An ideal place to propose, the soaring cliffs stretch for miles, and in the late spring and summer months, are dotted with colorful wildflowers. Cookware, gourmet foods, wine, and dining wares are expertly displayed in the shops meandering alcoves. Explore hotels near Shawnee National Forest. (Photo by @stlthetruth). 14. Scope out a romantic spot at Kansas City's botanical garden (there are tons to choose from). (Photo by @thelashe), You dont have to be a Hoosier or even a basketball or football fan to find a worthy Indiana location in which to slip in a marriage proposal. The sheer architectural stunningness just never seems to end. Unless, that is, you're looking in the Midwest. Below are the 12 best Midwest cities based on population, cost of living, job opportunities, crime rates, availability of things to do, and more! Lincoln County Historical Museum is a group of amazing museums including Western Heritage Village and the World War II North Platte Canteen exhibit. If you want a fairytale wedding, start things off right by getting engaged in a fairytale village. (Photo by @forgotteniowa), Who needs Oz? Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler who's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list. ), slip into an empty and secluded spring, and let the water do the work while you work up your courage to pop the question. Consider another of Viking's regional options, a cruise expedition to all five Great Lakes. One of South Bends biggest draws is its urban whitewater rafting experience on the East Race Waterway. Kansas has a diversity of intriguing attractions (way more than most people realize). Real big. (Photo by @flyingarnolds), You thought wed say Graceland, right? April 18, 1927: "Two organizations, The St. Joseph County Ministerial association and the Typographical union, No. Springs the obvious season to visit here. (Photo by @northdakotalegendary), Live the Amish country lifestyle for a weekend while you plot the perfect time to propose. Instead, get down on one knee in Solvang, the tiny storybook Central California town of vaguely Danish windmills and lingonberry pancakes. There are plenty of other spots to explore for historical interest in the town and nearby. If you have time, definitely hop aboard the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad. While there are plenty of bigger cities in the Midwest, smaller locales lead this study. Ames, Iowa EQRoy/Shutterstock. These are just a few of the reasons it is consistently ranked as one of the best zoos in the U.S. Get Hitched in the Windy City: A Chicago Wedding If you want to host your wedding in an urban environment, then there is no more suitable choice in the Midwest than Chicago. Tell us in the comments below! The Native American Museum and Black Archives Museum are part of the same complex. While summer is the sweet spot for visiting Galena, spring and fall bring fun festivals. Glore Psychiatric Museum could be the set for a horror movie, says Walls, but for now, it depicts treatments used at the adjacent state mental hospital that dates back to the 1800s. Youre guaranteed to find better and more in-depth information thanks to their videos and listing details. At Prophetstown State Park you'll be able to explore a unique living history museum. Try not to go during the hottest part of summer. Those who enjoy nature and history will find engaging activities at Fort Museum & Frontier Village (open seasonally reopens in April 2023). The Missouri River south of the Oahe Dam is the boundary between Central and Mountain Time. Our goal, to share the worlds unique, hidden and once in a lifetime locations with you to create unforgettable memories. Each July, a huge Czech festival is held, celebrating generations of culture, food, and crafts. Go from zero to hero in five minutes: At James Allen or Blue Nile, you can adjust price ranges and other characteristics to see how many carats your budget buys. (Photo by @kmf_116), Jacksons public botanical center has enough winding paths and photogenic bridges for you both to get lost in while you mentally settle on how, exactly, youre going to phrase your proposal. So you want to stage the best proposal ever the kind she will describe with teary awe in years to come but you dont know where to start. Instead head to the Water Tower no, not the mall, but the relatively small historic limestone building thats too often overshadowed by the skyscraping brutes of the City of Broad Shoulders. 01 of 06 Chicago joe daniel price / Getty Images The biggest city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous city in the nation is Chicago. And a big bonus for wine lovers: There are two local vineyards, Four Horses and a Dog and Fence Stile. Offers may be subject to change without notice. A plethora of options for beer and wine are also available, including libations from nearby wineries and breweries. A 2018 study analyzing 20 wellness factors found that six out of 10 of the happiest states were located in the Midwest. 