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170.3 miles is barely? To put that into perspective, Maryland's southern border is 124 miles. It's northern border with bounded by Pennsylvania is 190 miles. Would that make Maryland barely a state? If course not!
Let’s be clear. Indiana has 45 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. Of that, a significant portion is industrial and not very scenic. Yes, part of the remaining shoreline is a politically driven National Park, which was appointed that status for political favors. Truth be told, while it is a nice beach and many of the Great Lakes shorelines are beautiful, if you were to objectively rank the top 10 scenic beach areas along all of Lake Michigan… Indiana Dunes probably wouldn’t make the cut.
I went with Iowa because I love the seemingly endless rolling green fields (in warmer months). Oklahoma has more diverse scenery with the Ozark area and some southwestern features. But on the whole, I think Iowa is prettier.
Let’s be clear. Indiana has 45 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. Of that, a significant portion is industrial and not very scenic. Yes, part of the remaining shoreline is a politically driven National Park, which was appointed that status for political favors. Truth be told, while it is a nice beach and many of the Great Lakes shorelines are beautiful, if you were to objectively rank the top 10 scenic beach areas along all of Lake Michigan… Indiana Dunes probably wouldn’t make the cut.
Indiana also has the Hoosier National Forest and other interesting hilly terrain in the southern 1/3 of the state. I live in a National Forest like setting in Floyd County, and it is not what most people would ever think this area is like that aren't familiar with it.
Indiana does have a little more hills, in the southern part of the state. And it seems like you notice the hilliness, the more south you go. Some parts along its Lake Michigan lakefront are nicer than people might think, i.e. near Ogden Dunes, Beverly Shores(and also I like the reconstructed 1930s Chicago World's Fair homes along its lakefront), and some of the areas near Michigan City. Yes there is some industry, though that is more along the western parts of its lakefront. Side note for the coal plant along Michigan City's lakefront, NIPSCO has announced plans to close that plant by sometime in the 2020s: https://wsbt.com/amp/news/local/nips...ed-power-plant Which also seems in line, with news I've heard in other parts of the US about certain other coal plants closing down.
Northeast Iowa does have the driftless region(basically where glaciers didn't flatten the land near the Mississippi River), which also goes into northwest Illinois, southwest Wisconsin, and southeast Minnesota. Though I get the sense this hilly part of northeast Iowa (at least if Iowa maps vs. Indiana maps are any hint), might be smaller than southern Indiana's hilliness.
As for Oklahoma, it does have the Ozark Mountains, Ouachita Mountains, and a few other small hills and mountain areas mostly within the east and south parts of the state. This is the only scenic part between these 3 states I hadn't briefly traveled into, but I do hope someday to see this part of Oklahoma. From what I've seen on street view, that part of Oklahoma does look nice. There also are some other small hilly areas of south Oklahoma not often talked about, i.e. Arbuckle Mountains(near Ardmore), and Wichita Mountains(near Lawton).
I may need to street view Oklahoma and also find pics, before I do a vote on the poll. I won't vote on the poll till I street view east and south Oklahoma further, and then decide how to vote in the poll between these 3 states.
170.3 miles is barely? To put that into perspective, Maryland's southern border is 124 miles. It's northern border with bounded by Pennsylvania is 190 miles. Would that make Maryland barely a state? If course not!
Where in the world did you get that number? Indiana's shoreline is only 45 miles long!
Oklahoma has forested mountains to the east, open rolling prairie and farmland in the central region, mountains and arid ranchland to the south and southwest, open big sky country and canyonland out in the panhandle, neither Indiana nor Iowa in my experience has the diverse geography to match Oklahoma and I've explored a fair bit of both states personally.
Indiana does have a little more hills, in the southern part of the state. And it seems like you notice the hilliness, the more south you go. Some parts along its Lake Michigan lakefront are nicer than people might think, i.e. near Ogden Dunes, Beverly Shores(and also I like the reconstructed 1930s Chicago World's Fair homes along its lakefront), and some of the areas near Michigan City. Yes there is some industry, though that is more along the western parts of its lakefront. Side note for the coal plant along Michigan City's lakefront, NIPSCO has announced plans to close that plant by sometime in the 2020s: https://wsbt.com/amp/news/local/nips...ed-power-plant Which also seems in line, with news I've heard in other parts of the US about certain other coal plants closing down.
Northeast Iowa does have the driftless region(basically where glaciers didn't flatten the land near the Mississippi River), which also goes into northwest Illinois, southwest Wisconsin, and southeast Minnesota. Though I get the sense this hilly part of northeast Iowa (at least if Iowa maps vs. Indiana maps are any hint), might be smaller than southern Indiana's hilliness.
As for Oklahoma, it does have the Ozark Mountains, Ouachita Mountains, and a few other small hills and mountain areas mostly within the east and south parts of the state. This is the only scenic part between these 3 states I hadn't briefly traveled into, but I do hope someday to see this part of Oklahoma. From what I've seen on street view, that part of Oklahoma does look nice. There also are some other small hilly areas of south Oklahoma not often talked about, i.e. Arbuckle Mountains(near Ardmore), and Wichita Mountains(near Lawton).
I may need to street view Oklahoma and also find pics, before I do a vote on the poll. I won't vote on the poll till I street view east and south Oklahoma further, and then decide how to vote in the poll between these 3 states.
The hilly part of Iowa is less expansive than the hilly part of Indiana, but it's more of a rugged topography with lots of exposed limestone cliffs, and canyon like appearance. In Indiana they're more big hills covered in trees which are still very pretty, but less dramatic rock formations and stuff.
The hilly part of Iowa is less expansive than the hilly part of Indiana, but it's more of a rugged topography with lots of exposed limestone cliffs, and canyon like appearance. In Indiana they're more big hills covered in trees which are still very pretty, but less dramatic rock formations and stuff.
Indiana has one of the largest underground cavern/cave systems in the country. Search for Marengo Cave, Squire Boone Caverns, and Indiana Caverns to name a few.
The hilly part of Iowa is less expansive than the hilly part of Indiana, but it's more of a rugged topography with lots of exposed limestone cliffs, and canyon like appearance. In Indiana they're more big hills covered in trees which are still very pretty, but less dramatic rock formations and stuff.
From what I remember from road trips into southwest Wisconsin and southeast Minnesota, I suspect that is probably what a lot of northeast Iowa is also like. That you can see rock formations, on the sides of hills at times. I didn't spend as much time in northeast Iowa outside Dubuque as much as I would've liked, I'll add. But the little I did see, looked nice. Wish I could've gotten up to the town of Decorah, since it looked really nice on street view.
I remember seeing one such rock formation near Madison, Indiana, in southern Indiana. But yeah, I think you're right there are fewer rock formations in southern Indiana, and that it's more hills covered in trees. Also GraniteStater is right that there are more caves in south Indiana, vs. in Iowa, and probably also Minnesota and Wisconsin too within their driftless regions.
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