‘It’s not for everyone.’ How Midwestern states tempt tourists with unpretentious getaways

Mount Rushmore and the Great Lakes are a couple of the Midwest’s tourism magnets, but some states have to work against their reputations to attract visitors. They’re getting creative by highlighting amenities that can be a bit off the beaten path.
Climbing into a cattle water tank and floating down a river may seem an odd way to spend an afternoon, but in Nebraska “tanking” is a summer pastime.

The tanks, usually metal or plastic and about 8 feet in diameter, provide plenty of room for picnic tables, coolers and entire families.

Now they may include something else: tourists.

Nebraska’s Tourism Commission is pitching tanking as just one reason for people to add the state to their vacation list. The quirkiness goes hand in hand with the state’s tourism slogan: “Nebraska. Honestly, it’s not for everyone.”