AP-Travel Online, July 19th, 2006
Looking for a Midwest getaway this summer? Midwest Living magazine's July/August issue has a slew of recommendations, from outdoor adventures to sophisticated urban hotels.
Michigan's Upper Peninsula is a classic summer retreat. Consider a boat tour of the locks in Sault Ste. Marie; waterfalls along Pictured Rocks National Seashore; kayaking on Lake Superior; hiking to the top of Summit Peakin Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park; and staying in Peterson's Chalet Cottages.
In Kansas City, the Southmoreland, a 13-room inn on Country Club Plaza, has amenities that range from wireless Internet access to just-baked cookies and cocoa at night.
Summertime in Minnesota's Brainerd Lakes area means swimming, fishing and plenty of relaxing. Lodges include Grand View, Boyd or Lost Lake. Take a room and dine on chef-prepared meals, or rent a cabin with the family.
In Wisconsin, Door County is a popular summer destination along a 75-mile peninsula on Lake Michigan. Rent a cabin at Gordon Lodge or try cherry pie at Perry's Cherry Diner in Sturgeon Bay.
Chicago has something for everyone, from museums, shopping and fine dining to the Chicago Children's Museum, the aquarium, Millennium Park, the Lincoln Park Zoo and baseball.
Get away from the crowds in North Dakota's Lewis and Clark country. The explorers' journey is memorialized in the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and at Fort Mandan, not far from Bismarck. You can also learn about the duo's Indian guide, Sakakawea, at the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site and the On-A-Slant Indian Village.
