For the purist there are all the fall classics-pumpkins, hay rides, and corn mazes galore. People may flock to New England or the Pacific Northwest to see trees take on their fall colors, but the Midwest has no shortage of sights to see this season. These open-air festivals let you really feel the warmth that’s crept into the air and get the most out of the summer weather. Chicago hosts open-air music festivals including Pitchfork, Lollapalooza, and many smaller neighborhood fests, while the Twin Cities area boasts numerous open-air art festivals including the Uptown Art Fair and Art-A-Whirl. Midwestern cities offer plenty of summer fun too. In addition you can kayak, backpack, and fish at many of the numerous state parks and nature preserves throughout the Midwest. Surfing Lake Michigan, canoeing down the Mississippi, and staying in water parks in the Wisconsin Dells delivers all the same summer thrills you can get on the coasts. The Midwest may not be near any ocean beaches, but we get our fair share of warm weather and we definitely have our own ways to enjoy the water in summertime. Patrick’s Day parade to exploring the many free museums of St. The more city-oriented have plenty to do as well, from seeing the Chicago River dyed green for the St. Hunting for morels, an expensive and tasty mushroom, in places like Whitewater State Park is another rewarding springtime activity for nature enthusiasts, as are the various festivals for maple syrup and wildflowers. Paul Audubon Society in Minnesota hosts an annual warbler weekend every May, UW-Stevens Point hosts a census where you can watch the courtship of prairie chickens, and plenty of other parks and preserves across the Midwest offer much for birders to see. Spring is the ideal time for bird watching-the St. Those who enjoy the outdoors have an especially broad range of choices. One thing you can count on though is the wide selection of spring activities available throughout the Midwest. The transition from winter into summer is always a chaotic one here, with heat, sleet, and snow all unpredictably coming and going from week to week, day to day, and sometimes even hour to hour. In the Midwest, more than in other places, springtime is a season where change can truly be felt. Here are some of the many activities available in the Midwest in spring, summer, fall, and winter. Midwesterners’ ability to experience four distinct seasons in full every year creates a sense of variety, engagement, and even progress.Įven more so, the Midwest’s full range of seasons means that each season has its own plethora of ways to occupy your time and experience the area. Still waters stagnate, and living in an unchanging environment can lead to feelings of stagnation and restlessness. “I like seasons,” a recent Florida transplant recently told me regarding why she moved. But if you’ve ever witnessed the childlike joy of Californians playing in snow for the first time, or spoken with transplants from more temperate regions, you’ve probably gotten the sense that there’s something missing from a life where the climate remains constant year-round. Sure, the sun beats down all year long in California and Texas, and maybe Alaska is great if you look exceptionally good in a sweater. But one of the Midwest’s greatest strengths also happens to be one which you might least expect: weather. There’s a lot to enjoy about life in the American Midwest-there’s a nice mix of rural landscapes and populous cities like Chicago and Minneapolis, the locals are well-grounded and easy to engage with, and the Great Lakes lie within arm’s reach offering all sorts of fun.
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