MidwestWeekends.com http://www.midwestweekends.comen-us2008-09-04T10:04:25-05:00FastPlans/Beauty in Mineral Pointhttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_mineral_point.htmlIn southwest Wisconsin, Mineral Point is a rare discovery. Not only is it genuinely friendly and unpretentious, it's beautiful and full of art. In 2007, the National Trust for Historic Preservation called it "an architectural treasure trove,'' naming it one of a Dozen Distinctive Destinations.

]]>Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500The North Shore in fallhttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/north_shore_fall.html

People in other states join in the adoration; every year, the North Shore is voted the top destination in Lake Superior magazine's annual reader poll.

]]>Thu, 04 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0500Exploring the Porkieshttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_porkies.htmlOn Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park is gorgeous, home of a stand of old-growth forest —  sugar maple, eastern hemlock, yellow birch — that's the biggest and best of its kind east of the Mississippi.

The Twin Cities is the closest metropolitan area, five hours away, but Minnesota's North Shore siphons off many hikers and outdoors-lovers, and the Porkies, which has a hundred miles of hiking trails, remains a serene and untrammeled treasure.

]]>Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500Voyageurs National Parkhttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_voyageurs.htmlDon't let summer run out before exploring Minnesota's only national park, which is mostly water and a blast to explore by park-service pontoon, rented launch or houseboat.

When to go: Now, while all the guided boat and canoe tours still are being offered and the water is warm, for swimming. Late August and September, after the bugs die down, is the best time to hike.

]]>Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500See the world in Winnipeghttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_winnipeg.htmlIn summer, Winnipeg makes up for its long winters with a burst of festivals, including the huge Folklorama, which incorporates the dozens of nationalities that make up the city's gloriously lumpy melting pot. Bring an appetite.

What to do: Visit The Forks at the junction of the Assiniboine and Red rivers to eat, shop, watch buskers and take a pontoon-boat interpretive tour. See the zoo, conservatory and sculpture garden at Assiniboine Park (pictured) and hear a free concert or play. Visit the Royal Canadian Mint.

]]>Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500Bemidji and Paul Bunyanhttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_bemidji.htmlIn Bemidji, it's all about Bunyan. The northern-Minnesota town was first to create a giant Paul, in 1937, and it's the northern trailhead of the Paul Bunyan State Trail. The professional Paul Bunyan Playhouse stages plays in summer,  and in August, a new opera festival is presenting "Paul Bunyan.''

]]>Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500Keweenaw Peninsulahttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_keweenaw.htmlIn summer, Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula is beautiful and cooled by Lake Superior, yet quiet even at the peak of tourist season. It doesn't have many "attractions,'' yet there's so much to see — carpets of wildflowers, soft pink-sandstone beaches, old mining towns, 10 lighthouses. In late July, blueberries ripen along roads and bear sightings are likely.

]]>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500Breezy in Bayfieldhttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_bayfield.htmlFor more than a century, vacationers have been making their way to this breezy hillside village on the south shore of Lake Superior. It's the gateway to the Apostle Islands and a good place to hit the water by kayak, sailboat, ferry or launch.

What to do: Go kayaking with Living Adventure. Take a cruise of the Apostle Islands. Learn to sail or charter a sailboat. Take the ferry to Madeline Island.

]]>Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500Cooling off in Duluthhttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_summer_duluth.htmlWhen the rest of the Upper Midwest broils, this Lake Superior city basks in cool breezes. Canal Park is the tourist hub, but there's a lot to do all over town.

When to go: Weekdays, in summer.

When not to go (unless you have a reservation): July 23-27, FinnFest 2008. Aug. 1-3, Tall Ships Festival. Aug. 7-10, Bayfront Blues Festival.

]]>Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500Summer in Winonahttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_winona.htmlWith the temporary closing of its bridge across the Mississippi, Winona has had a rocky start to summer. But now the scenic college town is ready for an action-packed July.

Getting there: It's scenic by car or by train. Amtrak's Empire Builder arrives from the west at 10:11 a.m. and from the west at 7:50 p.m.

]]>Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500Wonders of Thunder Bayhttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_thunder_bay.htmlWhen summer finally arrives, Lake Superior's largest and possibly friendliest town kicks up its heels and celebrates. Join in, and also see the many striking natural features that surround Thunder Bay.

What to do: Spend a day at Fort William Historical Park, a re-created fur post, and see living history at its best. Visit magnificent Kakabeka Falls (pictured). Walk along the marina in Port Arthur at sunset. Just east of the city, hike in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, the long peninsula that creates Thunder Bay's harbor. Dig for amethysts. See Ouimet Canyon.

