Pop quiz: Which two U.S. states border the most others? For lifelong Missourians, the answer is easy—the Show-Me State and Tennessee, tied with eight. This fact might seem trivial to some, but it’s a thing of beauty for enthusiastic travelers. Hop in the car, and a handful of hours later, you can be partying on Memphis’ Beale Street, peering over Chicago from The Ledge, or coasting along the canal in Oklahoma City’s Bricktown. “Been there, done that,” you say? The Midwest’s charm resides beyond big-city limits. Consider a sunset in Kansas’ Flint Hills, a glass of wine at Illinois’ Owl Creek Vineyard, or a blissful soak at Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs, Ark. There are plenty of other hidden gems within driving distance—if you know where to look. Turn the page, and discover why having so many neighbors has its perks.
ILLINOIS
The Gods Have Good Taste
Why do people bother with New England foliage when they could hike in southern Illinois? Seen at sunset, the 300 million-year-old boulders at Garden of the Gods are more sculpture than rock, and the view (3,300 acres of old-growth forest) will stop you midscramble. Bell Smith Springs’ tougher trail takes you up high cliffs, along bluffs and stream valleys, to a natural 125-foot rock bridge, arch, and waterfall. Your reward’s in Cobden: food at The Yellowmoon Café and a stop at Owl Creek Vineyard, whose Illinois wines were chosen by chef Alain Ducasse to commemorate President Obama’s inauguration. Now off to bed in the middle of the forest, at the cozy Irish Inn, where a Belfast-born proprietor will make you a bonnie bangers-and-eggs breakfast. Dogs are welcome.
It Made the Difference
Want to know how Chicago became Chicago? Head north from its Bridgeport suburb, and follow the Illinois and Michigan Canal through 13 charming canal towns, locks and towpaths, and four state parks. Dreamed about for 200 years, this canal connected the Great Lakes to the Illinois and Mississippi rivers in 1848, transforming the upper Midwest. Now the canal’s a living museum—the country’s first National Heritage Corridor—and it’s filled with surprises like the Effigy Tumuli, giant earth sculptures that are a nod to the ancient mound builders. Canoe along the canal, take a 62.5-mile hiking and biking trail along the old mule towpaths, visit the limestone Gaylord Building in Lockport, and sneak off to antique shops along the way. They’re history, too.
What's New in the Windy City
The Second City has added some first-rate additions recently. The Art Institute of Chicago’s recently expanded Modern Wing exhibits “circa-now” artwork. Cross the new Nichols Bridgeway to Millennium Park, where two populist pavilions join old favorites like Cloud Gate. Across the street, the Chicago Architecture Foundation offers a bird’s-eye view of Chi-Town with the Chicago Model City, a miniaturized downtown model that embodies urban planning. Finally, gaze at the real deal from The Ledge, a glass-enclosed balcony at Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) that lets you step onto thin air and peer, if you dare, 103 stories down.
KENTUCKY
Appalachian Artisans' Revival
Need a courting candle or a cindersweep? A weedpot or a skittle spinner? At free-tuition Berea College, founded in 1893, smart, low-income Appalachian students work for their grades, and many perfect (then sell) heritage arts and crafts. Grown-up artists congregate here, too: The town’s dotted with galleries and workshops; there’s a juried Fall Fair October 10 and 11, and musicians, chefs, and writers do weekend demos and readings at the Kentucky Artisan Center.
Who Needs Wine?
Yeah, Napa. Sonoma. Sideways. Why not hunt your pleasure straight-up? The infamous Kentucky Bourbon Trail has the pursed-lip temperance ladies hiccuping in their graves. Drive through the Kentucky countryside—white stacked-stone fences, rolling hills green as Easter grass, horses grazing—and stop at each of seven distilleries, imbibing a tradition that started here in 1780. Bourbon is America’s only native spirit. Following this trail is, therefore, an act of patriotism. And the “Urban Bourbon Trail” that’s marked out for you in Louisville is simply a logical conclusion. Drink at the Old Seelbach Bar, where F. Scott Fitzgerald imagined The Great Gatsby, or bet on one of 165 varieties at Jockey Silks Bourbon Bar.
A Kingdom for the Horse
Paintings are a little…static…compared to a working horse museum. At the Kentucky Horse Park (859-987-2330 for reservations), more than 50 breeds gallop about; this is really living history, if you want to know about thoroughbred racing. If you must go indoors, both The International Museum of the Horse and the American Saddlebred Museum are on the grounds. If you’re ready to go afield, tour the ivy-twined Keeneland racecourse, where horse auctions bring Pollock prices, or the Claiborne Horse Farm just outside Lexington. Bow your head at Secretariat’s grave and offer a lump of sugar to champion thoroughbred Seeking the Gold.
