geography

David Zurick's new book "The Third Coast: America's Great Lakes Shoreline" highlights the cultural & natural landscapes of the Great Lakes, where he grew up.

The original state border proposed when the Illinois territory was fighting for statehood was along the southern tip of Lake Michigan. And that would've made Wisconsin home to two big cities — Milwaukee and Chicago.

At exactly 45 degrees north latitude and 90 degrees west longitude in Marathon County, you will find the center of the northwest hemisphere. What makes the marker even more significant is that of the four spots like it in the world, it’s the only one that you can travel to.