Midwest Guest

Midwest travel links for August 2015

Check out some great Midwest-related stories I found online this past month:

A Tale of Two Lighthouses: Crisp Point and Whitefish Point-I've been to a number of Great Lakes lights, but this breathless account of Sally's adventure at two remote lighthouses in Michigan's Upper Peninsula reminded me that, while we've visited Whitefish Point in the past, visiting Crisp Point is still on my bucket list. Check out her story at the always entertaining Unbrave Girl blog.

Whitefish Point

Classic American Road Power-Uke's Harley Davidson-This Harley dealership/museum in Kenosha, Wisconsin is definitely on our bucket list! Keith Ulicki opened the first Uke's in 1930, and his family still owns the dealership, Wisconsin's oldest. Check out Tony's story about this motorcycle enthusiasts' Mecca at The Walking Traveler blog.

Classic Car Collection: Kearney, Nebraska-With more than 200 vehicles, there is plenty to see at this classic car museum in Nebraska. Cool cars make for a cool and interesting stop if you're driving along I-80 says Sara. Check out her story about the museum at the Travels with Sara blog.

Lincoln Highway provides history and sites and Iowa-We love the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental highway in the United States, and enjoyed exploring it through Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia and parts of Illinois and Pennsylvania. I especially enjoyed parts of and a few notable stops in Iowa like the hometown of actress Donna Reed and the historic Harrison County Courthouse. Check out Tim and Lisa's story about this legendary road at The Walking Tourists blog.

Short original brick section of the Lincoln Highway in Indiana

A Perfect Weekend in Indianapolis-We enjoyed our visit to Indianapolis earlier this summer, but Maya and Michael offer a few ideas for more things we should check out next time we visit Indy. I particularly liked seeing images of the city's cool vintage Indianapolis Central Library, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame and this couple's picks for local shopping. Check it out at the VisuaLingual blog.

What I Found in Indy-I like Max's approach to seeking out some of the more hidden treasures like the Slow Food Garden in Indianapolis' White River State Park and cool urban initiatives like a booth allowing visitors to send a postcard from Indy free of charge! Check out his story at The Urbanologist blog.

Slow Food Garden, Indianapolis

Downtown Wooster: A City Full of Surprises-I like nice surprises, and the small town of Wooster, Ohio looks like a good place to experience pleasant surprises. We've driven through Wooster, but we've yet to visit it and stay a while. We hope to remedy that and experience some surprises on our own soon. Meanwhile, I enjoyed getting a peek at the town and the nearby Lehman's Hardware store, which several people have suggested as a must-visit for Tim and me. Check out Tonya's story at The Traveling Praters' blog.

The white squirrels are (almost) everywhere in Olney, Illinois-Albino squirrels are everywhere you look in Olney. Their images adorn police cars, city welcome signs, trash bins, shops and more in town, but Scott had a little difficulty in finding a real, live white squirrel in town. He finally achieved success in his search after reminding himself to "Think like a white squirrel!" (hey, the same tactic sometimes works for me when I'm searching for a misplaced item--"if I were a set of keys, where would I be?"). Check out Scott's search and success story at the Quirky Travel Guy blog.

That's it for this month's Midwest travel links list. Do you have any favorite Midwest stories or blogs to share?

Want more Midwest news and links? Subscribe to my bi-monthly Midwest Guest newsletter!

Midwest travel links for July 2015

Check out some great Midwest-related stories I found online this past month:

Illinois State Capitol: Take the Tour-Join Connie on a tour of the State Capitol building in Illinois. I love vintage state capitol buildings like this because they offer so much in the way of history, art and architecture. This post reminded me of our tour of the iconic state capitol building here in Lansing, Michigan. Check out Connie's story about the Illinois capitol tour at her Midwest Wanderer blog.

Quirky Attraction: The Studebaker Museum-It's no secret that we love visiting museums with classic car collections like the Studebaker Museum in South Bend, Indiana, and to reflect Tim's experiences as a returning motorcycle rider, classic motorcycle collections. I enjoyed seeing Scott's take on the Studebaker Museum. Check it out at The Quirky Travel Guy blog. Meanwhile, do any of my readers know about any other good Midwest automobile or motorcycle museums we need to visit?

Entry to the Ford Rouge Plant-Charlie finds the most interestingly obscure sports during his two-wheeled adventures around the Motor City! Check out this small park he found in front of Ford's huge Rouge plant just downriver of the city. The park has historical markers telling the story of the plant and labor history in Michigan. I especially enjoyed seeing the plaque dedicated to the female factory workers during World War II (a.k.a. "Rosie the Riveters"). Check it out at the Bikes, Books & A Little Music blog.

Know Nebraska: Scottsbluff National Monument-Do you think of Nebraska as totally flat terrain? Muriel says "think again!" as she tours the scenic bluffs at this National Parks area in Nebraska. I found it especially interesting to learn that the Civilian Conservation Corps built some of the tunnels and other man-made features to make the park more accessible during the 1930s. Read about it at the Nebraska Outback blog.

