8 SHOCKING Things Learned Traveling Around the Midwest
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- Опубликовано: 20 июн 2024
- On this video I discuss 8 things about the Midwest that I learned while traveling around the area for 6 months in 2023.
Cities Explored: www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mi...
Follow on Instagram: / mileagemike
Travel Channel: / mileagemiketravels
Sources:
Kansas Photo
www.cgpgrey.com, CC BY 2.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/..., via Wikimedia Commons
I'm a native Minnesotan. Several times I've driven to work with the heater on and hours later drive home with the AC on.
Lol, you mean yesterday.
greetings comrade! nice to see some Minnesota brothers here.
Man, Tuesday it was 20's in the early morning, 70's in midafternoon, 30's in the evening, and teens at night just south in Iowa.
It was like that today
That sounds like Northern California, except there it goes from heater to A/C in a matter of minutes.
Brother you got an amazing voice. I'd gladly listen to a whole American urbanism series narrated by you.
That is the first thing I noticed too. THAT voice!
agree
It's deep and calming.
it's sad that it only plays in my left headphone edit: its only one part
He's handsome too (and I say this as a straight man).
Michigander here. I like to think of Fall as two separate seasons; there's the first half, from September until October, when it's still sunny, the weather's still decent and you have all the colorful leaves everyone takes photos of. And then, it always seems like immediately after Halloween, you have the grey, cold, windy Fall which is basically as cold as Winter but with less snow
Same in Montreal, Canada. Hard to stay alive in late fall
Yep. Autumn vs “Fall”
That's a perfect description of Fall .
Yes indeed. Both are enjoyable, so long as you have realistic expectations. And you do appreciate those occasional "almost summer-like" days you get in the grey cold windy fall :)
@@joemccullough4246 ohhhh, that's the best way of describing it. Well thought!
Most of the midwestern gems were missed because they are way off the interstate: The Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Lake of the Clouds, Pictured Rocks, Mackinac Island and the Mackinac Bridge (which is longer than the Golden Gate Bridge), Northern Wisconsin, Door County Wisconsin (the New England of the Midwest), Wisconsin Driftless Area. Bluffs along the Mississippi, Dubuque IA, The huge rolling Hills of South Dakota, The Badlands and Black Hills of SD, Hills and valleys of Southern Indiana and Eastern Ohio.
Then one thing the Midwest have over any other place on the planet is the worlds largest collection of fresh water! From the Great Lakes, all the rivers and streams, and countless thousands of inland lakes. And while the water is cold much of the year; late Spring, Summer and Fall is fantastic. And with no worries about sharks or alligators!😉
Indeed! I live in the Driftless Area and it's beautiful! I believe that the farm-to-table movement started here, more specifically, in Viroqua (ver-ROH-kwuh).
Yeah the badlands are a must see
While I love the Black Hills and the Badlands, I definitely wouldn't call them Midwestern locations. Bong Recreation Area in Wisconsin? Real place, my friends. 🙃
@@carlsaganlives4036 Yeah, the Badlands & Black hills are in the Great Plains. To me, the Midwest ends just west of the Mississippi River.
The Black Hills & the Badlands are easy to access from I-90
Thank you for sticking up for the Midwest! There’s a lot more weirdness and wonderfulness there than most people who haven’t been there imagine.
It's true! I'm from the South and really thought we had a corner on the 'weird' market, but i moved to Michigan 3 years ago and was amazed at how many 'pockets of strange' there are across that region.
People are fascinating.
He diidn't stick up for the midwest. He essentially traveled from the lower hottest regions of the midwest and then made his way to the coldest region of the "midwest" and makes the false assumption that the midwest is hotter and colder as a whole, without taking into acccount micro climates of each region.
All this creator did was promote his southern state.
@@Electrodexify Glad he didn't, let them stay in the south and east while we enjoy the best beaches in the country!
@@peteshallcross787 That's right the midwest is a hidden Gem and meanwhile liberals go and destroy their places, while we are able to grow and be stable
0:15 not just trains and cars, but for a significant portion of the 20th century Chicago O’Hare was the busiest airport in the world with plenty of other airlines having Midwest hubs in nearby cities like Minneapolis, Detroit or St Louis. The Midwest really has been a massive hub for every new form of transportation across the US
Exactly!
DTW is as far from MSP as ATL!
Milwaukee was home to Midwest Express, Cincinnati was home to Delta, Columbus to America West, Cleveland to Continental, and Indianapolis to American Trans Air.
Not to mention, a "hub" for telecommunications. The centers for major telecommunication infrastructure revolve around the Omaha, Nebraska area, where SAC is located, thus creating a need for the best electronic technologies in that area. That is why it is the "1-800" capital of the U. S. and has the most sophisticated telecom network. This is why 70% of all credit card transactions are distributed and centered here. Including . . . international . . .
