Article content Hawaii, California, Portugal – some places are fabulous to visit all year round. But not everywhere can be so lucky. Take, for example, the Midwest.
For much of the year, this cluster of the USA gets hit with harsh winters, severe springs and over-too-fast falls. But come summer? The Midwest bursts to life with festivals, lake days and firefly-flecked nights. Nowhere is this more true than Chicago, where residents pour outside to patios and parks at the first sign of warmth.
By June, the beaches along Lake Michigan, which sit steps from skyscrapers, are filled with visitors and locals. “It’s truly magnetic,” said Helen Nguyen, founder of , who has lived there for the past three years. The Midwest is not the only part of America to experience this peak summer phenomenon.
Here are 10 places across the US and Canada that appreciate the extra sunshine the most. Chicago Arctic air swirls through Chicago with a vengeance in the winter, and the whipping cold keeps its grip on the city through the spring. Locals are rewarded with a summer so glorious you can feel the energy in the air.
“Everyone’s out,” Nguyen said. “The city feel so alive.” There are free events and activities all summer long, from fireworks at Navy Pier every Wednesday and Saturday, to music festivals and museum days.
But for all-time summer vibes, head to the ballpark to eat a Chicago dog and see the Cubs or the White Sox play. San Juan Islands, Wash. A jewel of the Pacific Northw.