This is part 2 in a series of 4 articles that will suggest places to consider in the US for those on a round the world trip. The first part covered East Coast suggestions and the final two will be the Great Plains (more or less) and the West Coast.
If you are from another country then you might find choosing which places to visit more than a little daunting. This country is huge and getting from one place to another is rarely easy, cheap, or convenient. If you are going to spend 6 months in the US then you can hit most of these suggestions plus many other places in between, but if you are limited to a month or two, you’ll want to pick carefully.
I’ve spent a couple decades criss-crossing the country myself and checking out everything I could. As I mentioned in the previous article, there are plenty of really wonderful cities that are fantastic places to live, but still aren’t really “special” enough that they are worth going out of your way for.
By the way, there are many different definitions of Midwest, but for this I’m just considering the Eastern half of the mainland that doesn’t border the Atlantic Ocean.
Midwest cities to consider
Chicago – If you aren’t skipping everything in between the coasts then this should be one of your highest priorities. I’m from Los Angeles and I’ve lived a long time in New York City, but still I will admit that everyone loves Chicago when they visit. It’s huge and busy, but still the people are noticeably friendlier than on the coasts, the food is excellent, and there are tons of worthwhile museums and attractions. There are also dozens of ethnic neighborhoods that feel authentic and are easy to reach, so there’s a good chance you can find an expat community from your home country here.
Detroit – Unless you are a car enthusiast or you have some other specific reason to visit here, it may not be worth it. The downtown area has some interesting new things going on, but the whole area is quite depressed and its tourist infrastructure is a bit lacking.
Madison, Wisconsin – This is one of the nicest and most interesting “college towns” in the country. It’s somewhat historic and there is excellent nightlife in the city center. If you have ever been curious what a classic American college town might be like, this is a great place to check out for a couple days.
Lexington, Kentucky – This is another really nice college town with a historic center that should be interesting to anyone even remotely interested in horses. It’s in a beautiful area filled with rolling hills and the horse estates make it seem like a fairy tale zone in a way. Skip nearby Louisville and stop here if you are coming through the area anyway.
Memphis, Tennessee – Yeah, Graceland is here, and even if you aren’t an Elvis fan this place is still a barrel of laughs. It’s fun as a tribute to the King and also if you like to make fun of kitchy and goofy American attractions. There’s also a pleasant downtown with an excellent music scene, at least for people who like the blues, plus great food as well.
Nashville, Tennessee – This is where a big part of the US music industry is based and for that part alone it’s worth considering. There is live music everywhere, and not just country, so if you want to expose yourself to some of the most talented music folks anywhere, this is an interesting stop.
New Orleans – You may not even realize that the main tourist parts of this classic city weren’t even affected by Hurricane Katrina, and most everything in the city center is back to normal (and they really need the visitors). Seriously, this is one of the most interesting and fun cities on earth for a few different reasons. The Bourbon Street nightlife isn’t nearly as corny as you might imagine, and there are plenty of other interesting parts of town as well. It’s an amazing food city, and much of it is surprisingly affordable as well. This one should be high on anyone’s list.
Are there any more really special Midwest cities that I missed? This is the part of the country I’ve spent the least amount of time in and I certainly could have missed a good stop or two here.
photo by Atelier Teee on Flickr
St. Louis is a city I’ve heard good things about. In the summer you can see Cardinals baseball, Anheuser-Busch Brewery, The Gateway Arch, blues music, etc. Something different to consider for a RTW trip.
I cannot believe that Kansas City and Minneapolis were passed over in favor of Lexington, Memphis, and Nashville. One could also argue St. Louis is a great destination being that it is a very walkable city.
With all do respect the following cities are not at all located in the Midwest; (Lexington, Kentucky) (Louisville, Kentucky) (Memphis, Tennessee) (Nashville, Tennessee) (New Orleans, Louisiana) All of these are Southern cities, great places to visit, but wrong region!
Hey Southlands, you are definitely right about that. I actually addressed this exact thing in the article itself, but I know it was easy to miss. For anyone else who sees this, I’m basically dividing the mainland USA into 4 parts, heading east to west, and this article is about the second part. Sorry if I offended any Southerners.
Hey there ~ What about Pittsburgh? Clearly you have not been up to Mount Washington if you think this city is not even worth mentioning. The view was voted one of the best among professional travelers – second in the US to the Grand Canyon! And with the arts, culture, music, sports, colleges, technology, and the 88 neighborhoods (not to mention bridges, tunnels, funiculars, skyscrapers, and rivers), really!
I will always return to this beautiful city.
Thanks for your reviews 🙂