]]>Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500Riverfront Minneapolishttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/riverfront_downtown_minneapolis_summer.htmlAfter a century and a half of industry, the downtown Minneapolis riverfront finally is a place to play. It's a magnet for tourists and locals alike, and everyone wants to be outdoors: listening to free concerts, dining at sidewalk tables, strolling on the Stone Arch Bridge, watching fireworks.

]]>Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500Chicago on the cheaphttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/chicago_cheap.htmlIn summer, everyone wants to be in Chicago. So, of course, the price of hotel rooms skyrockets. Air fare isn't cheap, either. But the entertainment is free once you get there, and it's easy to eat well for very little.

Here are some tips for making a trip to Chicago affordable.

Getting there: Take Amtrak or the Megabus. The earlier you buy the tickets, the cheaper they are.

]]>Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0500Sample La Crossehttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_la_crosse.htmlIn summer, most of the students leave this three-college river town, making way for the tourists. Most gravitate to Riverside Park and downtown, and the hospitality center of City Brewery always is hopping, too. See Cruising La Crosse.

Getting there: Why not take the train? From the west, Amtrak's Empire Builder arrives at 10:47 a.m.; from the east, at 7:14 p.m.

What to do: Go on a cruise of the Julia Belle Swain, a lovely steam-powered paddlewheeler, or the paddlewheeler La Crosse Queen. Drive up Grandad Bluff for a panoramic view of the town. Visit downtown's bars and ice-cream parlors. Tour City Brewery. Starting June 10, take a Historic La Crosse Trolley tour around town. Starting June 18, see a River City Water Ski show, 7 p.m. Wednesdays at Airport Beach.

]]>Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500Exploring Door Countyhttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_door_county.htmlIn May, this Wisconsin peninsula on Lake Michigan is as gorgeous as ever, but you don't have to share it with crowds. Venture beyond the shops to the headlands, estuaries, beaches and nature preserves. Many endangered and rare wildflowers (such as dwarf lake iris, pictured) bloom among the sandy ridges and boggy swales of Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor.

]]>Tue, 20 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500Touring Trempealeauhttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_trempealeau.htmlThis little Mississippi River village in southwest Wisconsin is an outdoors mecca in spring. It has everything anybody could want — exquisite wildflowers, bird-watching, canoeing, biking, hiking — even outdoor concerts (See Hitting the trails in Trempealeau).

]]>Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500Happy trails in Lanesborohttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_lanesboro_May.htmlIn May, this hamlet in Minnesota's southeast corner will kick into high gear as bicyclists, paddlers and trout fishermen stream into its many inns and B&Bs. The beautiful Root River State Trail jump-started Lanesboro's renaissance in the 1980s, but now tourists also come for the theater and art.

]]>Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500A Muir Tour of Wisconsinhttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplansa_muir_tour_of_wisconsin.htmlCelebrate John Muir's birthday, April 21, with a trip to the sand plains of central Wisconsin, where Muir and fellow naturalist Aldo Leopold began to shape the conservationist ethic that made them famous (See Spring in the Baraboo Hills).

]]>Sat, 26 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500Greening up the Gunflinthttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplan_gunflint_greenup.htmlLast May, a wildfire burned nearly 79,000 acres at the end of Minnesota's Gunflint Trail and Ontario (pictured, along the road in March). New life is emerging; expect a bumper crop of spring wildflowers and, some say, morel mushrooms. And on May 3, volunteers will plant 75,000 red- and white-pine seedlings.

]]>Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500Boat-watching in Duluthhttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_boatwatching_duluth.htmlIn Duluth, boat-watchers are waiting for their ships to come in.

Great Lakes freighters already have been coming and going; the Edwin Gott and Lee Tregurtha left March 23, and the Paul Tregurtha arrived April 2. But boat nerds watch for the first salties, not only because they're rarer but also because they're so much prettier than the barge-like ore boats. Last year, only 158 of the 1,231 freighters that called on the Twin Ports were ocean-going.

]]>Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500Touring Galenahttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_galena_spring.htmlEverybody loves Galena, the cute little "town that time forgot.'' And because everybody can be a lot of people, spring is the best time to enjoy it. Tulips and daffodils bloom on the terraces, weather is mild and streets are not too crowded. And there's always lots to do and see.

What to do: Go on a trolley tour, a walking tour, a ghost tour, a vineyard tour or a kayak tour of the placid Galena River. Take a cooking class or beading workshop. Visit the Ulysses S. Grant Home. See a musical show about Mark Twain. Shop, of course. There's a complete list of events at www.galena.org.

]]>Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500Having a ball in Milwaukeehttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_milwaukee_spring.htmlIt cost Milwaukee big-time, but now the Brewers have a beautiful stadium with a retractable roof. When they open their season against Kansas City on March 28, no one will be shivering in the stands. There's lots to do downtown (See Playtime in Milwaukee) and you can get a good rate at hotels, which are expensive during the summer festival season.