And don't forget the tankers and ships on the Great Lakes.
you need to visit the Upper peninsula of Michigan , Eastern Wisconsin and the Lake Superior Coast of Minnesota to get the real feel of the Great Lakes.
As someone who's only lived in the Midwest for their entire life it was very interesting listening about it from an outsider's perspective. Great video!
You need to get out and do dome traveling.
@@neildewitt2869 I agree. I have gone to other places for vacations but you're right I should experience other places
I lived in the Chicago metro for two-thirds of my life. Then I left for a three season climate----without a winter.
I really appreciate the fact that you took the time to discuss the pronunciation of the cities. I grew up near Eau Claire, WI and currently live in Edina, MN. Between the Lakota, Ojibwe, and French place names, a visitor is guaranteed to butcher half the names of the places they visit.
And some are just ignorant, like Monta-video, MN 😂
Often when locals are asked concerning pronunciation, one is met with blank stares, shrugs, & misinformation😮?!?
For Illinois pronunciation add Des Plaines and Bourbonnais.
Got Cairo wrong.
Its CARE-row
not KEE-row
@@AJwoodway More like KAY-ro
As a Michigander that has lived on Lake Michigan for number of years, Lake Michigan as well as most of the Great Lakes has large waves and its beaches are real beaches like on the ocean. 20 foot waves are not uncommon in the middle of the lake and waves along the shore getting up to 6 feet. Also you should have gone to Lafayette or American Coney Island restaurants when you were n Detroit. The coney dogs are the best!
Sounds like another trip is in order in the future.
The Great Lakes are not Lakes... They're inland seas!
Yeah, I've spent a large part of my life on the eastern coast of Lake Michigan. I believe we have the longest continuous sand beach in the world. I suspect we don't publicize it very much so they don't get more crowded than they already are!
@@pritch3426
Flint coneys rule!!!
And each has its own personality.
Gotta stick up for the Lake Michigan beaches. Sure, it isn't LA or Miami, but it is easily one of if not the best truly urban waterfronts in the country. The Michigan side gives you dunes, state parks, and cute little summer vacation towns.
Unsalted and Shark Free
Lol! One Christmas when I was a kid my parents were visiting my Grandmother, and my sisters went ice skating on a Lake Michigan beach (same one I almost drowned at about 10 years before).
I finally got to see the Atlantic Ocean up close and in person. What a let down! It looked exactly like Lake Michegan! Lol
@@karenpassolano310 I found the Lake Michigan beaches far more attractive than the ones I've been to in NC!
@@markkempton4579 Sadly, I’ve never seen North Carolina. But I’ve heard wonderful things. Maybe it was because I was in New York. lol. No offense to New Yorkers.
If you think the Midwest doesn’t have outdoor activities with beaches and waves. You didn’t spend too much time in Michigan
Last year drove from Illinois to MN on a summer Sunday afternoon and I-90 was bumper to bumper though central WI. I didn't realize that Wisconsin Dells is such a huge tourist attraction and it really snarled traffic.
Yeah, Fridays and Sundays are especially bad. Luckily I am from Iowa and know all the backroads to get back home. I only made the mistake of starting home from the Dells on 90 once. It was slooow. Never really got above 35 mph so we got off at the first exit and it became a wonderfully beautiful trip home through farmland and the countryside.
Omg face reveal!!!
He did it in a few videos or just one in the past. But it’s rare lol
Not the first time
All then and brains too huh? 😁 😜
Handsome fella... And very fucking smart...
Thank you Sir
Handsome and presents his views in a nuanced, polite way. One thing I would like to see him do is compare how the roads vary in Texas, depending on the region. Houston and Dallas are quite different, but even Fort Worth’s roads are designed quite differently than those in Dallas. They are actually in different divisions of TxDot.
No real beaches??? Obviously you didn't visit western Michigan.
My thoughts exactly
I live in Charleroix and agree with this message! Also we have beautiful dunes!
Or eastern Wisconsin. One of the longest beach coastlines in the world!
Or northern Michigan, beyond Charlevoix, over to Petoskey and up to the straits of Mackinac and through the U.P. (one of the most beautiful beaches in *the world*!! is @Sturgeon Bay just north of Good Hart, MI!!) or then check out the "sunrise side" of Michigan, so many beautiful beaches ALLLLL along the shoreline of Michigan!! Soooo... clearly this guy is just another poorly-researched, RUclips hack angling for clicks. Sad.
Or any states along the Great Lakes….
Even inland states like Minnesota with little Great Lakes shoreline still has beaches on their lakes…..
The most wild thing to me as a midwestern transplant from California is how the weather can fluctuate so rapidly. One day in Chicago it can be 60 degrees and then it’s 35 the next day.
That’s not much compared to what I’ve experienced in Montana, I have experienced drastic temperature changes. Especially during fall weather can change drastically in Montana, one day in October it was a balmy 70 something degrees than immediately next day I wake up to 26 degrees and a big snow storm.
