Showing posts with label Travel Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel Reviews. Show all posts

Saturday, July 3, 2021

Midwest Adventures – Travel Review

 

Image of a Midwest highway

Summertime is frequently 'vacation time'. After a year of travel restrictions, many are looking forward to taking trips this year. Because of some restrictions still in place and due to limited resources and high gas and motel prices, most people are deciding to stick close to home for their vacations and/or staycations (visiting local attractions without much travel). 


For those living in the Midwest, there are a wide variety of simple, easy-to-reach, and fairly inexpensive places to see and things to do.  A few which have been visited by contributors to ReviewThisReviews are listed here, along with reviews and recommendations. 


The American Midwest


A map of the Midwest States
Source: Wikipedia

The Midwest (or American Midwest or The Midwestern United States) consists of  12 states in the north central United States. The states are Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Several of our Review This contributors live within this area and have visited, written about and reviewed local attractions. If you cannot travel to some of them in person right now, taking a virtual tour via these travelogues would be a fun way to decide on your next trip.


MISSOURI


Mary Beth Granger (mbgphoto) loves to visit and photograph local areas in her Midwestern state of Missouri. She lives in Eastern Missouri, so the St. Louis area offers her many easy-to-reach places to visit. She frequently takes day trips with camera in hand to document her visits. Among some of her recommended places to visit are:


St. Louis Arch


St. Louis Arch, photo by MBG Photo
Image Credit: mbgphoto

Known as the "Gateway to the West", the St. Louis Arch was built as a monument to the 'Westward Expansion of the United States". 

Mary Beth Granger gives us a wonderful overview of this historic monument in her article Explore St Louis-The Gateway Arch.


*Note: The St. Louis Arch is located in Gateway Arch National Park on the Mississippi River in downtown St. Louis, Missouri.  Cost to ride to the top of the arch is $3.00 for visitors 16 and up and free for children 15 and under. 


St. Louis Union Station and the St. Louis Wheel


St. Louis Wheel at the St. Louis Union Station
Photo Credit: mgbphoto

While you are still in downtown St. Louis, you might enjoy checking out the St. Louis Union Station and enjoying a ride on the new St. Louis Wheel.  The Wheel opened on September 30th, 2019 to help celebrate the 125th anniversary of Union Station. The Wheel is a 200 foot high observation wheel with 42 fully enclosed and climate controlled gondolas that each seat 6 adults. The 15-minute ride includes 3-4 rotations high above the St. Louis skyline. 

Read all about it in Mary Beth Granger's Review of New Wheel at St. Louis Union Station.


*NOTE: Union Station is located at 201 S 18th St. St. Louis, MO. Cost of tickets to ride the Wheel is $15 for adults and $10 for children.

In addition to the New Wheel, the St. Louis Union Station (a former train station for the area) also boasts a total of 7 other attractions, including the St. Louis Aquarium. It also has a hotel and a variety of restaurants. Check out the St. Louis Union Station attractions here


Forest Park in St. Louis


Forest Park St. Louis - Photo by mbgphoto
Forest Park St. Louis - Photo by mbgphoto

Forest Park located just west of the city of St. Louis is a large public park with numerous attractions. Among the things to see and do is the St. Louis Zoo, The Art Museum and the Science Center.  Many other attractions are also available in this amazing park. Mary Beth Granger describes the many delights of Forest Park in her article Visit Missouri-Explore St Louis- Forest Park and the Jewel Box


*NOTE: Forest Park is Located at 5595 Grand Dr, St. Louis, MO 63112. Open daily until 10 pm, many of the attractions are free. The St. Louis Zoo does have some special attractions with ticket prices, but the zoo itself is free.  There is a nominal parking fee per vehicle. 


The above St. Louis, MO attractions are just a few of places to visit in Missouri. For a review of several other fun places to see, such as Defiance (home of Daniel Boone) and the Missouri Covered Bridges, click on the MISSOURI search in ReviewThisReviews.


IOWA


Cedar Bridge in Madison County - mgbphoto
Cedar Bridge in Madison County - mgbphoto

Madison County, Iowa is famous for its covered bridges. Mary Beth Granger visited there a few years ago and wrote all about the famous 'Bridges of Madison County' and the John Wayne Museum located in Winterset, Iowa, the county seat of Madison County. Read her Review of a Visit to Madison County Iowa.


*NOTE: The John Wayne Museum is open from 10 AM to 5 PM and the admission price is $15. It is located at 205 S John Wayne Drive, Winterset, IA. 


Field of Dreams - Dyersville, Iowa


Field of Dreams house in Dyersville, IA

Corn field at Field of Dreams Movie Site

If you build it, he will come!

The movie Field of Dreams was filmed at the old Lansing Family Farm in Dyersville, Iowa. Afterwards, the field was kept by the property owners and turned into a tourist attraction. People have been coming to visit here for over 32 years and its popularity continues. 

Read Wednesday Elf's review of this iconic Midwest movie location (Field of Dreams Travel Review) written after a day trip with family.

For any baseball fan, or anyone who has ever had a dream, the Field of Dreams baseball field is a delightful place to visit.

This summer (August 2021) the Field of Dreams Movie Site will host a regular season Major League Baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees. The Legend of 'Shoeless Joe' continues.  


