The Midwest

Despite arguments with North Carolina, Ohio is offcially the birthplace of aviation. The state is home to the airplane’s inventors Wilbur and Orville Wright, as well as 24 astronauts, and Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, was from Wapakoneta, Ohio.

Illinois is one of the flattest states in the U.S.—so flat that the highest natural point, Charles Mound, is just 1,235 feet above sea level. Unlike most landmarks, this one's at the top of a family's driveway. They allow visitors just a few weekends a year and set up lawn chairs for taking in the view.

The Indiana state flag was designed by a resident of Mooresville as a part of a design contest held for the state’s centennial celebration. The torch is a symbol for liberty and enlightenment, the rays are said to represent Indiana’s “far-reaching influence,” and there are 19 stars because Indiana was the 19th state to join the Union.

Southern Wisconsin is filled with earthen burial mounds shaped like people and animals like birds, bears, and panthers. They were constructed by Native American tribes during the Late Woodland Period, and some are more than 1000 years old. Although thousands of effigy mounds remain in Wisconsin, 80 percent of them are thought to have been destroyed by urban development and farming practices.

In Michigan you get 10 cents back for recycling a can, which is the highest payback rate in the country. While the state also has the nation's highest recycling rate (no surprise there), they're also losing over $10 million a year due to out-of-staters fraudulently trying to cash in.