BISMARCK

The capital city of North Dakota is the gateway to the real West! The state's finest museum, the North Dakota Heritage Center, is found in the shadow of the skyscraper State Capitol. The Heritage Center has wonderful exhibits on Dakota prehistory and pioneer days. The art deco Capitol and its arboretum trail also deserves a look.

The Dakota Zoo in Bismarck is a popular family spot in summer, with animals displayed in natural surroundings along the wooded and scenic Missouri River. The zoo's new bear and wolf habitats and other playpen rank it among  the best in the Midwest. Other attractions include Huff Hills, the state's newest ski resort, five fine golf courses, the former Governor's Mansion. But the biggest attraction, from prehistoric times to today, has always been the Missouri. Wide sand beaches, miles of clean sandbars and marinas offering boat access make the Missouri the focal point of fun.

North Dakota Tourism

MEDORA

     The historic Old West town of Medora is the front gate to Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and quite an attraction itself. The famous Medora Musical lights up the Burning Hills Amphitheater nightly in the summer. Sunset playing across the Bad Lands compete with the professional cast for the audience's attention. Medora's boardwalks are lined with curio shops, shooting galleries, Western museums and authentic, preserved reminders of its rough-and-ready past, including saloons with swinging doors and the Roughrider Hotel where Teddy stayed.

 A popular family activity and a great way  to see the Bad Lands is a trail ride, which can vary from one hour to several days. Brimming with campgrounds, shops and 350 motel rooms, Medora is North Dakota's tourist spot. Where City Slickers Become Rough Riders. Bully Good Times in Medora!

North Dakota Tourism

HOT SPRINGS

Warm Waters, Warm Welcomes

The town of Hot Springs was founded as a frontier health spa, capitalizing on springs of warm mineral waters in Fall River Canyon. Under the surface of this beautiful river valley are six major thermal springs that have relaxed and rejuvenated the area's visitors for hundreds of years. The spring continue to feed Fall River, which winds through historic downtown Hot Springs. They played a pivotal role in the town's development over the years, which has positioned itself as a growing art mecca, cultural center and healing retreat.

Beautiful 1890's sandstone buildings

A sandstone canyon surrounds the town with classic turn-of-the-century sandstone buildings. The Walking Tour takes you along Fall River and describes the details of the beautiful and unique architecture of Hot Springs.

Established in 1890, Evans Plunge Mineral Springs is the oldest tourist attraction in the Black Hill. This indoor natural spring pool maintain an average temperature of 87 degrees. Relax and replenish in the warm mineral waters. Try the waterslides, swing rings, kiddie pool, steam room and saunas at this year-round facility. 

Travel South Dakota

BLOOMINGTON

 Home of Indiana University, Bloomington is a hotbed of arts and culture in a scenic package. With paths criss-crossing wooded environs and winding past old limestone buildings, IU has the aura of an Ivy League school. Bookstores, record shops, restaurants, and bars are nestled around Kirkwood Avenue, which starts at the campus gates and extends for several blocks. Bloomington achieve a reputation as a food-and-wine destination. Just beyond the city limits, Hoosier National Forest awaits outdoor adventurers, and Lake Monroe offers boat rentals, hiking trails, fishing, and water skiing.

Wright Quadrangle and Teter Center

Indiana University

Bloomington, Indiana

These two residence hall groups situated on the 10th Street side of the campus, provide living accommodations for more than 2000 under graduate students. Each group has a central building providing dining facilities, lounges, library, and snack bar.

INFORMATION: visitbloomington.com

FARGO

 North Dakota's largest city, Fargo is a bustling metropolitan area in the midst of farm riches. Fargo has the state's only children's museum (Yunker Farm) and the biggest mall (West Acres), housing the Roger Maris Museum, which is dedicated to the Fargo native who hit more home runs in a year than did Babe Ruth.

Broadway Looking North. Fargo, N. Dakota, 1960

 

The well-preserved historic downtown is where you can find the Fargo Theatre, a 1926 vaudeville and silent film-hall with a working "Mighty Wurlitzer" pipe organ. The art modern interior is a fitting place for art films, stage plays and second-run movies.
Attractions in Fargo include the Plains Art Museum, among others; great public and private golf courses; parks; pools and, on summer weekends, a variety of live performances at Trollwood Park.

