jwagner

Our daughter is finally old enough to endure long trips in the car. In fact, she enjoys the sightseeing as long as she can get out every couple of hours to stretch her legs. So next summer, we are planning on breaking out of the airline habit and taking a long trip from Des Moines to Cincinnati to see friends. All our friends here look at us like we've sprouted horns, but we want to give this a try. We enjoy the obscure and want to have time to stop to read the roadside historical markers, see the biggest ball of twine in Indiana or drop by Stuckey's for Pecan Logs. (Does Stuckey's still exist?) Our trip will probably be as follows (although I'm looking for recommendations, so let me know what you think?)
Leave Wednesday afternoon and drive east to Chicago with the option of staying somewhere in between if the mood strikes us.
Thursday: Chicago sightseeing with attractions that would be suitable for a pre-schooler.
Friday: Leisurely morning. Afternoon on the road for five hour drive to Cincinatti. Attractions along the way.
Saturday, Sunday, Monday: With friends in Cincinatti
Tuesday: South into horse country in Kentucky. Appropriate stops.
Wednesday: Onto St. Louis.
Thursday: The Arch, Bowling Museum, etc.
Friday: More St. Louis sightseeing. Afternoon departure up Mississippi.
Saturday: Sites in Hannibal, head toward Keokuk, Iowa.
Sunday: Home.

Am I nuts? My parents used to take us on trips like this when I was a kid and I have nothing but fond memories. Any recommendations of quirky, fun, or historical sites along the way?
Also, am I missing out by not spending some time in Indianapilis/Indiana. Any alternative routes suggested? We have in-laws in Chicago who we see fairly regularly when they come this way, so we'd like to spend the night with them and do Chicago again. Cincinatti is our final goal. But besides that we are open to suggestions.
Thanks.

Dave

I don't think driving vacations are at all a thing of the past. I drove 5000 miles the first two weeks of July, and drive 8 hours every time I go home to visit my parents.

I can't offer too much help with attractions on your route, but Indianapolis has a great Children's Museum and the downtown is fairly walkable.

Further south, Columbus, IN has many architecturally-significant buildings (I've heard that there are more than in any other city in the US except for NY and Chicago).

Dave

S

No, you're not crazy. If you keep in mind that the major objection is not to get there ASAP, then you should be OK. Make sure you know where all the hokey attractions are along the way. As I'm sure you know, what's really cool for a 6 yo doesn't always float the boat for adults.

Along the interstate in Kentucky, there are signs for "Kentucky Down Under", along with a number of large caves. Never stopped tho. Was at the petting zoo at Grant Farm in St Louis years ago w/ my ex-husband's kids. It was great.

One stop I made a few years ago was just off the interstate in western Virginia at a little private zoo. We got there just before closing. My daughter remembers to this day the little monkey we saw. It had lost a leg in a fight in the monkey cage so was given special handling and treatment by the staff. They released the elephant from his enclosure after closing. We looked up to see him wandering around about 30 feet from us!

Play the whole vacation very flexibly and it could be memorable!

goforit

It's YOUR vacation, do what YOU want. My guess is your friends have thought you sprouted horns on many occassions. Since you have fond memories of road trips in your youth, you want to pass that on to your daughter. Good for you, but remember it is her vacation and you wife/husband's vacation too.

If you have a chance to go to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, go for it. The "historical" cave tour is about a mile of walking though

Patrick

Fond memories, huh? My memories of such vacations consist mainly of remembering how the three of us kids fought like crazy in the back seat driving our parents nuts --"she's on my side of the seat", "are we there yet, Daddy?", "Jimmy just gave the finger to that passing car!" But actually now I love them. We're taking 5 months next summer driving from Southern Florida to NYC, across Canada, up into Alaska, down the West coast, California, Yosemite, Death Valley, Las Vegas, the Utah parks, across to Denver, Kansas City, the Ozarks, and back to Florida. How's that for putting a few miles on the old buggy?

marilyn

We love car trips, and also that old staple, the Sunday drive. The kids always complained, preferring to FLY somewhere (more glamour), though they never objected to car sight-seeing once there. They always complained about the Sunday drives, though, continually asking when we were going to BE there, or where were we GOING? My older daughter, now 20, was recently with friends and they were lost in rural Minnesota. She rather sheepishly confessed to really enjoying driving through, as she put it, "Bumble, Minnesota," and said she finally understood the Sunday drives!