A Pleasant Hill, Indeed
Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill doesn’t just have a smattering of wooden furniture, basketry, and lemon pie. It’s also the nation’s largest restored Shaker community and only living history site where you can experience all of the architecture, exhibits, and crafts in original buildings. The rhythm’s peaceful—nothing urban here—and your workout’s walking the 2,900 acres of bluegrass farmland or hiking 40 miles of trails. The Shakers would have cringed at fakery; this place is authentic.
TENNESSEE
Music and Memories
Tennessee’s biggest city lies just a four-hour drive south of St. Louis: Memphis. Legendarily, the burg’s musical heritage includes ties to the early careers of both country giant Johnny Cash and blues titan B.B. King, as well as what’s-’is-name, that rock ’n’ roller who lived in Graceland. (In particular, think Beale Street, where King co-owns a restaurant and club, and Sun Studio, available for tours.) From a historical vantage, it seems apt that the former Memphis motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated now houses the National Civil Rights Museum—because, of course, he delivered his final speech at the city’s Mason Temple. On a brighter note, the science-related Pink Palace Museum contains a replica of the first Piggly Wiggly.
Chugging Along
Big-band great Glenn Miller, who gave us “Chattanooga Choo Choo” in 1941, would likely approve of that south-central municipality today. Why? Well, the so-called Scenic City boasts not only the National Model Railroad Association and Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, but also the Chattanooga Choo Choo Holiday Inn Hotel, which exhibits the biggest HO-scale model train layout in the U.S. and inhabits a 100-year-old train station. Visitors less enamored of matters locomotive can stroll on the Walnut Street Bridge—the nation’s second-longest pedestrian span—or admire Chattanooga’s riverfront, undergoing a $120 million renovation. Those in a more whimsical frame of mind can hit the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum, commemorating the tow truck’s origins here.
A Smattering of the Smokies
Three or so hours northeast of Chattanooga, the neighboring cities of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge—on the Volunteer State’s east-central edge—border the 800-square-mile Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the nation’s most-visited national park. Gatlinburg features a Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum—which, believe it or not, has been ravaged by fire three times since 1992—as well as Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies. Otherwise, Pigeon Forge contains musical marvel Dolly Parton’s 130-acre Dollywood, which hosts 2.5 million visitors yearly and includes a celebrated wooden roller coaster called the Thunderhead. And for National Register of Historic Places devotees, Pigeon Forge’s appropriately named Old Mill still grinds grain as it’s been doing since 1830.
ARKANSAS
The Silent City
Tiny Eureka Springs, pop. 2,350, is on the National Register of Historic Places—all of it. Galleries abound, from the earthy Rainbow Dragon Pottery & Studio to Eureka Fine Art Company, which is (only) the largest dealer in the region. You’ll also find day spas, restaurants, and a plethora of niche stores like Bart Rockett Magic Shop.
Some Like it Hot
Hot Springs’ Bathhouse Row has been called the “grandest collection of bathhouses of its kind in the U.S.” Earlier this year, the historic 22,000-square-foot Spanish Revival Quapaw Bathhouse reopened as Quapaw Baths & Spa, a LEED-certified, ADA-compliant spa that includes indoor waterfalls and its own café. Just like Eureka Springs, art flows as naturally here as the mineral water with events like the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival, October 16 to 25. HSDFF focuses on getting high-caliber documentaries to the public, but can toss the glitter, too, as it did this June, debuting Björk’s Voltaic: The Volta Tour Live in Paris and Reykjavik.
A Rock That Gathers no Moss
Little Rock evokes immediate associations with former President Clinton, and the William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum is a requisite stop. So is the newly reopened Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. Dedicated to the city’s black heritage, it’s a reconstructed version of the Templars’ headquarters, which burned down in 2005. The third floor houses the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame, featuring exhibits on Maya Angelou and Pharoah Sanders. This month, Little Rock hosts the state’s largest event—the Arkansas State Fair and Livestock Show, October 9 to 18, with 10 days of livestock shows and a sprawling 10-acre midway.
A Bunch of Bull
Bull Shoals Lake attracts more outdoorsmen per square foot than your average body of water, but it’s not exactly a natural phenomenon. Created by impounding the White River in 1951, it’s the result of one of the nation’s largest dams. And the river—which is a natural feature—is a superior trout-fishing spot. The 725-acre Bull Shoals–White River State Park, on both sides of the dam, offers 103 campsites; hiking, biking, and wildflower trails; and interpretive programs, including White River wildlife-spotting “cruises,” eagle-spotting tours, and kids’ programs.