North Dakota Tourism

GRAND FORKS

 The oldest major city and perhaps the most cosmopolitan one in North Dakota, Grand Forks is home to the state's leading university and a major Air Force base. The North Dakota Museum of Arts and Chester Fritz Auditorium highlight the arts community of the state's second-largest city. The Center for Fine Arts and local galleries add to the cultural mix. The campus of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks offers both a wide variety of activities and places for quiet contemplation. Grand Forks has a water-slide complex with a miniature golf course, terrific riverside city parks and 63 holes of great golf, including the truly outstanding Grand Forks Country Club. Summer activities offer fun for all during Summerthing, Catfish Days, Heritage Days and Friends and Neighbors Day.

United by the joining of the Red Lake River and the Red River, Greater Grand Forks is an area of rolling plains and winding waters. Fun-filled activities and events offer excitement year  round.

PORT WASHINGTON

Port Washington, with its touch of New England charm, is nestled on the Wisconsin shore of Lake Michigan, just north of Milwaukee.  With its Art Deco lighthouse and picturesque harbor, it is as charming as any coastal village. Downtown is adjacent to the harbor and features the largest collection of pre-Civil War buildings in the state. Walking tours take visitors through the historic district, past lighthouses and memorials and into specialty shops such as an old-fashioned meat market and fish smokehouse. Enjoy lakefront festivals, spend a day sport fishing or bike the 30-mile Interurban Trail. Along the lakeshore, Harrington Beach State Park offers a mile of pristine beach along Lake Michigan. At this 715-acre state park you can camp, sunbathe, picnic, hike, bird watch, fish or practice astronomy.

For more information, log on to visitportwashington.com

IOWA

 Centrally located in the heart of North America, at the crossroads of the U.S. Interstate system, Iowa is the hub of hospitality. Temperatures vary enough by time of year to provide a wide range of outdoor activities - from crisp autumn color tours to cross-country ski treks through frosty winter wonderlands, from sunny springtime camping to statewide summer bike rides. Although Iowa is thought of as an agricultural state, manufacturing is the largest source of personal income. Iowa is the food capital of the world. It harvests more grain than any other state.

 

NICKNAME: THE HAWKEYE STATE

CAPITAL CITY: DES MOINES

STATE BANNER
The Iowa banner was officially adopted in 1921. The state flag consists of three vertical stripes - blue, white and red. The eagle carries the state motto: "Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain".

STATE FLOWER: WILD ROSE
The flower was chosen as an Iowa symbol in 1897 because it decorated the silver service Iowans presented that year to battleship USS Iowa. Wild roses are found throughout the state and bloom from June through late summer.

STATE BIRD: EASTERN GOLDFINCH
The lithe, little "yellow canary" is plentiful in Iowa, often staying through the winter. Seeds from dandelions, sunflowers, ragweed and evening primrose are the main source of food for the eastern goldfinch.

 

Travel Iowa

APPLETON

 Appleton is the largest city in an urban area known as the Fox Cities - 18 communities along the Fox River and Lake Winnebago. Appleton was hometown of Harry Houdini and is the location of the world's first home lighted by a central hydroelectric station, now the elegant Hearthstone Historic House Museum. The Building for Kids is one of the largest children's museums in the Midwest. In July and August the center's Butterfly House features hundreds of live Wisconsin butterflies. A bustling economy, low crime rate and bountiful recreational opportunities make Appleton a great place to live and visit.

 

West College Avenue
With many fine stores for your shopping pleasure.
View taken from the top of the Zuelke Bldg.
 

 

For more information about Appleton, visit The Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau

FOND DU LAC

The city of Fond du Lac is situated on the southern shores of Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin's largest inland lake. The name Fond du Lac is a French term that translates loosely into "the foot of lake." The first light of dawn hits the water's surface and welcomes anglers to Lake Winnebago. A bike ride through past idyllic barns and over rolling hills ends with a story-filled lunch at an outdoor café. An evening stroll through downtown reveals art galleries, shops and classic Wisconsin supper clubs. With its convenient location at the base of Lake Winnebago and surrounded by Kettle Moraine State Forest and the Horicon Marsh, Fond Du Lac welcomes outdoor enthusiasts of all ages, any time of the year.