Anna

Since you have only the one kid, the biggest headache of long car trips is eliminated (the kids fighting over every inch of seat space, window space, game, and whatever else they can think of to fight over) so why not do it? We took our three from Illinois to Yellowstone and back last summer with multiple stops on the way and had a ball, even with the 5 of us crammed in an extended cab pickup.
I agree the Children's Museum in Indianapolis is great, as is the Speedway Museum. My kids loved the Bowling Museum in St. Louis (and don't miss the science museum there) but what they really liked was the video game and pinball museum (bring lots of quarters).
In Chicago with a little girl, don't miss the American Girl Store if she's into that. (Gosh, only one morning in Chicago isn't much).
Oh, and the biggest ball of twine is in Minnesota, not Indiana.

jwagner

Obviously, from the planning I've already done, this trip is almost certainly a go. (And I was being metaphoric when I mentioned the big ball of twine in Minnesota). I appreciate the quick replies and want to hear from more of you. I think you might be right about the quick stop in Chicago. But relatives are like French cheese. After a few days... We could possibly stretch this into a two week trip (which, with weekends, would give us 18 days). I'm particularly anxious to hear about other attractions. The Girls Store in Chicago sounds great, as does the Children's Museum in Indy. If we decided to stay in Kentucky, would Louisville or Lexington be a better option (or somewhere else)? Any other cities in that neck of the woods that we might want to include instead? Thanks all.

Karen

Hi jwagner!

I posted a few weeks ago a thread titled "long family trip" and received wonderful answers from Fodorites. One person had ideas for Iowa and other parts of the mid-west. I will bring it back to the top for you. Enjoy your trip.

Karen

Just noticed you were the one who gave out info on the midwest, so I don't need to top it for you. Thanks for your help on our trip!

Karen.

Polly

Our children are now adults and we STILL continue to take 'long driving trip vacations.' The difference is that now we fly someplace far away, rent a car and see the countryside in that location.

Donna

I love driving vacations for long trips. One of my fondest childhood memories is packing into my parents' station wagon with my brother for a two-week trip.

ellen griswold

Your trip sounds great! Take lots of pictures (buy your film at home) and if dd is old enough, have her write/color (?) a journal. Or at least buy her postcards from each stop so she'll have her own memory-book.

We LOVE long road trips! The longer, the better.

Our kids know nothing BUT driving, and are great at it. We take 3-4 week trips and see anything and everything we possibly can, planning extensively the previous 12 months. For the last 5 summers, we've explored the West for several weeks each, with the most mileage logged in 1998 - 7,800 miles. And I would do it again in a heartbeat! (Actually, we are again next summer; we're going west for 2.5 weeks, home for a week, then to New England for 1.5 weeks...)

BTW, who cares what your friends think? Our friends thought we were nuts too, and one of them gave us the name "The Griswolds" because they thought we were as goofy as the movie folks by taking such long road trips. However, what's interesting is that more and more of them are now asking for our itineraries and wanting to do the same thing themselves!! You'll be making priceless, unforgetable memories. ENJOY!

Chuck

Haven't seen a Stuckeys in a while. I think they are probably gone. As for the drive, no you are not crazy. If you have the will and the stamina--go for it. I would suggest the Kentucky Horse Park near Lexington and Kings Island in Cincinnati for stops.

kim

We too are a driving family. We have made the drive from our home in Cincinnati to Grinnell Iowa to visit relatives many times. You are making a nice circle instead of going the direct way! While in Cincinnati, try to go to the Museum Center which is in the old train station near downtown. It houses three museums, one of which is an excellent Children's museum, although my kids like the other two museums there as well. I grew up in St. Louis and go back with my kids frequently. Be sure to go to the St. Louis zoo (it's free) and Grant's Farm (also free). There is also a fairly new museum called the City Museum. It's got the most unique man made cave/climbing area I've ever seen, and adults can go in with their kids (take knee pads). You'll have a fun trip. We're heading out west for a month long 7500 mile trip with our 8 and 9 year olds next summer.

Rudy

Nope. Stuckey's is alive and kicking, at least in the South. On a long drive from Maryland into the deep South a few weeks ago, we saw signs directing drivers to the next exit for Stuckey's.

jwagner

Don't mean to turn this into a chat room but Kim didn't leave an e-mail address (and I understand why. Thank god for filters). Can you lay out your route between the Queen City and Cincinnati? Just for comparison purposes.

Jay

Christie

Definitely do the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. You don't specify how old your daughter is, so I'm assuming that she will be of an age that she will enjoy it. The Park has lots of activities for kids and adults alike and it's even good for people who aren't totally into horses.

Jwagner

Oops, make that Queen City and Grinnell. Sry.

xxx

I think a family driving vacation makes much more sense than putting little children on planes for hours at a time and hoping they won't act up. And if she does, you can stop any time, and she won't be disturbing any one else.

Of course all of our parents took driving vacations - -they knew better than most parents do today.

By the way, be sure to stop at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard in St. Louis. Richest, thickest frozen custard you will ever taste.