Midwest vacation tips

[Twolittleboys]

I am considering a possible vacation in the midwest (Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, etc.) next year with my two sons (then 12 and 9). It is really the only part of the US I have never been to at all (well, aside of Alaska and Hawaii). We would probably be travelling for a fair amount of time (three to four weeks) and would like a good mix of culture/city, nature, educational stuff, and of course fun! I am not really a fan of driving to a new place every day so ideally would like to spend at least part of the trip in one place.

 

I would really appreciate some ideas as I have absolutely no idea about that part of the country and don't even know where to start!

[Ottakee]

Mackinaw Island would be something really neat. Island has NO cars---all transportation is by bike or horse drawn vehicles. You could stay in the city or somewhere close by and do lots of different things without having to drive too far.

 

If you like beaches, etc. Grand Haven and Holland both have great beaches--partial to Grand Haven.

 

Grand Rapids would be another great area to stay at for a few days and take in the Meijer gardens, head to the beach, Michigan's Adventure amusement park, museums, etc. If you are here in September Art Prize is a HUGE thing and really interesting, even for kids.

 

What type of things are you looking for---cultural stuff? Museums? more nature things--hiking/biking/canoeing?

[Twolittleboys]

Well, I am thinking a nice mix. Maybe 5 days to a week at a place like Mackinaw Island (will have to look the other places up that you mentioned), a couple days in Chicago, possibly ending in Branson? Never been to that area at all. In general, I want it to be fun and relaxing but there should be some cultural/educational stuff mixed in as well.

 

This is VERY preliminary - however, if we went it would probably be in August/early September.

[Ottakee]

Five days is plenty at Mackinaw. It is a great place but we do one day at the Island, you could maybe do 2 if you wanted to stay overnight there. Then my kids liked the free lighthouse/beach and historic village just on the west side of town (away from the tourist stuff). We did a day run up to WhiteFish Point where they have a shipwreck museum (Edmund Fitzgerald and other) and then there are little shops/attractions along the way you can stop at.

 

The drive from Mackinaw to Grand Rapids is only about 4-5 hours or you could take the scenic route, taking US 31 along the lake and hitting Petosky, Traverse City, etc. Grand Rapids is central to a lot of stuff and has some neat stuff there.

 

Depending on timing you could go pick peaches/apples or other fruits at a local orchard if that is something the kids would enjoy. Michigan's Adventure is in Muskegon so about 1 hour drive from Grand Rapids but it has an amusement park and water park all in one (check hours, esp. after Labor Day). Then there is Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek and an Air Museum--again about an hours drive from GR. Grand Haven has a wonderful boardwalk, musical fountain, wonderful beach, areas to climb the sand dunes, nature trails, kayaking, etc.--again about 45 minutes from GR.

[sparrow]

I'm sure others will chime in, but I have another Michigan suggestion. I don't think you'll want to miss The Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village.  SO much to see!

[unsinkable]

If you go to Omaha the zoo is wonderful!

[LifeLovePassion]

MN's north shore. crookedlakemn.com is inland, rustic and cheap to stay at! Many state parks to see and hike in. Take a class at northhouse.org and check out northshorevisitor.com too.

[LAS in LA]

St. Louis is a great family city!  There are a number of free things -- the zoo, and parts of the art and Missouri history museums (these are all in Forest Park).  There is the Gateway Arch, of couse, as well as Cardinals baseball, the City Museum (never been, personally, but very popular with some people), a huge children's museum (The Magic House), a beautiful cathedral basilica, science museum, and many other things.  Corn and soybean fields are just outside of the city along one of the many interstates leading to St. Louis, if you want to get a real feel for the mid-west.  :)

[LostSurprise]

I'm a fan of the twin cities (St. Paul/Minneapolis), Lakes Superior and Michigan (Apostle Islands or Door County), Madison WI farmer's market, Chicago museums, Wisconsin Dells water parks. You can also drive through the upper peninsula and take a ferry to Michigan. Lots of waterfalls through that area. 

 

I'd focus on museums and food in the larger cities and nature in between. Kayaking/canoeing, fishing, hiking, cycling, fruit picking or festivals, wildlife conservation are all big. Minneapolis and Madison are both very outdoor cities with a few/several lakes in city limits. 

 

My Iowa and Indiana knowledge is more limited, but there is Amish country and some great state parks in both states. 

[PeterPan]

Ditto on not staying more than a couple days at Mackinaw.  The Soo Locks are near there and would be very interesting to your boys.  

 

They would enjoy the Kellogg factory.  (I assume they still do tours?)

 

Might still be warm enough then to enjoy the Indiana dunes around the great lakes.  

[Kakids]

I second the Henry Ford Museum/Greenfield Village.  You could spend a few of days there easily between the two.  For nature in the area Kensington Metropark might be something you enjoy. 

I also enjoy the Detroit Zoo.

 

I agree that Mackinac Island is not necessarily a week long destination.  If you choose it would be easy to stay that long in Northern MI though, but it could require driving around.  Mackinaw City, on the mainland, has Fort Mackinac.  Crossing the bridge to the Upper Peninsula could take you to the Soo Locks in just under an hour.  The UP also has lighthouses, the shipwreck museum another poster talked about, and Tahquamenon Falls State Park.