Haunted Iowa: Places to Visit-Looking for ideas for planning a ghostly road trip? Check out Deb's list of suggested haunted places in Iowa, which includes an "An Ax Murder House" and a couple of haunted bridges. She also suggests reading The Iowa Road Guide to Haunted Locations by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk. Check out her story at Just Short of Crazy. I've also posted a couple of ghostly stories here that include Is Ohio's Everett Road Covered Bridge haunted? and A ghostly tale in Elmore, Ohio about reported sightings of a headless motorcycle rider!  

Ohio's Everett Road Bridge

Bob the Bridge-Join Adam as he visits the Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge and learn what it means to "Bob the Bridge". The bridge, which straddles the Mississippi River at Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa, allows visitors to stand with one foot in each of the two states at the same time! Read the story at the Visit Flyover Country blog.

Explore Geneva-on-the-Lake-We visited this Ohio State Park several years ago, and it was fun to virtually re-visit is with Mike on his Ohventures blog. Situated along the Lake Erie coastline, the area near the park initially gained fame as "Ohio's first resort" and remains popular for family fun, its proximity to great Ohio wineries, hiking and biking trails and a number of covered bridges.

Vincennes' Red Skelton Museum-I vaguely remember seeing Red Skelton's show on television when I was very young. The show went off of the air by the very early 1970s, but there is an Indiana Museum dedicated to Skelton's work as a much-loved comedian. The museum at Skelton's hometown of Vincennes, Indiana and Kayleen found it impressively interactive and modern. Check out her story at the Indiana Insider blog.

The Wallpapers in Paul Laurence Dunbar's Dayton Home are as Lovely as his Books-When I spot someone who can make an interesting story about wallpapers, I know I've found a blogger after my own heart! I enjoyed reading about Betsy's visit to poet Paul Laurence Dunbar's home in Dayton, Ohio. We learned a bit about the poet and his connection to Orville Wright during our recent visit to Dayton, and his home is now on our bucket list for a return trip to the city. Check out the story at beesfirstappearance blog.  

Smithfield Street Bridge in Pittsburgh: Sunset in the City of Bridges-Tim's sister and her family live in Pittsburgh, and I especially enjoyed seeing the city's bridges when we visited there. His sister, knowing of my love of bridges, made sure we walked across the Smithfield Bridge, telling us it was one of her favorite spans in the city. I can understand the appeal of this bridge and enjoyed learning of its connection to famed bridge builder John Roebling (who was also responsible for one of my favorite bridges in Cincinnati, Ohio). Check out Karyn's nice sunset scene at the Sand and Snow...and Everywhere in Between blog.

That's it for this month's Midwest travel links list. Do you have any favorite Midwest stories or blogs to share?

Want more Midwest news and links? Subscribe to my bi-monthly Midwest Guest newsletter!

© Dominique King 2015 All rights reserved

Midwest travel links for June 2015

Check out some great Midwest-related stories I found online this past month:

Burlington Bees: An Evening at the Ballpark-Connie likes seeing Minor League Baseball games when she travels for some of the same reasons I'm a big supporter of taking in Minor League games when I travel--the ready availability of teams to see in the Midwest and the fact that the games are affordable, family-friendly fun. Her story at Midwest Wanderer shows that her recent experience at a the Burlington Bees' ball park in Iowa to see the team play Grand Rapids Michigan's Whitecaps played out much as our recent visit to see the Indianapolis Indians...the game was a rain-out, but we had a great time anyway!

At a Grand Rapids Whitecaps game

Navy Pier Ferris Wheel to be Replaced with Bigger, More Modern Version-I loved the huge Ferris Wheel on Chicago's Navy Pier, and it seems so iconic that I found it surprising to learn that the city plans to replace it with a taller and more luxurious ride (can you say year-round climate-controlled gondolas? Check it out at the Chicago Architecture Blog.

10 tourist traps to love-Speaking of iconic sites like Navy Pier with its Ferries Wheel, this list includes the pier and Ferries Wheel, as well as nine other must-see quirky Midwest sites. I've seen several places on this list like South Dakota's Corn Palace, Michigan's Mackinac Island and the Michigan Upper Peninsula site that fully embraces its identity as a tourist trap, Da Yoopers Tourist Trap and Museum. Check out Beth's story at the Midwest Weekends blog.  

No Wonder Birds Flock to Gene Stratton-Porter's Limberlost Cabin-Looking for something a little more educationally inclined? Gene Stratton-Porter is an Indiana author, photographer and naturalist who enjoyed immense popularity during the early 20th century. We've visited Gene Stratton-Porter's "cabin" near Rome City, Indiana, and Limberlost (also in northern Indiana) appears like it has many of the same sort of construction details, gardens and nature-friendly features that distinguish the Limberlost North home we saw. Check out Betsy's story about Limberlost at the beesfirstappearance blog.