Hahaha I thought that was normal for everyone! 😂
The next day? It is forecast to be 35 at 7 am and then hit 60 by 1:30 pm on Monday in the Twin Cities lol
If you don't like the weather, just wait 10 minutes.
It’s going to happen in Wichita today. 75° high, then at 4pm a cold front is expected to hit. Windchills at midnight expected to be 18°
Love the narrator's voice - so soothing!
Native Midwesterner here - had to live for 15 years in Southern California and I hated it. Traffic was its own nightmare. Glad I was finally able to get out six years ago and don't miss it.
13:30 No Lakes in Los Angeles, no Jazz in Utah, no Grizzlies in Memphis. 😂
all of these teams were moved from their original location. whats the point
And no Cardinals in Phoenix, Arizona.
@@MrMW2nd Yes, but the team name does not make sense in their current location.
Incorrect, I have seen cardinals while hiking in the Arizona environs. Cardinals are noted on a sign along a Scottsdale nature trail as one of the birds native to Arizona. However, the sign states incorrectly that Arizona named its football team after the cardinal.
There's grizzly bears at the Memphis zoo tho lol.
Try Duluth MN, north shore or UP of Mich. Lots of hiking, beautiful views, waves, surving, rock climbing, mountainy/hilly/cliff terrain. Dosent feel very midwestern up here
Duluth is a VERY underrated city! Definitely a fun place.
But all that great stuff of Duluth and the UP is Midwestern. South Central Indiana has hills and forests, canoeing, hang gliding off cliffs, the way out modern architecture of Columbus. The whole Midwest is filled with places that are "not midwestern."
Duluth is gorgeous.
Yeah it’s pretty nice up there. I did get take a trip up to Gooseberry Falls and Split Rock along with Duluth. Might talk about it on a later video. Really good time 👍
Anybody who goes to Duluth - absolutely avoid its Chipotle at all costs. Complete shit show.
Detroit is the only place in the US where you can go south and end up in Canada
It's a crime that Windsor hasn't renamed itself to South Detroit yet. We need people born and raised in South Detroit to take the midnight train going anywhere
@@calvinsmith6681I once took a journey there. I made it to Anywhere, turned around and ended back up at Somewhere. ;)
@@calvinsmith6681 The suburb of EAST DETROIT (in Macomb County) renamed itself EASTPOINTE in the 1980s.
Sure, except for many areas around Niagara Falls, several places in Maine, and even some places in NE Minnesota. And surely Alaska. And NW Washington.
@@frankmerrill2366 probably because it’s not actually east of Detroit but north of it? Lol
As a boy from Gastonia who has Michigan family and lived in MN for six years - it is a different world up there.
Lake beaches are so much better than ocean beaches for one reason: the water is fresh and not disgustingly salty.
We're recent transplants to the Midwest after my husband retired from the Army. He's from Chicago and I'm from South Jersey/Philly. Split the difference and landed in Ohio. For me, the region was "flyover" to get from one coast to the other until we moved here. Hot summers were indeed a surprise. But the Midwest has its own vibe and we love it. Still not gonna ask for "pop" though. 😀
Ask for a soda and they'll ask what kind of ice cream you want it made with 😅
@@tomfields3682 I grew up in Southern Indiana, which is more like Kentucky than what we think of as Indiana. We said "coke" as a generic term for any soft drink, just like in the south. In college, when I met students from central and northern Indiana, it blew me away to hear them say "pop." Years later, back in Southern Indiana, when some people from the Philadelphia told me, "There's some soda in the refrigerator if you'd like some," I was thinking baking soda. Who'd want that?
@@brianarbenz1329 A friend of my from VA called all soft drinks Co-cola.
Please it’s called pop. No such thing as soda.
I swear the great lakes in the east should be called "mideast", they have very little common with us "midwest" states
The attractions is the midwest are pretty rad. Cedar Point, Kings Island, Six Flags Great America, Holiday World. There is lots to do and many a good roadtrip to take.
Holiday World is like a hidden gem! I live in Columbus, and I'm the only one to ever hear of it. It's a great place full of the best things in an amusement park, complete with free drinks, free parking, free sun screen (You need it in the hot S Indiana sun!), and the best coaster: The Voyage.
@@nixon2tube Gotta contest that "Best Coaster" ranking with my own, I-305 at Kings Dominion, but yeah, I agree with you when it comes to how friendly Holiday World is with all of the extras with admission. It's a great place with the only flaw being the Holiwood Nights event that gets so packed that so many miss out.
Not to mention Wis Dells and Branson as major tourist destinations.
Silver Dollar City
*Worlds of Fun*
Just kidding, obviously. _WoF_ has been ultra lame ever since _Ceder Fair_ acquired it 🤬
Outstanding fishing! This is the place. Wild weather. Great sweet corn. The people are good stock. Hard working and productive. Love the midwest. America's heartland.
