Chilling on the California Coast
Glaciers that drifted across the upper Midwest tens of thousands of years ago bypassed the southwestern corner of Wisconsin. Instead of the flatlands that distinguish much of the region, a land of rugged bluffs overlooking shallow river valleys survived – Driftless Wisconsin.
Continue reading “Architectural Genius & the Bizarre in Driftless Wisconsin”
Duluth and Minnesota’s North Shore may rank among the Midwest’s best kept secrets.
Dan and his brother visited in 2018 as a diversion on a trip to North Dakota . A stop in Fargo netted Dan and his brother their 49th and 50th states, respectively. (Find that post here.) Smitten by Duluth, less so by Fargo, Dan returned to the North Shore with Dawn on their 2023 Great Lakes road trip for a second helping of “Minnesota nice.”
Continue reading “Duluth and ‘Root Beer’ Cascades on the North Shore”
Shipwrecks have taken some 6,000 ships and 30,000 lives on the Great Lakes over the past 250 years. The maritime museums that dot the shorelines are replete with tales of fierce storms and dense fog, bravery and bravado, negligence and incompetence. Divers can explore the remains at more than a dozen watery sanctuaries. And several glass bottom boat vendors offer glimpses of wrecks located in lakeshore shallows.
The itinerary of our three-week visit to the Midwest last spring did not include getting wet. So, we confined our shipwreck explores in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to a morning at the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point, MI, and a pasty-fueled cruise aboard a glass-bottomed boat in the shallows of Lake Superior near Munising, MI.
Continue reading “Pasties Fuel Great Lakes Shipwreck Explore”
Looking for something completely different from the National Park Service? Head for the Great Lakes to see the three national Lakeshores – Sleeping Bear, Pictured Rocks and Apostle Islands. And stop by Indiana Dunes National Park while you’re in the area.
Continue reading “National Lakeshores Boast Dunes, Crags, Cliffs & Color”
Seeking spectacular desert landscapes or ocean breezes? You won’t find them at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Looking for amazing mountain vistas? Look elsewhere. Hoping to get away from it all? Not here. But you can find a nice selection of walks in the woods with food and lodging nearby.
Continue reading “Falls & Ledges at Cuyahoga, Ohio’s Only National Park”