Limberlost North

Visiting the Mankato Minnesota Houses Where Betsy and Tacy Lived-The Maud Hart Lovelace penned series of books about Betsy, Tacy and Tib were another childhood favorite for me, and I'd love to visit the Mankato, Minnesota area where these stories based on the author's life at the turn of the twentieth century happened. Check out Terri's story at the Off the Beaten Page Travel to learn more about these books and the stories behind them.

Positively Classic Cars-Where can classic car fans can check out unique vintage vehicles like a legendary Tucker, the infamous Edsel, a classy Auburn, the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car or something that looks suspiciously like the car Jed and Granny Clampett drove during the 1960s camp-classic television show, The Beverly Hillbillies? Check out Maureen's story about the Classic Car Show at Oakbrook in Chicago, Illinois to find out more!

Lighthouses of Door County-I've visited many lighthouses along the eastern side of Lake Michigan, but I've yet to explore as many of the light stations along the lake's western shore in Wisconsin. Beth offers a nice list of Wisconsin lights I'd love to see! Check out her story at the Midwest Weekends blog.

13 Fascinating Facts about Michigan City and the Old Lighthouse-Some folks are surprised to find that Indiana has a lighthouse, but Indian's scant 45-miles of Great Lakes coastline is home to a very nice pier head lighthouse and a lighthouse museum housed in the old keepers' residence. I've always loved this light and the story of Harriet Colfax who served as the keeper here for an amazing 43 years! Check out Connie' story about the light, Harriet and more at the Midwest Wanderer blog.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park: Brandywine, Blue Hen and Buttermilk Waterfalls-We've been to this park a couple of times and enjoyed visiting the park's Brandywine Falls, but we've yet to visit Blue Hen or Buttermilk Falls. Thanks to Bob's story on TrekOhio, I can get a glimpse of those two cascades and make plans to make the trek out the them next time we're at the park!

Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive (Or "How to do Sleeping Bear Dunes without wanting to die a billion times.")-So, I think nearly every Michigander does the dune climb at least once, but as Sally encouragingly points out, it's much easier to get to the top of the dunes by taking this scenic drive. Check out her story at the Unbrave Girl blog.

Torchbearers Detroit trip finds a city on the upswing-We're hearing a lot of positive things about Detroit these days, and it's a welcome change from the diet of doom and gloom and ruin porn photos that seemed to dominate the media just a few years ago. Check out this story by Michael and Christa about a group of young visitors who found a lot to like in the Motor City. Check it out at the akronist.com blog.

That's it for this month's Midwest travel links list. Do you have any favorite Midwest stories or blogs to share?

Want more Midwest news and links? Subscribe to my bi-monthly Midwest Guest newsletter!

© Dominique King 2015 All rights reserved

Midwest travel links for October 2014

Check out some great Midwest-related stories I found online this past month:

Wisconsin Cranberry Harvest-Cranberry sauce is one of my favorite parts of the Thanksgiving holiday, so I loved Julie's first-person account of harvesting these tasty little gems in Wisconsin's Cranberry County. Call me weird, but I'm definitely jealous of seeing Julie wearing waders and standing hip-deep in a cranberry bed! Check it out at the Wisconsin Parent blog.

West Side Market-This is one of my favorite year-round farmers markets, and we've wanted to get back to Cleveland to visit this market again, Seeing Mike's post about the market really got me in the mood for some holiday shopping, although I'm with him on knowing that if I spent too much time there, I'd spend a TON of money on some really great local food! Check out his story on the OHventures blog.

West Side Market

Uncovering Secrets at the Clinton County Courthouse-I am definitely a sucker for late-nineteenth-century county courthouses. The architecture and decorative details in Ohio's Clinton County Courthouse are stunning, and like many courthouses of this vintage, there is plenty of great history to go with the building. Read Tonya's story about it at The Traveling Praters blog.

Visiting Marblehead Lighthouse State Park-As much as I love great courthouse buildings, I'm probably even more fascinated with lighthouses. I've written about plenty of Great Lakes lighthouses here at Midwest Guest, and Ohio's Marblehead lighthouse has to be among my favorites. We've been out to Marblehead to take photos in the summer and winter, but we've yet to make it at the height of the autumn color season. Check out Tonya's story about the lighthouse and nearby the keepers house (which is also on my bucket list of places to go), also on the Traveling Praters blog.

Marblehead Lighthouse

A Yen for Yurts-I've never been much of a camper, but I could totally get behind the idea of staying in a yurt. This has long been on my bucket list since seeing one in northern Minnesota a number of years ago. This article at the Midwest Weekends blog reminded me of why the idea of a yurt stay originally fascinated me, and it includes a list of places to find yurts in places like Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and (be still my beating heart!) Michigan.

Can the Hotel Itself Be the Destination?-I'm always on the lookout for unusual and unique places to stay, and I remember hearing about the Hotel Pattee in Perry, Iowa a couple of years ago when several blogging friends stayed there during a conference. Sheila apparently saw the same messages about this hotel during the conference and recently found an opportunity to stay there herself. Check out her story at the Perceptive Travel blog.

