Ohio*
Despite
its industrial heritage Ohio still has some attractions by way of
musical association, the shores of Lake Erie and some Amish culture.
Cleveland*
[for Rock'n'Roll interest***]
in spite of a heavily industrial past and a river that caught fire
through pollution one too many times the city has managed to become
somewhat culturally elevated through urban renewal.
Head to Downtown for the top attraction, the world class Rock and
Roll Hall of Fame, which is essentially an interactive museum and
history of the Rock genre.
For higher culture head to University Circle for the Cleveland Museum
of Art, Museum of Natural History, and Western Reserve Historical
Society.
Lake Erie the shores and islands of
the massive Lake Erie in the northern part of the state are popular
with vacationers.
The islands are the main attraction; the Bass Islands are busy with
good time Charlies while Kelley's island is for amoebic types.
Get to either via Sandusky.
Columbus, the state capital, offers
an Ohio Historical Center and historic 19th C German Village.
Shop in Short North, drink and dine in Brewery District
Amish Country - east of Cleveland you can find the Ohio equivalent
of the famous Amish of Pennsylvania. Good for a stop off, but go
to Pennsylvania if you want the full religious monty.
Dayton [for aviation enthusiasts***]
the Wright brothers lived here, so check out the Carillon Historical
Park, Wright Cycle Company and Dayton Wright Brothers Airport.
The other big flighty attraction is the massive USAF Museum with
several hundred planes and related exhibits.
Cincinnati, on the Ohio River border
with Kentucky, Carew Tower will let you see the city from some height,
looking down over Fountain Square.
Also try the Cincinnati Arts Museum, Taft Museum, and Cincinnati
Museum Center, or for 19th architecture Mt Adams and the Roebling
Suspension Bridge.
Appalachian Foothills, in the south
east the land becomes gradually more hilly and forested as it rises
towards the Appalachian Range.
There are several prehistoric mounds such as at Hopewell Culture
National Historic Park but for hiking beauty try the Old Man's Cave
State Park.
Minnesota*
In the bottom part of the state the Great Plains begin, but the
main interest to the tourist here lies in its capital city and the
plethora of surrounding lakes and forests.
Minneapolis-St
Paul*
the cultural highlight of the state is these twin cities.
Museums include the first class Minneapolis Institute of the Arts
and Walker Art Center.
Chippewa
National Forest* the northern part of the state is covered in lakes and woodland
with lots of hiking and canoeing possibilities.
Try Itasca State Park for historic logging towns, Native American
crafts and the Judy Garland Birthplace House and Museum.
Wisconsin*
Milwaukee* a city established by German settlers but now totally multicultural.
The city is on the edge of Lake Michigan at the confluence of three
rivers. The Downtown district is historic and attractive with riverside
walks.
The German element means a tradition of brewing in the city and
the Miller beer factory can be toured as well as the historic house
of a brewer at Pabst Mansion.
Madison* the state capital has good
architecture and ambiance plus several attractions nearby, such
as the State Capitol, the Wright designed Monona Terrace Community,
Madison Dells is a major parks area.
Apostle Islands National Seashore* 21 islands on Lake Superior off the eastern shores of the state,
for hiking or canoeing around.
Indiana*
A welcoming state with some worthwhile attractions in addition to
car racing, though rather flat and lacking natural scenic interest.
Indianapolis
[for motor racing***] other than the racing, the city's central attraction is the massive
Monument Circle with the Soldiers and Sailors Monument above the
Civil War Museum, plus Christ Church Cathedral and Circle Theater.
White River State Park is home to the Indiana State Museum, the
NCAA Hall of Champions [sports] and the Eitljorg Museum of American
Indian and Western Art.
The oval racetrack plays host to the Indy 500 once a year, otherwise
check out the NASCAR Brickyard 400 in August or the Indianapolis
Hall of Fame Museum when nothing else is going on.
Columbus* [for modern architecture***] a place which has prided itself on employing the greatest post war
architects to design its public buildings, as well as some finely
preserved historic ones.
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