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Midwest sampler: travel America highlights top tourist attractions in 10 states

Roberta Sotonoff

ILLINOIS

LAND OF LINCOLN

START IN CHICAGO, THE WINDY CITY. ITS WORLD-class museum include the Field Museum, Art Institute, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium, and Museum of Science and Industry. Extending a half mile into Lake Michigan, Navy Pier is a potpourri of promenades, entertainment stages, restaurants, shops, and attractions like the giant Fen-is wheel. Springfield, with the Abraham Lincoln Home, his tomb, and the new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum, is truly the land of Lincoln. (The library opens this summer, followed in early 2005 by the high-tech museum with its totally immersive exhibits.) Nearby New Salem, a reconstructed log cabin village, looks much like it did when young Abe lived there. Lincoln College in the town of Lincoln displays items related to the 16th president and has the Heritage in Flight Museum at Logan County Airport. Another U.S. president, Ulysses S. Grant, once lived in the hilly northwest Illinois town of Galena, known for its craft and antique shops, plus cozy bed and breakfasts. A 48-foot tribute to Native Americans, a statue known as Black Hawk, towers over the Rock River at Lowden State Park in Oregon. The serene Anderson Japanese Gardens are in Rockford. Near Utica, canyons, bluffs, and waterfalls make Starved Rock one of the state's most beautiful parks. In southern Illinois, between the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, diverse vegetation, wildlife, and outdoor recreation thrive in the rough, unglaciated areas of Shawnee National Forest. Hiking among unusual rock formations is popular in state park like Giant City and Garden of the Gods.

Contact: Illinois Bureau of Tourism, (800) 2-CONNECT; www.enjoyilli nois.com.

INDIANA

THE HOOSIER STATE

THE SOUTHERN INDIANA TOWN of Santa Claus offers Holiday World theme park and Splashin' Safari water park. Nearby Lincoln City has Abe Lincoln's boyhood farm home. New Harmony, a 19th century utopian community on the Wabash River, and the Ohio River town of Madison brim with nostalgia. French Lick, renowned for its artesian springs, is the home of historic French Lick Springs Resort and West Baden Springs Hotel. Ride a boat through Bluespring Caverns in south-central Bedford, then journey north to the gentle hills of Brown County State Park and Nashville's art galleries and shops. Columbus, boasting architectural designs by Eero Saarinen, Harry Weese, Richard Meier, and I.M. Pei, has been ranked the nation's sixth best architectural city by the American Institute of Architects. Downtown Indianapolis' Circle Centre is a major entertainment, shopping, and dining complex. Also see the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, Hoosier Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Hall of Fame Museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. You can take a shuttle-bus tour around the track. West of Indianapolis, the 32 covered bridges of Parke County evoke memories of simpler times. In northern Indiana, the simple life prevails in the Amish country of Elkhart County, while marshes, sand dunes, and sand canyons dot the shores of Lake Michigan at the Indiana Dunes.

Contact: Indiana Tourism Development Division, (888) ENJOY-IN; www.enjoyindiana.com.

IOWA

THE HAWKEYE STATE

IOWA HAS A LOT MORE THAN corn. At its western border is Dubuque's National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. Run the bases in Dyersville, where the movie Field of Dreams was filmed. Nearby is Herbert Hoover's birthplace in West Branch, the site of his presidential library, reconstructed childhood home, one-room schoolhouse, and Friends meeting house. Iowa, a European melting pot, has the Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, the Danish Immigrant Museum in Elk Horn, and the National Czech & Slovak Museum and Library in Cedar Rapids. The Dutch colony of Pella is not only famous for its windows but for tulips and wooden shoes. The Amana Colonies are seven German villages founded as a commune in the mid-1800s. A National Historic Landmark, Amana gets raves for its Old World cooking, fresh breads, woolens, quilts, furniture, and clocks. The Winterset area has a touch of Hollywood with John Wayne's birthplace, a modest four-room home, and five 100-year-old covered bridges that were the inspiration for The Bridges of Madison County. Attractions in nearby Des Moines include the 23-carat gold-domed capitol, Des Moines Art Center, August's Iowa State Fair, and Living History Farms, a hands-on museum of rural life.

Contact: Iowa Division of Tourism, (888) 472-6035; www.traveliowa.com.