Michigan-Henry Ford Museum-We love close enough to this museum and have memberships to The Henry Ford, so we visit fairly frequently throughout the year and sometimes just sneak over for an hour or so for a walk or to take some photos. Terri and her family sagely stuck with just doing the museum during their one-day visit, but hopefully they'll be able to return and spend the day at the Greenfield Village as well. Check out the story of her visit to the museum at the Travel 50 State with Kids blog.

Inside Lamy's Diner at The Henry Ford

Northern Indiana's Tombstone Trail tells tales of the departed-We've long included cemeteries in our travel plans because we like the historic tales we can often learn about a location by visiting the local graveyard. Additionally, these locations are among the best geocaching locations and provide some of the best opportunities for taking great photos we've found in our travels as well. Check out Maggie's story about a self-guided "Tombstone Trail" in northern Indiana's DeKalb and Noble counties at Indiana Landmark's Hidden Gems blog.

Tour a Former Asylum at the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, Traverse City-I remember seeing this complex back in its deserted and derelict days and the excitement I felt when hearing about its proposed transformation into a mixed use development of residential, commercial and recreational spaces. I really wanted to take this tour when we last visited Traverse in northwestern Michigan earlier this fall, but the tour didn't run the days we were there. The place has an interesting history as an asylum, but I love seeing various parts of the complex reborn into more cheerful uses. Read about Connie's tour of some of the buildings still awaiting redevelopment at her Midwest Wanderer blog. Meanwhile, if you do get up to the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, be sure to check out the gravesite of a champion milk cow on the grounds that I wrote about here-Honoring Traverse Colantha Walker.  

That's it for this month's Midwest travel links list. Do you have any favorite Midwest stories or blogs to share?

Want more Midwest news and links? Subscribe to my bi-monthly Midwest Guest newsletter!

Midwest travel links for September 2014

Check out some great Midwest-related stories I found online this past month:

Fall Travel Destinations in the Midwest-Cool coasters, fabulous fishing, amazing architecture, terrific trains and much, much more await visitors traveling to the Midwest this fall. Check out some great suggestions for fun fall trips at Travels With Sara.

Sunrise at Copper Harbor, Michigan

Copper Harbor: The End of the Road-Mike knows his way around Michigan, and demonstrates how we Michiganders show where we are in the state by forming a map with our own two hands! Here, Mike heads for the tippy top of his left thumb, a.k.a. Copper Harbor and the northern terminus of I-75 to explore life in this tiny Upper Peninsula town. Check it out at his blog for RV travelers, Roadtreking: Discovering the small motorhome lifestyle.

10 Crazy Reasons to Visit Marquette, MI #Pure Michigan-You could also check out Marquette if long as you're heading up to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Hiking? Cliff jumping? Waterfalling? Surfing?? Did I mention whitefish, pasties and beer? Deb gives readers plenty of reasons to consider visiting Marquette. Check it out at the Just Short of Crazy blog.

Southport Light Station Museum, Kenosha, Wisconsin: Tour the Museum, Climb the Lighthouse-Join Connie as she climbs the spiral stairs to the top of the light tower and tours this lovingly restored light station on Lake Michigan in Kenosha. This one is definitely on my Midwest lighthouse bucket list. Check it out at the Midwest Wanderer blog.

A touch of Traverse City, Michigan color

The Perfect Fall Colors Weekend Getaway: Traverse City-This is one of our favorite destinations, and this week is pretty much near the peak of fall color season in the Traverse City area. Join Jessie at the Wandering Educators' blog as she shares some stunning autumn scenes that I wish I was up seeing in person right now!

Biking the Lake Erie Islands-Amanda found Lake Erie Islands like South Bass Island and Kelleys Island to be especially bike-friendly during her recent adventure there. Check it out (and see how you can get your (glacial) groove on) at A Dangerous Business' blog.  

Big Heads, Badlands & Bear Claws-We visited the South Dakota several years back and have been trying to schedule a trip back that way ever since. Meanwhile, it was nice to see some familiar sights we remembered seeing during our travels and to learn a bit more about the sometimes controversial history of some places in this beautiful area. Check it out with David and Veronica at The Gypsy Nester blog.

6 Historic Homes to Visit in the Chicago Suburbs-Chicago is another place we really want to return to visit. One of the things I really love about the city is its wealth of interesting and historic architecture, so I really enjoyed reading about these beautiful homes away from Chicago's city center. Check out Mel's post at the Two Moms, a Little Time and a Keyboard blog.

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati, Ohio

Finding the Freedom Center-I wrote about our visit to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio six years ago, and I remember it as being a moving and thought-provoking experience. I think Ronny does a lot better job that I did at that time of capturing the feelings that a visit here evokes with his stunning photos and text. Check it out at the Queen City Discovery  blog.  

