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Location: Jefferson City 4 days a week, St. Louis 3 days a week
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GraniteStater
Ohio is a very strange state because it has so much variety in such a short distance. I am not familiar with the area east of Columbus. Is it very Appalachian in character, more like WV? It appearss that the OP did go through part of that region (Cambridge).
Columbus is nothing like West Virginia. It is very much like Indianapolis. While does have some hilly areas, most of it is pretty flat. However, if you drive to Cleveland from there on I-71 much of that drive reminds me of driving along I-55 or I-44 in Missouri. It is actually pretty mountainous. Also, if you drive to the east on I-70, as you get closer to the Ohio River and Pittsburgh it starts becoming more mountainous. Essentially, on both of those areas I described, you are in the Allegheny plateau, at least in the foothills. I actually forgot about some of that.
Those aren't the only parts of the Midwest that are hilly. Iowa is not that flat, believe it or not. It is composed of rolling hills for the most part. Eastern Nebraska is pretty hilly as well. And Eastern Kansas is hilly too. Much of the western half of Illinois is quite hilly. Ohio, especially in the eastern half, is pretty hilly, as well as southern Ohio. Southern Indiana is also hilly. Pretty much along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, the Midwest is not really that flat. Duluth, MN is very hilly, and much of Wisconsin is quite hilly. Even Chicago's northern suburbs are actually pretty hilly, particularly around Waukegan. The Midwest does have its flat as a pancake portions, but more of it IMO could be described as at minimum gently rolling hills. Even the flat-as-a-board cities have some hills. Examples of several Midwest cities that are not flat in all areas...Omaha, Des Moines, Kansas City, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Cleveland (particularly East Cleveland). I can't speak for Milwaukee, but I would be willing to bet that if Waukegan is hilly, then so is Milwaukee, since it's a mere hour to the north. The UP of Michigan is mountainous, and Northern Wisconsin is hilly as well.
Duluth, Minnesota may be one of the hilliest cities in the U.S.
The northwest suburbs of Detroit are fairly hilly. I also remember taking a trip to Canadian Lakes which is northeast of Grand Rapids. Those hills are a little steeper and spread out. In general, the only super flat areas are near the coast lines of the Great Lakes (at least on the east side of the state).
Then, we went up into Michigan and spent the third night at Kalamazoo. Nothing to talk about here lol.
You went up into Michigan on I-94 and didn't go to Lake Michigan? 94 literally runs within a mile of the lake in some spots. You could have checked out the sand dunes, which are very impressive. Nothing else like them east of the Mississippi.
This is a pic from Warren Dunes. I was one mile from I-94 when I took this:
Are you under the impression that you "eat" the products of the corn and soybean fields which dominate agriculture in IL? Think again!
You spray the products, wipe your face with the products, eat OFF OF the products, drink the products (if you drink pop), eat other food which ate the products, and eat food CONTAINED IN the products - but people actually eat very little of what the OP saw. That's reality - I live and work on a farm which is a corn-soybean operation.
Right on-- I think the stat is 60% of the corn we grow in the US is feed corn?
Then you have Cargill-- one of the largest, if not the largest companies in the country-- doing pretty much the entirety of its business on corn syrup contracts to Coke, Pepsi, and 'Big Candy'...
Those aren't the only parts of the Midwest that are hilly. Iowa is not that flat, believe it or not. It is composed of rolling hills for the most part. Eastern Nebraska is pretty hilly as well. And Eastern Kansas is hilly too. Much of the western half of Illinois is quite hilly. Ohio, especially in the eastern half, is pretty hilly, as well as southern Ohio. Southern Indiana is also hilly. Pretty much along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, the Midwest is not really that flat. Duluth, MN is very hilly, and much of Wisconsin is quite hilly. Even Chicago's northern suburbs are actually pretty hilly, particularly around Waukegan. The Midwest does have its flat as a pancake portions, but more of it IMO could be described as at minimum gently rolling hills. Even the flat-as-a-board cities have some hills. Examples of several Midwest cities that are not flat in all areas...Omaha, Des Moines, Kansas City, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Cleveland (particularly East Cleveland). I can't speak for Milwaukee, but I would be willing to bet that if Waukegan is hilly, then so is Milwaukee, since it's a mere hour to the north. The UP of Michigan is mountainous, and Northern Wisconsin is hilly as well.
