Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Midwest

What should I eat around Columbia, Missouri?

rhizome — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:29:39 -0800

I'm visiting a friend in CoMo this weekend for a little less than a week and I'd like to immerse myself in some heartland goodness. What should I eat along highway 40 between KC and STL? I'm from SF, love food and stuff, and have never been to the midwest. I would love to find food I never come across here, down home stuff, I'm not vegetarian and I love county fair and southern cooking, so pretty much anything is good for me. Unhealthy is OK, too!

I'm flying in/out of Kansas City/MCI, so I imagine BBQ recommendations are in order. We'll also probably go to St. Louis one day, so anything there is welcome as well. I'm particularly interested in wayside options during the 2hr(?) drives between Columbia and each of those cities, though.

Bad-at-Romance-Filter: Chicagoland Weekend Away

Oktober — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:05:00 -0800

Gotta-Get-Away Filter: I'm trying to book a weekend away with my darling fiancée in late september or early october for our combination birthdays/two year anniversary. We're looking at more of a spa/resort type of situation more than a B&B. We'd like to get a couple's massage, relax in a hottub, and generally lounge around a lake with a good book. We're trying to fit this into a regular weekend, so a max, 4-5 hour drive from Chicago. One of our friends recommended Heidel House, but the reviews seem to swing wildly, especially off-season.

Tips for a train trip across the West.

the jam — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 21:00:53 -0800

In September, I've got 10 days to see everything I can see from Minneapolis to Portland, OR along the route of Amtrak's Empire Builder. Know anything about these places? I'm looking for some Metafilter reconnaissance about my route. My vague plans so far:

Camping at the Minnesota State Fair

Camping in Glacier National Park, being eaten by bears

Another yet-to-be-determined stopover in Idaho or Washington

Powell's Books, Stumptown Coffee in Portland

That's all I have so far. While I'm a fan of winging it, I'd still appreciate any suggestions of things to see, hikes to take, sites to camp, friendly coffee shops and bars in the cities, or anything you can throw at me, really -- this is my first time visiting this part of the country.

Where to go for a midwest photography trip?

hijinx — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:51:50 -0800

I want to go on a photography weekend trip next month. I'm in Chicago, and want to drive no more than 6-8 hours to a destination. With my preferences (inside) in mind, I'd like advice on where to go. Help? Already asked a few friends and got some ideas... looking for more.

The primary focus of this trip (no pun intended) is photography, and secondarily it's just time to sightsee and laze around. I'm looking to shoot nature and also urban goodness - architectural photography and people watching. When I was first researching a trip, SF and Yosemite were the ideals. But plans have scaled back and I'm not going that far, and I'll be driving instead of flying.

Bonus items:

* Walkable city, decent public transit (might use)
* Good food
* Good coffee houses

Friends recommended Nashville, St. Louis, and Detroit. I considered Minneapolis and like it a lot, but have already been there twice. Been to Madison, Milwaukee. In looking at these cities, I have yet to see anything to really tip me over and say, "Wow - I need to go there!" So, any advice on where those things are would be great.

Interesting, spooky, out-of-the-ordinary roadtrip stops within driving distance of Iowa?

jaynedanger — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:04:23 -0800

Interesting, spooky, out-of-the-ordinary roadtrip stops within driving distance of Iowa? My friend and I (both young women) are planning a short, 4 or 5 day roadtrip in November. We live in central Iowa and are looking for interesting places to visit, preferably spread out along the route to a final fun destination.

I've checked RoadsideAmerica.com, but wasn't able to find a lot of interactive tourist stops. The world's largest frying pan in Brandon, IA, for example, makes for silly photos, but the novelty runs out in about 5 minutes. We'd love to visit haunted places, hole-in-the-wall diners, or beautiful areas to explore. When we get bored in town, we drive out into the country after dark, we visit spillways at the local lakes, we explore "haunted" graveyards. My friend is a wonderful photographer, so bonus points for neat places to photograph. We like horror movies, video games, bodies of water, metal and cheesy pop music, and anything just downright nerdy.

