Road trip with kids from Chicago - need ideas
Dec 21st, 2006, 05:25 PM
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Road trip with kids from Chicago - need ideas
We will be flying to Chicago for a wedding during the week of July 4th. I want to use that as a starting point for a weeklong road trip with my kids, who will be 9, 7, and 2. I am interested in seeing sights that we cannot see down here in South Florida. (That means that we have museums, aquariums, zoos, etc.)
I would be interested in suggestions of a destination from which to fly home, as well as places to stop along the way. Any ideas are welcome.
-Rebecca SOlomon
I would be interested in suggestions of a destination from which to fly home, as well as places to stop along the way. Any ideas are welcome.
-Rebecca SOlomon
Dec 21st, 2006, 07:03 PM
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Check out www.enjoyillinois.com for ideas, I would think that a true working (crop and livestock) farm would be a great experience for your kids. Discover the Lock and Dam system of the mighty Mississippi if you are willing to travel to "western illinois". There is so much to recommend, what do you (and the kids)enjoy?
Dec 22nd, 2006, 06:35 AM
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I agree with fun2travel. I would actually do Mississippi River areas, Illinois River, lake country Wisc. or lake country MI.
Or a week on a farm or farm/resort with lake access. There are those if you google that are tremendous with kids of that age. Also have group play etc. when parents can relax and have some adult fun.
There is one in Michigan called Sunnybrook Farm (South Haven) that was my kids' favorite. And they'll do day to day- say 3 day, if you didn't want a week. You don't cook- you eat in the dining hall- farm kitchen. Kids go to the dairies, make ice cream, go to the beach at Lake Michigan etc. etc. There's another called Sleepy Hollow that is right on Lake Michigan itself. But I don't think it is as "structured" or organized as Sunnybrook. There's also lots of options near the Mississippi, near Galena, resorts and fun on the Illinois River near Starved Rock area now, or down to Springfield for interactive Abe Lincoln, but your kids may be a little too young for that.
WI has immense areas too, but they are jam packed that week- to bursting.
MI too, but not 1/2 as bad, IMHO.
If you just want to drive and not make any reservations, this is the prime part of the year that is very problematic for that method. At my lake in MI (I have a inland spring feed lake location)- and all around us in the wine and pig farm country, the first three weeks of July are crowded.
How do you feel about water parks or places like Great America?
Or a week on a farm or farm/resort with lake access. There are those if you google that are tremendous with kids of that age. Also have group play etc. when parents can relax and have some adult fun.
There is one in Michigan called Sunnybrook Farm (South Haven) that was my kids' favorite. And they'll do day to day- say 3 day, if you didn't want a week. You don't cook- you eat in the dining hall- farm kitchen. Kids go to the dairies, make ice cream, go to the beach at Lake Michigan etc. etc. There's another called Sleepy Hollow that is right on Lake Michigan itself. But I don't think it is as "structured" or organized as Sunnybrook. There's also lots of options near the Mississippi, near Galena, resorts and fun on the Illinois River near Starved Rock area now, or down to Springfield for interactive Abe Lincoln, but your kids may be a little too young for that.
WI has immense areas too, but they are jam packed that week- to bursting.
MI too, but not 1/2 as bad, IMHO.
If you just want to drive and not make any reservations, this is the prime part of the year that is very problematic for that method. At my lake in MI (I have a inland spring feed lake location)- and all around us in the wine and pig farm country, the first three weeks of July are crowded.
How do you feel about water parks or places like Great America?
Dec 23rd, 2006, 04:53 PM
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These ideas are a perfect springboard for my planning. I had no idea where to even begin! Keep the ideas coming, please!
We could do a day at a fun park or water park (I assume that Great America is one of those) but we go to Disney World several times a year and I'm looking for something regional and different. Thanks!
We could do a day at a fun park or water park (I assume that Great America is one of those) but we go to Disney World several times a year and I'm looking for something regional and different. Thanks!