Firefighters Museum: Where Kids Learn of Historic Heroes-We saw the outside of this museum when we visited Fort Wayne, Indiana earlier this year, but we were never able to get back at a time when it was open. It's on the bucket list for our next visit to Fort Wayne, meanwhile, I enjoyed getting a peek at the inside of the museum and reading more about it. Check out Kayleen's story about the museum at the Fort Wayne Insider blog.

Cape Girardeau driving tour highlights local spots in movie 'Gone Girl'-OK, so I need to finally read this book and see the movie! Tim and Lisa tell readers about a of spots in Cape Girardeau, Missouri that saw action as movie sets during the filming of this recently released flick. Check it out at The Walking Tourists blog.

That's it for this month's Midwest travel links list. Do you have any favorite Midwest stories or blogs to share?

Want more Midwest news and links? Subscribe to my bi-monthly Midwest Guest newsletter!

© Dominique King 2014 All rights reserved

Midwest travel links for August 2014

Check out some great Midwest-related stories I found online this past month:

Fire Museum of Greater Cincinnati-This Ohio city had the first professional, paid fire department in the United States, making it a pretty logical place for a museum dedicated to the history and technological innovation in firefighting throughout the years. Check out this story, and some great images, from the Visualingual team of Maya and Mike.

 A Visit to Ohio State Reformatory #Shawshank20-Join Karyn at the Sand and Snow...and everything in between blog as she tours this site, which many folks may remember as being the setting for the "Shawshank Redemption" movie filmed 20 years ago. We toured the exterior of the prison a few years ago, but got there too late in the day to see the building's interior. That tour is another thing on my Midwest bucket list!

Ohio State Reformatory, Mansfield, Ohio

Cambridge City: The crossroads of a canal era Indiana-Canal history fascinates me as we don't have a lot of canal-related history here in Michigan. This story from Indiana Landmarks' Hidden Gems blog tells the story of Cambridge City, which enjoyed a 19th-century heyday because of its location along the Whitewater Canal and the National Road (US 40).

Riding into the West with the Pony Express-Check out Sheila's story at the Perceptive Travel blog about this museum dedicated to the Pony Express. The transcontinental mail delivery service only lasted about a year-and-a-half during the mid-1860s, but the legend of the Pony Express lives on at this museum in St. Joseph, Missouri.

Midwest Travel: Sioux Falls, South Dakota-Join Julie at the Wisconsin Parent blog as she takes a road trip to this South Dakota city and shares plenty of family-friendly finds like trolley rides, waterfalls and First Friday fun. Plus, she also found a little time without the kids to check out a local winery!

Kansas City, MO: Kauffman Stadium and Royals Baseball-Adam says this Major League baseball park is the best big league sports venue he's visited with his family. Check out the newly renovated stadium with its famous fountains and enhanced kids play area at the Visit Flyover Country blog.

My #LakeErieLove Story: A Merry Visit to Sandusky, Ohio- Amanda and I both enjoyed the hospitality of Lake Erie Shores and Islands during a blogger trip to northern Ohio, so I especially enjoyed reading her take on our evening in Sandusky, Ohio at her Clue into Cleveland blog.

Sandusky, Ohio

Historic Valley Junction offers unique shopping, excellent dining-Tim and Lisa enjoy a unique shopping and dining district in West Des Moines' historic downtown district. The found some seriously groovy threads, enjoyed a little vintage television watching and relived some childhood memories in a couple of retro-themed stores, capping off the visit with casual comfort food and a taste of Iowa-produced wine. Check it out at The Walking Tourists blog.

Know Nebraska: Victoria Springs State Recreation Area-Muriel takes readers of the Nebraska Outback blog to the Victoria Springs State Recreation area in Nebraska's Sandhills. The park dates from the 1920s, is home to log cabin structures that served as a post office for the New Helena community established there in 1875 and has modern campsites and day-use areas perfect for an affordable getaway.

The Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake, Iowa: Remember the Day the Music Died-Anyone who remembers the old Don McLean "American Pie" song, or the death of 1950s rock stars Buddy Holly, J.P "The Big Bopper" Richardson and Richie Valens, will immediately recognize the Iowa site Connie writes about in this story from Midwest Wanderer. The Surf Ballroom was immortalized as the last place Holly, Richardson and Valens performed before losing their lives in a tragic plane crash.

African/African-American Museum Offers Unique Exhibits-Hometown museums can offer an affordable way to travel the world says Kayleen in this story on the Indiana Insider blog. Here she checks out the African/African-American Museum in Fort Wayne and takes readers on a tour of the museum with its executive director, Dr. John Aden.  

That's it for this month's Midwest travel links list. Do you have any favorite Midwest stories or blogs to share?

Want more Midwest news and links? Subscribe to my bi-monthly Midwest Guest newsletter!

© Dominique King 2014 All rights reserved

Midwest travel links for June 2014

Check out some great Midwest-related stories I found online this past month:

Les Cheneaux Islands: Dancing Waters B&B-I've followed Loreen's tales of her trek around the Great Lakes on her 1000-Mile Great Lakes Adventures blog for quite some time. It was a lot of fun to discover that she "followed" us to the Dancing Waters B&B in Cedarville, Michigan. I loved seeing photos of owners Jim and Betty and the progress Jim's made in the past year on the B&B addition. 

