Boutique hotel has all the extras

Steps away from the Magnificent Mile sits the Affinia Chicago, but that's not the most attractive trait of this boutique hotel. What's...

Chicago museum's unearthed Soviet posters a diary of war

The horrors and heroism of World War Two are given a fresh look in an Art Institute of Chicago exhibition of rediscovered Soviet...

Toys in the 'Hood: Chicago's contributions to the American toy chest

When curator Lance Tawzer was looking for ideas for a summertime exhibit for the Elmhurst Historical Museum, he came across a blogger who...

Holiday World to add record-setting water coaster - again

Holiday World's new ride for next year is essentially the same ride the Indiana theme park added last year.

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  Photos: Mammoth water coaster at Holiday World

Dinner with the Indiana Amish

SHIPSHEWANA, Ind. — Like a memorable scene from the movie "Witness," the red and white tractor-trailer rig seems almost alien as it...

Pierogi Fest in Whiting, Indiana

Every year, Whiting, IN, celebrates Polish heritage and stuffed pastries with a festival drawing nearly 200,000 visitors.

Decaying Joliet prison could be converted into tourist destination

The shuttered Joliet Correctional Center has fallen into major disrepair after almost a decade of weathering and vandalism, but Joliet...

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  Video: Touring the Joliet Correctional Center

Palomar goes for luxury

With the Palomar, the latest addition to its Chicago line, Kimpton eschews the chic boutique concept for more luxury than one would expect....

The great indoors of Missouri

When asked to guess the most popular tourist attraction in Missouri, even non-Midwesterners probably could make some educated guesses.

What the pros know: Foodie faves

If you're searching for an intriguing getaway with local color and fabulous fare, take your cues from the experts. Here are some tried-and-...

Celebrity chef, road warrior Anthony Bourdain

The celebrity New York chef travels the world to discover its most exotic dishes. You can catch him on the Travel Channel's "No...

A prison stay with exit privileges

Travelers with a curiosity about our corrections system can tour cells, see an electric chair and inspect a gas chamber at facilities in...

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  Huntsville, Texas and Jefferson City, Mo.

Hemingway would have loved this lodge

Even if you're not the outdoorsy type, the natural beauty of the Torstenson lodge and surrounding wildlife can easily lure you in — or...

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  Torstenson Family Youth Conservation Education Center

Tangled up in Kickapoo

For longtime pals Dave and Rob and I, it is time for the annual guys' weekend, an escape to the illusory wilderness that Wisconsin often...

Oh, yes, the Peninsula is that good

This River North gem embodies opulence, a hotel that knows how to cater to every need without appearing gaudy or flashy. Starting at 530...

Fill in the gaps of your family history in Fort Wayne

One of the nation's most complete and important family history research sites, the facility draws visitors from across the country.

Beer and wine can mix

The 1892 Pabst Mansion, where Milwaukee beer baron Frederick Pabst hung his hat for the 12 years he was able to enjoy the place before he...

Summer fun in Illinois

Summer travelers can enjoy budget-friendly events and attractions right here in their home state, just a short drive away. Here are some...

Chicagoland hotels: Fancy and fanciful

Part of a series of hotel reviews: In just five years, The James Chicago has established itself as one of Chicago's most popular hotels,...

Where obnoxious buffalo roam

Ever since I moved to Minnesota in 2005, I imagined great herds of noble buffalo waiting on some distant plain, munching the tall bluestem...

Summer to-do list

It's just about time to do all the wonderful things -- Chicago summer things -- that can be enjoyed only in our fair city and only when...

Family camps welcome adults

If you would like to join your kids for fishing, hiking and other traditional camping activities, family camps welcome grown-ups too.

Inn at Union Pier makes relaxation a must

Within walking distance of Lakeshore and Water Tower Place is a wooded beachfront area where you won't have to fight crowds, commuters or...

Summer festivals in the Midwest

Bicycles and balloons, football and films, garlic and golf — disparate things, for sure. But they're all at the heart of festivals and...

Does Naperville have it all?

Mention Naperville, and you're going to get a reaction. Is Naperville all that different from the Evanstons and Berwyns in our immediate...