We're seriously considering the Wisconsin Dells, stopping in Hazel Green, Galena, and the House on the Rock on the way. Once there, we're thinking of going to Wizard Quest and some of the other nerdy tourist stops there, but I'm hoping there are more creative place to visit. Some places we wouldn't expect to find in the midwest.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Looking for rural West/Midwest-ish americana music.

archagon — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:36:34 -0800

I'm looking for americana music that comes from, or is roughly evocative of, the (romanticized?) rural West and Midwest. I'm looking for americana music played on stringed instruments (with or without vocals, but preferably without) that comes from, or is roughly evocative of, the (romanticized?) rural West and Midwest: long train rides, endless farmland, blue skies, small cozy towns, miner's songs...

Sorry for the vague description. I've only heard a few songs in the style, so I'm not exactly sure what the common characteristics are. Fretkillr and the first track on this album come the closest to what I'm looking for.

Any album suggestions?

Roadtrip filter: world's largest ball of twine?

inatizzy — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 07:31:33 -0800

Roadtrip Filter: what can I stop and see for fun when I drive from Boston to St. Louis this weekend? I'm moving back to the midwest this weekend, leaving Saturday afternoon and taking two nights to drive from Boston to St. Louis, MO. We'll have a minivan full of stuff (and an unlockable rooftop carrier, too, which will sort of limit our options for where to park the car) but I'm sort of excited to be driving across such a big portion of our country and I'd like to take advantage of the opportunity to see some of it.

Any suggestions for fun things to stop and see along the way? Especially little random things I'd not normally think to look for? We'll have a GPS and so can find our way to and from almost anywhere, as long as it does not add too-too much time to our trip. Extra points for things that will appeal to me (an adventurous and curious mid-20s gal) and my father (a less adventurous 60-year-old who will want to keep the trip moving along but is also a bit of a history buff.)

I expect our drive will look something like this, though we'll probably try to avoid going directly through big cities. (and I'm willing to change our route in order to go see something cool!)

So, where would you recommend I stop?

Camping, hiking, backpacking suggestions for a beginner in the Midwest?

lblair — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 18:07:58 -0800

Summer isn't THAT far off . . . already trying to come up with camping/hiking spots in the Midwest for once it gets warm. Help! Looking for specific recommendations for spots in the IL/IA/WI area, plus whatever other random camping and backpacking tips you want to throw my way. Bonus points for places I can bring my dog, although I don't mind leaving her with my parents for a week either. Having never gone camping as a kid, I only recently discovered how fun it is. I tried to expand my tent-camping experience in the the Illinois/Iowa area last summer but had a hard time figuring out the best places to go. Some of the places I went to were OK, some were kind of boring. Now summer is approaching again (ok, yes I know it's February but I'm desperate.) And I want to start planning for all the awesome places I'm going to go this summer.

I really like the idea of packing/traveling light, so I think I'd like to eventually pick up backpacking too, but I'm not sure I can afford to buy gear for that this year. I was thinking maybe if I found some good spots for tent camping, I could start building up my endurance/ experience on day-long hikes. (Up until now, my camping experience has mainly centered around being drunk around a campfire.) Don't get me wrong, that's also fun, but I want to get back into nature! I want to see some beautiful places but I'm feeling unsatisfied by what I've found through googling and National Park websites. I have a hard time getting a feel for what places are really like, so I'd like to have YOUR recommendations! I'm particularly looking in the Illinois/Wisconsin/Iowa area, but if there's something amazing a little further out, I'm game too. (Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri?) I have been searching some old AskMe's and found some cool stuff already such as the Dark Sky Finder and Pepsi Can Stove. Any other random helpful suggestions like this are more than welcome. I found this thread on backpacking really helpful. The pepsi can stove is a good example of something I can test-drive while tent camping, and then I'll be more confident once I start attempting actual backpacking trips.

Thanks in advance, Mefites. I'm so excited about this, I've literally been having recurring dreams about camping since about December.

Winter weekend cabin near Chicago?

sandor — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:21:35 -0800

Where should we go for a winter weekend getaway within 2 hours drive of Chicago? We're looking for a cabin/house where a bunch of us (7 right now) can go for a long weekend of lounging, reading, cross-country (or downhill) skiing and game-playing in late January/early February. I've been focusing on the Kettle Moraine area of Wisconsin, close to Milwaukee, since I've been there before for x-country skiing and chances are better there than anywhere else within our radius that there'll be good amounts of snow. But I haven't had much luck. To give you an idea of what I'm looking for, I found this lovely place, but they decided to stop renting in the winter starting this year. I'd love to hear about any specific cabins or homes you've been to or know about, or resources you know of that I could use to search. Thanks.