 

LAKESIDE PARK LIGHTHOUSE HARBOR [1960]

 

 For more information, visit Fond du Lac Area Convention and Visitors Bureau

 

GREEN BAY

 Green Bay is Wisconsin's oldest community, settled by the French as a fur-trading center. Today the city is most famous for its namesake Green Bay Packers, whose legendary past can be viewed at the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame at Lambeau Field. Yet, the city's appeal rests on a blend of many more elements that combine small town charm with big city excitement. South of town, the history of the Oneida Nation is displayed at the Oneida Nation Museum. Green Bay is famous for football, but it’s all the hidden treasures that make Greater Green Bay a special place to visit.

 

Boating On The Fox River 

 

 

 Quality of life, family-friendly values, a strong business community and a distinct Midwestern personality all make Green Bay a great place to call home... and a great place to visit.

 

 

For more information, visit greenbay.com

KENOSHA

Located on Lake Michigan, Kenosha's crown jewel is its lakefront HarbourPark. The parkland setting along the waterfront blends beautifully with the adjacent historic downtown featuring shops, galleries, an outdoor market and eateries all linked by a vintage electric streetcar system. The city's lakefront  museum campus includes the Kenosha Public Museum, Dinosaur Discovery Museum, Kenosha History Center and the Civil War Museum, which examines the connection between the home front and the battlefront during the nation's bloodiest conflict. Outlet shopping, family festival, charter fishing and four historic districts round out the area's diverse attractions. The waters off the Kenosha shore have been listed as the highest catch area for big game fish in Lake Michigan over any other Wisconsin area.

 

SIMMONS BEACH MARINA [1973]
This beautiful boat marina is one of many recreational facilities available. It offers easy access to the many  boating events in Lake Michigan.

 For more information, log on to visitkenosha.com

JANESVILLE

Wisconsin's Great Outside

Nestled on the banks of the Rock River, Janesville is truly "Wisconsin's Park Place". It is all about the outdoors - over 60 improved parks and 30 miles of paved, off-road trails including the southern-most segment of Wisconsin's Ice Age Trail with scenic views of the Rock River. Outdoor attraction include the 20-acre Rotary Botanical Garden. Approximately 20 percent of Wisconsin's buildings listed on National Register of Historic Places are found in Janesville, including the Lincoln-Tallman House - Wisconsin's only private residence where Abraham Lincoln slept. Five miles to the northeast, visit the Milton House Museum. This 1844 stagecoach inn was once a station on the Underground Railroad.

 

SOUTH MAIN STREET
Janesville, Wisconsin 53545
Looking North from Court House

 

 

Downtown Janesville is a vibrant part of the Janesville community where commerce, culture, entertainment and history intersect. Nestled around the Rock River and on a backdrop of beautiful historic architecture, the amenities in downtown Janesville provide fun opportunities for everyone. Downtown Janesville is home to the Janesville Performing Arts Center, the outdoor Marvin W. Roth Community Pavilion, Hedberg Public Library, the Janesville Senior Center, an endless array of dining options, and many other attractions.

 

For more information, visit janesvillecvb.com

WISCONSIN DELLS

Wisconsin Dells is situated in Wisconsin's Heartland, in the middle of the southern half of the state. It's about 115 miles north west of Milwaukee and about 50 miles north of Madison. "The Waterpark Capital of the World" boasts America's largest outdoor waterpark and largest outdoor/indoor combination, not to mention to the state's largest indoor waterpark. Water comes into play in other ways, such as sightseeing tours on the Wisconsin River aboard the world's largest fleet of "Ducks". Kayaking, canoeing, boating, parasailing, skiing and fishing will keep visitors busy from sunrise to sunset. Wisconsin Dells has earned its reputation as a world-class vacation destination.

