Local Travel: 21 Places To Visit In The Midwest This Spring

Visit and play catch on the real-life Field of Dreams from the movie! Travel info here and here. (30 minutes from Dubuque, 3.5 hours from Chicago)

Mackinac Island, Michigan

Source: Travel + Leisure

This charming island bans the use of cars. Expect lots of fudge, historical houses and horse-drawn carriages! Travel info here. (3.5 hours from Traverse City)

Hell, Michigan

Source: Wikipedia

You can, in fact, go to Hell and back! Travel info here. (1 hour from Detroit, 30 min from Ann Arbor)

Old Mission Peninsula, Michigan

Source: oldmission.com

Vineyards, rolling hills and Lake Michigan views – yes please! Travel info here. (30 min from Traverse City)

Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Source: explorehockinghills.com

Lose yourself in this lush paradise of stunning cliffs, tall trees and a river to explore. Travel info here. (1 hour from Columbus, 2 hours from Cincinnati)

Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, Cleveland, Ohio

Source: WKSU

This one should be on every music fan’s bucket list. Travel info here. (2 hours from Toledo, 2.5 hours from Detroit, 2 hours from Columbus)

Lake Of The Ozarks, Missouri

Source: Pinterest

If you live in the area, you probably grew up spending your summers on this gorgeous sprawling lake – prepare yourself for fun-loving boaters and refreshing swims! Travel info here. (3 hours from St. Louis, 3 hours from Kansas City)

Weston, Missouri

Source: Main Street Galleria

Historic Weston has everything you could ask for in a small town – great shopping, antiques, great food, art studios, historical tours, and dozens of pre-Civil War buildings. Travel info here. (30 min from Kansas City, 1.5 hours from Topeka, 4 hours from St. Louis)

Nashville, Indiana

Source: Pinterest

Tiny, woodsy Nashville is home to an artists’ colony and is dotted with studios and hundreds of shops featuring the locals’ creations. The art blends with the surrounding natural beauty to whisk you away on a retreat from the “real world.” Travel info here and here. (30 min from Bloomington, 1 hour from Indianapolis, 2 hours from Cincinnati)

Ephraim, Wisconsin

Source: Trover

Ephraim and nearby Fish Creek are stunning coastal towns nestled next to the beautiful Peninsula State Park. If you like art galleries, high-end boutiques, seafood, biking, historic homes, or simply staring at pretty boats on the water, this is the place for you. Travel info here and here. (1.5 hours from Green Bay, 3 hours from Milwaukee, 5.5 hours from Minneapolis)

American Gothic House Center, Eldon, Iowa

Source: Hasty Pics

Did you know you can visit the real house that inspired American Gothic? Did you know you can tour the property, take your very own portrait/selfie in front of the house, and/or hope to absorb some of the epic history of the land into your very being? I sure didn’t, but now I simply must go. Travel info here. (2 hours from Des Moines, 2 hours from Davenport)

Frankenmuth, Michigan

Source: Visit The USA

“Michigan’s Little Bavaria” boasts European architecture, delicious chicken dinners, a water park, a store that sells chocolate cheese (does it get any better than that?), and the largest Christmas store in the world. Travel info here. (30 min from Flint, 1 hour from Lansing, 1.5 hours from Detroit)

Paul Bunyand Land, Brainerd, MN

Source: paulbunyanland.com

Why not spend an afternoon hanging out with a sorta-creepy Paul Bunyan statue in a lovely historic theme park? Think of all the “Fargo” references you can make! Travel info here. (2 hours from Minneapolis, 2.5 hours from Fargo, 5 hours from Sioux Falls)

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Empire, MI

Source: Vineyard Bay Estates

The area is famous for a reason – calm blue Lake Michigan waters and sand for days. This one is a stunner. Travel info here. (40 min from Traverse City)

Marshall, Michigan

Source: Phil & Friend’s Travel and Tour’s LLC

A small town full of glorious 19th century architecture, including the famous Honolulu House, Marshall is the state’s largest national Historic Landmark District. Travel info here. (45 min from Lansing, 1.5 hours from Detroit)

The Motown Museum, Detroit, MI

Source: Wikipedia

Visit the sacred musical space that is Hitsville USA, the famed Detroit studio where Motown came to life. Sing a few notes in the same space as the legends once did and take a look at treasured Motown artifacts. Travel info here and here. (45 min from Ann Arbor, 1.5 hours from Lansing)

Garden of the Gods, Shawnee National Forest, Herod, Illinois

Source: USDA Forest Service

Take a long look at that photo. Need I say more? Travel info here. (2.5 hours from St. Louis, 3.5 hours from Louisville, 5.5 hours from Chicago)

Starved Rock State Park, Olgesby, Illinois

Source: Reddit

This park on the south bank of the Illinois River features canyons, trails and stunning waterfalls. Travel info here.

(1.5 hours from Chicago, 1.5 hours from Davenport, 2.5 hours from Milwaukee)

Galena, Illinois

Source: Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa

This former mining town offers vibrant historic homes (including the pictured Belvedere Mansion), antiquing, great shopping, and most importantly, hot air balloon rides! Travel info here. (30 min from Dubuque, 1.5 hours from Davenport, 3 hours from Chicago)

Sibley State Park, New London, MN

Source: RV Travel Guidebook

This beautiful natural getaway features the hikable Mount Tom, a lake to explore, and just about any form of nature fix you can dream of. Travel info here. (2 hours from Minneapolis)

Hannibal, Missouri

Source: Gypsy With a Day Job

Known as Mark Twain’s childhood home (or as a place that was creepily featured in “Gone Girl”), Hannibal is a charming slice of Americana that offers riverboat cruises, shopping and, of course, the house Twain grew up in alongside many historical sites from his life and work. Travel info here and here. (2 hours from St. Louis, 3 hours from Kansas City)

Original by: Claire Hannum