You forgot about Grand Rapids Michigan- 1,077,370 metro!
Widely known as the 2nd largest city in Michigan. Home to Brewerys and Office Furniture. And Miejer Stores, the upscale Walmart.
Mike is a stud and my pick for USDOT head if I become president
Minnesota has mountains. Northern Minnesota has some great skiing also. The video was good and we enjoyed it. Thanks for visiting Minnesota.
Eagle Mountain, highest point in MN. Giant's Ridge and Lutsen for skiing. Parts of northern MN, "up north", can be quite hilly.
I would NOT classify them as true mountains, just very large hills.
This channel deserves over a million subscribers. As a young trucker I love this channel and I also always been a geographic nerd too so this channel is a breath of fresh air for me
I think the main reason for the immense amount of suburbs in the Midwest is due to the age of the cities. The cities grew after the establishment of other nearby settlements, unlike the northeast, and before the massive suburbanization of the late 1900s and early 2000s, unlike the sunbelt. As a result, when people left the core city, they moved to preexisting towns, unlike in the sunbelt where those cities annexed otherwise empty land to accommodate newcomers.
Very good explination of the suburbs.
Spent my whole life in the northern part of the lower peninsula of Michigan, far away from any of the urban centers mentioned here. I can understand why beaches were lacking, because he didn't make it this far north! You'll have to depart from the hustle and bustle of the interstate. Check out northern Lake Michigan. Sleeping Bear dunes and Charlevoix have blue water and sandy beaches that will make you think you're in the tropics. Very few people who make the trip regret it.
Sounds like I have to come back for a second visit then. 👍
@@MileageMike485 Traverse City, Charlevoix and Petoskey are very popular vacation spots for people in the southern Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinoi areas. Beautiful beaches, vineyards, and forests. If you are ever back in Michigan, it's worth a trip!
Shhhhh! Sleeping bear dunes attracts almost two million visitors a year. For the most part, the cat is out of the bag. The insane tropical like waters that encompass the region, not to mention the towering 400 foot sand dunes that pepper the Leelanau peninsula. I've spent a lot of time there over the years and I'm still blown away by it's magnificence.
@MileageMike485 you dont even need to go all the way North. Chicago has legit beaches, same in Gary and all along the south shore. You gotta visit the Dunes national park.
@@MileageMike485Yes, make another trip and focus on more backroads and small towns. The "real" midwest is not so much in the big cities but out in the countryside. I grew up in a small town in Iowa (35,000 at the time) and lived 7 blocks from the Mississippi. Iowa, especially in the northwest quarter of the state has some very beautiful places to visit. From Clinton on the Mississippi go north on highway 52 along the river and the bluffs that are overlooking the river.
I enjoyed this. Well done!! I love Minnesota. :)
The difference in the change of seasons between the Midwest and Deep South was jarring to me on one trip I took in 2010 for a cousin's HS graduation. In Georgia it was already breaking 85-90+ degrees every day by the end of May. To feel a relaxing breeze in the morning while cutting through Indiana and Illinois overnight was pleasant, and I believe it was only 70-75 degrees in the daytime for the two days spent in Waupun, WI.
The first time I went to Chicago, it was one September. It was boiling in Columbia, SC where I was living. I nearly froze to death in Chicago (it was in the 70s) with a fierce wind blowing off the lake.🤣
Then there is February in Nebraska mid-60s one day and low 20s the next. It sucks very much. I am not saying highs and lows. These were daily highs on 2 consecutive days.
This winter has been anything but cold in Minnesota. Yesterday, February 26, we hit 62° F !!
Lived in IL, MO and IN my whole life and found this very interesting. Went to school in Southern IL and am familiar with Cairo but remember it being pronounced Kay-ro?!? Well done. Thank you
👍
I lived in Cairo in the late 60s and they said CARE-oh.
The Driftless area in the Southwestern part of Wisconsin has peaks close to 2000 feet and there are a good number of small ski areas too. They're not much, but there are hilly areas in the Midwest.
Edit: The highest peak is actually 1,951 ft. Not quite 2000ft.
I think the Driftless area is one of the most underrated nature areas of the US. Dubuque is one of my favorite small metropolitan areas in the US. Super stunning in autumn. The Driftless looks more akin to Vermont or New Hampshire than any typical Midwestern place.
Yeah, and technically speaking the northern part of the Ozarks is in the Midwest as well, although you won't find anything classified as a mountain (2,000+ ft) until you get into Oklahoma and Arkansas
Grew up in Decorah Iowa the heart of the Driftless Region. Mini Appalachia.
oi, quit hogging the bluffs for yourself! Minnesota has much MUCH better bluffs.
