The Scenic Midwest

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Looking back towards the center of Volo Bog along the boardwalk. At Volo Bog State Natural Area, Lake County, Illinois

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#spring in #minnesota is #beautiful #hiking #fitness

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Along "Snake Road" in the LaRue-Pine Bluffs Natural Research Area, Shawnee National Forest, Illinois. The road is named for the twice a year snake migration from to and from swamps and ponds to the bluffs. In fact, there was a snake along the side of the road right next to where this picture was taken.

Photograph by Erin Tate

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The walls of "Giant City" at Giant City State Park in southern Illinois. Although they look like the ruins of a giant stone city, these are naturally carved sandstone walls on the side of a hill. 

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Frozen Lake Michigan, Illinois Beach State Park, Lake County, Illinois

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Trees along Trail #4, Turkey Run State Park in Parke County, Indiana

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Lake Michigan from beach at Newport State Park in Door County, Wisconsin

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New Camera

Just bought a new camera today. I'm excited to try it out. it's a Nikon Coolpix L820. Yeah, yeah, I know, it's a Point and Shoot. That's how I roll with my photos, for better or worse.

Even still, it appears to be one fine camera. I can't wait until I can put up its handiwork on this blog.

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Tamaracks and other plants along the boardwalk at Volo Bog in rural Lake County, Illinois. This is definitely one of the natural treasures of Illinois. During the walk I saw two sandhill cranes, and heard what may have been more.

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Sandstone Cliffs, Along the Devil's Punchbowl Trail, Shades State Park, Indiana. 

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White Pines along the trail, White Pines Forest State Park, Illinois. This is the farthest south these tall trees naturally grow in Illinois. Sometimes walking through along this trail made me feel like I was out west among ponderosa and lodgepole Pines. At least until I walked another twenty feet, and saw the equally tall and straight white oaks.

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Horicon marsh, Horicon National Wildlife Refuge, Wisconsin

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Buffalo Rock State Park, near Ottawa, IL

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Lincoln Circuit Marker, Border of Coles and Edgar Counties, East Central Illinois. These markers are placed as close as possible to the paths Lincoln rode on the Eighth Judicial Circuit.

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Overlook at Garden of the Gods, Shawnee National Forest, Illinois. Yes, this is Illinois.

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Sun setting at Turkey Run State Park, Indiana

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This is the first picture of my new blog titled The Scenic Midwest. I won't bore you too much with the details, the name speaks for itself. Simply put, this will be a place for me to put my favorite photos I've taken from my travels around the Midwest region of the United States.

What is the Midwest?

There is no "one" Midwest. Sometimes called the Old Northwest, the Great Lakes, America's Heartland, or just simply the central United States, the region can have as few as five states, or as many as twelve. In some cases, it is valid to argue that the Midwest stretches from Pittsburgh to Denver.

The Scenic Midwest, at least for this blog, is Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. In addition, certain parts of Missouri (i.e. St. Louis, and places along the Mississippi that border Illinois) may be considered. Mostly this is because these are areas that are reachable within a weekend trip for me. 

Even given the narrower scope, this is a surprisingly diverse area. It stretches from the Shawnee Hills of Southern Illinois (our "mountains"), to the hardwood forests and hills of the North Woods. It includes the rolling prairies of Western Iowa, and the towering tulip, beech, and oak trees of the eastern deciduous forests of Indiana and Ohio. It contains some of our nation's largest cities, and isolated lakes where loons outnumber people. And all of these areas will be shown here.