My family is planning a trip to Chicago this summer. The plan is to drive from VA and make a couple of stops along the way. Has anyone done a trip like this? what is the best, most scenic and interesting route? Would it be best to stay outside of the downtown area and take public transportation, to save the hassle of parking? Just how hot does it et in August? All suggestions would be appreciated...thanks

Depends on the ages and interests of your family. Let us know a little more about you and it will help us make suggestions.

It gets pretty hot & humid here in Chicago during the summer, but since you're from Virginia, I guess you're used to that!

My husband, 2 teen girls and 82 year old father. Interests vary, needless to say. The girls will want to shop, maybe see a show. Husband and dad would probably like to see the Navy pier, and anything military. Art galleries also interest everyone. we have friends who live in Oak Park.

Navy Pier is anything but military. It's a festival marketplace like Faneuil Hall in Boston or Harborplace in Baltimore. The stained glass museum is worth a visit, but the restaurants are overpriced and the stores sell mostly tee shirts and refrigerator magnets.

If you stay downtown, you should park once and rely on public transit or walk. Most tourist sights are in a relatively small area and easily accessible. Parking at most hotels is in the $40-$50 but there are less expensive options available.

If you opt to stay outside the city, you'd have to weigh your savings with the extra time you'd spend commuting. The largest concentration of hotels outside downtown is near O'Hare and it takes about an hour to get to the Loop via the CTA Blue Line. If you stay in one of the suburbs, the Metra trains run only once per hour outside rush hours.

If military is appealing, they may want to visit the First Division Museum http://www.firstdivisionmuseum.org/ at Cantigny http://www.cantigny.org/, the former home of long-time Chicago Tribune publisher Robert McCormick. It is located in Wheaton, 30 miles west of the lake. Only reasonable way to get there is by car, but it really is a quality museum. You can also tour the mansion and gardens. Maybe spend the day there and then join your friends for dinner in Oak Park as you head back downtown.

You don't want to stay outside the city. Traffic's a nightmare. If the Loop or Magnificent Mile are out of your range, try one of the hotels in Lincoln Park/Lakeview (City Suites, the Willows, Days Inn, Best Western-Hawthorne Terrace) or the Crowne Plaza in the West Loop. It has parking.

For the men, seeing the U-505 submarine at the Museum of Science & Industry would fit the military bill.

http://www.msichicago.org/whats-here/exhibits/u-505/

I second the poster on the sub at the Museum of Science and Industry. It's a great display and well worth their time.

angelize, I agree that your whole family would probably enjoy the U505 at the Museum of Science and Industry. Go as soon as they open and opt for the $5 extra pp sub boarding passes. Well worth it.

The Museum of Science and Industry is huge and you would need to allow at least 1/2 day to see just the highlights. However, since you would be down in Hyde Park, you could always combine a visit there with one to the Smart Museum of Art and/or the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago.

Actually, you don't have to go out to Cantigny, we have something your husband and dad could appreciate right here in the heart of Chicago. The Pritzker Military Library is located at Ontario and Fairbanks (2 blocks east of Michigan Avenue). See: www.pritzkermilitarylibrary.org. Those who are uninterested in the military objects could spend time on the Magnificent Mile.

By the way, regarding your question on the trip itself (not knowing where in VA you are starting your adventures, withstanding) any interest in visiting Monticello (and other sites around Charlottesville); then heading eastward into West Virginia and Ohio, along the Ohio River Scenic Byway (maybe northwest to Cincinnati or from Louisville to Evansville); then into Chicago?

Thanks, all great suggestions. Thanks 98628, I will check out lodging in the areas you mention. We live in Fredericksburg, VA. We were actually thinking of going up to PA, WV and OH on the way in, then going south towards Evansville and Louisville on the way back.

angelize, being from Fredericksburg, do your husband and father have much interest in Civil War battlefields? Is that why you were initially planning on traveling through Pennsylvania - especially for Gettysburg?

They do like going through the battlefields, but we were initially thinking of going that way only because we dont know of any other way to get there. We are now thinking that going through KY on the way up or back would be neat. We have no idea how long it will take, we would like to stay a night or 2 on the way up. Chicago would be the highlight of the trip. Thanks!

You may want to check Expedia, I'm staying at The Whitehall Hotel in August for just $92.00 per night, of course that's just two people, and we're flying in. I noticed though, even if we hadn't booked the flight/hotel together through them they still had the hotel by itself for 92 per night. Just check your options, the travel sites are a wonderful resource for great deals.

Good Luck!

Also, i just read in your latest post that you are considering a stop in Louisville (I'm assuming you mean KY). If you do you should consider spending the day on Bardstown Rd in Louisville. They have the most eclectic shops/restaurants around. Somthing for everyone.