Oddball Michigan: A Guide to 450 Really Strange Places-Jessie reviews this book, which is definitely screaming my name, on the Wandering Educators blog. We love strange stops, like the Teenie Weenie Pickle Barrel Cottage featured in this review, and the quirkier, the better.

Grand Traverse Commons Tour: A Popular Tourist Attraction-Touring the former mental hospital buildings at Traverse City, Michigan has long been on my bucket list, although we did manage to visit the grave of the famed Traverse Colantha Walker (a champion milk cow) on the grounds of this mixed-use development. Mike has tour info at the Traverse City True North blog.

The Last Covered Bridge in Wisconsin: Cedarburg-I love covered bridges and cringe when one falls victim to vandals, a hit-and-run or simply crumbles because of the ravages of time. We have so few of these covered spans in Michigan (arsonists recently destroyed one, and another suffered damage when an over-sized construction vehicle hit it), so I was particularly interested in Kenneth's story about the Cedarburg Bridge on the Wisconsin Explorer blog.

14 Things to do in South Dakota-We found plenty to do when we traveled through South Dakota, and I see that Deb and her family also enjoyed places like Wall Drug, Custer State Park, Mount Rushmore, and Corn Palace that Tim and I enjoyed on our travels. Check out her story at Just Short of Crazy.

The famed Wall Drug "jack-a-lope"

Historic Park Inn: Last Remaining Frank Lloyd Wright Hotel-Connie takes readers on a tour of a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed hotel in Mason City, Iowa. The structure, built as a bank in the early 1900s, went through decades of neglect after the bank failed and the building remained mostly empty. A dedicated group of locals raised enough money to restore the building for use as a hotel and, in 2011, the historic hotel reopened to the public. Check out the story (and lots of photos!) at the Midwest Wanderer blog.

Rockford Offers Collection of Unique Architecture-Chere ventured north from her home in Louisiana to check out some cool Frank Lloyd Wright homes and buildings in Rockford, Illinois. Check out her story about Rockford and its many attractions (gotta love a place that claims to be home to the Sock Monkey!) at the Louisiana Road Trips blog.

Dubuque Incline is a Historical Ride-I loved the views we had of downtown Pittsburgh while riding the Duquesne Incline, and I loved reading about Tim and Lisa's ride on a similar incline in Dubuque, Iowa. Like the inclines in Pittsburgh, the Dubuque Incline opened during the late 1800s as a way to ease the trek between places in a hilly town. Check out their story at The Walking Tourists blog.

My Midwest: Summertime in Indy-Lisa found some great things to see and do in Indianapolis, a town that seems to be experiencing a rejuvenation in attitude and revitalized, or new, attractions. The new eight-mile Cultural Trail through town and a chance to ride a gondola with singing gondoliers especially sounds like fun to me! Check it out at the LL World Tour blog.

Edith Head's Hollywood Costumes Will Show You How to Dress for Success-I'm a fan of classic movies and costumes (check out my Vintage Fun board on Pinterest if you doubt me!), so I loved Bee's story about an exhibit featuring the work of the famed Hollywood costume designer at the Decorative Arts Center of Ohio in Lancaster. I may not be able to get down to this exhibit before it closes in mid-August, but I'm enjoying the photos and story at beesfirstappearance blog.

Quirky Attraction: Michael Jackson's Birth Home-Scott shares the story of visiting the gloved one's birthplace in Gary, Indiana on his Quirky Travel Guy blog. Jackson's story still fascinates fans and others five years after his untimely death in June, 2009, and Scott tells his readers that fans still stop by to see the site. I know that the story I wrote about a tribute headstone in a Detroit cemetery (which is not Jackson's actual burial place) still draws interested readers today.   

That's it for this month's Midwest travel links list. Do you have any favorite Midwest stories or blogs to share?

Want more Midwest news and links? Subscribe to my bi-monthly Midwest Guest newsletter!

© Dominique King 2014 All rights reserved

Midwest travel links for October 2013

Check out some great Midwest-related stories I found online this past month:

A Galena Getaway-Visiting Galena, Illinois has been on my Midwest bucket list ever since I first read about the town with its quaint bed-and-breakfast inns, shops and historic buildings many years ago. Rosalind's story at Farsighted Fly Girl about a recent visit to President Grant's hometown to celebrate her anniversary reminded me why I've always wanted to see it for myself.

Haunted DeSoto House Hotel, Galena IL-Connie also visited Galena recently and shared her experience at the supposedly spooky DeSoto House Hotel there on her Midwest Wanderer blog.

Visiting Kaskaskia Island: Illinois' Island that can only be reached from Missouri-Kaskaskia was once the capitol of the Illinois Territory, but the island only appeared around 1881 when the Mississippi River carved a piece of Kaskaskia off from the mainland to create an island. Becky gives readers a glimpse of this unique southern Illinois community at the Family Rambling blog.

