I live about 20 miles east of Midland, Michigan(in Bay City). This area is pretty flat, some rolling hills up north. We have tons of camping, skiing, cross country skiing, abundence of bird watching, art shows, there are casinos close by. Midland isn't 'big city', the downtown has coffee shops, local restaurants. Midland is pretty central located in Michigan. There are also 2 cycling clubs in the area. Hope this helps some.