KANSAS

THE SUNFLOWER STATE

LOOK BEYOND THE COWS, CORN, and wheat, and explore the surprising diversity of Kansas' cities and towns. For Wizard of Oz lore, follow the Yellow Brick Road to Dorothy's Land of Oz in Liberal, a town that also boasts the Mid America Air Museum. Bison roam the plains at Finney Game Refuge in Garden City. Bat Masterson and Wyatt Earp made Dodge City famous. The Old West comes alive at Boot Hill, the cemetery where cowboys are "buried with their boots on," and the Boot Hill Museum and Front Street Replica. In Hays, once the home of Buffalo Bill, Calamity Jane, and Wild Bill Hickock, get a lesson in frontier history at Fort Hays State Historic Site, which encompasses the restored buildings of one of the era's most prominent military posts. Wichita's open-air Old Cowtown Museum recreates the 1865-1880 era, and don't miss the Sedgwick County Zoo. Mosey on down the road to the Hopalong Cassidy Museum in Benton and rediscover one of TV's first cowboys via interactive displays and movies. In Salina, enjoy museums, art galleries, a winery, and a wildlife conservation center with endangered animals from around the world. In Atchison, learn about Amelia Earhart at her childhood home or at the Atchison Museum. Victorian architecture borders the streets of Lawrence, a university town with pro-Civil War history. The slavery issue that became known as "Bleeding Kansas" is chronicled at Topeka's Kansas Museum of History. Emporia, founding city of Veterans Day and home of All Veterans Memorial Park, draws families to the Emporia Zoo, which has a drive-through tour. In the Kansas City metro area, Olathe offers the state's largest outlet shopping mall and the ultimate in go-karting at Sadlers Indoor Racing. In the scenic Flint Hills of northeastern Kansas, wildflowers cover the grasslands at Tallgrass Prairie National Reserve, and a 19-mile hiking/biking Vail at Cimarron National Grasslands runs parallel to the Santa Fe Trail. The Flint Hills city of Manhattan offers an abundance of cultural and family-fun attractions.

Contact: Kansas Travel and Tourism, (800) 2KANSAS; www.travelks.com.

MICHIGAN

THE GREAT LAKES STATE

THE UPPER PENINSULA HAS lighthouses, waterfalls, and iron and copper mines. Float through the Soo Locks that divide Lakes Michigan and Huron at Sault Ste. Marie. On Mackinac Island, visit the landmark Grand Hotel, sample the famous fudge, or hop a horse-drawn carriage. A lot has changed in Detroit in recent years. It has a thriving theater district, new sports stadiums, and a new three-mile Riverwalk, plus the impressive Detroit Science Center and Detroit Institute of Arts. Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village complex in Dearborn has been revamped and renamed The Henry Ford. Grand Rapids' attractions, like the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Frederick Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, are extremely appealing. Traverse City, Petosky, and winery trails make Lake Michigan's eastern shore a great destination. Visit Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, where sand mountains tower 460 feet over Lake Michigan. Stroll Grand Haven's boardwalk or see its musical fountain illuminate the summer night. Take a thrill-filled dune buggy ride at Silver Lake. Holland's tulip festival, windmill, canals, and DeKlomp Wooden Shoe and Delft Factory lend an Old World touch.

Contact: Travel Michigan, (888) 78-GREAT; www.michigan.org.

MINNESOTA

LAND OF LAKES

YOU WOULD THINK WITH 12,000 lakes, residents would have to walk on water. Flowing fluid roles as Grand Excursion 2004, a four-state celebration of the rebirth of the Upper Mississippi region, culminates in the Twin Cities on July Fourth weekend. St. Paul, the state capital, rises to the surface with its highly rated Science Museum of Minnesota. The Mississippi Mile, Minneapolis' riverfront neighborhood of cobblestone streets, historic buildings, and outdoor restaurants, is the city's birthplace, while the new Mill City Museum reminds visitors how sacks of flour put Minneapolis on the map. The area is also home to the mother of all shopping malls, Mall of America. Besides retail, the world's largest mall offers endless options for spending money--nightclubs, amusement park rides, and an aquarium. City life is fine, but what makes Minnesota special is its outdoor wonderland. Fishermen find Minnesota a liquid land of plenty overflowing with gilled goodies like muskies, pike, walleyes, and trout. To the north are fish-filled wilderness lakes and the true northwoods. Objibwe Indians once dwelled in the forests that border Lake Superior. Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Voyageurs National Park have become hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and canoeing paradises. The Mississippi River headwaters at Itasca State Park are near Bemidji, a town known for its giant lakeside statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. Fall foliage fans throng the scenic bluff country of southeastern Minnesota, where historic Mississippi River towns include Winona, Wabasha, and Red Wing. A cache of German, Scandinavian, and central European historic sites mark the southwestern landscape.

Contact: Minnesota Office of Tourism, (888) TOURISM; www.explore minnesota.com.

MISSOURI

THE SHOW ME STATE

EXPLORE MISSOURI'S CITIES, forests, and 50,000 miles of rivers and streams. Wilderness, towering bluffs, and the Missouri River border the 225-mile Katy Trail so popular with hikers and bikers, while fishing, canoeing, and golf get accolades at central Missouri's sprawling Lake of the Ozarks. Nearby is the ever-popular neon entertainment destination, Branson, a hotbed of music shows and theme parks. In the Mississippi River town of Hannibal, journey into the past at Mark Twain's boyhood home and see Becky Thatcher's house and other scenes from Twain's books. In St. Louis, ride to the apex of the mighty Gateway Arch, the city's symbol. Under the Arch is the Museum of Westward Expansion. The recently restored 1,370-acre Forest Park is home to museums and the city's famous zoo. Sip brew and see the Budweiser Clydesdales on an Anheuser-Busch tour. There is much that makes Kansas City unique--fountains, Art Deco architecture, steaks, and barbecue. African-American life is chronicled at the Jazz Museum and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. KC is the birthplace of the American shopping mall, the Moorish-styled Country Club Plaza. President Harry Truman lived in nearby Independence, where attractions include his home and the Truman Presidential Museum and Library. In St. Joseph, early mail service is remembered at the Pony Express Museum.

