Colorado

‘Snow virgins’ can win free trip to Colorado

DENVER — People who have never seen snow or built a snowman are getting a chance to do it in Colorado, in a big way.

The Colorado Tourism Office launched a contest recently to give three “snow virgins” an expenses-paid, three-month trip to Colorado, January through March. With help from local instructors and guides, contest winners will sample winter activities like snowmobiling, skiing, snowshoeing, dogsledding, the all-important apres ski cocktail hour, maybe even ice climbing — and then they’ll describe their experiences on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

Winners also will visit Colorado restaurants, hot springs and spas.

Applicants are asked to submit videos to www.snowatfirstsight.com explaining why they should win. People can visit the Web site to vote, and 10 finalists will get trips to Colorado to audition.

The Colorado Tourism Office is spending about $150,000 on the contest.

Illinois amusement park closes after 80 years

MELROSE PARK, Ill. — The rides at Kiddieland near Chicago have been shut down forever.

The longtime Chicago-area family amusement park permanently closed at the end of September.

Kiddieland Amusement Park in suburban Melrose Park opened in 1929. But park owners announced it would close in May, due to rivaling factions in the family that owns the park. One group that owns the land wants to use it for other purposes.

Tom Norini, who is related by marriage to the park’s founder, German immigrant Art Fritz, has said family members made a group decision to not start over.

In its last few weeks, Kiddieland fans came from all over Illinois and out of the state to visit the park for a final time. The park had over 30 rides.

The rides, including a 1950s German carousel and roller coaster, are now for sale.

Police force planned for tourists heading to Baja

SAN DIEGO — City officials in Mexico’s Baja California state are drafting plans for a bilingual police force that caters to American tourists headed south of the border.

The plan, announced at San Diego City Hall, is to create a joint Mexican force that patrols a 50-mile tourist corridor from Tijuana through Playas de Rosarito to Ensenada. Tourism in the region has been battered by drug-fueled violence, congested border crossings and a weak economy.

San Diego police officers will help train the officers.

Details have not been worked out, but Tijuana Mayor Jorge Ramos says the joint force could have as many as 350 officers. There is no budget.

Rosarito already has a tourist police unit of about 30 officers, and Ensenada has one with about 20 officers.

Associated Press