I'm travelling with my wife to Chicago for a few days at the end of August. Staying downtown and doing the tourist stuff. We have been before but stayed in the city, I would like to take one day out to either rent a car or take a train out of the city and see some countryside. Any suggestions on which direction to take, stops to make and sights to see?

Liam (Ireland)

www.harborcountry.org

About 1.5 hour drive by car. Beautiful beaches with sand dunes, antique shops, great restaurants, wineries.

Liam, the Chicago suburbs goes for miles in many directions, so you normally have to drive for a very minimum of 1.5 hours and probably more (depending on traffic) just to get beyond that area.

You don't say what your interests are, so I'm going to mention a few, in case something might pique.

I agree that Harbor Country is a nice area to visit but, IMHO, saying there are great restaurants there is a little enthusiastic. You'll find some good places to eat sprinkled with the normal selection of fast food places. I do think the Red Arrow Roadhouse in Union Pier is worth a mention, though.

If you wanted to go somewhere without the use of a car, I have a couple of suggestions:

*IF* it wasn't on the weekend, you could take the South Shore and South Bend Railroad (an electric railroad) to the Dune Park stop and walk to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and the Indiana Dunes State Park. The reason why I said not on the weekend is because the South Shore is suspending service temporarily between the South Bend and Gary Metro stations for five upcoming weekends (plus another two week period) to do maintainence work.

www.nictd.com
www.nps.gov/indu/index.htm
www.duneland.com/parks/idsp.htm

Notre Dame University - and you probably already know about those "Fighting Irish", don't you? - is actually located in Notre Dame, Indiana - but is immediate to South Bend, Indiana. The South Shore and South Bend Railroad's eastern most terminus is in South Bend, IN at the South Bend Regional Airport (for some trains) about a 15 minute drive from Notre Dame. As I mentioned above, the South Shore is temporarily suspending service some weekends, but not on all days. You could get a cab from the airport to Notre Dame - OR you could rent a car at the South Bend airport, thus eliminating driving in Chicagoland traffic.

Of course, you could always rent a car in Chicago and drive to South Bend and you can combine it with other areas in the state of Indiana or even going up into Harbor Country in Michigan. Take a look at the map and you'll see how close all of these options are. (See below where I am mentioning other driving options and I'll give you the approximate driving time there.)

BTW, football practice has already started for the Fighting Irish. Their first game is scheduled for September 5 against Nevada at home.

www.nd.edu

Another very nice option is to go out to the Chicago Botanic Garden, which is not really in Chicago but in Glencoe during the day and then follow up with a concert at the Ravinia Festival at night. (The Ravinia Festival is the home of the world-class Chicago Symphony Orchestra - but other world-class performers also play there.) You don't need a rental car for this. You can take METRA from the Ogilvie Transportation Center to get there.

www.metrarail.com
www.chicago-botanic.org
www.ravinia.org

If you wanted to get out and commune nature, but just not at dunes and Lake Michigan, then I'd suggest a trip out to the Starved Rock State Park in Utica. For this trip, you need a rental car.

http://www.dnr.state.il.us/lands/Lan...tarve/park.htm

If you wanted to visit Indiana Amish country, you aren't too far away. But you'd need to do so in a rental car. You could combine that trip easily with a stop at the Indiana Dunes, Notre Dame, Harbor Country or the one I am mentioning below. If you are interested in this option, just let me know and I'll give you some driving directions to give you the most benefit out of that trip.

You are also not too far away from Auburn, IN (where Cords and Duesenbergs were manufactured in the past) and which has the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival (the largest collector car festival in the world) the first weekend of September. There are ancilliary events which will be happening starting August 30.

Timewise: It's a little over 3 hours driving one way to Auburn from Chicago - which is the furthest destintation. A little over 2.15 hours one way to the Amish area of Indiana (depending where you go there). Around 2 hours for Notre Dame (mentioned above). A little over 1.15 hours each way to the Indiana Dunes, depending on the area you are going.

www.amishcountry.org
www.auburn-in.com
www.acdfestival.org

Getting back to Illinois: In Springfield, IL (state capital of Illinois), is the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Amtrak travels to Springfield (several routes) a couple of times a day, but you might consider getting a rental car and driving there (about a 3.5 hour drive each way), if tickets are unavailable at this late date. Springfield is also on the historic Route 66, which starts in Chicago and goes cross-country to Los Angeles.

www.visit-springfieldillinois.com
www.amtrak.com
www.alplm.org

And the furthest one of all, but one of the nicest, IMHO: A visit to Galena, Illiois. Galena is in the very northwest corner of Illinois, sitting on bluffs just *this much* (showing two fingers pressed against each other) from the Mississippi River. Galena's (meaning "lead", which is how Galena obtained its wealth in the not-to-distant past) was the home town of one of the other presidents of the U.S. and Civil War hero, Ulysses S. Grant. 85-90% of Galena's downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places. It's a 4-hour drive each way from Chicago to Galena - but IMHO, it's less stressful driving in that direction than if you are going through the southside of Chicago into Indiana - as well as much more scenic. If you choose this option, make sure you take the old Stagecoach Trail - where stagecoaches really traveled. I'm showing an URL about an article, which has a little age on it, about the Stagecoach Trail. But it's interesting nevertheless, IMHO, about a bygone age.

www.galena.org
http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel...0,461846.story

Hope these give you some interesting options.

P.S. If you are uncomfortable driving in the Chicagoland traffic, remember that you could always take the South Shore out to the South Bend airport and rent a car from there to continue your travels. Just make certain that if you are going into another state, such as Michigan - which has "no-fault" laws, different than those of Illinois or Indiana - you confirm with the car rental service that they will allow this. Just for your protection.

Sorry, I forgot to post the URL about Route 66 in Illinois. www.illinoisroute66.org

Thanks for your great suggestions. I was considering the Amish country option. I forund a v.comprehensive guide
http://www.amishcountry.org/visitorsguide I think we will hire a car and play it by ear, if we have time on the way back we can take in the Dunes.

Heading off tomorrow. Hoping for a great few days.

Thanks for all your help.

Liam

Comments are correct...that you have some considerable city driving just to get out of Chicago. Also unlike Ireland for sure there are miles of flat cornfields. You've gotten some good ideas like Galena and Springfield where I grew up. There is lots of interesting Lincoln stuff in Springfield including the wonderful active presidential museum. In the opposite direction there is Wisconsin and not too far up Baraboo and the Wisconsin Dells with a nice boatride. I do think Chicago has many sights to see however. BTW, just for fun what would you advise visitors to Ireland to see? That wouold be a hard question for me to answer!

Ozarksbill [email protected]

If you go to MI, you aren't going through cornfields.

Last weekend, optimal driving time from Chicago to MI- exit 1 in New Buffalo- WITH AN I-PASS was over 2 hours.

It's 8 lanes wide toll road with construction lanes in parts as well. It's much easier driving South or West from Chicago.

Saying all that, and totally agree with Botanical Garden and closer in suggestions, MI's sunset coast is fab. Besides the beaches, there is vineyard/wine tasting, orchards, lots and lots of a different view than Chicago's. COMPLETELY.

For the period of time you are here, staying in Chicago is probably more relaxing- and there is tons to see- but if you have never seen sand dunes? No way to describe them!

I'd like to add Oak Park as a suggestion. I enjoyed many of the places above, but continue to visit Oak Park again and again. It's close too...about a 30 min drive or you can even take the el. There are lots of cute shops and restaurants. Most importantly this is the home of Frank Lloyd Wright and other notable architects. The historical homes are just gorgeous. You can do tours of the FLW home (where he lived) and of the homes he designed (walking tours).