Dec 24th, 2006, 04:31 AM
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If you are heading to Wisconsin, consider a couple days in the Wisconsin Dells. Great Wolf Lodge, Kalahari are 2 great kid friendly water park hotels. Noahs ark is a great outdoor waterpark (no hotel. Madison has some of the US best fireworks. Usually the saturday before the 4th (maybe that's the wedding...you could head toward the mississippi and do Mpls, a great destination with the Mississippi river, great hiking trails and of course the cities of mpls st paul
Your options for flying out are really Milwaukee, Cgo or Minneapolis..(that is a drive, probably7 hours from cgo but if you are sightseeing along the way... Madison has flights out, but nothing direct. We live in Madison and our kids used to love to go down to Springfield Il to see lincoln's birthplace, Hannibal Mo Mark Twain country, the st louis arch, and of course Indianapolis has a fabulous children's useum and you could take a trip around the racetrack there. so look at those and establish your direction and we'll help from there. How very fun!
Your options for flying out are really Milwaukee, Cgo or Minneapolis..(that is a drive, probably7 hours from cgo but if you are sightseeing along the way... Madison has flights out, but nothing direct. We live in Madison and our kids used to love to go down to Springfield Il to see lincoln's birthplace, Hannibal Mo Mark Twain country, the st louis arch, and of course Indianapolis has a fabulous children's useum and you could take a trip around the racetrack there. so look at those and establish your direction and we'll help from there. How very fun!
Dec 24th, 2006, 06:04 AM
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Do be aware that Wisc. Dells at that time of year is just as crowded, if not more, than Disney at prime times. But although there are waterparks in many Midwest areas, it IS waterpark nirvana. The one mentioned is good as are several others.
Great America is a themed Six Flags amusement park with high tech rides and thrills, shows. With your kids' ages it may be something better left until older. But my youngest Grandkids too, do love it.
And although you didn't want Museums, the new Abraham Lincoln Library in Springfield is beyond awesome. You interact with Abe and he is three dimensional and much else. Would not want to be a spoiler.
If it were I, I would settle on one area and do that or 1 related city to that area. Driving isn't all that bad, but otherwise you will have a great number of hours in a car. But unless you are driving South to St. Louis, don't think that all you will see is flat corn land. You will not.
That's why I particularly love MI, because it is Tuscan type hills and vineyards, mixed with numerous, numerous lakes and farm experiences. My grandkids who are 8, 6, & 3 (boys) all are in love with going to pig farms and also the Kalamazoo Air Zoo. This is aviation interactive and you can ride your own flight simulator. WI and MI offer the best farm to lake experiences duo, IMHO. WI is far more groomed and settled, IMHO. Western IL is just coming into it's own, as far as tourism goes and has great opportunities too, and most never mentioned/overlooked. I think that's why I myself, might pick that one in July. But even the IL River resorts will full up quickly.
Also as far as $ goes, and this is just a vast generalization, BUT fairly true in my friends' of all ages and college students' experiences, WI is more expensive overall as it has been marketed more. The Dells is one of those places that have a million entrance fees to see everything. The WI "DUCKS" are amphibian type vehicles that go on the land and in the water- big commericial enterprises all over that area. So bring lots of money. That will not be the case AS MUCH in Western IL, South or in MI until you get as far North as Sleeping Bear and the Silver Lake Sand Dunes, which is my favorite of all of the above by far.
Great America is a themed Six Flags amusement park with high tech rides and thrills, shows. With your kids' ages it may be something better left until older. But my youngest Grandkids too, do love it.
And although you didn't want Museums, the new Abraham Lincoln Library in Springfield is beyond awesome. You interact with Abe and he is three dimensional and much else. Would not want to be a spoiler.
If it were I, I would settle on one area and do that or 1 related city to that area. Driving isn't all that bad, but otherwise you will have a great number of hours in a car. But unless you are driving South to St. Louis, don't think that all you will see is flat corn land. You will not.
That's why I particularly love MI, because it is Tuscan type hills and vineyards, mixed with numerous, numerous lakes and farm experiences. My grandkids who are 8, 6, & 3 (boys) all are in love with going to pig farms and also the Kalamazoo Air Zoo. This is aviation interactive and you can ride your own flight simulator. WI and MI offer the best farm to lake experiences duo, IMHO. WI is far more groomed and settled, IMHO. Western IL is just coming into it's own, as far as tourism goes and has great opportunities too, and most never mentioned/overlooked. I think that's why I myself, might pick that one in July. But even the IL River resorts will full up quickly.
