Our 25 Best Photos of 2012
North Woods getaway [1]
Minnesota's Lake Vermilion offers scenes that feel pulled from postcards of quintessential Up North lake vacations.
Cider-Spiked Apple and Pecan Tart [5]
This tart made with oh-so-appley boiled cider is an edible work of art.
Misty morning [9]
A path in the small town of Horicon, Wisconsin, leads into Horicon Marsh State Wildlife area.
Tulip time [13]
Each May, the Dutch-theme Tulip Time festival blooms in Pella, Iowa.
Cafe Latte's Turtle Cake [17]
This creation from a Saint Paul bakery boasts a buttermilk-cocoa cake, candylike chocolate frosting and creamy caramel sauce.
See this recipe and our other picks for all-time best recipes. [18]
Holy Hill Basilica [21]
View Kettle Moraine State Forest from Holy Hill Basilica along one of our 25 ultimate fall drives.
Porch style [25]
Vintage wicker furniture offers comfortable seating and gorgeous views on the porch of this Door County, Wisconsin, vacation home.
Little Traverse Bay [29]
Michigan's Little Traverse Bay draws travelers looking for classic Midwest summer vacation fun: sandy beaches, loon-spotting, window-shopping, leafy drives.
Read about summer getaways in Petoskey, Harbor Springs and Boyne City. [30]
S'more to love [33]
Barn charm [37]
This timber-frame home in Kenton, Ohio, blends a couple's affection for barn-style design, primitive antiques and laid-back country living.
Native harvest [41]
On a good day, a pair of experienced Ojibwe ricers in Minnesota will fill their canoe with as much as 400 pounds of wild rice.
Shawnee Hills Wine Trail [45]
Autumn colors the fields at Owl Creek Vineyard, part of Illinois' Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.
Cat nap [49]
Barbara Wetzel's cat Putter relaxes in Barbara's woodland garden.
Eat, ride, repeat [53]
On RAGBRAI—America's largest bike ride—up to 30,000 cyclists pedal 500 miles across Iowa's heartland every July. Eating is as much of the experience as pedaling.
At bat [57]
A getaway to Louisville, Kentucky, should include a visit to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory.
Sparkling season [61]
A fireplace mirror, wall sconces, coffee table and mercury glass all reflect pretty light, day or night, in this Missouri house decked out for the holidays.
Chili challenge [65]
In answer to our call for readers' best chili recipes, Midwest cooks submitted dozens of spicy-fine versions. The winners included this Go Whole Hog chili.
Spring in Cincinnati [69]
In Cincinnati's hilly Eden Park, you'll find Ohio River views and historic Krohn Conservatory, which holds a butterfly show each spring.
Fanciful pumpkins [73]
Fluttering butterflies alight on pumpkins in this attractive fall centerpiece.
Cedarburg holiday magic [77]
The amazing decor outside Floral Expressions in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, hints at what shoppers find inside.
Hats off [81]
Amy Hamilton of the Granville Millinery Company hosts hat-making workshops in a converted barn outside this Ohio town.
Lighting the Serpent [85]
On December 21, the ancient Native American Serpent Mound in Adams County, Ohio, glows with luminarias beneath the winter sky.
Book view [89]
In Chicago's Hyde Park, bookshops and coffeehouses thrive, including 57th Street Books.
Wonderland garden [93]
This Door County, Wisconsin, garden delights with its whimsical "pot people" and artistic plantings.
Best burgers [97]
The burgers at Roquette Burger Bistro in Charlevoix, Michigan, were among our favorites in the Midwest.