My family and I are taking a 2 week road trip from Illinois to Oregon. We're staying at a resort near Mt. Hood, OR for a few days then hitting up Portland and the ocean but before we get there we have to travel through the middle of Iowa ( Des Moines ) then through the middle of Nebraska ( Lincoln ) then the bottom half of Wyoming, through Salt Lake City and then up through Idaho ( Boise ) then up till we reach our destination in Oregon.

If anyone has suggestions on great places to stop and see on our way it would be wonderful. I have awhile to perfect the trip, so I want to make it a great trip. We have a 6 and a 2 year old and so we want to take our time on driving and seeing things.

Two weeks to get to the coast of Oregon or two weeks to get to Oregon and return to Illinois? What month?
Is there something you want to see in Salt Lake City? Temple Square or Great Salt Lake? I-80 and I-84 split North of SLC a little south of Provo.
If you tire of the Interstates you could turn off onto US 20 at Ontario, Oregon. It's 265 miles from Ontario to Bend, OR.
Spend a night in the Bend area and then head over the Cascades on US 20 and route 22 into Salem. Decide if you want to visit the coast first or Portland.
I'm hoping it is the Timberline Lodge you are talking about.
They will be skiing there for at least the next month.
We have a great skiing area with snow tubing a few miles out of Bend-Mt. Bachelor.
Give us a few more details about what you want to see and I'm sure some more experts will chime in.

We're taking 2 weeks to get from Il to OR and then back. And, no it's the cooper spur? And, were taking I-80 up until Utah and then onto I-84 and then once were in Oregon were taking the Mt. Hood highway.

And, as for Utah, we plan on visiting some friends there and then staying the night. I know for sure I'd want to see the Temples and any other attraction they have to offer there, We also have friends in Brigham City. And, we have friends that live in Sandy, Oregon and also family in Portland. We want to see the waterfalls and go hicking. Also, they have a train that my kids want to take through the gorge area. We're taking the trip in August.

And, does anyone have a good suggestion on a nice beach to go to?

You can still come by way of Bend then come north on US 97 to Madras. In Madras you have a choice: US 26 up to Government Camp or stay on US 97-US 197 to The Dalles or Biggs.
While you are in the area of Mt Hood, be sure to at least stop in to see the Timberline Lodge.
When leaving the Mt. Hood take US 26 all the way to US 101 and take your pick of Seaside or Cannon Beach.
Re: Nebraska, I remember touring the Capitol Building in Lincoln. It seems like a very long drive to North Platte.
Between Cheyenne and Larime is the highest Rest Area in the US, it has a bust of Abraham Lincoln.

Stop in Twin Falls, Idaho, which is before you get to Boise on the interstate. Cool canyon of the river right at the edge of town. Also, if you have time, the end of the Oregon Trail Interpretative Center in Baker City, Oregon is really good. Also High Desert Museum near Bend.

There are many interesting things to do as you travel I-84 from Boise toward Portland. As oregonmom stated, the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker is excellent.

Pendleton, OR is the home of the Pendleton Woolen Mills, famous for their blankets.

Maryhill, WA (just across the Columbia River from I-84 at Biggs Junction) has hiking, a replica of Stonehenge, plus beautiful views of the river below. www.maryhillmuseum.org/do.html

The Dalles Dam tour is very interesting. Check out www.el.com/to/thedalles

If you don't make it to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker City, there is an End of the Oregon Trail Center south of Portland in Gladstone/Oregon City along I-205 south of US 26.
The hike up the paved path/steps to the top of Multnomah Falls is well worth the climb.
If you have a rainy day (quite likely) you can spend hours in Powell's Bookstore in downtown Portland.

If you'll be in Iowa Aug. 11-21, I highly recommend that you spend a day at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. From the food to the exhibits, to the livestock shows and just plain people-watching, it can be a really fun day. There are tons of things for your little ones to enjoy.

Des Moines also has a number of nice hotels, almost all of them near good family-friendly restaurants. I can recommend specifics if you'd like.

Awesome, thank you all for your information. So far our plans are going straight through Iowa ( half my family lives in that area so we've been there quite a few times ), and on to the Zoo and this small restaurant called Dixie Quicks, I guess alot of people recommend going there if were in Omaha. So, then we'll do the zoo and dinner and stay the night in Boise. Then head past Lincoln and go on Rt. 2 and drive through the sand hills and then head over to Scottsbluff for dinner time and then go to the Chimney rock and other rock formations around that area and then stay the night in Kimball,NE. The next day we're heading to Cheyenne,WY and spending the whole day at the Frontier Days and going to the rodeo and carnival, (They even have a gunslinger's renactments). Then we're staying in Laramie,WY.

After that were going to Salt Lake City and spending 2 days there visiting some friends and seeing the sights. Then on Sat. were driving up to Twin Falls, ID and checking out the falls there and having a picnic and that's as far as I've gotten to. I want to be able to see as much as we can. So, I'm looking as much as I can.

And, after we spend a few days in Oregon, I'm thinking we might take I-94 back to IL. So, if anyone has any suggestions on that route, let me know.

Thanks!

Sorry I meant Omaha not Boise....