Check
out some of these Midwest-related blog posts from other writers I've enjoyed
reading this past month:
Bite into Cocktail Hour at Roast-I loved hearing that "Iron Chef", and Cleveland-area restaurant owner, Michael Symon opened Roast in Detroit's renovated Westin Book Cadillac Hotel. I've been longing to eat there, but until I do, I can enjoy this review from Becks Davis. Becks enjoyed a "cheap date night gone swanky" with her hubby at Roast's affordable Cocktail Hour.
The game that made Mark Fidrych Famous (June 28, 1976)-Relieve the glory days of Mark "The Bird" Fidrych's brief heyday at the mound as a Detroit Tiger pitcher. Check out the short clip featuring a bit of a particularly memorable game when Fidrych's pitching brought a stadium full of baseball fans to their feet and demanding a curtain call for the always animated Bird.
Storm Chaser: Surfing in Grand Haven-Yes, you read that correctly. We have awesome surfing in Michigan! Be sure to click out to the link from the blog to the preview of Unsalted, a flick about Great Lakes surfers.
Glen Haven, Michigan: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore-The Sleeping Bear Dunes Lakeshore in northwestern Michigan is one of our favorite vacation destinations. Check out Tim's take on the nicely restored town buildings in this formerly bustling port, lumbering and tourist town turned to National Park Service land and museum.
Fresnel lens tune-up-The strikingly beautiful Split Rock Lighthouse in northern Minnesota celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, so it's time to get ready for the lighthouse's close-up. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at tuning up the nation's last operational Fresnel lens in a lighthouse lens room, operating with the original mercury float, and rotating with a clockwork mechanism.
Midwest shopping destination: Mall of America-Looking to combine travel with holiday shopping? Check out Beth Blair's report from the gigantic Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Beth offers helpful tips for navigating the mall's 520-plus stores and numerous attractions.
Photo Friday: Land of Evermor, Baraboo, Wisconsin-I love Linda's knack for finding the most intriguing sights and exploring off the beaten path. Check out these cool animals created from scrap metal, especially the creative use of discarded instruments to build flocks of long-legged birds!
The Lincoln Museum & some tips for Springfield, Illinois-Want to learn a bit about history in the Land of Lincoln? Follow along as The Little TravelNotebook Team visits the Lincoln Library and Museum--and get a few tips to make your visit easier, especially if you're traveling with an RV or travel trailer.
Free things to do in Cleveland-We visit Cleveland, Ohio, fairly often, but I'll be sure to take this list of freebie sites with me next time I visit the city. Check out Kristin's article at Kathika for a list of ten great Cleveland sites to check out that won't cost you a dime.
Photo Friday: The Farm-From Cleveland, head on down to Amish Country and visit The Farm, a working Amish farm and animal preserve! It seems like an odd combination to me, this post at Flip Flop Caravan made it look like a fun way to spend a day in scenic Holmes County, Ohio.
Wanderlust Sunday: The American Midwest-I feel this region is often ignored when it comes to travel writing, so I was thrilled to see TheWordWire feature a list of Midwest posts in a Wanderlust Sunday column. The fact that two of the five stories were mine (one from this blog, and one from The Urbane Life), and one came from Tim's blog (The Wandering Photographer), tells me that Tim and I need to keep traveling, writing, and taking photos!
Awful Library Books on Jimmy Kimmel Live-OK, so this isn't a travel story...but this site is just too hilarious not to include somewhere. The Awful Library Books site is the work of two Michigan librarians who unearth the oddest, most obsolete, and outdated books lining library shelves. Checking out the covers of these books is hilarious enough--commentary from Mary and Holly makes this site even more fun. This post includes a clip of their recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel's late night show with a few of their most jaw-dropping finds.
© Dominique King 2009 All rights reserved
Thanks for including The Vacation Gals on your list and introducing me to a ton of other regional blogs. Good stuff!
~Beth
Posted by: Beth Blair | December 03, 2009 at 08:44 AM
Beth-Glad to include you on the list!
I started doing these monthly round-ups a few months ago. I've always felt the Midwest doesn't get the attention it deserves compared to other regions, so this is a way to make an effort to help promote others who write good stories about our region. It's also a way to point my readers to info about places I've yet to be able to cover.
Posted by: Dominique King | December 03, 2009 at 06:06 PM