Our 25 Best Photos of 2012

Minnesota's Lake Vermilion offers scenes that feel pulled from postcards of quintessential Up North lake vacations.Read our story about uncrowded Midwest lake getaways.

This tart made with oh-so-appley boiled cider is an edible work of art.Cider-Spiked Apple and Pecan Tart recipe

A path in the small town of Horicon, Wisconsin, leads into Horicon Marsh State Wildlife area.Read about our spring getaway at Horicon Marsh.

Each May, the Dutch-theme Tulip Time festival blooms in Pella, Iowa.Read about Midwest spring festivals.

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.

View Kettle Moraine State Forest from Holy Hill Basilica along one of our 25 ultimate fall drives.Read about our top fall drives.

Vintage wicker furniture offers comfortable seating and gorgeous views on the porch of this Door County, Wisconsin, vacation home.Read more about this house.

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.

Enjoy new takes on the gooey summer classic.S'More recipes

This timber-frame home in Kenton, Ohio, blends a couple's affection for barn-style design, primitive antiques and laid-back country living.Read more about this home.

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.Read our story about the Ojibwe harvest.

Autumn colors the fields at Owl Creek Vineyard, part of Illinois' Shawnee Hills Wine Trail.Read more about the wine trail.

Barbara Wetzel's cat Putter relaxes in Barbara's woodland garden.Read more about this Illinois garden.

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.Read our RAGBRAI story.

A getaway to Louisville, Kentucky, should include a visit to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory.Read about a fall trip to Louisville.

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.Read more about this home.

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.Read about our prizewinning chilis.

In Cincinnati's hilly Eden Park, you'll find Ohio River views and historic Krohn Conservatory, which holds a butterfly show each spring.Read about our spring trip to Cincinnati.

Fluttering butterflies alight on pumpkins in this attractive fall centerpiece.

The amazing decor outside Floral Expressions in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, hints at what shoppers find inside.Read about our trip to Cedarburg.

Amy Hamilton of the Granville Millinery Company hosts hat-making workshops in a converted barn outside this Ohio town.Read about Granville's small-town charm.

On December 21, the ancient Native American Serpent Mound in Adams County, Ohio, glows with luminarias beneath the winter sky.Read about our 25 best places to celebrate Christmas.

In Chicago's Hyde Park, bookshops and coffeehouses thrive, including 57th Street Books.Read about 3 great Chicago neighborhoods to explore.

This Door County, Wisconsin, garden delights with its whimsical "pot people" and artistic plantings.Read more about this garden.

The burgers at Roquette Burger Bistro in Charlevoix, Michigan, were among our favorites in the Midwest.Read about our best burger finds.