@@dfp_01 The Black Hills are in the midwest. They are in western South Dakota. The tallest peak is more than 7k feet which is the tallest mountain east of the Rocky Mountains.
as a Detroiter, I'm just suprised we are precevied ahead of Minneapolis in any way. we are rough and trying to improve
Detroit is a major trade hub between the US and Canada with roughly $83.5 billion in trade coming through this city. About 25% of all the trading that goes on between the two countries comes through our city. One of the main reasons why the Gordie Howe bridge is being built is because the Ambassador Bridge just can't support all the semi traffic that comes through the region on its own.
Unsurprisingly Logistics is also pretty big industry here, The Auto Industry still has a strong presence even if cars aren't built here to the degree they used to be, (i think Ford is still the biggest employer in the city.) Healthcare is a fast growing industry with Henry Ford Hospital being a national leader in the Industry. Henry Ford's latest hospital expansion is happening as a result of that. Technology and financial institutions have a strong foothold in Detroit and are growing into becoming important industries here.
I've also noticed that professional services are growing a presence here too.
Minneapolis took a hot in terms of credibility after the Floyd protests. People still think our city is burning and being looted daily over four years later
There are definitely four distinct seasons in the midwest, _and an old joke is that occasionally you'll experience all 4 of them during the same week._ The issue with the four seasons in this part of the country is that three of the four seasons can be extreme. (you can probably guess which three)
And here I thought the old joke was there are 2 seasons: winter and road construction season.
@@tiffanysandmeier4753 😆
Spring and Autumn each are one day. Winters can be long. Summers (aka "Construction Season") can be hot and long.
Growing up in Minnesota I recall the four seasons there: Summer, Fall, Early Winter, and Late Winter.
Thanks for sharing. I look forward to your future videos on your Midwest adventure. ❤ from Ohio
Style of suburbs is also interesting. The Midwest feels similar to the Northeast in that a lot of the suburbs are older, and were at one point small towns in their own right that just got absorbed by the larger city. Detroit especially is interesting as it was one of the first cities to really jump on suburbanization, even before WW2.
I rdo not think it would be cheaper to combine suburbs/small towns into cities. I definitely believe local governments are better than big city governments. I live in a small town near Seattle and would absolutely be forced to move if we were combined into Seattle, first thing is my rent would double.
Love it! Can't wait to see your next installment. Safe travels!
It's not unheard of to enjoy all 4 seasons in the same week here in Michigan.
GREAT video, thank you for creating and sharing!
Thanks Mike! I live in the midwest, so this hits me right in the feels. I love your videos - keep up the great work!
Thank you for your excellent video. Not only is it not an AI voice, you've got a lovely voice. I appreciate the real facts and your experiences... Not like Briggs and other channels that just read Wikipedia stats. New subscriber here!
Very engaging video! As a Chicagoland native, I’ve learned that the Midwest is a lot more diverse than I once thought. Between the accents and traditions, people here are very in touch with their history.
Norwegian flags all over the hills of Wisconsin near the Mississippi River as well as Nordic murals on barns. Great Polish bar food and even some towns with heavy Israeli and Middle Eastern influence and restaurants, like Naf-Naf Grill in Chicagoland. A melting pot that’s still very proud of its diverse roots.
Most of Illinois has pretty reasonable drivers but if you’re anywhere near Elgin, Rockford or Chicago, keep your head on an swivel lol
I love these videos....learning the little things like this is one of my favorite parts of traveling
Awesome trip and video!!!♥️♥️♥️Minneapolis grew because of wheat and the Mississippi River; it is the top end for the barge traffic because three different rivers combine there. I'm a 60-year-old Minnesota Native.
Lived in Minn all my life one thing if you were not born here people have a attitude 😮
@marypennington6519 right, we really take pride in our state. My grandmother was born in Minnesota in 1882 but some members apparently were here before that.
Thanks for a wonderful overview. I grew up in Wisconsin and live in Minnesota. I think this video would be great to forward to people who are considering a move here.
As a Twin Cities resident, I (as well as pretty much everyone I know) absolutely despise cloverleafs. MNDOT loves saving money by using them despite every day proof they are one of the main causes of Twin Cities traffic. US 169/I-394 and US 169/MN 55 are two cloverleafs that are within a mile of each other, plus a parclo in between.
Agreed they are annoying
You think THAT'S terrible? Take a look at the interstate mess next to O'Hare to its north and east. You don't want to miss your turnoff.
Illinois is currently replacing the cloverleaf interchange of I-57 / I-74 with a hybrid, half-cloverleaf and half flyover. Hopefully that will alleviate congestion, especially for traffic entering 57 southbound which is the busiest of the 4 clovers.
IDOT has published a plan to make a similar upgrade at the I-55 / I-72 interchange, which can frankly be dangerous in the southbound lanes of 55. Construction probably won’t happen for at least a decade though, and there’s limited space to make improvements.