Duluth, Minnesota may be one of the hilliest cities in the U.S.
Fun fact of the day: the nations steepest segment of railway is an incline climbing the bluffs of Dubuque, IA.
And yes, Duluth is *ridiculously* hilly. The downtown sits right on the harbor, and then it's pretty much a straight climb up a huge hill into the residential areas. Beautiful, though.
My dad's family is from the Quad Cities area; mom is from southeastern MN-- Root River valley. Both incredibly hilly...
I posted these since no one's heard of the Dust Bowl before
?? You realize that the dust bowl was 400-600 miles away in Texas/Okalahoma/Kansas for the most part - NOT the agricultural heart of the Midwest with the premium topsoil. The dust bowl happened because people tried to farm in areas where they really shouldn't have been in the first place.
I agree with the OP about people going to the same place every year. I know people who go to Myrtle Beach, SC or Ocean City, MD every year but I could never go to the same old place every year (even though both of these places are fun) in a country as big and interesting as ours.
Those aren't the only parts of the Midwest that are hilly. Iowa is not that flat, believe it or not. It is composed of rolling hills for the most part. Eastern Nebraska is pretty hilly as well. And Eastern Kansas is hilly too. Much of the western half of Illinois is quite hilly. Ohio, especially in the eastern half, is pretty hilly, as well as southern Ohio. Southern Indiana is also hilly. Pretty much along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, the Midwest is not really that flat. Duluth, MN is very hilly, and much of Wisconsin is quite hilly. Even Chicago's northern suburbs are actually pretty hilly, particularly around Waukegan. The Midwest does have its flat as a pancake portions, but more of it IMO could be described as at minimum gently rolling hills. Even the flat-as-a-board cities have some hills. Examples of several Midwest cities that are not flat in all areas...Omaha, Des Moines, Kansas City, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Cleveland (particularly East Cleveland). I can't speak for Milwaukee, but I would be willing to bet that if Waukegan is hilly, then so is Milwaukee, since it's a mere hour to the north. The UP of Michigan is mountainous, and Northern Wisconsin is hilly as well.
Duluth, Minnesota may be one of the hilliest cities in the U.S.
Well that might be because it is built on the side of a very large hill (that used to be a mountain before a glacier grated it down to its current size).
Columbus is nothing like West Virginia. It is very much like Indianapolis. While does have some hilly areas, most of it is pretty flat. However, if you drive to Cleveland from there on I-71 much of that drive reminds me of driving along I-55 or I-44 in Missouri. It is actually pretty mountainous. Also, if you drive to the east on I-70, as you get closer to the Ohio River and Pittsburgh it starts becoming more mountainous. Essentially, on both of those areas I described, you are in the Allegheny plateau, at least in the foothills. I actually forgot about some of that.
Some of the culture in Columbus reminded me very much of West Virginia though (or Northern Southern States, like Kentucky)! People don't say "ya'll" or "ain't" as much in most of the rest of the Midwest, save possibly Kansas City, St. Louis, Indianapolis or Cincy.
I posted these since no one's heard of the Dust Bowl before
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ghengis
really? you are referencing "the dust bowl"?! until "they" let it blow away? you should consider getting out more or read your own links... The Dust Bowl affected 100,000,000 acres..., centered on the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma, and adjacent parts of NewMexico, Colorado, and Kansas.
You beat me to it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 2ForTheSea
That sounds like a super fast but fun road trip. You must be young
Illinois can be pretty monotonous. I went to college in Southern Illinois and my apartment sat right next to corn/soybean fields. Like literally butting up to my windows.
You were really close to some truly beautiful areas. Missouri along the Missouri river and south is rolling and lush (when there's enough rain) full of forests and streams.
Michigan as you go north through the middle is trees, trees, and more trees, which can get a little monotonous too.
And there are actually parts of extreme southern Illinois where there are hills and trees believe it or not.
What college?
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you should consider getting out more or read your own links... The Dust Bowl affected 100,000,000 acres..., centered on the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma, and adjacent parts of New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas. 
