Ohio: Cleveland Rocks
Fourteen years after the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opened in this once blighted city, Cleveland has firmly established itself as a Midwestern find. After browsing the six floors of rock memorabilia in the iconic I. M. Pei building, tour the Cleveland Museum of Art's new east wing. Stroll the giant Glasshouse of the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Shop in the old Arcade,a five-story structure. Go clubbing in the Warehouse District. Hike the 22-mile towpath trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. "Cleveland's surrounding natural beauty is underrated," says local writer Sarah Jaquay. "Lake Erie, for example, is magnetic in all four seasons."
•Logistics: Cleveland is on the shores of Lake Erie. Lodging: J. Palen House B&B. Luxurious 19th-century mansion close to downtown attractions, from $125; www.jpalenhouse.com. Dining: Parallax. Sushi, seafood, American fusion, www.parallaxtremont.com. Best link: www.positivelycleveland.com.
Minnesota: The Allure of the Northern Shore
Highway 61 from Duluth to the Canadian border is a driver's delight, hugging the shoreline of Lake Superior, dipping into boreal forest, curving around dramatic bluffs. But the real pleasure of this 150-mile route are the stops along the way. "The velvet blue of Lake Superior can be seen from almost any pull-out," says writer Jeff Rennicke. Peer down the 200-foot cliff at Palisade Head. Watch ships hauling iron ore at Split Rock Lighthouse. Hike to Minnesota's highest waterfall in Tettegouche State Park. Learn about the North American fur trade at Grand Portage National Monument. Wait till late September, and you can enjoy it all with fall colors as well.
•Logistics: The North Shore Drive is in northeastern Minnesota. Lodging: Naniboujou Lodge, Grand Marais. Rustic, remote 1920s-era lodge with lake views, from $74; www.naniboujou.com. Dining: Bluefin Grille, Tofte. Burgers, steaks, and seafood, overlooking the lake, www.bluefinbay.com. Best link: www.northshorevisitor.com.
Iowa: Iowa's Great Lakes
Just below Iowa's northwest border with Minnesota lies a cluster of glacial lakes that form an old-fashioned vacation wonderland, little known outside the area. The main lakes are Spirit, West Okoboji, and East Okoboji, but the whole area is known as Lake Okoboji. "I love the atmosphere of a friendly beach community with small-town charm," says Iowa native Jessica Oeth, whose family returns to Okoboji every summer. Go boating or waterskiing. Camp and swim at Gull Point State Park. Fish at Westport Park. Hike, bike, or in-line skate the Spine Trail. Sunbathe at Orleans Beach, across from the fish hatchery. Dine—and watch the sunset—at lakeshore restaurants.
•Logistics: Lake Okoboji is a 21/2-hour drive northeast of Sioux City, Iowa. Lodging: Fillenwarth Beach Resort, Arnolds Park. Units with kitchenettes and complimentary waterskiing and cocktail cruises, from $144; www.fillenwarthbeach.com. Dining: Maxwell's Beach Café, Arnolds Park. Casual, withupscale menu featuring halibut and yellowfin tuna, www.lake-okoboji-restaurant.com. Best link: www.vacationokoboji.com.
South Dakota: Get Lost in the Black Hills and Badlands
Let Rapid City be your jumping off point to one of America's quirkiest and most scenic areas. Go deeper than the usual pilgrimage to Mount Rushmore and tourist trap extraordinaire Wall Drug. Check out the still unfinished Crazy Horse Memorial; visit the Wounded Knee museum, commemorating the 1890 massacre; drive the 20-mile Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway; join half a million bikers at the 69th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Aug. 3-9;arrange a backcountry horse-packing trip into the oddly eroded landscape of Badlands National Park. "The Badlands is peaceful looking, dotted with grazing buffalo, but there's something spooky about it, too," says writer Suzanne Bopp.
•Logistics: Rapid City is in southwestern South Dakota. Lodging: Executive Lodging of the Black Hills, Deadwood. Thirty-five vacation homes in scenic settings, from $275; http://blackhillsexecutivelodging.com. Dining: Flying T Chuckwagon Supper & Show, Rapid City. Barbecue and live music, www.flyingt.com. Best link: www.blackhillsbadlands.com.