The Dells are located on Interstate 90-94 in  the Central Wisconsin. The scenic wonderland, the Mid-West's foremost vacationland, has been visited by millions since 1856 and is noted for its scenic boat trips and Indian pageantry.

 

For more information, visit wisdells.com

 

LA CROSSE

Classic steam paddle wheelers still ply the Mississippi's waters at La Crosse. The city's Main Street ends at Grandad Bluff, which offers a stunning view of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa. Enjoy unique shops, museums, galleries and restaurants in the city's historic downtown. Designated Bike Friendly City by the League of American Bicyclists.
Home to breathtaking landscapes, historic monuments and legendary parks, the La Crosse Region boasts a plethora of outstanding sights.

1960s, La Crosse, Wisconsin, "All-America City," gateway to scenic Hiawatha Valley on the Great River Road.

 

For more information about La Crosse, visit explorelacrosse.com

HAYWARD

A former lumbering town, Hayward keeps its past alive with the Lumberjack World Championships each summer. Fishing enthusiasts know it better as the home of the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. The area is also known as the "Golf Capital of Wisconsin" with 18 courses within an hour's drive. People come to the Hayward Lakes to enjoy fishing and swimming, and to stroll the small town streets, stopping to buy a piece of freshly made fudge or a pair of moccasins.

1962

For more information, visit haywardlakes.com

PLATTEVILLE

The area around Platteville was one of the first to be settled by Europeans, who were drawn there by rich lead deposits. The lead miners gave Wisconsin its nickname, the "Badger State". Platteville's early mining heritage is showcased in two museums: the Mining Museum and the Rollo Jamison Museum with more than 20,000 items from the late 1800's. Founded in 1866 as the first teacher preparatory institution in the state of Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville has a legacy of academic excellence that has helped thousands of students find their direct path to success.

The Pioneer Tower, University of Wisconsin, 1960

Nestled in the beautiful rolling hills of Southwest Wisconsin, Platteville is a safe and vibrant, growing community with much to offer. The largest community in Southwest Wisconsin, Platteville offers outstanding recreational opportunities, entertainment, and vibrant businesses.

For more information, visit platteville.com

 

WAUSAU

Wausau positions itself as the best place in Wisconsin to play in the snow. The Nine Mile Forest is a premiere cross-country skiing facility with 33km of groomed trails including lighted trails for nighttime skiing. Sylvan Hill is home to the longest tubing hill in the state with six runs and two tow-lines. Complementing the city's Northwoods feel is a whitewater kayak course, a thriving arts community and the River District. Surrounded by woods, lakes, and hills, the Wausau area offers the combination of big city amenities with the look and feel of the great North-woods and small town hospitality.

POWER PLANT, DAM, WISCONSIN RIVER DOWNTOWN WAUSAU

 

For more information, log on to VisitWausau

DOOR COUNTY

Named one of the "Top 10 Vacation Destinations in North America", Door County enchants more than two million visitors each year with its blend and of charm and elegance. With more state parks (5), lighthouses (10) and miles of shoreline (300) than any other county on the Great Lakes, the 70-mile-long peninsula combines pristine scenery and outdoor recreation with an acclaimed arts community and top-notch accommodations. Strong along the scenic shores, tour a historic lighthouse, take in one of the colorful weekend festivals, and by all means enjoy a fish boil. Take a scenic ferry to Washington Island to see the lavender fields that inspire Island Lavender Company and Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm.

 

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Stop thinking about all the things you have to do, and start thinking about things you want to do. Delicious cuisines, a unique art scene, welcoming accommodation, and breathtaking views await you in Door County.

 

For more information about Wisconsin's Door County Peninsula, visit Destination Door County

OSHKOSH

The city that never stops eventing

With more than 1,000 events annually, there is always something happening in Oshkosh, Wisconsin's Event City. More than 500,000 spectators from 60 countries come to Oshkosh each year to take part in the world's largest aviation event, EAA AirVenture. Oshkosh is also home to the premier country music and camping festival in the nation, Country USA. Located on the western shore of Lake Winnebago, Oshkosh has an abundance of waterways and also offers world-class museums, art galleries, theater and musical productions and unique dining and shopping venues.

For more information, log on to visitoshkosh.com