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It's really not the weather that is a problem, but the insistence the mid-west folks have of driving everywhere. Totally boggles the mind, for real. My brother drives to the grocery store at the end of his street - it can't be more than a quarter mile!

"Walkability" just isn't a word you guys seem to use, and it's terrifying how poorly your cities are laid out, as a result.

(And then there is the issue with food - you put way too much salt on things, deep-fry basically everything else, skip most exotic seasonings unless you are going to an 'ethnic restaurant', the menus are INCREDIBLY meat-heavy, etc.)

I drive almost everywhere but then again I live out in the middle of no where so while I walk the 1/4 mile it takes to get to work (without ever leaving the property) when I start going somewhere it would be at least a mile away over rough terrain. Another reason to drive everywhere is that if you have much to carry most people don't do well with large loads.

When it comes to cities it certainly would be nice if all were mass transit friendly but it takes a bit of learning to navigate such a system as well.

Take the week off, AirBnB a place for cheaper than a hotel, Uber in for the tournament or hitch a ride with another participant. Stay downtown, enjoy some nightlife; see a show, eat at a nice restaurant (Butcher and the Boar, Bachelor Farmer, Red Cow, etc.), grab a fantastic beer at Surly or any of the 15 other in-town breweries. Instead of shitting all over the place, do a little research and have some fun!