Melanie Radzicki McManus Melanie Radzicki McManus is a freelance writer, editor and speaker who lives in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. She has more than 25 years' experience in journalism and specializes in stories about travel, health and fitness, running and hiking. In 2017, the Wisconsin Historical Society Press published her first book, Thousand-Miler: Adventures Hiking the Ice Age Trail. About Midwest Living Midwest Living, a Dotdash Meredith Brand, is an award-winning resource for stories of travel, culture, food, garden and home readers can't find anywhere else. As the definitive voice of the region, Midwest Living reaches 3.2 million readers and 2.2 million pageviews a month. Our inspirational, authentic content is smart, playful, diverse and loudly, proudly Midwestern. Learn more about us and our editorial guidelines.