starrsville

http://www.roadtripamerica.com

This is a fun website to use to plan a trip - around food, scenic drives, roadside attractions, etc.

annesherrod

tmontauk - I totally disagree with you.
I think Saint Louis might be a great stop off for a day or two.

What about a Cardianl Baseball game, listening to some fun jazz music in soulard, visiting Forest park and the museums, or go a little further out and see some of Mo wineries...aferall Mo at one time was the largest wine producing state before prohibition!!

Anyway, a stop through St Louis might be fun! the Arch is something to see too!
We have friends from London come here once a year for a visit and they love what STl has to offer.

Anyway - have fun! I love Michigan ideas too!!

emmynick

My vote is for Western Michigan, too!

From New Buffalo to St. Joe - there's a lot to do. Try Capozio's Pizza in Harbert or Mikey's in Bridgman. Check out Warren Dunes State Park. Lots of vineyards in the area, too. Wine tasting perhaps? St. Joe has lots to do, too. Nice downtown area, lots of shops and food. Then, I'd head north to South Haven, another fun little town on the water. I think there's a bar there called Captain Lou's - that's a fun place. Grand Rapids has a minor league baseball team in a real nice park. Traverse City and Petosky are fun, too, especially if you like to drive. Depending on when in July you'll be traveling, you could check out the boat race from Port Huron, MI - Mackinac or Chicago-Mackinac - that's kinda need. "Boat night" in Port Huron can be fun. Maybe drive to Canada? About 6 hours from Chicago.

Keith

I'm with TheWeasel. Make a loop of Lake Michigan. It will be a trip you never forget.

Keith

starrsville

Go to Amazon.com and check out this book -

The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips

There are 18 scenic stops in Illinois in the book - and other ideas nearby as well (The book is in my wish list)

exiledprincess

Londonman, after you've done your research on the subject, just let us know where you are planning on exploring and we can help out with further details, if you wish.

As the old saying goes, it's all in the details.

One thing that wasn't mentioned - county fairs. You will be going at the time most of them will be happening in the Midwest. If you do go, and want to get something to eat there, go to the booth that the local Lion's Club, Kiwana's, Rotary Club, etc. is sponsoring.

Another thing to consider is the local cuisine. For example, if the area is famous for their fish, enjoy it. Fresh, local corn on the cob - yummm! Go to farmer's markets (and so many towns now have these on Saturday mornings) or roadside markets for local produce. Michigan is a GREAT state for that, and you might be there while it is still cherry season (early July). Michigan also has many wineries, as do the other states.

Since so many towns and cities now have special weekend events, once you have planned which route you are taking, if you go to that particular state's website, they normally have calendars showing what's going on, when.

By the way, there are more ways to travel than by car. Some people rent motorcycles. Some RV's. Some places have bicycles for rent. I've already mentioned dunebuggies and canoes (kayaks, too).

And some people who are seaworthy rent sailboats and sail to ports around Lake Michigan. There are places, such as Belmont Harbor in Chicago, which also charter boats with captain, if cost is no object.

And there are definitely better ways to stay overnight than a chain hotel. Many towns have historic hotels and inns (for example, take a look at the Story Inn, Nashville, IN, website). B&Bs come in all shapes and sizes - some are just rooms in local's houses and some are historically significant structures in their own rights. (Something like 85-90% of the entire downtown area of Galena, IL is on the National Historic Register, and that includes lodging.) If you are going to an area close to a state park, take a look at their accommodations. There are log cabins, cabins, inns, campsites (both with electricity and primitive, in case you REALLY wanted to get away from it all). NOTE: The cabins and inns usually are booked well in advance during the summer season-especially on weekends-but mid-week might be doable; but check it out anyway, you never know about last-minute cancellations.

If you are going on the Circle Tour around Lake Michigan, strongly recommend that you consider going to Mackinac Island. If you are not familiar with it, motorized vehicles have been prohibited on the island and you have to travel by horse or bicycle. You can either stay overnight on the island or do a daytrip. But it is just a wonderful, unique place to explore.

JJ5

In truth, there are many weeks of things to do in every direction, and I totally favor Western Michigan.

But my one thought that should not be dismissed is your level of driving skills. I personally know people who have driven in Naples and downtown Boston etc. who have quit some of the expressways and toll roads here for their lifetimes. Not all, but a credible number.

The shortest ride in distance for the most things to do and also with an entire "hummongous fresh water lake system on Earth" experience is right around the corner in SW and South Central Michigan, IMHO.

BUT, you have toll roads (the no I Pass lines were 2 miles long for 4 or 5 solid days last week and we are barely into summer)- so it may require, IMHO, getting an I Pass for sure and also the best driving and navigational skills.

