In which we discuss:

Our fondness for the Midwest, and how it compares to New England.

Our travel resolutions for 2019.

Summary

In this episode, Kerri and Johnna talk about traveling in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin – aka the Midwest. We highlight a few favorite cities, towns, and routes, and ponder what New England could learn from the Midwest and vice versa. The discussion then turns to travel-related New Year’s resolutions, from our (realistic) dream destinations to forming better travel habits.

Links

First, a note about the audio: we recorded this in Johnna’s dining room; we promise she does not live in a truck stop, it just sounds like it for some reason. However, you should be able to hear us over the noise of the traffic, and we hope you’re not too annoyed!

We talk about the weird, coast-to-coast Connecticut envisioned by the Royal Charter of 1662 and the Connecticut Western Reserve, aka the Western Reserve region of Ohio, which Johnna wrote about a few years ago.

Detroit places mentioned include Cadillac Square, Rainbow City, and Eastern Market.

Indianapolis places mentioned include Broad Ripple and the Monon Trail. The swanky Barnes & Noble in an old bank building was, in fact, a swanky Borders in an old bank building, and it has since closed. (It was pretty fancy though.)

We talk about US-50 and the Great River Road.

Middletown OH, where Hillbilly Elegy was set, has multiple drive-thru package stores. Toledo has its own very accurate song.

Cincinnati and St. Louis have many neighborhoods.

Kansas City has a fancy open-air shopping mall.

Modern Love is the vegan restaurant in Omaha that Kerri was talking about (though it turns out there are others) and it is not in the area Johnna was thinking of, which is Old Market.

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is in Kansas and Badlands National Park is in South Dakota.

The new Instagram account for The Size of Connecticut is @thesizeofct.

The World Before Your Feet includes an awkward street photography scene and is worth seeing for those who like looking at cities up close.

Note: This podcast may contain occasional, relatively lightweight curse-words. Use the earbuds at work or around the kiddos.

Music: “Below the Waves” by Keshco