Here in Wisconsin there's been a lot of love for cloverleafs too. Luckily now WisDOT is slowly working on replacing them as they go.
What's your thoughts on the roundabouts that are everywhere in MN now?
I’ve driven all over the place. This is one of the most accurate and informative videos I’ve ever seen. Thanks for putting this together. I’ll be saving it and sharing it. Cheers bro!
Great video, Mike! And so glad to see you in it!
Michigan has plenty of outdoor activities available, especially up north. And Thanks to the Great Lakes we do not get the extreme hot temperatures that pop up in other parts of the Midwest, it rarely gets above 90 here, however also due to the Great Lakes we do get extreme cold temperatures and Lake affect snow, but lately the winters have not been as extreme as in the past
And yet (as a Michigan native now living in Chicago) there is still SOME moderation of temperatures in the winter, including (to a somewhat lesser extent) Chicago. Along the same latitude as Detroit, and if you go 100 or more miles west of Lake Michigan (e. g. Dixon IL or Cedar Rapids), extreme cold -20F or colder becomes considerably more common (but still rare). I had to live until I was 42 to have my first ever experience with -20 in Michigan; I was at -21 in Ionia. Chicago's had, I think, two of those since 2016. I once made a midwinter (1994?) trip around Iowa, again at a similar latitude, and all three nights reached -20.
I just checked and found out that Muskegon (halfway up the "mitten" on Lake Michigan) hasn't recorded -20 or colder since 1918, so yes there is a bit of moderation.
You're right about the winters getting milder! This coming Tuesday 2024 FEB 27 has a forecast of 70 in Chicago (and 58 the next day), which will surely be a record high, with thunderstorms in the afternoon. Uh-oh: TORNADO WEATHER! Batten down the hatches!
@@frankmerrill2366 Yeah that is true, the Lake Michigan shoreline has a somewhat moderating micro climate that is very conducive for growing fruit up and down Western Michigan
Same here in Northeast Ohio
@@alexandertracy8479 Yeah, like isn't 0 degrees F virtually unknown in Cleveland?
There is a price for this, though. Minneapolis gets 198 sunny days on average per year. Grand Rapids, on the west side of MI, gets only 158 - that’s nearly 6 full weeks difference. The seasonal depression in MI can be pretty brutal.
Absolutely fantastic video! Thank you.
The reason traffic in the twin cities works is that, while all midwesterners are always on time, we like to be fifteen minutes early.
So True!
Unless your a woman. They're always late. And I wanted if Minnesotans know any other number than 35?
Yes. Having grown up in Miami but living in Twin Cities... being on time is the biggest adjustment 😂 In Miami, being on time is 20 minutes late. In Minneapolis, its 20 minutes early.
@@BadgerCheese94 Miami to the twin cities. Brutal!
Wow. It was so great to put a face to the voice finally. I love your videos, I look forward to everyone of them, and I never miss a single one. I love your voice and your topic and your knowledge. It’s so great to put a face to the voice that I look forward to hearing every week. Great job great channel.
-Greg in West Palm
Beach, Florida
So interesting to hear your perspective! Thank you for your video. Happy travels. 😊😊
Mileage Mike, I enjoy your videos about road travel. Coming from your background as a highway professional, your informed insight is educational and entertaining, and your delivery is soothing and easy to listen to.
While midwest weather can have extreme ranges, the Great Lakes have a moderating effect on Michigan. Our summers tend to be a bit milder than the states to the west of the lakes.
And, you have it backwards - Michigan did not copy the diamond shaped state highway route number shield from North Carolina. Michigan highway engineer Allan Williams designed and implemented the diamond sign in 1918; North Carolina didn't start highway numbering until the 1920s.
Being that Michigan had the Motor City and a branch of the Dixie Highway, I immediately wondered about this when he said Michigan knocked off North Carolina! I had a feeling that Michigan did it first. Besides, it’s just a diamond…I like when states do something more than basic geometric shapes…like Pennsylvania with its keystone, Kansas with its sunflower, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Missouri with their geographic shapes, Nebraska with its covered wagon, and Wisconsin with its whatever that is. Missouri has those weird lettered roads everywhere too…what’s up with that? It feels like scrabble driving through there!
Skeleton towns - perfect naming for sadly) so many of midwestern towns (I lived in WI, IL, IA, MN).
“Welcome to the great Midwest. It’s five years a head of its time or 25 years behind “ ~ John "Cougar" Melloncamp
Those towns on smaller highways with one gas station, two churches, and three bars in a town of 200 people 😂
Born and raised in Minneapolis, Iowa for college and Detroit for career, with friends and family from KC to Cleveland - this was a fun romp through my Midwest, with some great food suggestions that I will have to try! Thanks for the great video!
Excited to see you visited Pittsburgh. Our highways are dense with many bridges and tunnels that make crazy chokepoints throughout the city.