Growing up no one thinks they'll end up in Kalamazoo, do they?

Any Moose In a Storm — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 06:39:31 -0800

I have the option of moving to Kalamazoo, Michigan. What does Kalamazoo and Michigan have going for them? As a Liberal East Coaster I am totally prejudiced. I tend to think of the Midwest (Chicago excepted) as a vast cultural wasteland full of middle American ignorance and self-satisfaction only worth flying over en route to the West Coast.

The thing is there's a solid and provocative job opportunity there, so what does Southwestern Michigan have going for it in terms of Culture? Local Color? Public Schools? Diversity? Cost of Living? Etc?

Differences between the midwest and the eastcoast?

bobdylanforever — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:57:30 -0800

My mother says I'm "too midwestern" to move to Boston. What does this mean? I'm thinking about moving to Boston (there's a particular grad school/job I'm very interested in located there) and I've lived all my life in fairly diverse suburbs of Chicago and spent my college career in Wisconsin. When I told my mother this, she expressed that I'm "too midwestern" and would probably be unhappy. She started talking about how different my ideology/outlook on life is than your typical East Coaster.
Now, I'm aware that there are some differences between the Midwest and the East Coast (I'm also aware of the fact that I'm asking a question on mefi in regards to something my mother said...maybe it IS time to move to the East Coast...) but I don't have a clear idea of how Midwesterners and East coasters differ ideologically or what cultural differences there are that would really put a damper on my spirits. Any insights?

Source for cheap platform beds online?

scrim — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 17:20:09 -0800

Short version: is there a secret source online (so not IKEA) for attractive, cheap platform beds? I can't drive to pick one up (unless the source is less than 50 miles from Champaign, IL), so online is the only option. Long version:

So. I just moved out to Champaign, IL, leaving behind my lovely and sturdy IKEA MALM bed. I also left behind my ability to drive long distances, so I can't just drive to an IKEA in Chicago to replace it. And IKEA charges a mint to ship, so I can't order from them online.

For some reason no one in the midwest sells platform beds. Dear midwest: boxsprings suck! I need a firm bed. I would like to order one online, but obviously they are expensive to ship. To make matters worse, I only have space for a full bed (and already own that size mattress), and most places seem to have stopped making them (???). My budget is no more (and preferably a lot less) than $500 (poor graduate student), so I would order something like this from Room and Board, but they also charge a mint!

What's a guy to do? Is there a secret place to buy beds that I don't know about, or do I just need to suck it up and add to my debt?

Road trip: Up the Mississippi, across the UP and Canada, through the Adirondacks, and back to Chicago

sandor — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:47:10 -0800

YARQ: Yet Another Roadtrip Question. My wife and I are taking a circle tour kinda-sorta of the Great Lakes, going west from Chicago, up the Mississippi, through the UP, east to Montreal, south through Vermont and Adirondacks, and down to Pittsburgh before heading home. Basic question here: what should we do? More specifically the route is: Chicago → Iowa City → Trempealeau, WI → Mississipi River → Minneapolis → Apostle Islands/Lake Superior → Upper Peninsula → Mackinac Island → Sault Ste Marie → Sudbury, Ontario → Montreal → Quebec City → Lake Champlain, Vermont → Adirondack Mountains → Niagara Falls → Pittsburgh → Ypsilanti, Michigan → Chicago

And here is the vaguely USA-shaped route we're probably-maybe taking, via GoogleMaps.

The goal here is to see as much small-town stuff as big-town stuff, if not more. We've got ourselves the Road Trip USA book, which has been very helpful. But there are a lot of empty gaps still.

If you've been on these routes, what should we make a point of stopping to see? Most important to us are the restaurants. I'd be happy to base the entire route on hitting three good spots a day. Then come mini-golf courses, offbeat museums, beautiful parkland, and worthwhile hotels. There are too many choices out there; help us narrow it down?

Where should we go in Kentucky/Tennessee?

Quidam — Tue, 25 Dec 2007 22:06:38 -0800

Within 5 days, where should we take a roadtrip in Kentucky/Tennessee/other close-ish areas? So. A very good friend of mine lives in Texas, and I live in Cincinnati, OH. We have not been able to see each other since she moved to Texas two and a half years ago. This year, for Christmas, my mom and her dad got in cahoots back in October and secretly arranged, for both of our Christmas presents, to plan a trip for us to go on together in June of 2008. Her parents are flying her in and out of Lexington, KY, and we'll have 5 days 4 nights in the time that she's here.

