We are living in the Chicago area for the summer and would like to squeeze in as many "local" trips (outside of Chicago) as humanly possible. My husband wants to see the arch in St. Louis, I want to go to Minn/St. Paul to The Mall of the Americas, etc., etc. Help!! Any other suggestions? Any of those two mentioned worth our time? If we can only get to one, then which? Thanks so much! We are here through end of July.

I don't think you'll go wrong choosing either one. Both have a lot to offer. If weather is a big consideration, it's generally more humid and hotter in St. Louis during the summer months than in Mpls./St. Paul. Enjoy.

It really shouldn't be all that hard to do both. I just visited St. Louis a few weeks ago, and you can see my photos at www.oneeyed.homestead.com. Amazingly, I have never been to Minneapolis, considering that I lived in Wisconsin for so long. I would think either would be good for a long weekend. You could see the main sights of St. Louis in a couple of days, since there are fewer than in Chicago. I would also recommend visiting Madison, Wisconsin (less than 3 hours away by car) if you get a chance and want to visit a smaller city. It truly is a very nice place. If you are interested in particular aspects of Madison, e-mail me. I lived there for over 7 years.

Dan has a good suggestion in Madison. Also if you have any interest in nature and you are in the Chicago area for that long, it would be very much worth the trip to Minnesota or to Michigan. Minnesota's Mall of the Americas is for shoppers, but I know a couple of marathon shoppers who didn't care for the vast area and thought the Chicago area large malls were comparable- like
Gurnee. But that part of Minnesota has some spectacular summer lakes etc.

My very favorite in this area for a Midwest summer trip is to the Michigan side of Lake Michigan. There are MANY little towns all the way up that are great, but I think the Sleeping Bear Dunes area and the Silver Lake Sand Dunes areas are unique. You can see 1000s of acres of sand dunes with jeeps for rent. There is also 1000 acres just set aside for walking. Sunsets are not to be believed.

Many talk of the Upper Pennisula and all its tourists spots. They are very nice, but this other duned area is not as far and can be awesome. Many spots in Wisconsin are great too, but if you want to do more "city" things and see some cultural activity, Dan's suggestion is an excellent one also.

They're both worth a visit, but quite different.
The MALL OF AMERICA (no plural) is truly immense and still unique among shopping malls in the world. Unfortunately, stores across the country have become so homogenized that you can barely tell Lincoln Nebraska from Los Angeles, but the sheer size of the place, the park and the restaurants make it well worth the trip. Go downtown. If you like the arts/theater there's plenty to see/do. There are more theater tickets (not film...live) per capita sold than in any city in the US except NYC. The drive from Chicago can be quite nice if you build in stops to Stillwater or Red Wing on the Mississippi.
St. Loius is a much older town. Home of some of the best Italian food in the US. See Forest Park, maybe the zoo, the Arch, Science Center. Have fun

Door County, Wisconsin (5 hr drive)

Like the others, I think both are excellent options. If you are baseball fans, Busch Stadium in St. Louis is more fun then the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Mall of America is a nice fall or winter trip since you will be spending the entire time indoors.

Mona, take it from a native Missourian, you should see St. Louis. The Arch, the zoo, the Muny (largest outdoor theater in the U.S. and even has free seats), Forest Park (second largest urban park in the world), the Old Courthouse (scene of the Dred Scott decision) the Old Cathedral and the New Cathedral (has more mosaics than anywhere else in the world) the Art Museum, the Hill has excellent Italian food, historic day trips to St. Charles, Ste. Genevieve, and Augusta (all within 60 miles). Dan must have missed most of them. St. Louis also hasthe best baseball experience in the U.S. No trip would be complete without a visit to Ted Drewes Frozen Custard on Chippewa. After eating it, you won't want any other kind of ice cream!

No, I get around when I travel for business. Went up in the arch, visited the Museum of Westward Expansion, took a riverboat ride (on the company), went to a hockey game against Colorado, visited the New Cathedral, the Van Gogh (Petite Boulevard) exhibit at the St. Louis Art Museum, Union Station, much of downtown, and ate at Dominic's on the Hill. I also had several excellent business lunches in Clayton and out toward the airport. I have become pretty good at finding a way to see a lot in a short period of time by never slowing down. I just rest when I get back home. If you are referring to my comment about seeing the major sights in two days, I was thinking that Mona would generally be taking weekend trips. The more time the better. I did all of this in a period of 5 days, usually before 8:30 and after 4:00. I would have gone to a baseball game if the Cardinals were playing then. I would have also liked to have seen the zoo, checked out more of the museum (I did see quite a bit), walked through Forest Park, and gone to the Cardinals Hall of Fame. I thoroughly enjoyed St. Louis, more than I expected, but I can't compare it to Minneapolis.

Hey Jane, I'm from Missouri too, and since "Show Me" is part of our heritage, I have to comment about Forest Park. It's a beautiful place with lots to offer, but it's nowhere near the second largest urban park in the entire world...not even the U.S.
It's listed as the 7th largest urban park in U.S....found that stat at a Chamber of Commerce website for St. Louis.
And hey "mas": Door County wasn't on the short list of options.
Giovanni's restaurant in St. Louis is a truly wonderful Italian place. And good suggestion about Ted Drewe's, esp on a hot summer day.

Why not take two trips (or more) while there and see it all. I personally love the Twin Cities and the surrounding areas. I love to shop at Mall of America, Southdale, The Galleria and downtown Mpls. too. You can also walk, run or rollerblade around the lakes and that is fun. Lots of activity there in the summer. Also enjoy going to Stillwater and other small towns over on the St. CRoix River and then down on the Mississippi to Wabasha and Lake City and Red Wing. The Minnesota zoo is nice and there is a new musdeum in St. Paul. Also enjoy going to "How to Talk Minnesotan" at the Plymouth Playhouse It is funny. It's also fun out around Lake Minnetonka. WE like to go to the shops on Lake in Excelsior and also to Wayzata. I also like to go to Madison and Milwaukee. Both are nice cities and fun to look around. They are both a quick weekend trip from Chicago. Check out Lake Geneva Area and also go to Taliesen East which is the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and studios. Another place near Madison area is House on the rock. St. Louis also has lots to see but one thing to remember there is it is VERY HOT!! I do like the city and everything there but I did get heat stroke so would never go in mid summer again. Better in Spring and fall I think. Have fun exploring tho!! REally fun on the Lake Michigan side or Michigan too - some great small towns. ENJOY!!

Another real easy one to do in one day that you shouldn't miss for any reason is in Glencoe IL. The Chicago Botanical Gardens is so awesome that I don't know how you would really describe all the different aspects of it. They have model railroad set ups too, if your husband is interested in that. I've lived here all my life and never got up there until last year. I can't wait to go again this summer and maybe hit the B'ai Hai (spelling?) Temple at the same time.