Why Is the Midwest So Overlooked?
When you think of the iconic American landscape, what do you picture? Towering mountains? Rugged coastlines? Maybe the vast desert stretching toward the horizon? It's easy to be drawn to the dramatic. But for those of us who live in the Midwest—Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana—we know there’s more to beauty than grandeur. Here, in what many dismiss as "flyover country," there’s a quiet, understated charm that asks for your attention in subtler ways. The Midwest doesn’t shout; it invites you to look a little closer.
Topography: More Than Meets the Eye
The most obvious reason the Midwest is overlooked? Topography. When people think of adventure, they imagine landscapes that rise and fall with drama—mountain peaks that scrape the sky, ocean waves crashing against cliffs. The Midwest, by contrast, looks flat, quiet, even predictable. But that’s because it reveals its secrets slowly.
Travel across Kansas, and you’ll notice how the land changes beneath you. It starts out broad and open—miles of prairie that seem to go on forever. But soon, the Flint Hills rise up, their rolling contours offering a gentle reminder that beauty doesn’t always have to be dramatic. Here, in the Flint Hills, the grass seems to dance with the wind, and at sunset, the sky stretches out, reflecting a golden hue that makes the land look like it’s on fire.
Go north, and the landscape shifts again. In Iowa, there’s more to see than just cornfields; the Loess Hills form a rare and delicate ridge along the western edge of the state. Meanwhile, Minnesota and Wisconsin bring in a tapestry of lakes and forests, each one telling the story of glaciers that carved the land during the last Ice Age. These places aren’t postcard-ready in the traditional sense, but spend a day hiking through them, and you’ll discover that there’s magic in the subtleties, in the way the land breathes and changes with each season.
The Adaptation of Adventure
Living in the Midwest means adapting—not just to the weather (though that’s a feat in itself), but to the landscape. Unlike the West, where outdoor adventure comes pre-packaged with national parks and hiking trails, the Midwest requires you to make your own fun. And that’s exactly what we’ve done.
Take gravel cycling, for instance. What started as a necessity—riding on gravel roads because paved ones were few and far between—has turned into one of the fastest-growing adventure sports. The Midwest, with its miles upon miles of rural gravel roads, is the epicenter of this movement. Here, it’s not just about riding; it’s about navigating the rough terrain, the wind, the dust. You’re battling the elements and the land, finding beauty in the challenge itself.
Consider Unbound Gravel, the world-renowned race held in Emporia, Kansas. Riders from all over the world come to tackle the Flint Hills, pushing through the relentless grind of the gravel roads, where the wind whips across the prairie and the land stretches out, seemingly endless. It’s the kind of challenge that could only exist in the Midwest—a test not just of endurance but of your ability to embrace the land’s quiet, persistent difficulty.
Or look at Gravel Worlds in Nebraska, where the vastness of the plains turns into an arena for one of the toughest races around. The race embodies the DIY spirit of the Midwest. People here didn’t wait for adventure to come to them; they created it. That’s the essence of what makes this region special—we don’t have mountains, so we’ve made adventure with what we’ve got.
Midwest Nice: A Different Kind of Adventure
Then there’s the people. Midwest Nice isn’t just a saying; it’s a way of life. It’s the kind of place where, if you get a flat tire on a gravel road, you don’t have to worry—someone will stop to help you. It’s the place where folks open doors for each other without thinking about it, where they let you jump the line at the grocery store if you’ve only got a couple of things. There’s a deep sense of community here, a belief that we’re all in this together.
That attitude carries over into our adventure culture as well. Gravel racing, in particular, thrives on a sense of camaraderie that’s rare in competitive sports. Sure, you’re racing, but there’s an unwritten rule: if someone’s in need, you help them. Got an extra tube? You share it. Stopped to fix a flat? Expect to hear the words “Need any help?” at least a couple of times. It’s a different way of approaching competition—one where kindness is just as important as speed.
The Art of Sunsets
But perhaps the most overlooked beauty of the Midwest comes in the form of its sunsets. Each one feels like a painting crafted by an unseen artist, different with every passing season and every shape of cloud. In the summer, the sky glows a soft, golden pink, the kind of light that makes you want to sit out on the porch just a little longer. As fall sets in, the colors become deeper, more vibrant, oranges and purples streaking across the horizon in ways that feel almost too perfect to be real.
In winter, when the land is blanketed in snow, the sunsets turn soft and pale, like watercolors fading into each other. And in spring, after the storms roll through, the sky is a dramatic display of colors that seem to shift and change by the minute—brilliant reds, deep blues, flashes of gold. No two sunsets are the same, but each one is breathtaking in its own right. You might not find the dramatic peaks of the Rockies here, but the sky? The sky in the Midwest can hold its own against any mountain vista. It’s as if the land itself, though quiet and understated, rises up each evening to create a moment of beauty that can stop you in your tracks.
Singletrack and Community: Kansas City’s Hidden Gem
Kansas City, a place most people associate with barbecue and sports, is hiding a treasure in plain sight: over 300 miles of singletrack trails, built entirely by volunteers. These trails wind through urban parks and wooded areas, crossing streams and meandering through forests. They offer a kind of unexpected adventure—a chance to lose yourself in the wild, just minutes from the heart of the city.
This is the magic of the Midwest—these hidden gems, these places of beauty and challenge, exist right under our noses. The trails in Kansas City are a perfect example of what happens when people come together, not for fame or recognition, but for the love of the land and the sport. It’s the same story, over and over again in the Midwest—people building something out of nothing, finding adventure where others only see empty space.
Adventure Born from Necessity
Our biggest events didn’t start with huge corporate sponsors or national media attention. They started because people needed adventure. RAGBRAI, the famous bike ride across Iowa, started with two journalists looking for a story. Now, it’s a week-long celebration of everything that makes the Midwest great—small towns, local food, community spirit, and the simple joy of riding a bike.
It’s the same with Unbound Gravel, or Gravel Worlds. These events began as local challenges, but they’ve grown into world-class races that draw competitors from across the globe. What’s special about them, though, is that at their core, they’re still about the Midwest. They’re about embracing the land, the people, and the sense of adventure that comes from pushing yourself beyond what you thought was possible.
A Midwest Masterpiece
In the end, the Midwest’s greatest adventure is learning to appreciate what’s been overlooked. The land may be quiet, but it’s full of surprises. The people may be humble, but they’ll welcome you like family. And the sky—well, the sky alone is enough to make you stop, stare, and remember that beauty doesn’t always have to be bold to be breathtaking.
This blog series will explore what makes the Midwest special—from its hidden trails to its wide-open spaces, from its world-class events to the community spirit that binds it all together. Forget the “flyover” mentality. Come out and see for yourself. You’ll find adventure, kindness, and sunsets that rival the finest paintings. The Midwest isn’t what you think it is—it’s more. And once you’ve experienced it, you’ll never overlook it again.