Yeah Pittsburgh was a very interesting place. I love seeing how engineers design infrastructure for places with difficult terrain like that.
i lived in chicago in 2023 for that year. i can confirm the driving there is nothing short of 'savage'
By the time I moved there in 2017, I had fully accepted that the traffic was going to suck.
from my experiences driving through chicago, they’re aggressive but not in a bad way. for example when you see left lane hogs it’s usually a WI plate.
I remember doing 95 on the Kennedy and still getting constantly passed
I would rather drive to O'Hare airport anytime over many other cities (of course it's been about 30 years, since I moved to mid Missouri), I don't like bigger cities (St. Louis, MO/ Birmingham, Al/ etc). At least whenever I went to O'HARE in my opinion the people knew how to drive better! Lol
As a Minnesotan the last thing we need to do is consolidate suburbs with the insane city of Minneapolis.
Very well put together video, thank you!
You did a great job summarizing the midwest. Thank you.
I have lived in both St Paul, and Carmel (not car-MEL like they say in California). The much of the area south of Indianapolis was unglaciated and is actually beautiful wooded and very hilly topography. Indiana even has two ski slopes.
The Canadian Shield in Minnesota is also extremely lovely, one of the most beautiful areas of the US IMHO
Well as a Chicagoan, I find it fascinating that you say the Midwest has more suburbs than other cities in other parts of the country, I always thought that was a normal amount! And please tell me in Chicago you tried more than just the deep dish, you can't skip the Italian beef and tavern-style pizza! (You can kinda skip the Chicago hot dogs tho, they're still good but def the least unique lol)
Indianapolis is the exception. In 1970, they merged the city and Marion County governments (without a vote by the people of either, but that's another story). Four suburbs -- Southport, Lawrence, Beech Grove and Speedway -- used their clout to get out of the merger; Southport later joined, so within Marion County, Indianapolis has only three suburban cities.
Still in neighboring Johnson, Hendricks and Hamilton counties, suburbs exist and are growing big time. So the merger, called Unigov, has eroded.
I always liked Taylor St over the deep dish pizza. I was born in Aurora.
Chicago suburbs are insane. They just go on and on and on forever. There's a suburb for everyone, the gated wealthy people, family friendly, young people, and slums for the poor. Omaha too has a crazy amount of suburbs.
He probably hasn’t seen LA yet. The sprawl there is even more absurd than anything you can fathom in Chicago.
@@gusherb94 Chicago is a city first before it sprawls. L.A. is sprawl in search of a city.
Great video as always Mike, you have an incredibly perceptive read of America. Can’t wait for more videos from you
Dude I love driving and I’d consider myself well traveled but you’re a straight up tank, I can’t believe the route you took!! I’ve only ever driven route 70 through Kansas while heading west but this was a phenomenal deep dive into the Midwest I wanna explore it more one day :)
My daughter & son in-law moved to one of the cities West of Detroit and they love it. I am considering moving to be closer to them. My wife & I just went through a very cold Winter visit in January and we loved it, it got down to -7* a few days while we were there. I can see why they have a lot of "Snow Birds" from there, maybe living through that for many years may even change my mind as well.... we shall see
Great video and pretty accurate. I’m in Atlanta and have fallen in love with Minneapolis and Fargo - such vibrant cities with nice people. This was my first year experiencing the MN State Fair - looked like you were there too in your video. It was amazing!
Glad you enjoyed the great Minnesota get together!
Just had to add this: The Minnesota state fair is among the top four state fairs in the country in attendance along with Wisconsin, Iowa, and Texas.
Yeah the State Fair in Minnesota was probably the best one I’ve been to.
Im from Orlando, but lived in St. Louis for years, i always said STL highways were a breeze to drive and get around compared to the chaos of Florida metros
I say the same driving through Ohio. Best drivers in the country.
Agree. We go through St Louis annually and go right through downtown. No need to do a bypass. More fun to go through downtown also.
Thanks for this great video and all of your work!
Very interesting!
Your channel came up in my feed today for the first time, I really enjoyed your content. I am from Minnesota, used to live in Minneapolis. Glad you get to experience the juicy Lucy at Matt’s. if you ever get back there, there is a place called the anchor. Fantastic cod and Irish cuisine. Definitely worth the trip, BTW, you earned my subscription.
Just like ice age glaciers, you missed the driftless area.
that was fun. thank-you. good lively coverage.
great video! as a midwesterner I enjoyed watching this
I hope if you go back to Michigan that you check out the beach towns on Lake Michigan. Yes, Michigan has beaches and they are beautiful. It made me sad that you didn't get to experience them so you must have not known they were there. Check out St. Joseph, South Haven, Holland, Grand Haven, Muskegon, Ludington, Saugatuck Dunes State Park and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. In the southern part of Lake Michigan in August, the water temperature can feel like bath water, not cold at all. The beaches of St. Joseph, South Haven, Grand Haven and Holland are not rocky. They have soft sand and even sand dunes. It feels like you are on the ocean! There are a couple webcams for South Haven on RUclips. One of them is from the City of South Haven, called Live South Beach Camera. Hope you can check it out.