OKLAHOMA
A-OK
The way Oklahoma City honors those caught in the horrific explosion of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building is stunning. The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum takes you through that fateful day and includes an outdoor exhibit with 187 chairs, one for every person killed. But a visit wouldn’t be complete without some cheerier drive-bys, including the Oklahoma City Zoo, considered among the nation’s best; Bricktown, a reclaimed factory area much like San Antonio’s River Walk; and Eischen’s, the state’s oldest bar in nearby Okarche, that’s famous for its fried chicken.
Bite the Burger
Head west to hit a must-see, must-dine: Eskimo Joe’s. Known affectionately as “Stillwater’s Jumpin’ Little Juke Joint,” the bar/hamburger joint opened in May 1975 and now includes a retractable dome. The specialty is Joe’s burgers—with fries on the side. The main competitor for Oklahoma’s best burger? The Meersburger from Meers in, um, Meers.
An Architectural Archive
If you love modern architecture, then a trek to Tulsa is in order. The city is packed with outstanding examples: the BOK Tower and Tulsa Performing Arts Center, designed by Minoru Yamasaki (architect of NYC’s fallen Twin Towers); César Pelli’s BOK Center; and Oral Roberts University. In fact, the city is dotted with modern masterpieces (visit moderntulsa.net for maps) and more traditional mansions left from the oil boom days of the ’20s. If you have young’uns, consider Discoveryland!, home of the musical Oklahoma! You can almost hear Aunt Eller warbling. And if you want to slip in a little culture, head to the august Philbrook Museum of Art, housed in the 72-room Italian Renaissance villa once owned by oilman Waite Phillips.
Not Woody, Not Arlo...
When the government launched the Land Run in 1889, Guthrie became a city of more than 10,000 people in a single day—and was Oklahoma’s first capital. For those seeking antiques, it boasts six shops and two antique malls. For dinner, visit Stables Café for the heart-stopping barbecue buffet. Before you leave, catch a flick at the Beacon Drive-In Theatre. And on your way home, swing by POPS in Arcadia for “food, fuel, and fizz”—including 500 types of soda. Just look for the 66-foot soda bottle wrapped in LEDs.
KANSAS
Pioneering the Prairie
Kansas has a reputation for falling a bit, er, flat. But watching the sun set from the Flint Hills—the Sunflower State’s equivalent of the Appalachians—is tough to top. With its sweeping horizons, the nation’s largest expanse of tallgrass prairie inspired Missouri author William Least Heat-Moon to pen PrairyErth. During summer, experience the land via covered wagons with the Flint Hills Overland Wagon Train. Or stay at Cottonwood Falls’ 125-year-old Grand Central Hotel, where the Sterling Silver steak is so good singer Lyle Lovett orders it from out of state.
For the Birds
An oasis of water and wildlife, Cheyenne Bottoms and Quivira National Wildlife Refuge dispel the perception of tumbleweeds with 63,000 acres of lowland basin. During spring and fall, thousands of migrating shorebirds reside here. Twenty miles away, the latter’s 22,000 acres stage 500,000-plus fowl. The best way to admire the birds is a 76-mile drive along the Wetlands and Wildlife National Scenic Byway. Grab that tattered Audubon field guide before you go.
From Salt to Stars
That salt-of-the-earth label? True—but nowhere more so than the Kansas Underground Salt Museum. Step inside an elevator car, and plummet 650 feet to an abandoned mine. The $10.5 million museum offers a glimpse into another world, a perpetually 68-degree space with cavernous rooms and abandoned tools. Afterward, visit the Kansas Cosmosphere in nearby Hutchison, housing astronomical artifacts like Apollo 13’s command module.
Outside the Lines
Most tourists view Kansas as merely a route to the Rockies—but the stops along the way can be most memorable. Besides the World’s Largest Ball of Twine in Cawker City, here are three odd-but-artsy favorites: 1) Lucas’ Garden of Eden: Samuel Dismoor created this bizarre sculpture park from limestone and concrete, topping it off with a glass-sided coffin holding its embalmed creator; 2) Topeka’s Truckhenge (785-234-3486): Open by appointment, Ron Lessman’s rural re-creation of Stonehenge consists of six upright antique trucks; and 3) Henry’s Sculpture Hill: Sculptor Frank Jensen stopped giving tours years ago, but you can still drive near Augusta on Highway 400—or go online—to see his metal interpretations of literary lore.