Also as far as $ goes, and this is just a vast generalization, BUT fairly true in my friends' of all ages and college students' experiences, WI is more expensive overall as it has been marketed more. The Dells is one of those places that have a million entrance fees to see everything. The WI "DUCKS" are amphibian type vehicles that go on the land and in the water- big commericial enterprises all over that area. So bring lots of money. That will not be the case AS MUCH in Western IL, South or in MI until you get as far North as Sleeping Bear and the Silver Lake Sand Dunes, which is my favorite of all of the above by far.
Dec 24th, 2006, 05:11 PM
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Rebecca, you could actually do the Lake Michigan Circle Tour in a week - easily. Note: the City of Chicago's fireworks are held on July 3. Try and see them, if you possibly can.
Here are my suggestions of places that you might consider in your roadtrip.
If you are interested in going to Great America (Gurnee), or even if you aren't, just a few miles north beyond that just over the Wisconsin/Illinois border is where the Bristol Renaissance Faire is held. It usually starts the 4th of July and continues on weekends only until around Labor Day. The kids might enjoy the knights in armor jousting on horseback, the royal procession, etc. I'd plan most of a day there, if you decide to go.
In Indiana, not too far off or immediately on the Circle Tour: the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and the Indiana Dunes National Park. Amish country (around Nappanee). Notre Dame University in South Bend is a place your husband might enjoy visiting for a brief stop.
In Michigan: You might enjoy to go to Mackinac Island and see the Grand Hotel - visiting a place which has prohibited motor vehicles for over a century and only allows bikes and horse-drawn carriages might be unique. Agree with Sleeping Bear Dunes and Silver Lake Dunes. If you didn't have a lot of time and only wanted to walk up some mighty high dunes, perhaps think about Warren Dunes in SW Michigan would suffice. Maybe a side trip to Battle Creek (home of Kellogg's).
Which brings me to a place that is away from the Circle Tour, but which I'll specifically mention - the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. Indianapolis is about a 3-3.5 hour drive from Chicago; however, Indianapolis might be an option for your return flight home. And they have a very good Children's Museum and the Conner Prairie Living Museum is just north of Indy.
The least picturesque area would be on the south side of Chicago continuing into Lake County then western Porter County, IN - until you've passed the Portage, IN area. I'm mentioning this so you can plan appropriately for driving through to more family-friendly areas.
I also wanted to mention that if you didn't want to take the entire Circle Tour around Lake Michigan or were running short on vacation time, you could always take the ferry across from Michigan to Wisconsin (or vice versa) and continue from there back to Chicago for an abbreviated road trip.
Hope this information helps a bit!
Here are my suggestions of places that you might consider in your roadtrip.
If you are interested in going to Great America (Gurnee), or even if you aren't, just a few miles north beyond that just over the Wisconsin/Illinois border is where the Bristol Renaissance Faire is held. It usually starts the 4th of July and continues on weekends only until around Labor Day. The kids might enjoy the knights in armor jousting on horseback, the royal procession, etc. I'd plan most of a day there, if you decide to go.
In Indiana, not too far off or immediately on the Circle Tour: the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and the Indiana Dunes National Park. Amish country (around Nappanee). Notre Dame University in South Bend is a place your husband might enjoy visiting for a brief stop.
In Michigan: You might enjoy to go to Mackinac Island and see the Grand Hotel - visiting a place which has prohibited motor vehicles for over a century and only allows bikes and horse-drawn carriages might be unique. Agree with Sleeping Bear Dunes and Silver Lake Dunes. If you didn't have a lot of time and only wanted to walk up some mighty high dunes, perhaps think about Warren Dunes in SW Michigan would suffice. Maybe a side trip to Battle Creek (home of Kellogg's).
Which brings me to a place that is away from the Circle Tour, but which I'll specifically mention - the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. Indianapolis is about a 3-3.5 hour drive from Chicago; however, Indianapolis might be an option for your return flight home. And they have a very good Children's Museum and the Conner Prairie Living Museum is just north of Indy.
The least picturesque area would be on the south side of Chicago continuing into Lake County then western Porter County, IN - until you've passed the Portage, IN area. I'm mentioning this so you can plan appropriately for driving through to more family-friendly areas.
I also wanted to mention that if you didn't want to take the entire Circle Tour around Lake Michigan or were running short on vacation time, you could always take the ferry across from Michigan to Wisconsin (or vice versa) and continue from there back to Chicago for an abbreviated road trip.
Hope this information helps a bit!
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