Whistle blows, rail fans know where to line up

By day, Chicagoan Ted Wolff is a landscape architect. Off duty, he is a member of what he calls an invisible subculture. Known as "rail...

Museum manners

From the Art Institute of Chicago to the stately halls of the Field Museum, the blend of modern culture and modern museum management has...

Midwestern parks create new ways to thrill you

Picture yourself spinning nearly 30 stories above the Lake Erie shoreline in two-person swings that allow riders' feet to dangle. As the...

Wisconsin's first people open their doors

Gambling may be what comes to mind when considering a visit to American Indian reservations. And casinos do play a key role, generating...

How much do you know? Route 66 Quiz

Route 66 celebrates its 85th anniversary this year. See how much you know about the "Mother Road."

Pictures: Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles

This year marks the 85th anniversary of the creation of Route 66 in Springfield, Missouri.

Place to wander: Ohio's Mohican State Park

LOUDONVILLE, Ohio — If you're looking for a good one-day hike in Ohio, Mohican State Park and the surrounding Mohican Memorial State...

There's more than politics in Wisconsin

As a Midwesterner, you may recall the Indiana Beach catchphrase: "There's more than corn in Indiana!" Well, the same holds true for...

Missouri's bloody Civil War battles

"Split state" used to sound simple to me, as though it were 50-50, North versus South, nice tidy halves. But Missouri wasn't just split in...

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  If you go: Missouri

Best seats for Cubs games may be outside Wrigley Field

Although there are 30 major league ballparks to visit, there are actually 31 destinations where you can see a live major league game.

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  Arizona spring training ballpark 'bringing baseball back home' to Indian land

Cutting Minnesota's tourist draw?

As a longtime fan and user of Minnesota's water and woods, I have to say that a move to permit logging in two state parks strikes me as...

Ohio's stately giants

BELMONT, Ohio — It's always fun to visit the giants.

Iowa's bold claim to John Wayne

WINTERSET, Iowa — In the tiny living room of the tiny clapboard house where John Wayne was born, our tour guide explained that "The...

10 for the road: Hot Midwest hotels

Best Hotels in the Midwestern United States, according to Global Traveler magazine's year-end 2010 awards (tinyurl.com/2v3nhdq):

Oklahoma National Stock Yards turn 100

Although they're huddled close, the tens of thousands of cattle are remarkably quiet.

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  Visiting Oklahoma City

Willa Cather's spirit comes alive in Nebraska

We entered Red Cloud from the east, just as novelist Willa Cather and her family did in 1884, when she was just 11 years old. The Cathers...

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  Map: Red Cloud, Nebraska

Jackson, Wyoming's abundant natural wonders

Rolling through Jackson Hole on the way into Grand Teton National Park for the first time, I spotted a boy on the cycle path alongside the...

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  Video: 18 arguments in favor of Wyoming

A visit to Mark Twain's Hannibal, Mo.

It was long after dark when Henry Sweets brought me to Hannibal's Old Baptist Cemetery, "a graveyard of the old-fashioned Western kind."

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  Video: Mark Twain's Hannibal, Mo.

Wisconsin cheese makers who take the prize

Driving along Skinner Hollow Road, through hilly woodlands and across a tranquil stream, a motorist is about as likely to meet a milk...

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  Planning your trip to Southwest Wisconsin

On the BBQ trail

There's a swath of our country that's built upon the foundation of meat plus smoke plus sauce. What a beautiful formula. It's too wide of...

Michigan's coast is best by bicycle

CROSS VILLAGE, Mich. — In the mitten-shaped state of Michigan, there is perhaps no prettier roadway than the squiggly one up north...

Give a hand to Michigan's thumb

UNIONVILLE, Mich. -- Madonna is from these parts, but these parts don't take much pride in that.

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  Road trip: Michigan's thumb

Chicago for all seasons

12 months, 12 reasons to visit

Wine roads ramble along the Missouri River

Find out what makes this area the best vacation spot for wine lovers.

Traveling to Bayfield, Wis.

Visitors to this charming Wisconsin town get more than stunning views of Lake Superior.