Travel tips? Road trip along I-80 this summer

[matrips]

I'm sure someone has done an I-80 road trip at some point and hoping to glean some knowledge!  We'll be heading from Winter Park, Colorado to DC.  Definite stops are Council Bluffs, IA for the Union Pacific RR museum, South Bend, IN to meet up with a friend and see Notre Dame, and Lancaster, PA area.  I'm tentatively planning to take a week (Sun-Sun). I know I need to be in South Bend on the 14th and DC by the evening of the 17th.  Can leave CO at any time. 

 

This is where I need help!  What is a do-able drive for a mom and three kids?  I don't want to fall asleep at the wheel but I want some miles gone.  How do I schedule our days?  I'm usually fine with trip planning but can't seem to get a handle on this one.

 

What else would we enjoy seeing?  I saw there is a Lewis and Clark monument and Western Historic Trails Center in Council Bluffs as well.

 

What about stopping in Chicago?  

 

What do I want to see (specifics) in the Lancaster/Dutch PA area?  How long do I want to spend there?

 

What else to see along the way?

 

The kids have varied interests, and will love almost anything.  They're good travellers.  History, science, gardens, sports - any of it is good.  They've always enjoyed the Junior Ranger stuff too.

 

Thanks for any help and tips!

 

 

[Guest]

The monument in CB isn't worth the stop IMO. If anything, stop in Lincoln or Omaha. There are several museums and parks in downtown Lincoln. History museum, Morrill Hall, Pioneer Park, Children's Zoo. Omaha has a few places that aren't far off 80 as well. Just depends on how far off the interstate you want to go.

[Katy]

The Omaha Zoo is worth a day.  It rivals San Diego for the top zoo anywhere.

 

Council Bluffs trails will be very underwhelming having come from Colorado unless you have some sort of personal connection.   ETA: though just east of Council Bluffs there's a Dairy Queen right off the interstate.  We always stop there for ice cream to celebrate having survived the doldrums of Nebraska.

 

I'd probably veer off around the Iowa/Illinois border to avoid Chicago traffic, but someplace on the Great Lakes might be a fun thing to see.  The Chicago Pier is a fun tourist attraction that you can do in less than 2 hours.  Plus two hours to get there & back.

 

Gettysburg is worth a stop.

 

I recommend joining AAA and getting a TripTik travel planner.  It's not expensive, it's filled with fantastic information, and if your car goes dead they'll rent you one to finish the trip.

 

Edited June 16, 2016 by Katy

[Tree Frog]

We have done many long distance drives with the kids, starting when they were babies. We lived in Omaha for several years and drove I-80 too many times to count. Colorado Springs to Omaha took us about 9 or 10 hours, depending on who was driving. I frequently drove alone with our 3 kiddos. How old are yours? When ours were older (4-9), we would drive about 10 hours a day. We planned quick stops along the way and only used the bathroom when we got gas. We would get dinner where the kids could play while I ate, then they would eat in the car as we traveled. Sometimes we stopped at a park and had a picnic. We chose hotels with pools so once we arrived, we could swim and expend some energy.

 

We listened to audio books and played games, such as the ABC game or My Cows. The kids also did a lot of reading, so much that when we moved somewhere rural, they automatically brought a book and didn't notice the scenery around them. They also had a journal they had to write in each day about where we went, what they did, etc. Some entries didn't have very much in them!  

 

The Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha was world class when we lived there. You could easily spend a day in it. The Western Heritage Museum in Omaha is also interesting.

 

There's a bird sanctuary in Western Nebraska along the river; it's a migration stop for Cranes each fall/spring. I've never been and don't know if it would be interesting, but it was someplace I always wanted to go.

 

I would give the kids the AAA book for the state, talk about where we would be traveling, and let them choose some places to stop. We also gave them maps and had them calculate how far to the next stop or figure out where we were. They don't use the map skills very often anymore. When they traveled with their dad, they also had to calculate the gas mileage.

 

If it were me, I would avoid Chicago simply because I don't like traffic, especially in a city I wasn't familiar with and alone with kids. We were driving through on I-80 when there was a lot of construction and ended up in or headed to Michigan. (I don't remember which it was; just remember it was tricky to turn around and not make the same mistake again.) However, I believe the Shedd Aquarium is there and is supposed to be a good place for kids. If I remember correctly, it's also on the lake, so you could take a walk if it's not too hot.

 

 

[Tree Frog]

The monument in CB isn't worth the stop IMO. If anything, stop in Lincoln or Omaha. There are several museums and parks in downtown Lincoln. History museum, Morrill Hall, Pioneer Park, Children's Zoo. Omaha has a few places that aren't far off 80 as well. Just depends on how far off the interstate you want to go.

 

Morrill Hill has Ernie, the mammoth discovered in Nebraska. That was a fun museum. Lincoln also is the state capitol if you try to see the capitols on your travels.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

Yes, the Shedd is on Lake Michigan as is the Field Museum.  Both are near Navy Pier.  I would avoid Chicago, though, unless you don't think you'll ever get out that way again.

 

The Archway museum in Kearney, NE is worth a stop at least once. 

 

If you want to make a detour up north a bit Dubuque, IA has the Mississippi River museum complex that is really interesting.

