Mid-west photography off the interstate?

I will be doing a non-photography road trip, from Fargo, ND to

Minneapolis to Madison, Wisc, to Chicago, to Cleveland. Not exactly

an optimum route for finding nature scenics along the way. Other than

the dunes on Lake Michigan in Indiana, any suggested nature-oriented

spots not too far off the interstate in this flat urban part of our

country woth stopping to visit?

I suppose just about anywhere you point the camera there will be something

wonderful to shoot. Just being able to be that near the Mississippi River would be a

thrill.

 

Think Katharine Lee Bates as you prepare for the trip and you'll find more than

enough to keep you busy.

There are many parks and forests in Wisconsin. Stop at the visitors' center as you enter the state from Minnesota. You should find guides and brochures helpful. Northern Wisconsin is full of rolling hills and picturesque farm buildings. On the way to Madison, you will pass the drift-free area, which has hills 600-800 feet high, and bluffs over the Wisconsin River.

 

Don't speed!

There are several tallgrass prairies along the way, especially in Illinois. Several of them are less than an 1-2 hours from the main highway. There are many butterflies, wildflowers and birds to be found. Your success in these areas will depend on a lot on when you visit, and there is no substitute for research. I usually call the local ranger's office to inquire about current conditions, planned burns, etc.

SW WI/NW IL (near the Mississippi River) is certainly not flat :)

Assuming you are taking I90/94 from Minneapolis to Madison, you will drive straight through Mill Bluff State Park. This site shows a few views:

 

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/parks/specific/millbluff/geology/

 

Haven't been there myself, although it's on the list.

I've done the drive from Grand Forks to Minneapolis a few times (i.e. go to Fargo and turn left). My best advice would be to stay off the interstate. Even the smaller roads are straight and fast. But they go through the small towns, pass interesting looking old grain elevators, farmhouses, etc. Check the Nature Conservancy, and Audobon society for restored prairie sites. There's also a zillion lakes small and large.

Wisconsin may leave you pleasantly surprised. Skipping the obvious (the Mississippi), I would suggest you start by finding out who Aldo Leopold was and what drew him to the Sands area of central Wisconsin which is traversed by Interstate 94. With sandy soil, this is not the best farmland. Back in the Depression, the Federal govt offered by buy the land of these farmers so they could buy land that would be more productive, but people resisted. They liked the place. Take a look at Necedah and vicinity, at least on your map and guidebooks.

 

A couple of years ago, when my wife and I drove from Minneapolis to Indianapolis, we turned south at Mauston and ended up at Spring Green which is where Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesen is. (Taking the tour is not cheap, however.) From here we navigated northeast to State Route 113 which utilizes a small ferry to get cars across the Wisconsin River to Lodi. [i thought so much of the dinner we had at a country place called Fish Tales that I bought one of their teeshirts and still wear it.] We skipped Baraboo on this trip (and also the touristy Wisconsin Dells), but Baraboo holds the Barnum and Bailey Circus Museum and the extensive grounds of the International Crane Foundation with ample photo ops if you dig big birds. I have also prowled the outskirts of Baraboo and found Leopold's old homestead but unless the man interests you I wouldn't recommend it. I also enjoyed some fine birding one rainy afternoon in Devil's Lake State Park which has some fine old glacier-cut cliffs overlooking the river.

 

Over at Eagle, my wife (I must give her credit) made me go to Old World Wisconsin with 600 acres and some 50 houses, barns and other bldgs built by immigrants from Europe. We also learned about the local geology when we stopped at the Kettle Morain Nature Center.

 

Have a nice trip.

In the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, Minnehaha Falls and park is a little gem for nature photography. Get there in the early morning for the best lighting on the falls. Here's a link to information on the park: http://www.minneapolisparks.org/default.asp?PageID=4&parkid=252

Search for Wisconsin state parks. Wyalusing and Roche-a-Cri are nice, so is Devil's Lake, which may be the park closest to 90/94.