Surprises you'll find while looking for Lincoln-Sheila takes readers of the Perceptive Travel blog to Springfield, Illinois, home to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and where our 16th president spent many years of the early years of his marriage and political career.

Lincoln Highway Dedicated 100 years ago tonight!-The history of the Lincoln Highway fascinates me, and I liked this account of the decision to officially dedicate the country's first trans-continental highway on Halloween.  Check it out at Lincoln Highway News.

Spooky Geocaching in Hendricks County- Cemetery geocaches are among our favorite caches to seek because of the interesting local history we often learn during the search. Amanda shares a listing of caches in cemeteries and other reportedly haunted places on Indiana's Hendricks County All Access blog.

Board a Tram and Travel Past Stones, Lions and a Mermaid at Cincinnati's Spring Grove Cemetery-Betsy takes readers on a grand tour of a Cincinnati, Ohio cemetery with many sculptures and other artwork memorializing the Ohio city's leading citizens throughout the years at the beesfirstappearance blog. This cemetery reminds me a bit of Cleveland, Ohio's Lake View Cemetery with its great headstones and statues.

Friday Favorites: "Hidden Gems"-Lisa likens Indiana's State Library building to "an ornate treasure box" full of beautiful craftsmanship, art, history and literature. The photos of the older section of the building completed and dedicated in late 1934 belie its Depression-era origins and remind me of older Beaux Arts-style buildings of the early 20th century with just a touch of Art Deco style. Check it out at the Historic Indianapolis blog.

Statues, Sand and Studebakers: Eight of the Coolest Places in Indiana-Scott's list of must-sees in Indiana includes a few I've visited, like the Basilica of the Sacred Heart at South Bend and the collection of life-sized and life-like statues in Carmel. He also takes readers to a few more sites that I'd love to see, like Michael Jackson's birthplace in Gary and the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend. Check the list out at the Quirky Travel Guy blog.

Basilica of the Sacred Heart

Native American Art in Owen Park-You often find art in the most unlikely places, and Charlie discovers an interesting and intriguing gem of Native-style art in a little known park on Detroit's riverfront. Charlie tells this story at his Bikes, Books & A Little Music blog.

Review: Cleveland Botanical Gardens with Kids-We've parked in the Cleveland Botanical Gardens parking garage when visiting the nearby Cleveland Museum of Art, but we've yet to visit the gardens. I appreciated Justin's tour of the botanical gardens at his InACents blog.

Underground Railroad becomes reality in Lewis, Iowa-I was surprised to learn that there were several Underground Railroad stops in Iowa and Nebraska. Read Lisa and Tim's story on The Walking Tourists blog about the Hitchcock House in Lewis, Iowa where Congregationalist pastor George Hitchcock lived for a dozen years and helped runaway slaves on their journey to freedom.

That's it for this month's Midwest travel links list. Do you have any favorite Midwest stories or blogs to share?

Want more Midwest news and links? Subscribe to my bi-monthly Midwest Guest newsletter!

© Dominique King 2013 All rights reserved

Midwest travel links for July 2013

Check out some great Midwest-related stories I found online this past month:

Above the Falls Sports: Kayak the Mighty Mississippi in Downtown Minneapolis-Kayaks and fireworks proved to be a perfect combo for Kindra and Ryan as they celebrated a recent Independence Day in Minneapolis. Check out their story about a unique way to view the city's fireworks at their Love & Adventure blog.

I-35: Exit 214 in North Central Iowa is One to Explore-Join Sara at her Travel with Sara blog as she grabs a snack, shops at the Top of Iowa for the best in Iowa-made products, and tries her luck at the casino at this conveniently located rest stop along the highway.

Badlands National Park in South Dakota-We spent a few days in the Badlands several years ago, and like the crew at VisuaLingual, we found that it wasn't nearly enough time to see and take images of the beautifully barren landscape. We're hoping to return to the Dakotas again soon!

Bike the Paul Bunyan Trail through northern Minnesota-Beverly explores this rail-to-trail route in Minnesota's northern woods region. This 112-mile trail offers plenty of area to explore on your bike or rollerblades, plus snowmobilers enjoy it during the winter. Check it out at the Going on Adventures blog.

Thyme for Bed: Monolithic Dome Bed and Breakfast in Lowell, Indiana-We love staying at B&Bs when we travel. We appreciate the homey environments and the uniqueness of each B&B. I love the unique architecture of this gem that Jessica writes about at Little Indiana.

Wisconsin family fun: Urban Ecology Center in Milwaukee-Like Mara, I enjoy urban nature centers and places that make learning about science and the world around us fun and accessible. Mara writes about her family's visit to Milwaukee's Urban Ecology Center at her Mother of All Trips blog.

Snapshot of a Chicago weekend: Pearl Jam at Wrigley Field-Sarah shares her memories about falling in love with Chicago and with travel at her Wandering Off blog. Baseball, art and architecture are three things I really love about that city as well...plus lucky Sarah tells of seeing an amazing Pearl Jam concert at Wrigley Field!