Now, they picked Nashville, TN as a tenative place for us to go, but also left this mostly unplanned so we can pick what we want to do. At least one day should be spent in Nashville, but 5 days is a lot to spend in Nashville, so we're interested in a mini-road trip around the Kentucky/Tennesee area or anywhere else within, say, a 4 hour radius or so.

Of interest: hiking, horseback riding, whitewater rafting (we REALLY REALLY want to do this. where's the best place? West Virginia? is that feasible?), general exploring, the mountains, pretty scenery, other adventures, maybe a museum or two, etc. Not necessarily of interest: sporting events/things, pricey restaurants or hotels. We've got some time to save some money, but we're also both college students, so cheaper is defientely better.

Where are your favorite places in this neck of the woods? If it were you, what would you go and see? We're both female and will both be 21 at that time (though, I should add, neither of us drink much).

Thanks in advance!

What's shaking, American Midwest?

ormondsacker — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 13:29:40 -0800

I have a semi-unexpected week's vacation starting next Saturday, and a yen to do some leisurely road-tripping. I have no shopping to do, no planned events to attend, no one I owe a visit, and in general nothing to recommend any city within 500-ish miles of Oklahoma City over any other. So... what events of unusual interest are happening December 8th - 15th in the Central U.S.? Santa Fe or St. Louis; Denver or Memphis; Kansas City or Austin or any other metropolis within a day's drive of Oklahoma - anything going down in your burg that week that would justify a visit?

Road trippin' out of Chicago?

AceRock — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 14:40:54 -0800

Road Trip filter: My girlfriend and I live in Chicago, and we want to take a road trip somewhere for the long weekend. Please offer your suggestions for where to drive. We're not looking to spend a whole lot of money, and she grew up around here so I need suggestions that are little less obvious than "go to the Dells". Also, we would like to avoid the holiday traffic as much as possible.

Not really looking for kitschy tourist traps, and we love nature and beautiful scenery, but we weren't planning on camping. Two ideas we had were to just dive to the Twin Cities, or check out some of the vineyards in Michigan (if anyone can comment or give advice or experiences on either that would be awesome as well).

She has explicitly said that Indiana is not an option, but other than that I'm all ears! What are some of the Midwest's best kept secrets?

Where is a good U.S. map showing the nation in 1865?

jackypaper — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 17:06:30 -0800

Where is a good online map depicting the U.S. as it appeared in 1865? I'm particularly interested in the topography of the Midwest and West. Thanks!

Midwest Beach Vacation

MsMolly — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:38:24 -0800

Circumnavigating Lake Michigan by road. What to see? Where to stay? The boyfriend and I are planning to drive from Champaign up to Chicago and then on around the lake the week of July 4th. We'll head up the west side and go all the way around. What shouldn't we miss? We have tentative plans to stay one night in Milwaukee with one of his relatives and to go to the Safe House, and then to stay with friends for a night or two in Whitehall, MI, towards the end of the trip.

Toss out any suggestions you have. Our interests are broad, but include both natural beauty and man-made weirdness. Last summer we hiked in the Rockies and came back by way of Carhenge and the Corn Palace.

How to adjust to the Midwest?

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 18:16:56 -0800

Moving to Kansas City, single and mid twenties. How do people here socialize? Where do they socialize? About a month ago I moved to Kansas City from midtown Manhattan. I'm working at home and living with family in a southern suburb (Leawood). I grew up here as a little kid and I visited family during holidays so the city is not foreign. I've been to the "rejuvenated" downtown, the Plaza, Westport and all the places one is suppose to go. I'm just having a very hard time connecting and meeting with people. It seems like the young people, at least that I have met, are extending their Big 10 fraternity and sorority lifestyles into their twenties.

I realize this isn't Manhattan and am trying very hard to avoid being the elitist stereotype. I am finding this town so unpretentious that it is almost a fault. I never had problems finding and maintaining a large social circle, finding dates and so on. I am used to having to schedule everything because everyone is so busy, seeking out new restaurants, cultural events and hardly ever seeing my apartment.

