New app aids in exploring Michigan for less

LANSING – Outdoor adventures in Michigan just got a little bit cheaper.

Using the free iPhone app Adventurate, people can book kayaking, canoeing, bike or city tours at a discounted rate in Lansing, Detroit and Traverse City.

"I wanted to create and app that made it easy to go on an adventure in Michigan," said app creator Jacob Santangelo, 22, of Holland.

Once on the app, users can view a list of activities offered in a city, select what they want and book it from the app by inputting their preferred time and credit card information. When the user shows up at the business, he or she just needs to show the booking on the app. Businesses offer discounts of $3 to $5 on the app.

"It's awesome for small businesses because it helps give them more customers and helps people explore," Santangelo said.

Adventurate launched last week and currently features one business per city, including Lansing's River Town Adventures, which offers kayaking canoeing and paddle boarding in the Grand and Red Cedar rivers and Fidelity Lake at Ralph Crego Park. All services are listed on the app at a discounted price.

"I think it's a great idea," said Nate Williams, owner of River Town Adventures. "A lot of people just don't know what Michigan has to offer or what we have to offer right here in Lansing."

Williams said the app is a lot more convenient for him since he doesn't always have access to his phone to take reservations when he's out on the river or dropping people off.

The other two businesses featured are 231 Outfitters in Traverse City and Detroit Urban Adventures.

Adventurate is still in its infancy and Santangelo said he hopes to expand the offerings to cities such as Grand Rapids and Holland before being able to cover the whole state. Other services he wants to add on the app include skydiving, charter fishing and museums.

Contact Alex Alusheff at (517) 388-5973 or aalusheff@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexalusheff.

On the web:

www.adventurate.com

http://www.rivertownadventures.com