Going straight North to WI has become a sometimes you make it, sometimes you don't thing, according to my best friend who has a home in Wisconsin Rapids. Her 4-1/2 hour drive from Metropolitan Chicago is now taking with construction etc. at least 6 to 7 hours. Madison is a city. Why leave Chicago? That's my opinon only of that aspect. I like Madison, and have been there 5 or 6 times- but it is rather like many college towns. Ann Arbor is another. Too many things to do in Chicago and IL on a relativity scale to me. For instance, the drive to Glenco up North and a visit to the B'ai Hai (sp?) temple and the Chicago Botanical Gardens is so spectacular that time of year. That's just one drive. Starved Rock / Galena another.
These have much, much less driving problem logistics in truth.

Starrsville's last post about the day trips and road trips in IL is also a very good one. I had that book for KY and one for IN. I found the best places with them and all my Amish experiences in IN and MI came from that book. They were priceless.

Londonman, it is a lot to think about, believe me. The loop around the Lake in that amount of time is just pure driving. We have tried it 4 or 5 times and never got past Traverse City- doing the Lighthouse Tour (stopping at as many lighthouses as we could). All the "stuff", like jeeps on the dunes and Sleeping Bear and casino North of there etc. etc. etc. got us before we could get back in the car for another 4 hour stint.

And the last factor that would dice it for me, is that you are doing this in July without reservations yet on June 1. There are areas that I no longer go to myself because they are wall to wall people. This is true especially around the Dells and Lake Geneva areas of WI.

Maybe that might give you a better idea of what your givens are. I don't know that it will, but I tried to put some of these "maybes" in perspective.

Also one last thing. I love, love St. Louis and make the ride every other year at least, and had a son at Southern IL. Univ. for a time too- so I've also taken the train. And it is a long, long drive and most of it is flat cropland. Maybe you want to see the real horizon- you can see forever.

starrsville

Thanks, JJ5.

Another book on my shelf that I love is Pascale le Draoulee's American Pie" Slices of Life (and Pie) from America's Back Roads. She traveled the backroads of American looking for great pie.

Ball parks. Pie. Unique roadside attractions. Any / all special interests may make your drive interesting.

Sticking with secondary roads may be the best idea. I like the idea of driving from point to point and being amazed at the miles of cornfields or flatness of Middle America or the seeing the Mighty Mississippi. Good luck designing the trip of your dreams!

Or, just buy a good map, look for the dotted green lines (scenic drives) and GO!

exiledprincess

I was composing my (as usual) lengthy post when others were.

Londonman, keep this in mind. If you don't care for driving through the congestion around Chicago, there are always options. For example, if you are going around Lake Michigan, you could always take the South Bend and South Shore Railroad (see NICTD's website for timetable and fares) out to the South Bend airport (the eastern terminus) and rent a car from there.

South Bend is directly south of the Indiana-Michigan border and it would be a little more a 45 minute drive to New Buffalo, MI from there.

By the way, South Bend where Notre Dame University is located. And Amish country in Indiana is just to the southeast of South Bend (around Nappannee).

repete

How does one head "West through Iowa to the Mississippi."

Wouldn't you have to circle the globe?

Beyond the semantic diddling over Midwest vs. Great Lakes, for raw nature beauty it's tough to beat the shore of Lake Superior, particularly in Minnesota and over to Bayfield, Wis. But that's a lot of driving.

The Madison-Door County combo sounds like a good rec.

bbqboy

Hey, you're right! My editing skills are decreasing as time marches on.
How about, West through Illinois TO Iowa and the Mississippi?
I'm not against the Great Lakes, I just got the impression the OP was looking for a wider variety
of "Midwest Experiences".
He'll have already been next to Lake Michigan
for a week, thus my thoughts on getting away from Big Cities, or cities at all, for that matter.

JJ5

One last thing that may or may not matter to Londonman. Northern IL and some of the surrounding areas are under a 17 year Cicada occurrence right now. They came out and will be with us in heavily forested areas for a month or two.

You might want to take a short train ride WITH your wife or with the relatives if you have never seen this. There are many spots in Downers Grove, Palos Heights etc. and most Cook County Forest Preserves that have a chorus that is unbelieveable.

Ugly, ugly but the sound can not be described. They are taking some of the school children out in buses to listen. Crunch, crunch- I don't know if I'd want to be doing forests! Although I did not see any in MI at all last week, nor did they have any alerts.

If you go North to forested areas in WI, or in Northern MI, you will need strong DEET levels in lotion or spray to use copiously in July.

angethereader

Actually, right now the northern half of Wisconsin in in a drought. It's bad for the lakes, but good because the mosquito population is way down.

I love Bayfield (like a small eastern town transplanted to the shores of Lake Superior).

I also love Galena, IL. Plus from there you could go to the Mississippi and into Iowa. I'm guessing you could find lodging there if Galena is booked. It's only about 20 minutes away.

bbqboy - Your first post re: Great Lakes states makes me laugh. I grew up in the Midwest, but now I live in a Great Lakes state, and I've never moved!

dmdevl

Hi Londonman,

I grew up in Michigan, lived many years in Missouri and now live in Milwaukee. Here is what I would do if I were you:

I would take the Amtrak Hiawatha Express north out of Chicago to Milwaukee (1.5 hr). I would spend half a day exploring Milwaukee's museums, Third Ward shopping district and take a brewery tour (Lake Brewery I think it's called). Then I would cross Lake Michigan on the Lake Express Ferry (2.5 hrs) and rent a car in Muskegan, Mi when I got there.