]]>Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500A drive around Lake Pepinhttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_spring_lake_pepin.htmlWinter is slow for shops and restaurants in the smaller villages on this wide spot in the Mississippi. But they've emerged from their slumber with the reopening of the popular Harbor View Cafe in Pepin, which marks the start of tourist season. On a warm spring day, Lake Pepin is everyone's favorite road trip.

]]>Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500Spring in the Ozarkshttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_spring_ozarks.htmlBlooming dogwood and hawthorn, robins hopping around on new grass, beds of daffodils lining country lanes. Sound good? Then head for southeast Missouri, where frozen northerners will find spring in all its glory (See Floating Missouri and On the rocks in the Ozarks).

]]>Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500Fun around Elyhttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_ely_winter.htmlIn winter, Ely's wide open spaces are a playground for anyone who likes to move fast over snow (See Playtime in Ely).

What to do: Ski the Hidden Valley trails on the east edge of town, www.elynordic.org, or at Bear Head Lake State Park, seven miles south of Minnesota 169 between Ely and Tower. Snowshoe to the Hegman Lake pictographs or on the hilly North Arm trails, both off the Echo Trail north of town.

]]>Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500Owl-watching in bluff countryhttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_owls.htmlOwls are heard but rarely seen in the wild, which makes Houston, Minn., a great place to be next weekend. It's the sixth annual Festival of Owls, where visitors will meet such owls as Malcolm the barred owl, Pepe Lulu the barn owl, Oscar the long-eared owl and Little Bit, a northern saw-whet (pictured).

]]>Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600Head for the south woodshttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_south_woods.htmlHow often do skiers and snowshoers find great conditions in southern Minnesota and Wisconsin? Hardly ever. But this year, the blizzards have veered south, making such non-hot spots as Winona and Baraboo great places to ski and snowshoe.

Where to go: Why not somewhere beautiful, like Devil's Lake State Park near Baraboo, Wis.? There's skiing on groomed trails and snowshoeing on the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, which cuts through the park. There's more than a foot of snow on the ground there and at nearby Mirror Lake State Park, just south of Wisconsin Dells.

]]>Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600Winter in Wausauhttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_winter_wausau.htmlHaving it all in Wausau.

What to do during the day: Ski downhill at Granite Peak, which has expanded steadily and now has 74 runs served by seven chairlifts. Ski cross-country at Nine Mile Forest, which has 30 kilometers of trails, six of them lighted. Visit the free Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum.

]]>Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600Warm up in the Dellshttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_dells_winter.htmlIndoor water parks have popped up everywhere, but the biggest and best still are in the Wisconsin Dells. It's the best place to shake off chills and forget about winter. Details: Making waves.

When to go: Hotels are packed during spring break in March. Go now, preferably midweek, when rooms are cheaper and water parks are less crowded.

]]>Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600Madison with kidshttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fastplans_madison_with_kids.htmlMadison for all ages.

Events to catch: Feb. 2-3, Winter Festival on Capitol Square, www.winter-fest.com. Feb. 16, International Festival at the Overture Center. Both are free.

]]>Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600Ski the North Shorehttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/ski_north_shore.htmlSkiing the North Shore.

Where to ski: The Sugarbush system between Tofte and Lutsen has 69 kilometers of classical and skating trails groomed by Pisten Bully. The 3-kilometer Tofte Ski-down is all downhill from the Britton Peak trailhead to Sawtooth Outfitters/Bluefin Bay; the intermediate Homestead Loop, 12 kilometers from Britton Peak, has views of the lake.

]]>Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600Swan-watching in Monticellohttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fast_plans_swans_monticello.htmlIn winter, 1,000 trumpeter swans gather at a warm spot on the Mississippi River. Details: Snow birds

How to get there: It's about an hour west of the Twin Cities. From I-94, take the first Monticello exit, which leads to County Road 75 (East Broadway). At the first stoplight, turn right onto 39, drive a quarter-mile and turn left onto Mississippi Drive.

]]>Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600Eagles and a concerthttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/eagles_concerts_winter.htmlBy day, watch wintering eagles along the Mississippi River. In the evening, catch a concert at one of four surprising venues.

Eagle-watching: Catch them in and around Wabasha and below dams. Details: Open sesame on the sloughs

]]>Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600Weekend in Chicagohttp://www.midwestweekends.com/fast_plans/fast_plans_chicago_christmas.htmlWhen to go: During the holidays, this glittering town becomes the City of Broad Smiles. Join the festive crowds at the Christkindlmarket on Daley Plaza and along Michigan Avenue. For great hotel deals (try www.hotrooms.com and www.orbitz.com), go the week before Christmas and after New Year's, when the city offers Winter Delights discounts that continue through February.

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