Best Getaways

(ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: MARCH/APRIL 2006)

Sure, the family photo album is bulging with snapshots of you and the kids grinning in front of Mount Rushmore. Staring up at the Gateway Arch. Riding the Mackinac Island carriages. But that doesn't mean you've seen it all at the Midwest's most popular destinations. We sent our editors back to 15 of the region's best-known spots to discover the best stuff that most tourists miss (including overlooked finds and brand-new surprises. Here's what they found).

BROWN COUNTY

WHAT PEOPLE DO Drive backroads that twist past covered bridges in this hilly artists’ mecca 55 miles south of Indianapolis and browse some 300 galleries and shops in Nashville.

WHAT PEOPLE MISS Scenic Jackson County to the south. It has as much, if not more, of the Hoosier National Forest as Brown County, plus plenty of other natural areas: Jackson-Washington State Forest, Starve Hollow State Recreation Area and Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge. The county's hiking and biking trails are known as some of the state's best. Top scenic tours include Skyline Drive (this route includes an old fire tower to climb) and Pinnacle Peak in Jackson-Washington State Forest. If you visit a town, try Seymour - the one John Mellencamp sings about in "Small Town." The Southern Indiana Center for the Arts, housed in an 1851 two-story brick mansion near the White River, features Mellencamp's artwork and has appeared in his videos, along with much of the town and county. Pick up a map at the Jackson County Visitors Center for a self-guided driving tour past working farms, round barns and covered bridges.

GENERAL INFORMATION Brown County (800/313-0842; www.browncounty.com). Jackson County (888/524-1914; www.jacksoncountyin.com). JACKSON-WASHINGTON STATE FOREST (812/358-2160; www.in.gov/dnr/forestry/6447.htm). SOUTHERN INDIANA CENTER FOR THE ARTS 2001 N. Ewing Street, Seymour (812/522-2278; www.soinart.com).

ST. LOUIS

WHAT PEOPLE DO Ride trams to the top of the gleaming Gateway Arch, which soars 630 feet above the Mississippi Riverfront downtown.

WHAT PEOPLE MISS The museum at the Arch's base. Most visitors pass quickly through it or skip it, but the excellent exhibits deserve a closer look. Take a ride on old-fashioned riverboats from a nearby dock (be sure to make reservations). It's worth walking two blocks north for free tours of the 1862 Old Courthouse - a massive domed, white-columned masterpiece that resembles the U.S. Capitol. Farther west, the cool, kid-friendly City Museum occupies a converted warehouse. An outdoor playground sprouts from the second floor with recycled-metal tree houses, bridges and an airplane. Inside, kids whoosh down a five-story slide, crawl through tunnels, splash in streams, ride a miniature train and join sloppy fun in Art City.

GENERAL INFORMATION (800/916-8938; www.explorestlouis.com). CITY MUSEUM 701 N. 15th Street (314/231-2489; www.city museum.org). GATEWAY ARCH (877/982-1410; www.gatewayarch.com).

MALL OF AMERICA

WHAT PEOPLE DO Power shop near Minneapolis at 500-plus stores in the country's largest mall (and the world's largest, when an addition is complete).

WHAT PEOPLE MISS New and nearby stores. In the past year, the mall opened more stores, restaurants and attractions than ever before in its 13 years (30 in all). A few new notables: Local Charm is a high-end jewelry studio full of works by (mostly) local designers. Wolfgang Puck Express serves upscale fast-food for less than $10 by the famous chef. And don't forget the massive new Ikea store outside the mall for modern, Scandinavian-style home furnishings. For more shopping options, ride the new Hiawatha light-rail line, which travels about a half-hour between the mall and downtown Minneapolis. The line makes it easy to shop both the suburbs and the downtown areas, including Nicollet Mall and the Warehouse District.

GENERAL INFORMATION (952/ 883-8800; www.mallofamerica.com).

HIAWATHA LINE (612/373-3333; www.metrotransit.org/rail/index.asp). IKEA 8000 Ikea Way, Bloomington, Minnesota (952/858-8088; www. ikea.com).

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