For all intents and purposes Michigan IS on an ocean, as is Chicago (and the view directly from the high-rise I live in). Lake Michigan can get rogue waves, undertows, etc. just like an ocean.
The map shows that Mike didn't see much Michigan beach; his intention seems to have been more to visit the significant cities.
Thought the exact same thing. Wisconsin side has some decent ones as well, but I still think the Michigan side is way better overall. Lake Superior also has beautiful dunes and light sand as soft as flour. Water is much colder but way more clear and clean.
Nice video.
As a lifelong Floridian, I’m shocked about the temperature extremes in the Midwest.
@@fluorite1965 I've lived in Florida and southern Illinois, not far from E. St. L. The summer heat and humidity aren't much different.
That's why the common Midwestern saying is "If you don't like the weather here, just wait 5 minutes." It can be snow on the ground and chilly, and the next day we're wearing shorts and turning on the a/c.
I have been maintaining an Excel spreadsheet with the average monthly highs and lows for major cities in the United States. The cities with the most continental climates have the wildest temperature swings. I always compute the differences between the average high temperatures of January and July. The cities in Florida rarely have a temperature swing over 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Chicago typically has a swing of 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Minneapolis and Fargo can see a temperature swing of 60-65 degrees Fahrenheit.
North Dakota actually has a hotter record high than Florida. Continental climates are wild.
Take this last week in Chicago. 30s on Monday and Tuesday. 50s and 60s on Wednesday and Thursday. Cold front came with snow Friday afternoon. Mid 30s yesterday. Today 55 and Sunny.
Dude i really love your stuff. Just great. And As a fellow travel-lover I'm dam jealous!!
Keep ridin' high and stay safe.🌴🇺🇲☀️
Just discovered your channel...amazing information....thank you!!!!
The abundance of suburbs/municipalities is actually a really nice feature imo, as someone from the Twin Cities. It helps residents' power from being diluted by others who would have a very disparate set of priorities and wants. I don't want my municipality to sprawl
Will illegals
Midwest born and raised (Kansas City, MO). I give this video a 10/10. Midwest was presented beautifully and accurately. Thank you.
You got it really close. Loved it. Great narration...easy to listen to your voice. The growth of suburbs is fairly easy when the lay of the land is basically flat. Keep up the great work.
The east side of Lake Michigan has more of what you’d consider “real beaches”. I’d highly recommend checking out the beaches in western Michigan and Indiana Dunes if you haven’t before.
At the beaches in Milwaukee, most people don't go into the water until August. Too cold 🥶
@@tomfields3682 no they don’t. People are going in the water at Bradford Beach on Memorial Weekend. Most of them are going in to pee the booze out, but it’s still tolerable haha. Lake Superior is waaaaaayy colder and people are swimming in that all summer long as well.
No one can consider themselves a true American without going on a road trip around the Midwest. You will see all the features that make America on full display, good or bad, in the Midwest.
I don't think the suburbs surrounding Minneapolis want to be part of Minneapolis. They want their own government, city council, etc.
Excellent presentation! Thank you!
Fun video! The food all looks amazing and I’m glad to hear there are places with nice drivers out there.
I moved to Indiana from the south where I had the pleasure of driving in Atlanta, and the progressively worsening traffic in Nashville. I just don’t say anything when people in Evansville complain about the traffic. It’s a dream come true.
Thank you for your full coverage, and I hope you enjoyed the Midwest - my home for half my life.
Much love to your videos again!
Thanks again!
Mike, I love your contributions to this space/niche of RUclips and being able to bring your viewpoints to this niche.
My wife and I just started traveling (her job is travel nursing) and I cannot get over just how extreme weather can be in the Midwest. Lived in St Louis for 4 months last year, and then Wisconsin for 4 months...the summers in St Louis was HOT...but literally when we got there it was snowing...lol
Wisconsin, the Summer was ok (only one day over 100) but damn it got cold FAST. We had snow by Halloween lol...
I loved the people in the Midwest, lots of really friendly folks there.
We lived near Eau Claire and Wassau WI, and got so many looks for pronunciation 😂
Same in St Louis, I pronounced Gravois St and Chouteau St...like the French spelling...butttt that's def not how it's pronounced 😂
Thanks for the video. I enjoyed it.
Great job as usual! Keep it up
Great overview. You have a way of capturing the essence of place.
Great Video,🔥 good pace & really interesting info, always wanted to travel the Midwest, NYC native
Great video! Love, from Chicago.
Thanks for reviewing the Midwest! I'm from the Chicago area and it was nice to see you review my region.
Love your content!!!!
Very enjoyable video! Thanks!