3. Walls recommends visiting in springtime, when more than 400,000 sandhill cranes migrate through for about 6 weeks, preparing for the nesting period to come. Boasting 2,250 miles of shoreline, Lake Oahe is one of the largest reservoirs in the country. Dignity: Of Earth and Sky is the 50-foot stainless steel sculpture that overlooks the Missouri River and honors the cultures of the Lakota and Dakota peoples. You know when you travel somewhere that really surprises you? Next, head to Northleaf Winery for a wine and chocolate pairing, instructs Pittman. As the owners like to say, its a small-town shop with big-city perks, she says. Nebraskas largest city is also home to the College World Series, Boystown, Warren Buffet, Omaha Steaks, a world-famous zoo, a great indie-music scene, and so much more. The reservoir offers plenty of outdoor recreation opportunities, making Pierre a four-season destination. (Photo by @renoballoon), You can hike or drive up to this scenic overlook in the White Mountains near North Conway its real popular with climbers, but you can park and take a couple reasonable trails up there instead. Its just over an hour and a half from both Cleveland and Columbus, and youll want to go in spring, when there are plenty of baby farm animals to coo at. (Photo by @davidlong3653), Just outside Washington, D.C., the Woodend Nature Sanctuary and Mansion in Chevy Chase are maintained by the Audubon Society and are open to the public. Selected as the first landmark in the state by the Department of Interior on October 31, 1968, for reasons that will soon become glaringly obvious, this treasure features a series of chalk pyramids, pinnacles, buttes and spires that attracts photographers and tourists from all over. Topekas jewel box of horticultural delights, the gardens crown Lake Shawnee like a bridal headdress of flowers, with lots of hidden nooks and Technicolor crannies where you can spend a minute or two asking the most important question of your life. (Photo by @bentufts), Leave Boston Common, Faneuil Hall and the harbor for the guys wearing tricorn hats, and Fenway for the Sox fanatics. Within driving distance of Dallas, Omaha, and Oklahoma City, Wichita is easy to get to, with direct flights available from Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, and Seattle. Hi there! Heres where they recommend visiting this year in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. An architectural marvel on its own, this institution organizes an annual "Wings Over the Platte" exhibit that changes every year, but always pays homage to the birds. (Photo by @poppiesflowerdesign), Nearly all of old Savannah makes for a romance-steeped stroll when youre with the right person, and there are too many painting-like spots for you to take a solemn minute to stop and ask her what you want to ask. Wyalusing State Park Wisconsin. Considered the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing," the Indy 500 is a can't-miss experience in the Midwest. (Photo by @armstrongcreativeimag), You dont need Meryl Street or Clint Eastwood to do a romantic tour of the bridges of Madison County, and many of the famous, picturesque covered bridges of the county seat provide a perfect spot for a special, all-American, love-of-your-life moment. While Pierre is always fun to visit, Oahe Days Arts & Music Festival each June in Steamboat Park adds extra flair to the city, Yonkey tells us. The Midwest, aptly nicknamed "America's Heartland", is home to thousands of captivating attractions. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Hocking Hills State Park Camping Ohio. With enough activities to fill 2 days to a week, the flexibility of Wichita is a huge perk for travelers. 2. 9 LITTLE-KNOWN LAKE MICHIGAN BEACHES WHERE CROWDS ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN. This migration is one of the largest of any kind in North America, and the largest crane migration on the planet,making it a must-see in the Midwest. When you envision Illinois, Chicago probably pops up first. Though its daytime activities, like guided paddling excursions and hiking tips, are lovely, the 218,000-acre park shines as an after-dark destination. The Grand Basin in Forest Park Matt Ridings/Flickr.com The Grand Basin in Forest Park offers unforgettable views of Art Hill and the Saint Louis Art Museum. This is easier to find than you would thinkhead to Shaw Nature Reserve, a 2,400-acre space just outside St. Louis. Theyre perfect for a casual stroll before going out to grab a runza for dinner oh, and whats this in my pocket? What were describing is Lake of the Ozarks State Park. Just a few miles away at the Akt Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, Indigenous stories are told through intricate beadwork pieces, star quilts, photographs, and artifacts. Its New England: Go in the summer and avoid the winter. By Kelsey Yandura April 15, 2022 Advertisement Voyageurs National Park Fun fact: Wisconsin Dells boasts more family-friendly water parks per capita than anywhere else in the country. Check it out. Visit the cave itself, hike the 30 miles of trails above the surface, and check out the intact prairie ecosystem. But its no ordinary egg, Ann Bush tells us. The littles will love the Back 40 Playground at the Community Orchard (open seasonally, August through October) and the Childrens Forest at Kennedy Park. (Photo by @littlefamilygarden), When you think quaint New England towns, youre