MidwestWeekends.com (mobile)
Because life's too short to stay home …
Trip Hints
Favorites for Spring
Wildlife reality show
Web cams open a window into the lives of bald eagles.
Spring bird festivals
After a long winter, birders welcome the return of feathered friends.
Serious reservations
Here's a guide to the lodgings, campsites and permits you should nail down early.
Best brew fests
Quaff craft beer to your heart's content at these sampling parties.
Spring in Door County
On this Wisconsin peninsula, a vast array of wildflowers rewards those weary of winter.
A roof in the woods
In state and county parks and forests, visitors love their camper cabins.
Four seasons of Grand Marais
On Minnesota's North Shore, this photogenic village always is ready for its close-up.
12 months of girlfriend getaways
Here are the best places to go for a good time in all four seasons.
Waterfalls of the North Shore
As snow melts along Lake Superior, the rivers start to roar.
Up north, all of the snow that brought you great skiing just keeps on giving when spring arrives.
That's when it turns into waterfalls, roaring down river gorges and misting awed onlookers.
One of the easiest places to see lots of big waterfalls is along Minnesota's North Shore, where dozens of rivers roar down into Lake Superior. Where there's water, there's a waterfall.
Playing the field in Wisconsin
In April, the kooky courtship of prairie chickens brings out the bird watchers.
It's a cold dawn on a Wisconsin marsh, but to a bunch of prairie chickens, it's a hot Saturday night on the town.
They've come to see and be seen, and hormones are in charge. It's serious business, perpetuating a dwindling species.
But to humans watching from a blind, it's high comedy. Whenever a girl chicken is nearby, the boys inflate neon-orange sacs under their throats, drum their feet and start scurrying around like, well, chickens with their heads cut off.
20 great spring drives
When weather warms, the urge to hit the road is irresistible.
It's a beautiful spring day — finally. The trees are budding, the birds are chirping. What do you do?
Road trip! Somehow, the call of the highway is especially strong in spring. We want to feel the wind on our face and see something new and unusual.
There's a lot to do along the way: Walk through bluebells, spot birds, visit artist studios, sample cheese, watch a parade.
Best of spring
When warm weather arrives, it's time to tiptoe through the tulips.
Winter seems interminable, and cabin fever hits hard. When spring finally gets here, the challenge will be to get out there and enjoy it in the short window before summer gets here.
What to do? Go on a spring drive, see fiddlehead ferns unfurl and surround yourself with that delicate shade of chartreuse that seems to tint the air green.
Look for wildflowers, kayak on cattail-lined creeks, stalk morel mushrooms and watch Dutch dancers clogging on the street.
Planning a Circle Tour of Lake Superior
For a great vacation, follow the shores of the world's largest freshwater lake.
Of all the vacations a person can take in this region, a Circle Tour of Lake Superior may be the best.
It appeals to waterfall watchers, lighthouse fans and history buffs. It's a magnet for kayakers and hikers.
It makes a great honeymoon and also a great family trip, because small children adore stops at the many pebble beaches.
Road trip: Wildflowers of the Mississippi Valley
A spring quest leads through Minnesota bluff country and Wisconsin river towns.
In May, the woods are full of people on the hunt.
Some are stalking morel mushrooms. Others are trying to bag a turkey or spot a rare warbler.
The rest of us are content to chase wildflowers. For one thing, we're guaranteed success.