With the heat wave dripping across the Heartland thoughts of winter, skiing and snowboarding keep running through my head. Take heart Midwestern shredders and check out the new summer snowboard and freestyle ski camps taking place at Treetops Resort in northern Michigan.

A total of $1.3 million will go a long way at New Hampshire’s Loon Mountain between now and the start of the 2013-2014 season. Loon management will infuse the cash into the existing snowmaking system that will jack up the capacity by 40 percent.

Michigan has been named the “No. 1 State for Fly Fishing in the United States” by Field & Stream magazine. Boyne Mountain is honoring that tradition by hosting the first annual Michigan Fly Fishing Festival July 20-21.

Vail Resorts, Inc. has started construction of 543 acres of new terrain in the Peak 6 area of Breckenridge Ski Resort. The Peak 6 project will include 400 acres of lift-served terrain and 143 acres of hike-to terrain. 

Barbecue in the south is serious business and an inherent part of its culture. Sugar Mountain in North Carolina has bought into that concept and will offer its first barbecue boot camp, courtesy of the North Carolina BBQ Society, July 19-20.

A visit to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore should be high on your Heartland “bucket list.”

Just having returned from my first summer visit to the Galena, Illinois, area and Chestnut Mountain I was blown away by the scenic beauty of the region and all it has to offer visitors.

UPDATE 7/5/13: Whaleback Mountain’s future will remain unsettled for at least another month, reports the Valley News, after Randolph National Bank postponed the auction of the ski area until Aug. 1. The sale was previously scheduled for July 11.

As Sunday River Resort closed the books on a banner season, the Newry, Maine ski area has embarked on $5.7 million in upgrades prior to the 2013-2014 winter.

How would you like to ski or ride every day all over Michigan this winter for $600? Not just one area, but 20 of the top ski areas scattered across the Wolverine State and including Minnesota’s Wild Mountain. 

More than 6.4 million skiers and snowboarders flocked to the slopes of Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) member resorts for the 2012-13 season. 

It’s time to talk about summer fun now that high school graduations are behind us in the east. There’s no shortage of it in the mountains no matter where you are located, and with ample rain the past few weeks, the landscape is verdant everywhere you look.

Known for its downhill and cross country skiing and snowmobiling during winter, Traverse City is also a top summer destination. National Geographic lists it as one of the Top 10 Summer Trips, and Family Fun says it’s one of “America’s top 10 tourist towns.”

Golfers are a lot like skiers. Skiers are in search of that secret stash of fresh powder, that perfect run, and golfers are looking for that unique, out-of-the-way course that has captured the attention of the golf writers across the nation.

New Hampshire has always been a popular place for city-dwellers to beat the summer heat, and the Granite State is ready to welcome travelers from the Boston and New York City areas, as well as metro regions farther south. 

Music, barbecue and beer will be bountiful at Beaver Creek over Memorial Day weekend with the 10th annual Blues, Brew and BBQ Festival.

The endless season at Boyne Mountain, Mich. continues this weekend as resort officials have decided to keep its lifts running to take advantage of the still solid snow conditions. 

The golf season in northern Michigan is here. Long known as "America’s Summer Golf Capital," several of the region's resorts rank among the top 100 golf resorts in the country. All offer early season golf packages.