basically thinking of this community of under 3,000 four and a half hours from New York City. Devour a burger and cheese curds at Howard Park Public House. Another rainy-day attraction is Studio Fusion, where everyone can get involved in an art project. (Photo by @janellewyutong), Ashevilles already arguably North Carolinas prettiest town, but the 30-acre rose garden designed by Frederic Law Olmsted at the Biltmore ratchets things up a considerable notch. Lets start by crossing off the obvious pics, like anything involving Waikiki or, in fact, any beach. There are a slew of bike trails, plus trout streams, campsites and even an 18-hole golf course. They are some of the most popular things to do when visiting Lafayette. Its quaint downtown is filled with historical buildings and plenty of cafes and restaurants serving up Midwest fare. Richmond Heights is a small place with a population of just 8,457 people. To find the best of the Midwest, we reached out to our expert travel writers. Obviously, you want to go when the weather lets you enjoy the garden, in spring or summer, preferably. After moving from Texas, she and her husband rambled about the Midwest in a camper for a couple of years before finally settling on 35 acres in their home state of Kentucky. Nebraska doesn't always get the tourism credit it deserves with, perhaps, the exception of Scotts Bluff National Monument. The beach itself is beautiful, but its the dramatic 235 foot sea-stack known as Haystack Rock that really makes this an ideal proposal spot. Be a knight to your ladys princess. For outdoor fun, Ladage suggests checking out Wellfield Botanic Gardens. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (michigan) Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, in Michigan's Lower Peninsula, is one of the most scenic spots in the entire Wolverine State. (Photo by @sammienole), Quaint doesnt do justice to this lovely seaside town , which somehow turns commercial fishing into something out of a Hallmark Channel movie (as opposed to A Perfect Storm). The Skywalk Observatory, at the top of the Prudential building, offers the citys only 360-degree views and lets you get a birds-eye perspective of your relationship, Beantown, the Patriots at Deflategate . Its quite popular for Michigan weddings, but the same elements that make it perfect for nuptials beautiful, Victorian buildings in a splendid natural setting, and a visitor-friendly business network make it ideal for engagements, too. Specifically, the federal government defines it as the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsinin other words, it spans a lot of gorgeous ground. Rides over the Mojave are easily arranged from inside Vegas (or Reno) for a perfect day in which to propose. Route 66 Road Trip Through the Midwest (Chicago to Oklahoma) From Kylie of Between England and Iowa. Hotel Phillips Dcj3616/commons.wikimedia.org This Kansas City Art Deco landmark is sure to make sparks fly! S.F.s Golden Gate Bridge? Ms Pub is always a favorite. Chamberlains shining retail star is a kitchen store called berry + basil according to Zolkewich. Nothing's more romantic than a secluded wilderness filled with wildflowers. There are also bike share programs and a free shuttle. You can camp on 19 of the islands most of the year, or you can stay in an island town like Bayfield, but youre going to want to explore and find your own moment of perfection to ask your girlfriend the question and there will be plenty of those here. It was already known for its crisscrossing hiking trails and skiing, and now it can be known as the spot where you and your wife-to-be got engaged. There are plenty of guest houses and motels, including the DeSoto House Hotel, the oldest operating hotel in the state. Instead, walk along uncrowded Seattles Alki Beach, where you can gaze at the downtown Seattle skyline hand in hand on the black-sand beach, then walk up to the street and over a block or two for why pretend? Falls also a good time to go to avoid the tourists. From September 21 to 24, 2023, the towns Oktoberfest will feature great food, local beer courtesy of New Glarus Brewing, special events like wagon rides and chainsaw wood carving, and live music. Wed be remiss not to mention the plentiful opportunities for outdoor recreation. The perfumed blossoms and dazzling colors (especially if you go in late May) will make your proposal go as smoothly as possible. An outdoor paradise in Missouri thats among the best and most beautiful vacation destinations in the Midwest, it welcomes 2.5 million people each year. Before we dive into things, its important to identify the Midwest. The population of the city of Chicago is around 2.7 million, while its metropolitan area boasts nearly 10 million residents. But dont let its size fool you, warns Roxie Yonkey. The tiny storybook Central California town of vaguely Danish windmills and lingonberry.. 50+ traveler who 's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list you! Hotel in the Midwest Race Waterway same complex does n't always best places to propose in the midwest the tourism credit it with! Itself, hike the 30 miles of shoreline, Lake Oahe is of... 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