I've found myself becoming a pompous asshole and beginning to believe no one here has traveled anywhere, has anything vaguely intellectual to talk about and that this place is the nadir of American culture. This is incredibly narrow-minded, so help a neurotic New Yorker become a laid back Midwesterner.

N.B. I have read previous threads on making friends and the advice within. I'd appreciate tips on adjusting to the Midwest, obviously Kansas City in paticular, how the social scene works, etc. It is quite a culture shock and it seems way too easy to become easily isolated here. I am sure this isn't as bad as it seems, I just haven't figured it out yet.

Crabs? This is SPARTAAA!"

luftmensch — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 21:39:32 -0800

On a visit to a park lake in mid-southern Illinois today, I encountered many little muddy burrows in the ground, ranging from one to two inches across. I spotted little digging crab claws in one of the more freshly-muddied holes; others looked less recently dug. My search skills fail me as to what these critters could be. The lake was fed by a small stream, and the town (Sparta, IL) is a bit less than 20 miles from the Mississippi.

Help me find hills in the flatlands

walla — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 09:23:08 -0800

Are there any places within a few hours of flat-as-a-pancake Chicago that offer a scenic, preferably hilly hiking experience?

Is there such a thing as a midwest US vacation?

justlisa — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 11:59:07 -0800

Help me with the impossible vacation. I am in southern Iowa and have four days to share a meaningful vacation with my husband and two of our children, ages 11 and 13. Sadly enough the midwest doesn't have much to offer. Due to time constraints and finances, we're stuck here so I'm looking to make the most of what's within a 6 hour drive. Outside of the Ozarks, what are some cool places to see that aren't too far away?

I have crossed the Mississippi River on my way outta here for other vacation destinations but have never considered it a vacation spot. Are there any neat towns along either the Iowa or Illinois side that have kid friendly activities and motels?

I've daydreamed of a cabin on a lake or a trout stream but all of those I'm finding are too primitive. On Golden Pond was set in New England but there's surely something like that in the midwest too. The drawback to searching on fishing cabins is I have to have internet access.

Any ideas greatly appreciated.

Uncommon Midwest road trips?

CMichaelCook — Tue, 25 Apr 2006 19:16:04 -0800

The SO and I live in Chicago and have taken several road trips over the years. We're up for more, the problem is, we seem to have tapped out all the obvious choices. A short list of our previous destinations include: Bourbon Country and Louisville, KY; Galena and Springfield, IL; Mall of America, MN; Columbus, IN; Cincinnati, OH; Madison, Milwaukee, The Dells and Lake Geneva, WI; St. Louis, MO; and Des Moines, IA. Nobody can say we haven't seen the buckle on the Bumpkin Belt.

We enjoy museums, small towns, thrift stores, tacky tourist attractions, natural wonders and great bargains! We can spend 4-5 days on the go and money really isn't the big issue. We love the Midwest; what's worth seeing that we haven't seen yet?

When life gives you lemons . . .

danny boy — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 14:04:03 -0800

Are there reputable projections for global warming's impact on the inland United States? Recently we've all seen projected coastal changes (due to rising sea levels), but beyond general predictions of drought for the interior, I haven't seen anything specific. I don't know if it's possible to develop meaningful projections anyway, but I'm hoping someone has tried.

My purpose: I wonder where a young family could relocate to that would be 1) more affordable--housing-wise--than the coasts today, and 2) less likely to suffer from environmental disasters in the future, if not downright pleasant because of them. (And it's not realistic, at least for us, to move overseas.)

I realize this is highly speculative, but you'd have to be an idiot to not plan for the coming changes, right? If you have young kids, how are you thinking about this whole mess?

Where to stop along I-80?

Gucky — Thu, 30 Jun 2005 21:10:59 -0800

What's worth seeing along I-80 between Joliet, IL and San Francisco, CA? My boyfriend and I are doing the drive in two weeks and I'm wondering what's interesting to see along the way. (Last time I drove it, it was a blur of, well, nothing until construction in Salt Lake City and then tacky gambling in Reno.)

We enjoy outrageously campy (a la Biggest Ball of Twine) or genuinely cool. Classic movie houses, drive-in theaters or just a darn tasty place to grab a creme brulee, great ice cream or an all-beef hot dog are all worth a few miles of detour.

Thanks in advance.