NEBRASKA
The Old New Thing
Bookstores, boutiques, galleries, a farmer’s market, and restaurants—Omaha’s Old Market District is Nebraska’s answer to that common tourist question: “Where can we go that’s fun, urban, and a little hip but not, you know, overpriced and self-satisfied?” This historic neighborhood lets you kick it old-school (antiques, carriage rides) or new- (microbrews, massages, and makeovers). Should you feel homesick, the cobblestone underfoot will remind you of your imminent, ah, landing back in the Lou.
Like Lincoln
The Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln stands as tall and dignified as the president after which the city was named. The Bertram Goodhue–designed building has a 400-foot tower rising from its center, making it the nation’s second-tallest capitol. Be sure to tour the inside, home to intricate Art Deco mosaics and ornamental iconography featuring American Indian symbols, the latter a nod to the native tribes that lived in Nebraska before the pioneers started pioneering.
Play Ball!
To get your Nebraska sports fix this fall, watch the Tigers’ football squad host the Huskers here in Missouri October 8. Then visit Omaha next June, when you can take in the NCAA Men’s College World Series. More than 300,000 visitors come annually to experience the week and a half of celebrations, kids’ events, practice sessions, and, of course, the games themselves. Already made next summer’s plans? The city will open a new baseball stadium in time for the 2011 series, and the city-series contract was recently extended to 2035. After 60 years, Omaha knows how to hang on to a good thing.
Nature Calls
Chimney Rock is one of the West’s best-known landmarks and the most famous on the Oregon-California Trail. The striking 325-foot geological formation served as a landmark for immigrants migrating west and continues to be sought out by today’s tourists. (Tidbit to impress your traveling companion: Chimney Rock’s original name, given by the Native Americans who found it first, was “Elk Penis.”) To the east…and the north, and also to the south…are what’s known as the Nebraska Sandhills—a one-of-a-kind region filling about a quarter of the state. Home to sand dunes and thousands of wetlands and lakes, the expansive area is considered its own ecoregion, providing critical habitat for water birds and other animals. Speaking of, don’t forget your binoculars.
IOWA
Back to the Future
Iowa. Our northern neighbor’s very name brings to mind endless farmland vistas and dusty back roads. This is the birthplace of some of America’s best-known Everymen, from Johnny Carson to Ashton Kutcher—on to Star Trek’s fictional Capt. James T. Kirk, a backcountry boy who rises to a 23rd-century starship’s command. Take the Avenue of the Saints (Route 61 in Missouri to Route 27 in Iowa) to Iowa City, and take your pick of two offbeat destinations: Riverside and Amana. As Kirk’s “future birthplace,” the former is worth a stop, just to see the U.S.S. Riverside starship and accompanying Voyage Home Museum (and, each June, the internationally attended TrekFest). If Star Trek isn’t your thing, try the town’s Casino and Golf Resort. Amana, on the other hand, brings visitors back in time to a world of “handcrafted escape” amid the historic Amana Colonies. Drop your things off at one of nearly a dozen bed-and-breakfasts, then go golfing or hiking; dining on artisan meats, bread, wine, and beer; or shopping for handmade goods and artwork.
The River of Dreams
A bit farther north, you’ll find Dubuque, the quintessential go-at-your-own-pace river town. Try sailing or strolling along the Mississippi River; in colder months, sleigh rides and ice-skating are local specialties. Baseball buffs should consider a trip to nearby Dyersville, where the original Field of Dreams movie site, a ballpark carved in the middle of a cornfield, has been preserved and is perfect for a free pickup game.
Reap the Wild Wind
For a more eclectic escape, try Iowa’s Great Lakes region. At its heart is Okoboji, home of the mythical University of Okoboji (“U of O”), a.k.a. “the best-known nonexistent university in the country.” In 1988, the imaginary “college of fun,” dreamed up by a local storeowner, lent its name to a foundation devoted to area arts and recreation, which has aided the success of a number of local ventures. Nearby Spirit Lake thrives with galleries, beaches, and fishing excursions; in Storm Lake, key draws include King’s Pointe Waterpark Resort, Sunrise Pointe Golf Course, and one of the country’s largest wind farms. Finally, for amateur historians, try an excursion to Arnolds Park’s Gardner Cabin & Museum, Iowa Rock ’n’ Roll Museum and Association, and Iowa Great Lakes Maritime Museum.
Margaret Bauer, Jeannette Cooperman, Bryan A. Hollerbach, Christy Marshall, Jarrett Medlin, Stefene Russell, and Stephen Schenkenberg