 

The "driftless area" mentioned by others, closer to the SW corner of WI, might be a worthwhile detour if you can add at least a half day of travel time south along the Mississippi then east to Madison.

 

The Kettle Moraine State Forest is E and SE of Madison, WI.

 

For northeast Illinois, search for chicagowilderness.org for ideas to explore. There are a number of IL State Parks as well as Lake, McHenry, DuPage and Cook County Forest Preserves, and the Fermi (west of city) and Argonne (SW of city) national laboraties.

I cover Fargo/Grand Forks monthly and am familiar with almost all of the Upper Midwest. Email me.

 

 

Kent in SD

I live on this route! If you do your homework, you probably won't have

enough time or film to really shoot everything. High points include the Mississippi

obviously. If you can get off the "EYE", try any of the river roads. Stop and see the

Mississippi headwaters if you have time. You have geological plains and plateaus you

will be crossing. There are those that believe that the area around River Falls, WI was

created by a meteor strike, but not recently! :-)<p>

Getoff the interstate at Osseo, WI, and have PIE(s) at Norske Nook! World Famous!

There are hundreds of "nature spots" along your proposed route. Yes, Mill Bluff State

Park is unusual due to rocky monolithic formations leftover from the driftless area

during the ice age. There are several other related views within 30 miles of that point

too. You will be going thru Wisconsin Dells which is peak touristas but if you take an

UPPER Dells boat trip, rocks and water are gorgeous! Lower Dells are not as exciting.

Further south is Portage Wis. Big history! People could portage their canoes about 1

mile between the 2 major rivers. Thus one could travel from the St. Lawrence seaway

to New Orleans by doing that short portage! Way Cool historical stuff and very pretty

river areas. Madison! Several major lakes, gorgeous state capital, lots of parks. <p>

South of Madison it flattens out and I tend to yawn, but between Fargo & Madison

there really are a bunch of stops, maybe 10 mile side trips? Be warned: Tolls in Illinois

have doubled on the interstate. $1 each - I was there 48 hours ago. Gas up in

Minnesota before Wisconsin - save 15cents/gallon. Rockford, IL, gas was 1.98/gal

compared to 2.25/gal in Wis. Wisconsin has about the highest gas taxes - yeah we

are special; but no tolls. Wisconsin speed traps are common along your route. Also

allow extra time at the Chicago to Indiana exchanges. It can be real congested due to

construction and can add a couple hours.

Look up House On The Rock near Dodgeville, Wisconsin. A collection of memorabilia, old music machines, carousel, etc. Nice photo opportunity. East of Dodgeville a few miles is Barneveld, a village with Scandinavian decor buildings. Route 18 in that part of Wisconsin is a very pleasant drive.

 

JF

What about Mall of The Americas in Minneapolis? ...a street photographers paradise...

 

J

Dittoes on Dodgeville! Did you know there are a string of Frank Lloyd Wright homes all the way from Spring Green, WI to Oak Park, IL? Several incorporate local nature into designs.<p>

If you want vast collections of people, the Mall of America and downtown Wisconsin Dells are phenomenal! If you are getting off the interstate and have the time, older, downtown St. Paul has an "ART" district. Nice galleries etc!<p> Skip the interstate and take the river road (US 14 & US 61)south (or reverse & go north!) thru Red Wing, Lake Pepin, Waubasha ("Grumpy Old Men"), and pick up the interstate again at Winona. Outstanding views and river traffic along that route. I used to commute between Tomah and Minneapolis and abstained from the interstate in favor of the slower, more scenic river roads. Frankly, that route can be one of the most beautiful in North America! <p>Seriously!<p>

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Winona,+MN&daddr=Red+Wing,+MN&hl=en

St. Anthony Falls in the heart of Minneapolis is a great spot. In addition to the Falls, there is a stone arch bridge and many other scenic things to view. Shoot the falls from the side of the Mississippi opposite downtown Minneapolis to get the best view (downtown in background). This is about 0.5 miles off of I-94, so not much of a detour.