Mt. Crescent, a popular ski area located just south of Omaha near Council Bluffs in western Iowa, has been sold to Pottawattamie County, which will continue to operate the ski area. The county plans to explore further recreational development of the area hoping to make it into a year-round destination, according to a report from KMTV3.

No less than nine Heartland ski areas are celebrating significant milestones this year. All have been in business at least 60 years and one started 85 years ago, according to the National Ski Areas Association.

The Indy Pass welcomes Eagle Point Resort in Beaver, Utah and Sundown Mountain Resort in Dubuque, Iowa strengthening its presence in the US heartland and adding a destination in the Southwestern Rockies.

The recent cold snap to hit the Heartland brought with it some great snow conditions for Midwest ski areas. The coldest weather that forced many to suspend operations for two or three days fortunately came midweek. The bookend weekends brought out good crowds with great slope conditions.

Call it Epic-Lite or Ikon 2.0, but the southern Colorado-based Power Pass has taken off around the country, into Canada and across the seas.

Many American towns adopted the popular Munich festival of Oktoberfest due to their German immigrant populations. Ski resorts have followed, offering celebrations with traditional Bavarian music, dancing, beer, food, and activities. Most offer free admission and lodging specials. 

The mountains and high alpine lakes of the West, and New England’s rolling mountains lush with green forests create some of the nation’s more memorable national parks. But don’t overlook the Heartland’s beautiful lakeshores, prairies, rivers and thick forests of the upper Midwest.