Midwest Weekend Getaways

Wisconsin Dells is a southern Wisconsin city along the Wisconsin River, known throughout the Midwest for its family-friendly theme parks and opportunities for outdoor recreation. It has been praised as the "Water Park Capital of the World" for its numerous award-winning water parks, including Noah's Ark Water Park, the country's largest water park, and the Mt. Olympus Water Park and Theme Park, which offers both wet and dry attractions.

Several area resorts also offer recreation attractions and family stay deals, including Great Wolf Lodge and the Wilderness Hotel and Golf Resort. Gift shops, boutiques, family fun centers, and tourist-friendly restaurants line the city's Strip, along with larger-than-life attractions such as a Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum. For adult visitors, the Mid-Continent Railway Museum offers excursion train rides, while Ho-Chunk Gaming features a variety of Vegas-style casino games.

The beautiful and interesting capital city of Nebraska, Lincoln is an excellent choice for a Midwestern getaway.

The first thing you will want to see is the impressive State Capitol building which was completed in 1932 and offers free guided tours. Other unique attractions in the city include the Nebraska History Museum, the Lincoln Museum of American Speed and the Lincoln Children’s Museum. If you prefer to spend your time outdoors, you can head to Pioneers Park Nature Center, the Sunken Gardens or the Lincoln Children’s Zoo. Lincoln is also well known for its lively college atmosphere, numerous craft breweries and great eateries.

Brown County is a county in Indiana that is located approximately an hour south of the city of Indianapolis, anchored by its county seat Nashville. The county is known as the "Art Colony of the Midwest," famed throughout the region for its fine arts and crafts studios and galleries, antique and flea markets, and homestyle culinary scene. The region's cultural and artistic heritage is displayed at the T.C. Steele State Historic Site, which showcases the former home and studio of the Hoosier Group impressionist.

Quaint restaurants and art galleries are showcased throughout downtown Nashville, which may be explored as part of culinary, wine, and cultural tours. Natural attractions include the 16,000-acre Brown County State Park and the Hoosier and Yellowwood State Forests, which offer opportunities for hiking, wildlife watching, and overnight camping.

Cedar Falls is located in Black Hawk County, Iowa and is best known as the home of the University of Northern Iowa. The city was founded in 1845 and was originally named Sturgis Falls for its founder William Sturgis, who is honored annually as part of the city's Sturgis Falls Celebration festival.

Cultural attractions include the Ice House Museum, which preserves the facilities of a former ice harvesting business, the Cedar Falls Historical Society Museum, and the Hearst Center for the Arts, which offers exhibitions by local artists, studio classes, and public special events. Outdoor attractions include the 320-acre Big Woods Lake Recreation Area, which offers overnight camping opportunities, and the Hartman Reserve Nature Center, which features miles of scenic walking and hiking paths.

Pella is an historic city in Marion County, Iowa, located approximately 40 miles south of Des Moines. The city was founded in 1847 by Netherlands immigrants and is known for its rich Dutch heritage, showcasing historic sites today such as the Vermeer Mill, which is a fully-functional 19th-century windmill, the tallest of its kind in the United States. Live theatrical performances are offered at the Pella Opera House, while a wide variety of shops, restaurants, and hotels are located in Molengracht Plaza, which is home to a working historic canal and drawbridge. Annual festivals highlight the region's Dutch heritage, including a Tulip Time Festival in May, which showcases tulip gardens, Dutch costumes and performers, artisan markets, and daily parades.

Overland Park, the second-most populous city in Kansas, offers visitors a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities for all ages. The whole family will enjoy stepping back in time at the Deanna Ross Children’s Farmstead where you can meet more than 250 animals and see a traditional historic one-room school. The Natural History Museum at Prairiefire is another must on your family itinerary. Nature lovers will enjoy a visit to the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Garden and the Indian Creek Hike and Bike Trail. There is also brilliant shopping as well as a great choice of restaurants and accommodation options.

If you are looking for a fun-filled destination for a weekend getaway in the Midwest, Omaha could be just the place for you. The city is filled with fun attractions for all ages including historic highlights like the Mormon Trail Center, the Durham Museum and the Boys Town National Historic Landmark. For great outdoor fun you can make your way to the Lauritzen Gardens, the Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari or the brand new Heartland of America Fountain and Park which forms part of the new RiverFront complex. Family fun and games await you at the Boulder Creek Amusement Park and at TreeRush Adventures.

Galena is Illinois' second most-popular tourist destination after Chicago, best known as the hometown of Civil War general and United States President Ulysses S. Grant, whose Italianate-style home in the city has been converted into a living history museum. The city is home to a large number of preserved Victorian-era homes and businesses, many of which are preserved within the National Register of Historic Places-listed Galena Historic District. It has been named as one of America's prettiest towns by Forbes and has been acclaimed by Travel and Leisure for its historic all-American Main Street, which is home to a wide variety of quaint shopping, dining, and nightlife options. On the town's outskirts, Horseshoe Mound preserves an indigenous ceremonial mound and offers views of three neighboring states.

Cincinnati is widely considered to be the first entirely American city, as both the country's first major inland city and the first city to be founded following the American Revolution. The southwestern Ohio metropolis is home to a population of more than two million residents throughout its metropolitan region and is one of America's fastest-growing metropolises, best known nationally for major league sporting teams such as the Cincinnati Reds baseball team and the Cincinnati Bengals football team. Cultural attractions abound, including the historic Findlay Market, the Cincinnati Museum Center, which is housed within the city's Art Deco-style Union Terminal building, and the nationally-renowned Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. Historic neighborhood Over the Rhine is known for its 19th-century architecture, breweries, and festivals. The city is also known for its unique foods, including Cincinnati-style chili, which is served by regional chains Skyline Chili and Gold Star Chili and commonly served over spaghetti noodles.

Hocking Hills State Park is a 2,356-acre state park that spans seven non-contiguous park sections throughout Hocking County, roughly contiguous with Ohio's Hocking State Forest in the Midwest. It is known for its impressive rock formations and caves, including the Conkle's Hollow and Cantwell Cliffs gorges, recess caves Whispering Cave and Old Man's Cave, and the Rock House rock shelter. More than 4.2 million visitors come to the park each year for outdoor recreational activities such as boating, canoeing, fishing, and swimming at Lake Logan and Rose Lake and hiking along trails such as the Buckeye Trail and Conkle's Hollow Rim. The park is also home to a free archery range, a zipline tour company, and 99 acres of land specifically set aside for rock climbing and rappelling. Overnight accommodations within the park and forest include private inns, rental houses and cabins, and more than 200 electricity-equipped campsites.

19852 OH-664, Logan, OH 43138, Phone: 740-385-6842