5 Things to See & Do in Flyover Country

5 things to See & Do in Flyover Country

There are many things listed in guidebooks to see and do, usually stressing tourist destinations and major attractions. Certainly it's spectacular to see the Grand Canyon or the balloon festival in New Mexico or many activities on the coasts. Many miss things in "flyover country." These are areas ideally you can park and explore many things within an hour or less by car. Here are some lesser-known places to explore.

1. Central Illinois has history lessons, quiet country evenings and modern conveniences available. Many think of Lincoln sites but there is more. Francis Park near Kewanee Illinois has RV sites for a few days "down time" in the country, with a historic home that was far ahead of its time when built. Save for the occasional train on the highway mile or so away it's surrounded by fields. Nearby in Bishop Hill there are still many "old time" crafts while a bit further up the road is Carl Sandburg country. For the industrial types just an hour or so away is Caterpillar and John Deere manufacturing, with tours available.

2. Nashville Tennessee is the place to be for country music fans in June for the CMA Fest and a wider music genre at Bonnaroo. Although there are tickets for the stadium shows there are many things to see and do that do not require tickets. Many entertainers have fan club parties and there are many events that are free or low cost at the CMA Fest. See celebrities master a variety of competitions for charity as well as live music at many places. RV parks nearby but you will need a vehicle to get down to the festival area. Take in a show at the Grand Old Opry.

3. Lexington Kentucky is a horse lover's dream destination. With the nearby Kentucky Horse Park, sales of Thoroughbreds several times per year at Keeneland and farm tours among variety of things the area has to do it sometimes gets lost that there's another side of Kentucky. The history buff also has many things from the Shaker settlement tours to historic Civil War battlefields.

4. Dayton Ohio - Just north of Cincinnati Dayton is home to the National Museum of the US Air Force, National Aviation Hall of Fame and Dayton Aviation Heritage National Park - a trip for flight enthusiasts. There's also America's Packard Museum for a slower form of transportation and the historic Patterson Homestead museum.

5. Kansas City Missouri has more than what many people think of! The Nelson -Atkins Museum of Art, Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Hallmark visitor's center, Harley Davidson Final Assembly plant and others are free. Take in a tour of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City's Money Museum, Boulevard Brewing Company, Lakeside Nature Center and Shoal Creek Living History Museum are all possible sites to see in the Kansas City area. There are arts, music, sports, food and history and plenty of things to see and do!

Often we think the exciting or interesting things are on the coasts and it's easy to overlook what is around us in the Midwest. Look again at things in the Midwest with a new view. There are also seasonal festivals in these areas, RV parks and campgrounds and a variety of things to see and do between points. The Midwest is economical to find things to do. Many of the small towns have local cafes to see the opposite end from big city living. Look at the Midwest for your next trip!