[Kakids]

[merry gardens]

a possible vacation in the midwest (Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, etc.)

 

The mid-west covers a big area!!!  I suggest you pick the sights you want to see and drive in a great, big circle!  A route might be something like St. Louis, MO to Indiana to Chicago, to Wisconsin then Minnesota, perhaps then over to So. Dakota (and Mount Rushmore!) then down through Nebraska and Iowa to Kansas and Missouri, back to St. Louis. See the lakes and rivers.  Definitely see the Mississippi River.  See at least one great lake, and some smaller ones.  (If you go through Minnesota, you can't help but see lakes!) Stop at a cave or two, like Merrimac Caverns, but there are lots more. If you like antiques or if you boys like the history channels tv show "Pickers", you'll find little antique stores all along the way filled with both history and junk.  If you don't want to drive to a new place every day, plan to stay a few days in each of the major cities like St. Louis, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, plus pick a state park or two for spending a few more days.  Expect that the weather may impact your plans. 

[GoVanGogh]

http://www.scenic-valleyrr.com/

The train ride in Boone is too wonderful to pass up! Great way to see some Iowa countryside.

 

Depending on when you plan your trip - seeing RAGBRAI pass through is interesting. (It is the largest, oldest and longest cross state bike ride in the nation, or was at one time.)

 

If you go to the heartland, I would see the capitol in Des Moines and stay for their farmer's market on Saturday morning.

 

The zoo in Des Moines is okay, but I would make a quick trip over to Omaha, Nebraska, to see the Omaha zoo, as it is one of the best. Omaha also has a very nice art museum.

There is a spot in Council Bluffs, Iowa, that you can stand on an overlook and see the old course of the Missouri River, the river as it was when Lewis and Clark went through.

(Omaha and Council Bluffs are just across the river from each other.)

 

Well, if you go that far west, you should go to the Lewis and Clark museum in Nebraska City. Awesome.

 

I would hit the headwaters of the Mississippi River at Lake Itasca State Park in upstate Minnesota.

[Twolittleboys]

Thank you so much for all the ideas. As I really have no clue about the area I will have to read up on the various places mentioned.

 

My thoughts so far:

We would probably skip South Dakota/Kansas just because I have been there before (and we won't be able to cover everything). The Kelloggs plant tour would have been great but apparently has been discontinued.

 

Definite possibilities are Des Moines (to visit family), Mackinaw Island, Grand Rapids/Muskegon, Harry Ford museum/Greenfield village. Not sure if Branson will fit in after all. Might do Wisconsin Dells instead. We also would definitely hit a couple of cities (Chicago and ?).

 

I don't want to be on the go for four weeks in a row so we would probably alternate between moving around and staying in one place for 5 to 7 days. Maybe one location that is more rural (i.e. hiking, swimming, relaxing, exploring) and one that is more commercial (i.e. water parks, amusement parks, shows, miniature golf, etc.)

 

If anyone has more recommendations (especially in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio) I would really appreciate it. We have been visiting a lot of major cities in the last couple of years and so have visited loads of Science Museums, Aquariums, Zoos, etc. Of course we would want to visit a couple of these as well but I am think we would mostly concentrate on fun, nature, and things like fruit picking, fairs, town events, etc. Would really like to see some pretty small towns and a more relaxed way of life (we are going to Disney World and other Florida attractions this year and went to Southern California last year).

[Kakids]

Have you been to Chicago before?  My kids love visiting.  There is a free zoo, a park with the bean thing (just a really neat sculpture) and a giant fountain we like to walk in.  Even riding transit is fun for them.  Then there are the things that cost money, the aquarium, so many museums, the planetarium, and things I can't even remember.  It's a city we really enjoy visiting.  We always run out of time before we run out of things to do.

[Twolittleboys]

Yes, Chicago is way up on the list (never been). We'd probably stay two to three days there before (or after) heading out to see some of the countryside. We all enjoy zoos and a museum or two would be great as well. Then we might add in one more city (I will have to read up on the ones suggested above as I really have no plan).

[Ottakee]

If you stay on the weekend near Chicago you can stay in a nice suburb (we usually do Schaumburg) and then ride the METRA train into the city. It is $7 for unlimited rides and then no worries about parking etc. and you end up at Union Station.

[Bug's Mom]

Discovery World in Milwaukee is pretty cool. Lots of hands-on stuff for ALL ages.

[LuvToRead]

You may enjoy Eckert's in Southern Illinois, not too far from St. Louis.

www.eckerts.com

[LAS in LA]

For small towns, you might try Greenville, Illinois.  It's a college town of about 7000 people with a town square, park outside of town with walking trails, and some interesting antique stores.  There is a local dairy that does tours, a museum of magic tricks paraphenalia (DeMoulin Museum), and the American Farm Heritage museum with tractors, etc.  The town also hosts a Christian music festival in May (I think).  There are various local events through the year (Apple Days, etc.)  There's a lovely library built with funds from Andrew Carnegie (the library ladies wrote to him and asked for money).  It's low-key and charming.  A typical mid-west town about an hour east of St. Louis along I-70.

[Alexigail]

The Art Institute in Chicago is one of my favorite places in the world. You may also want to check out the Amanas and Iowa City if you will be in Iowa. They're within 20 miles of one another and both are really interesting fun places.