Best Small Cities to Vacation at in the Midwest

I'm from a large city called Chicago, Illinois. There are times when I want to wind down and take a nice quiet vacation; not long, maybe 3-4 days. Seeing as how I'm from the big city, chances are I want to go to a place where I can relax a bit more, not hear as much traffic, and enjoy... dare I say... country life?!?! Don't tell my friends I said that.

Anyway, I wanted to let you in on a few options for places that you can go to if you're in the Midwest, and like me, want to get away from it all, but still have a few cool things to do. Be warned, most of the options I'm about to present would probably be sleeper cities to most of you, even if you're from small towns, but that's the whole idea. Getting away and yet having fun at the same time.

Sleeper City #1 - Omaha, Nebraska

Nebraska is more than corn and college football! My wife and I went to Omaha for a getaway one weekend and we were pleasantly surprised at what we found there. For us, coming from Chicago, it was a straight down Interstate 80 for about seven hours. The drive down and back was great, our hotel was exquisite. We stayed at the Hilton Omaha (I recommend it). The highlight of the trip for me was exploring the town's Old Market District. It's a culmination of boutiques, restaurants, shops, and more with this old school architectural feel. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. I can tell it's a city on the rise, so keep this place in mind for vacation spots. Most people may know of this place for NCAA championship baseball, but there's far more than baseball going on in Omaha.

For more information about visiting Omaha, go to: http://www.visitomaha.com/.

Sleeper City #2 - Indianapolis, Indiana

About three hours from Chicago, this is a cool city to visit for a weekend. When I went I stayed in the Embassy Suites in downtown Indianapolis and had a great time. We were also able to go to an organic dairy farm nearby; really cool! Granted we went in the winter, so it was still cold, but it wasn't bad at all even in the beginning of the year.

Indianapolis has a few distinct neighborhoods, but even if you stay in the midst of downtown you'll experience a lot of things. It's a very artsy city from what I could see, and if you're a Colts fan you'll have a field day there. I'd say give it about two or three days and you'll be ready to go back to your hometown recharged for the journey.

For more information about visiting Indianapolis, go to: http://visitindy.com/.

Sleeper City #3 - Branson, Missouri

Branson, Missouri is told to be the Vegas of the Midwest. With its live shows, beautiful lakes, theme parks, outlet centers, and great lodging you're bound to find some great things to do there. Branson is about four hours southwest of St. Louis, and about 8.5 hours southwest of Chicago if you're driving there. For more information about Branson, go to: http://www.explorebranson.com.

Sleeper City #4 - Galena, Illinois

I know some of you are looking at this and saying, "where in the heck is Galena, Illinois?" Galena is a small town at the very northwest tip of Illinois. Across the state line you'll run into Dubuque, Iowa and all points west. In the winter Galena is a great stop for skiing, and in the summer a place you can go kayaking and canoeing. You may be a wine connoisseur or a lover of strawberry jam, you'll find either of them and more in Galena. For more information about Galena, go to: http://www.galena.org.

Sleeper City #5 - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Most people think of Happy Days and Laverne & Shirley when you mention Milwaukee, but Milwaukee is more than the spot of a couple of television shows or even beer and cheese. I recommend traveling to Milwaukee in the spring or fall seasons, but if you do go in the summer you should look into going to Summerfest. Summerfest is a festival held on the lakefront that offers a wide variety of musical acts and lasts for about two weeks. I also recommend going to the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, which in my opinion is one of the best city botanical gardens you'll find. They had a beautiful train display the last time I went, but I'm not sure it's still there. The city's food is comparable to that of most small cities, perhaps a little better and more options, however. If you're into sports, catch a game with the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park or with the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center.

For more information about Milwaukee, go to: http://www.visitmilwaukee.org/.