Michael Ream has written about places all over the United States and overseas, but has always felt at home in the Midwest, ever since he was growing up in a Chicago suburb. He is the author of Best Easy Day Hikes: Des Moines as well as numerous other guidebooks, and his writing and photography have appeared in publications including Midwest Traveler,Saveur,Southern Traveler and South American Explorer. He earned a master's degree in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and has been a reporter for newspapers in Illinois, Mississippi and Arkansas. He lives in Des Moines with his wife and daughter.