Contact: Missouri Division of Tourism, (800) 810-5500; www.mis souritourism.org.

NEBRASKA

THE CORNHUSKER STATE

SINCE PREHISTORIC TIMES, Nebraska has been a destination for everyone and everything. Just check out Ashfall Fossil Beds Historic Park near Royal or the Platte River when the sandhill cranes take their spring break. Omaha, the state's largest city, is home to Father Flanagan's Boys Town and the Henry Doorly Zoo. The world's deserts are simulated under the zoo's geodesic dome, the largest on earth. It also has a "Kingdoms of the Night" caves exhibit, an underground river, a rainforest, and the new Hubbard Gorilla Valley. In nearby Lincoln, check out Nebraska's Capitol, the Museum of Nebraska History, and the National Museum of Roller Skating. A Lincoln food specialty is the Runza sandwich--homemade bread stuffed with cabbage and ground beef. Pioneers are celebrated at Grand Island's Stuhr Museum, one of the country's largest living history museums. The Great Platte River Road Archway Monument over 1-80 in Kearney has a museum that commemorates the Oregon, Mormon, and California trails. Close by is Harold Warp's Pioneer Village, with 350 antique cars, and Cabela's, the fishing, camping, and hunting outfitter. Down the road in Hastings, the Hastings Museum remembers Edwin Perkins, inventor of Kool Aid. The exhibit includes the original Kool-Aid Man costume and traces the drink's history from its humble beginnings to becoming an international icon and Nebraska's official drunk. On the western side of the state is Chimney Rock, the most recognized landmark on the Oregon, Mormon, and California trails.

Contact: Nebraska Travel and Tourism Division, (877) NEBRASKA; www.visitnebraska.org.

OHIO

THE BUCKEYE STATE

LEGENDS LIVE IN OHIO. IT IS home to eight presidents, the Football Hall of Franc in Canton, National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. To literally rock and roll in Ohio, try any of the giant roller coasters at Sandusky's Cedar Point, Six Flags Ohio near Cleveland, or Paramount's Kings Island outside of Cincinnati. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, a major African-American heritage attraction, opens this August on Cincinnati's Ohio riverfront, just two blocks from the Reds' new Great American Ball Park. A little north is Dayton, home of the Wright Brothers and United States Air Force Museum. In Columbus, the state capital, historic German Village exudes an Old World ambience, and COSI is one of the nation's best hands-on science museums. Horse-drawn buggies, home cooking, and crafts highlight northeast Ohio's Amish country. In northwest Ohio, the Toledo Zoo unveils its new Africa! exhibit, and the Toledo Mud Hens minor league team attracts baseball-loving families. The Hocking Hills region of southeast Ohio boasts nine state parks, luring outdoor enthusiasts with waterfalls, caves, and woodlands.

Contact: Ohio Division of Travel and Tourism, (800) BUCKEYE; www.ohio tourism.com.

WISCONSIN

THE BADGER STATE

THOUGH WISCONSIN HAS A lot more to offer than beer, cheese, and cows, brew is plentiful in Milwaukee's authentic German restaurants like Mader's and Karl Ratzsch's and on Miller Brewery tours. The city has year-round ethnic and music festivals, the Milwaukee County Zoo, and a thriving RiverWalk district. Architectural wonders include the Milwaukee Art Museum's world-renowned Quadracci Pavilion, which flaps its movable wings toward Lake Michigan, and Miller Park, a retractable-roof marvel where the Milwaukee Brewers play baseball. Madison, the state capital, has the Capitol Square farmer's market and the modern Monona Terrace, a community and convention center that architect Frank Lloyd Wright designed over 50 years ago. Wright's boyhood home, Spring Green, is the site of Taliesin, his primary home and studio; House on the Rock, a blufftop house with a wild assortment of collections from music machines and Oriental art to dolls and suits of armor; and the open-air American Players Theatre, where the words of Shakespeare echo through the wooded hillside. Nearby New Glarus is Switzerland without the Alps. Travel north to Baraboo and visit the big top at Circus World Museum and the International Crane Foundation, which is strictly for the birds. Water parks, miniature golf courses, and other amusements compete with boat cruises along the beautiful sandstone cliffs that flank the Wisconsin River at Wisconsin Dells, a family fun mecca. Miles of rocky shoreline dotted with lighthouses and quaint villages define Wisconsin's eastern "thumb," Door County. Far north on Lake Superior, the charming town of Bayfield is the gateway to the Apostle Islands. The state's scenic Great River Road weaves along the limestone bluffs of the Mississippi, threading historic river towns.

Contact: Wisconsin Department of Tourism, (800) 432-TRIP; www.travel wisconsin.com.

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