First of all, to me the Midwest is:

*Eastern Montana (i.e. Great Falls and Billings)
*The east end of Wyoming
*Eastern Colorado (past Denver)
*The Dakotas
*Nebraska
*Kansas
*Minnesota
*Iowa
*Northern Missouri (including St. Louis)
*Wisconsin
*Illinois
*Michigan
*Indiana
*The NW half of Ohio
*Kentucky near Cincinnati


When I think of the Midwest I think of:

*Snow
*Hardee's (their Carl's Jr.)
*Perkins
*Lots of White People (unless you're in a Great Lakes city)
*Neutral, Hard, or Pseudo-Canadian accents
*Farms and Flat Land
*Outgoing people
*Iowa
*Big Skies
*Minneapolis

Let's add some things to this list:
Lutherans
Scandinavians
Lutefisk
Hunting
Fishing
Lakes
Corn Fields
Big 10 Colleges
Winter
Snowmobiles
Ice Fishing
Hot Dish (casseroles)
Jello Salad
Miracle Whip rather than Mayo


 
Now I am from Minnesota so maybe alot of these are typically Minnesotan.. but..

Intersting enough, I went to school in Wisconsin once for a year a half.

I once saw a badger eat a beaver ..He had a UW sweatshirt on :P  oops.. did I just say that?  :D

The "one-finger wave." (This is not what you think it is.  ::))

I'm not sure if I've seen this in other Midwestern states (or other parts of the country), but one thing that's kind of neat about Nebraska (and I guess I've seen this in Iowa too) is that when you're driving down a two-lane highway, more often than not, the driver of the oncoming vehicle will wave at you, even if you don't know them.  But not with his whole hand (it's usually male drivers who do this). The driver will have one hand on the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position, and he'll just raise up his index finger at you (pointing upward) in a laid-back kind of way.
  To me, nothing more clearly defines the friendly, easy-going attitude of the Midwest.

The "one-finger wave." (This is not what you think it is.  ::))

I'm not sure if I've seen this in other Midwestern states (or other parts of the country), but one thing that's kind of neat about Nebraska (and I guess I've seen this in Iowa too) is that when you're driving down a two-lane highway, more often than not, the driver of the oncoming vehicle will wave at you, even if you don't know them.  But not with his whole hand (it's usually male drivers who do this). The driver will have one hand on the steering wheel at the 12 o'clock position, and he'll just raise up his index finger at you (pointing upward) in a laid-back kind of way.
  To me, nothing more clearly defines the friendly, easy-going attitude of the Midwest.


We do that here in Texas a lot.

Oops, posted that in the wrong place..

I've only been through the Midwest once, and all I remember is miles and miles and miles of flat.  Coming from the New England coast I missed the hills, trees, rocks and ocean.

I've only been through the Midwest once, and all I remember is miles and miles and miles of flat.  Coming from the New England coast I missed the hills, trees, rocks and ocean.


Yep, there's nothing of interest in the Midwest whatsoever.  Nothing to see here, keep moving along.  ::)

Very unpredictable weather.

Very unpredictable weather.
Gotta love the thunderstorms.  ;)

Pizza Ranches
Casey's
Towns with high schools  rich in Football and Wrestling history
Big Strong Farm Boys
Sweethearts for Girls
Wanna be Rebels
Fields of Agriculture
More kids in FFA than in Band

One thing that's unique to the Midwest and is definitely a defining characteristic is "mile sections." In much of the Midwest (Nebraska certainly, and I'm pretty sure they have this in Iowa and Kansas as well), the roads around the farmland are set up in a grid pattern, going north-south and east-west, and each being a mile apart. It's not too hard to find your way around in Nebraska.

Pizza Ranches
Casey's
Towns with high schools  rich in Football and Wrestling history
Big Strong Farm Boys
Sweethearts for Girls
Wanna be Rebels
Fields of Agriculture
More kids in FFA than in Band


I might have seen a Pizza Ranch here and there (in Denison or Fort Dodge, I'm not positive), but I've never been to one. I don't think I've ever seen one in Nebraska.

What part of Iowa are you in? You ever heard of/been to a restaraunt called Runza?  Not for sure if they have those in Iowa, but they're all over Nebraska.

I might have seen a Pizza Ranch here and there (in Denison or Fort Dodge, I'm not positive), but I've never been to one. I don't think I've ever seen one in Nebraska.

What part of Iowa are you in? You ever heard of/been to a restaraunt called Runza?  Not for sure if they have those in Iowa, but they're all over Nebraska.


Do you have Hardee's or Carl's Jr? 

Also, how far West do you think the Midwest goes?  Do you think it stops at the Colorado/Wyoming/MT border or goes all the way to the Rockies?

I've only been through the Midwest once, and all I remember is miles and miles and miles of flat.  Coming from the New England coast I missed the hills, trees, rocks and ocean.



How Far West did you go? Here in Minnesota, we are the land of 10,000  Lakes. Actually that is an understatement. We have upwards of 100,000 lakes. And if you  have ever seen Lake Superior on a blustery day, with whitecaps as tall as I am, you'd think you were seeing the ocean. I love being a midwestern girl. :)

Grain elevators.

http://www.roadfan.com/north_platte_grain_elevator.jpg