Word: midwest
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 2000-2009
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...enormous cross in the woods speaks to a lot of what I found. The Midwest is big, it is conservative and it is religious. It’s also a lot more than just white picket fences and a sitcom lifestyle. The crucifix was the first of several large symbols of Christianity that I stumbled across on my journey. One day between cities I was cruising along in my little blue Saturn when I started noticing tie dyed billboards that simply read “JESUS.” The signs, with their bright green and purple swirls, looked like...
Jesus isn’t the only religious figure to inspire epic monuments. The Midwest is defined by the word “big.” Chicago boasts the Sears Tower and the world’s largest Red Radio Flyer Wagon. Wisconsin holds the illustrious record for biggest grandfather clock, and in Michigan you’ll find not only the world’s biggest tire, an homage to Detroit’s favorite industry but also the largest bronze wildlife sculpture (of bears fighting). A strict Freudian would ask, “Just what...
...Park were adorned with bumper stickers slogans like “A man with a gun is a citizen. A man without a gun is a subject,” and many still sport post-September 11 flags. Gun culture is at its strongest in this part of the Midwest. The world’s largest sporting goods store, Cabelas, is in Western Michigan. The center of the store is dominated by a two-story high mountain and pays homage to the great service hunters do in conserving and controlling wildlife. Stuffed animals are positioned on the mountain and, looking...
...tour of Middle America last summer in large part didn’t change my opinion of the region. Even though I had seen the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China, Door Country Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula were new to me. Of course, much of the Midwest is more picturesque than I had imagined, more diverse and not quite the sprawl of suburban family values from sitcoms like Family Ties (Columbus, Ohio) or Family Matters (Chicago, IL). My view of the Midwest is more like those John Hughes movies that take place in the fictional suburb...
...Midwest was also just dysfunctional enough to keep me interested, though perhaps my ending is not so warm and fuzzy. While my summer travels helped connect me with my native Midwest, my trip also made me feel extremely disconnected at times. My cell phone didn’t get reception in parts of Wisconsin and Michigan (note: it was fine in Canada). In Bayfield, Wis., the motel manager laughed at me when I asked where I could find Internet access. Although the “Let’s Go” researcher-writer itinerary is a solitary experience...