I would then head north along Lake Michigan stopping in Ludington first to take a dip in the lake. Depending on when you go, you could see a sailing regatta or participate in one of the festivals that every small town in Michigan has. (For example - you haven't lived until you have sampled a fish sandwich at the Bay Port Fish Sandwich festival!)

I would spend at least a night in Traverse City and definitely tour a winery there. TC is my favorite resort city in the Lower Peninsula. If you like to golf there are some wondrously beautiful courses in the area.

From there I would cross the Mackinaw Bridge into the UP. It is long and high and frightening. Once a yugo went over in high winds. The view to the straights below is majestic. The UP has so many incredible natural wonders and isn't so far removed from the wild logging and copper mining days.

I would drive to the Soo (Sault St. Marie) and see the locks - quite an engineering feat to see an ore tanker "lifted" across the two great lakes. I would go to the Whitefish Point Great Lakes Museum (near where the Edmund Fitzgerald foundered). I was there 15 years ago and found it fascinating. Great Lakes sailing lore is addictive! I would also visit Pictured Rocks (best seen from a boat), the town of Grand Marais and Marquette. I would then visit a defunct copper mine in the Keewenaw Peninsula.

Then I would just do it all again in reverse to end up in Chicago in time for a departure.

You can get round trip tix on the Amtrak and Lake Express online. I don't think finding lodging will that hard. Finding a weekend camp site in all but the most primitive campground, yes, but hotels and BBs will still have some space - it just may be pricey (but probably cheaper than Chicago). I would start with the Michigan tourist website (www.michigan.org/travel)for events then you could look on sidestep.com or kayak.com for specific property info.

My must do list would include taking a chartered fishing trip either on Lake Michigan or Lake Superior. Find a bonfire one night to look at(almost touch!) the stars and enjoy s'mores (maybe at a BnB). Hang out at the beach during the day and don't forget to stop into the local pub for whatever the local specialty is (i.e. Blue Margaritas at the Blue Water Inn).

So that's what I would do!

If you have driven extensively around the east coast then traffic in the Midwest will not phase you (except maybe Chicago during the construction season). People and cities are much more spread out than in the east!

welig12

Hello:
Such wonderful information... I grew up in St. Louis and still have family there. We're going to do a Fall road trip.. my hubby and small dog...will be stoppping in St. Louis and Chicago...what should we do from there? When are the leaves usually at their peak? We were thinking of spending Labor Day in St. Louis and then going from there. All the years I lived in St. Louis, I can't remember ever seeing much of the Midwest. Please advise. Thanks

angethereader

Late October is closer to peak time for leaf watching.

shimkut

Londonman,
Please, please let us know how you spent your time in the Midwest. Thank you.

Londonman

Shimkut and others

Really sorry not to have let people know but have up to my eyes in work since returning home.

Had a smashing time and was very impressed with Southern Illinois - Springfield in particular, Independence Mo where I really enjoyed the Truman Presidential museum and Hannibal where the short boat trip along the Mississippi really brought home to me how big the US is!

Covered some 2000 miles in two weeks, and highlights included lovely drives along the old Route 66 (now I55 in places from memory), stopping in towns that look liked those we Brits think of when asked for our impressions of mid America.

Chicago is an even better city than I remembered it. The Millennium Park, the Bean and the bridge are all fine assets. I enjoyed a night game at Wrigley Fields (a rarity I gather) and stayed in Oak Park which gave the excellent combination of being quieter than the City centre, but only 25 minutes on the L to downtown and is something I would highly recommend doing.

Starved Rock national park, Galena, ah happy memories although it’s quite (but only quite...) nice to be back in London with the rain and relief from the very humid heat.

In short all the recommendations made here were excellent, and even if I didn't get around to your suggestion I feel sure that they would have been!

An area and places I will certainly re-visit. Thanks for all your advice.

SandyBrit

Londonman:

Terrific thread full of information - thank you very much for reporting back and you certainly went to a lot of places your average UK tourist will never make to.

Summer 2007 in the Midwest: The newspaper headline this morning says "Relief is on the way from triple-digit heat" This follows 16 days in a row with temperatures above 90 degrees and we are crying out for rain.

Again well done - what a positive attitude you have and it shows in your report.

Sandy
PS I am an expat living in the Midwest and will return home for a holiday in October

Keith

I was in Galena just last Saturday. Did you see the truck that inspired the Mater character in Cars?

Just posted these photos this week: http://www.kansastravel.org/4womenontheroute.htm

Thanks for visiting our country!

Keith