Exploring the Midwest Podcast

Plan a Midwest beach getaway in Door County, Wisconsin! As a peninsula surrounded by Lake Michigan you’ll find dozens of beaches!

The final state focused episode of the Exploring the Midwest broadcast with guest is Matt MacLaren, Ohio State Tourism director. Ohio is a state that I have only passed through. It is the furthest Midwest state from me, and it’s a little more than a day trip. So I’m really excited to learn more about […]

My guest today is Amanda Weibel, Communications Officer at Travel Wisconsin Click here to save this to your Midwest Travel board on Pinterest! Wisconsin is Best Known For… Most people know Wisconsin for cheese. This way to cheese! Wisconsin produces 600 varieties of cheese, which is more than double the amount of cheese produced by the runner-up state, California. Wisconsin […]

As you drive west across Kansas you begin to understand the sentiment the inspired Brewster Higley to pen ‘My Western Home’ – later known as ‘Home on the Range’. My guest today is Colby Sharples Terry, PR & Communications Manager for Kansas Tourism. Click here to add this to your Midwest travel board on Pinterest Kansas […]

Unfortunately Illinois Tourism was unable to join me for this episode of the broadcast. So I recruited 3 fabulous Illinois travel writers to join me today. Cindy Ladage is a book author, blogger, and a farmer’s wife with 3 grown children and 2 grandchildren. Dig into her passion of agricultural history at Traveling Adventures of […]

Jody speaks with Stephen Foutes, the Director of the Missouri Division of Tourism. Missouri is interesting in that the 2 largest cities are located mid-state, on opposite sites, directly opposite each other. And, as a state that is ‘taller than it is wide’ Missouri seems to have a lot of very rural area. Click here […]

Today’s guest is Jenn Gjerde, the current marketing manager for the Nebraska Tourism Commission. A former TV news reporter, Jenn worked all across the state of Nebraska covering record flooding, elections and more before being hired by the commission in 2015. Click here to save this to your Midwest Travel board on Pinterest! Nebraska Misconceptions […]

Unfortunately Minnesota Tourism was unable to join me for this episode of the broadcast. So I recruited 3 fabulous Minnesota travel writers to join me today. Stacy Brooks is a freelance journalist and blogger who grew up in Duluth and currently lives in the Twin Cities metro area.  Her writing has been published in Midwest […]

Jody is joined by Kim Schmidt, Communications Manager for North Dakota Tourism Moderating the broadcast chat is Alicia Underlee Nelson, a freelance writer and photographer who wrote “North Dakota Beer: A Heady History,” penned the North Dakota section of the new “Midwest Road Trip Adventures” anthology and co-hosts the Travel Tomorrow podcast. Follow her adventures […]

Today’s guest is Dave Lorenz, Vice President of Travel Michigan – better known as Pure Michigan if you follow the state’s social media accounts Moderating the broadcast chat today is Amy Piper – publisher of travel blog Follow the Piper and author of the Michigan chapter of the new book Midwest Road Trip Adventures. Click […]

Today’s guest is Ciara Rounds, Global Media & Public Relations Representative for the South Dakota Department of Tourism. Broadcast moderator is freelance writer-photographer Mike Whye who has been writing about travel across the world but primarily the Upper Midwest since 1990.  His articles and photographs have appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers and state tourism productions.   […]

Unfortunately Kentucky Tourism was unable to join me for this episode of the broadcast. So I recruited my friend, Kentucky resident and travel writer, Nedra McDaniel. Nedra loves nothing more than sharing a first time adventure with family and friends. Her website, Adventure Mom shares experiences and encourages her readers to try something new, face […]

Jody chats with guest Amy Howell, Director of Communications for Visit Indiana Moderating our chat today (on the live broadcast) is Lori LeRoy, family travel blogger at Maps, Memories & Motherhood – and proud Hoosier! or watch this episode on YouTube Click here to save this to your Midwest Travel board on Pinterest Where is […]

Travel Iowa Great information from Jessica O’Riley. Jessica is the Tourism Communications Manager for the Iowa Tourism Office. or Watch this episode on YouTube Click here to add this to your Midwest Travel Board on Pinterest Iowa Surprises & Misconceptions Iowa’s my home state, so I have heard probably everything anybody could say about Iowa. […]

Hello and welcome to Exploring the Midwest! I am Jody Halsted and I will be your navigator as we explore the 13 states that make up the Midwest (as defined by the Midwest Travel Journalists Association). These states are North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky. […]