“Is this Heaven? No, it's Iowa”


*NOTE:  The Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa is free to visit. It is located in Dyersville, Iowa, 30 minutes west of Dubuque and two and a half hours from Des Moines. 


Minnesota and Michigan Lighthouse B&Bs


Big Bay Lighthouse by mbgphoto
Big Bay Lighthouse by mbgphoto

For an unusual overnight stay, you can be a Lighthouse Keeper.  Here are two of the lighthouses in the Midwest which are available for overnight stays.

  • Big Bay Lighthouse in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
  • Two Harbors Minnesota

Read You Too Can Be a Lighthouse Keeper for interesting details about Lighthouse B&Bs.


*NOTE: TWO HARBORS LIGHTHOUSE - MINNESOTASelf guided tours include the lighthouse tower, the Assistant Keeper's house, a Pilot House and the Fog Signal building. The Keeper's Quarters is open year round as the Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast.

Located on  Lake Superior, this quirky bed-and-breakfast sits in the oldest operational lighthouse in Minnesota, a 19th-century redbrick building that once housed the lighthouse keeper's quarters. It is less than a mile from downtown Two Harbors and 28.2 miles from Duluth. Check the Two Harbors Website for price details.

BIG BAY LIGHTHOUSE. Located at 4674 Co Rd KCB, Big Bay, MI in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Lake Superior, approximately 24 miles northwest of Marquette, the Big Bay Point Light stands on a tall bluff over a rocky point near Big Bay, Michigan. Today it is the only operational lighthouse with a bed and breakfast. It is reputed to be haunted. Send them an email @ keepers@bigbaylighthouse.com for information.


Michigan Waterfalls




While in Michigan, you might also visit the lovely waterfalls in Michigan described in Mary Beth Granger's Photographing Waterfalls article.


Midwest Sports


For the summer sports fan, there are quite a few Midwestern locations of Major League Baseball Fields to visit for a game, including the Chicago Cubs, who play at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO. and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. Plus, the Minnesota Twins located in the Twin cities and the Milwaukee Brewers in Wisconsin. 


Woodmen Park baseball field in Davenport, Iowa
Woodmen Park in Davenport, Iowa - (Wikipedia)

Or you could attend a Minor League baseball game at Woodmen Park in Davenport, Iowa and watch the Quad City River Bandits, currently a minor league baseball team for the Kansas City Royals.


*NOTE: Woodmen Park is located on the Mississippi River in downtown Davenport, Iowa at 209 S Gaines St, Davenport, IA. Click here for game dates and ticket prices.


Summary


These are just a few of the many vacation spots and attractions available to visit on a Midwest Vacation. 


HAPPY TRAILS!



*Midwest Adventures compiled and written by 
Wednesday Elf


Journey through America's Heartland:




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Saturday, February 2, 2019

Review of Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans

Café du Monde in New Orleans
Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans. (Source: Wikipedia)
Cafe Du Monde is a famous coffee shop in the French Quarter of New Orleans.  It was opened in 1862 and is famous for it's chicory-blend coffee and Beignets.  It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except for Christmas Day (and the occasional hurricane).  Luckily, this famous cafe suffered only minor damage during Hurricane Katrina.

I've visited Cafe Du Monde twice on visits to New Orleans.  It has a charming atmosphere and the Beignets are the most delectable pastry you will ever taste.  I do have to admit, though, that I personally find the famous chicory coffee 'undrinkable'.  I do not like the taste of chicory and I dislike strong coffee.  But if you love chicory coffee or Vietnamese-style iced coffee, you will love the Cafe Du Monde coffee, particularly their Cafe au lait. 


Cafe au Lait




Cafe au lait  and beignets
Cafe au Lait  (Image Source)

Cafe au lait is coffee with hot milk added.  This is different from coffee known as 'white coffee', which has cold milk or other whitener added.  Cafe au Lait simply means “coffee with milk”. 


Beignet




Dish of beignets
Beignets (Image Source)

Beignet is a French pastry that is deep fried and served topped with powdered sugar.  It is so light and flaky and is downright irresistible! 

The allrecipes site has a recipe for you to make your own Beignets at home if you are not able to visit Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. 


The ingredients in the Beignets recipe include dry yeast, white sugar, salt and 2 eggs, plus evaporated milk, flour and shortening. You will also need vegetable oil for fying and confectioners' sugar to shake on  top of the hot beignets.  Serve warm. 

There are also box mixes of Beignets available if you do not care to go to the (delicious) trouble of starting from scratch. 

Sylvestermouse has an interesting article about the Café Du Monde Coffee & Chicory and Beignet mix available for home use. Check it out here: Cafe Du Monde Coffee & Chicory Reviewed.

The word Beignet, of course, means donut.


Visit Cafe Du Monde



Cafe du Monde New Orleans restaurant, and map collage

The original Café Du Monde Coffee Stand is located at 800 Decatur Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans. In 1985 a second café was opened and today there are 8 Café Du Monde locations in the New Orleans Metropolitan area.  

The Café Du Monde coffee stand is a 'must-see' and very tasty attraction for any New Orleans Visit. The literal translation of Café Du Monde means “Coffee of the World”

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(c) 2/2/2019. Article by Wednesday Elf




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