Ernest Hemingway in Oak Park, Before The Paris Wife-Terri's story at Off the Beaten Page caught my eye as I recently read the book, The Paris Wife, and I loved reading about Terri's impressions of one of the neighborhoods where Ernest Hemingway spent time as a young man. (the correct URL for the Hemingway birthplace and museum is http://www.ehfop.org/)

Photo Blog: Public Art Along the Cultural Trail-Take a trip with Taylor along Indianapolis' new 8-mile urban bike trail and check out some of that city's great public art installations at the Doing Indy blog.

Happy Anniversary to the Lincoln Highway-The Lincoln Highway opened as the first transcontinental highway in the United States in 1913. We've travel the highway through Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia and parts of Pennsylvania and Illinois, so I loved seeing this story with a few images from the highway's Illinois leg in Maureen's story at her Positively Tuesday blog.  

That's it for this month's Midwest travel links list. Do you have any favorite Midwest stories or blogs to share?

Want more Midwest news and links? Subscribe to my bi-monthly Midwest Guest newsletter!

© Dominique King 2013 All rights reserved

Midwest travel links for May 2013

Check out some great Midwest-related stories I found online this past month:

Farmers' markets are taking over the U.P. this summer-We love visiting local farmers' markets when we travel, and since June will find us in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Joe's round up of markets in the U.P. at Upper Peninsula's Second Wave is especially timely for me this month.

Farmers Markets in Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky-Katie posts this handy list of fresh markets in the Cincinnati area at Family Friendly Cincinnati.

One of my favorite scenes from Detroit's Eastern Market

15 great spring hikes-So, you just hit the market for your fresh food fix; hit the trails for a little fresh air fix as well. Here are some great ideas for hikes as spring blooms into summer in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa at Midwest Weekends.

Minnesota Highway 61 Road Trip: Red Wing, Wabasha, Kellogg-There's not much that I love more than a good road trip, and I'm glad to see Linda and her kids back out on the road at Travels with Children. Seeing the Largest Boot in Red Wing scored a place on my Midwest bucket list long ago, and it looks like the big boot was just one of many great stops on this tour!

Exploring St. Louis with kids-Sarah hits the road at Wandering Off to check out St. Louis, Missouri with its iconic Gateway Arch and great family-friendly fun at the city's zoo, art museum and science center. She even includes a couple of great sounding suggestions for dinner and a sweet treat after a day of exploring St. Louis.

Thank you Carl Fisher and James Allison-Road trip fans may know Carl Fisher as the "Father of the Lincoln Highway", but Fisher, along with his bicycle club buddy James Allison, had a big role in the development the Indianapolis Speedway, the Indy 500 and Indianapolis as a center for automotive manufacturing. Check out this story by Dennis at the Historic Indianapolis blog for more on this story.

Marker in Beaverdam, Ohio

Celebrating the Lincoln Highway-I've explored the Lincoln Highway through Ohio, Indiana and parts of Illinois, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, but another thing on my bucket list is to drive the entire length of this (America' s first) transcontinental highway. LuAnn shares a little history and a few highlights of the fabled route through Nebraska at her self-titled blog.

Columbus: A Hidden Gem-I've long heard about the fabulous architecture in Columbus, Indiana, so this story by Amy about the city at the Indiana Insider caught my eye. While the architecture is what drew my interest to the city, Amy points out that there is also plenty of public art, an extensive system of pubic walking/bicycling trails and a historic downtown to check out in Columbus.

Recovering the City's Lost Culture-I love bed-and-breakfast inns that preserve the architecture and history of a particular place. This story by Katie and Aaron at Urban Milwaukee tells about the Manderley B&B at Andrew Parker's Victorian-era home in this Wisconsin city's Historic Concordia community.

The Beautiful Fashion in Kent-I already wanted to visit Akron, Ohio to see its well-regarded and architecturally intriguing art museum. Visiting the fashion collection at Kent State University near Akron also made my must-do list after reading Whitney's story about it at the Discovering Ohio blog.

Marshall Field Family Memorial Monument-One of the country's richest men, a late-in-life second marriage, the scandalous death of a son and a pricy family memorial sculpture are all elements in this intriguing Gilded Age story. Check it out at Chicago's Designslinger blog.

Marshall Fields store in Chicago, 2005

The World's Largest Cuckoo Clock-...and now for something completely different! Tonya checks out the world's largest cuckoo clock in northeast Ohio at The Traveling Praters blog. This Guinness Book of World Records-listed attraction sat in front of a Walnut Creek restaurant for many years, but its future looked grim with the sale and closure of the restaurant. Fortunately, Tonya reports that a local business owner purchased the clock and began restoring it for others to enjoy. Looks like I just added another thing to my must-see list!

That's it for this month's Midwest travel links list. Do you have any favorite Midwest stories or blogs to share?

© Dominique King 2013 All rights reserved