The midwest is more than just plains and delicious food. Out here, you can get a taste for incredible architecture, beautiful sculptures, and some of the most breathtaking natural formations you’ll ever see.
If you’re in the mood for a road trip, these are the midwest hot spots you should try to see!
Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
Mount Rushmore is one of America’s most iconic landmarks, carved into a mountainside in South Dakota. Although there is a lot of discussion around whether this landmark was a good decision, it’s a historical landmark that brings in thousands upon thousands of people every year.
The mountain is striking, with the visage of four of America’s best-known presidents carved across it. This is a must-stop spot if you’re in the area.
Chimney Rock, Nebraska
Chimney Rock, Nebraska, may not be a landmark you immediately recognize the name of, but if you were traveling the Oregon Trail in the 1800s, it was a sign that you were on the right road.
Now a historic national monument, it’s a sign of thousands of years of erosion in the area. Made of volcanic ash and million-year-old clay combined into one landmark, this is a breathtaking piece of history and nature everyone should see.
The Bean, Chicago
This piece of manufactured art is incredibly famous around the world. The bean, also known as Cloud Gate, its original name, is a piece of art that is supposed to allow the city to stretch out above you in a new view.
Highly polished and made to look seamless through extreme efforts, this statue’s one of the most famous pieces of public art, and you can still walk up to it and touch it with your hands. Although it’s not visible from most apartments for rent in Chicago, you can still visit it in the city’s center whenever you want to.
The Mackinac Bridge, Michigan
If you want to ride on the longest bridge in the Western Hemisphere and the fifth-longest in the world: it’s time to take a road trip to Michigan. Connecting Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, this bridge stretches five miles long and can take ten to twenty minutes to get across, depending on the traffic.
This bridge is a gorgeous piece of architecture and is interesting to ride across if you’re not scared of heights. At sunset, this bridge is bathed in gorgeous golden hues. It’s the most beautiful place to be stuck in rush hour traffic.
Cave of the Mounds, Wisconsin
Wisconsin may be known for sports and dairy, but you should also get to know its incredible caves. Cave of the Mounds is a beautiful limestone cavern dating back millions of years.
Lined with gorgeous mineral formations like soda straws, flowstones, curtains, lily pads, helictites, and oolites. Although it was formed in limestone over 480 million years ago, you can still take a guided tour every day to get a sense of how old this land is.