 

If you stay on 80, you'll drive right by LeClaire, IA, the original home of American Pickers. They have a store front there.  It's not all that awe inspiring unless you're a fan of the show.

 

 

[Guest]

The only downside of Omaha Zoo right now is that it is wall to wall people. With the new exhibit open and the new rescued elephants, it has been insane. We have to go past it to get to church and the traffic in and out is crazy. With the heat we've been having, it would probably not be very fun. There are several places within an hour north or south of the interstate going through Nebraska, but that only works if one wants to detour.

[matrips]

Thanks everyone so far!  Making great progress here on the trip!  Will check out some of these tonight in more detail but now have tentative itinerary from CO to South Bend.  Still need South Bend to Lancaster/Hershey, PA.  Please comment on it; I tried to compile it from suggestions.  

 

I do have AAA- they seemed good with the maps and hotels, but a bit less with sights to see unless it was personal experience.  And yes, the kids have been marking up the books, but they've mainly focused on our I-70 Westbound trip so far.  I'm trying to figure out some basic plans for the return.  With so many miles to travel this summer, I'm not planning to detour off the highway by much.  I'd rather see stuff that's pretty much along the way.

 

Council Bluffs is a definite stop- just for the Union Pacific museum or whatever.  My dad always used to go there and loved it, so I want to take the kids to see it.  Thanks for the note on the monument not being worth the stop.

 

The kids are great travelers; it's me I'm concerned about! :)  They're 11 years old now and will read or watch movies etc.  My dh has always done the long road trip driving since we got married, so I don't know my driving stamina anymore!

 

We did Gettysburg last summer - awesome!  This summer I definitely want to get them to the Lancaster/Hershey area in PA. 

 

Sun Day 1- drive Colorado to Kearney, NE and stay the 1st night there (425 miles/6.25 hours).  If we get there early enough that first day, we can visit the Archway Museum.  Kearney is also where the cranes would be but it won't be migration season :(  Positive side though- I can probably get a hotel.

 

Mon Day 2- drive to Lincoln (130 miles/2 hours) and spend the day there.  How much would we realistically be able to see?  (specifics).  Then drive to Omaha/Council Bluffs (60miles/1hour) to stay the night.

 

Tues Day 3- visit the Union Pacific RR museum in Council Bluffs.  Anything else while we're there around Omaha/CB?  I  think if we just did the Archway, then the Western Heritage one might be too much/too similar.  We can add the DQ though! Then drive to ???.  Would Des Moines (Iowa State Fairgrounds) be an option?  We could drive to Des Moines in the afternoon and see the Fairgrounds later that day/evening.  

 

Wed Day 4- drive to South Bend, IN (400 miles/6 hours).  Anything to see along the way?  Stay in South Bend, IN.

 

Thurs Day 5 - pick up dh and meet up with friends.  visit Notre Dame.  stay ??  This is where the trip gets very vague again!  Need help from IN through PA.

 

Fri Day 6 ???  drive where??  see what??

 

Sat Day 7 ???  sightsee Lancaster area??

 

Sun Day 8 ???  sightsee Lancaster area.  Drive to DC  (fine with DC; we used to live there)

 

 

 

 

[RootAnn]

 

 

Mon Day 2- drive to Lincoln (130 miles/2 hours) and spend the day there.  How much would we realistically be able to see?  (specifics).  Then drive to Omaha/Council Bluffs (60miles/1hour) to stay the night.

 

I'd only pick one or two places that are close. What I'd spend time on (A Novel Idea bookstore downtown.  :001_tt1:  Morrill Hall  :001_cool:  might not be what someone else might want to see). My kids can walk the distance between them, but littles probably can't.

 

Tues Day 3- visit the Union Pacific RR museum in Council Bluffs.  Anything else while we're there around Omaha/CB?  I  think if we just did the Archway, then the Western Heritage one might be too much/too similar.  We can add the DQ though! Then drive to ???.  Would Des Moines (Iowa State Fairgrounds) be an option?  We could drive to Des Moines in the afternoon and see the Fairgrounds later that day/evening.  

How about the Josyln Art Museum in downtown Omaha? It is free admission (sometimes extra charge for a special exhibit, but there is enough to see w/out those). 

[Guest]

Lincoln has a ton. The state capital is interesting if they like that kind of thing. Morrill Hall at the University is a cool museum. Pioneer Park is on the edge of town and a has a couple neat nature buildings that have learning things in them. Rocket Fizz in the Haymarket has specialty sodas and candy. I lived there and my family is all there, so I could go on and on, lol.

 

Council Bluffs has a neat pedestrian bridge that connects the Old Market in Omaha to CB. There's the obligatory photo op in the middle of the bridge where one foot is in Nebraska and the other in Iowa. Hitchcock Nature Center is a cool place about 20 miles north of CB that has some trails, nature walks, etc. Joslyn Art Museum I am pretty sure is still free in Downtown Omaha. We just moved from a few miles from there, so I can suggest more in Omaha than CB.

[eternallytired]

I used to live in NW Indiana (considered a Chicago suburb because we were just over the border from IL and on the tip of the lake).

 

Chicago is awesome and has lots of cool things to see, but I HATE driving it, and everything is super expensive.  If you really want to add an extra day to your trip, you can check out some museums.  The Museum of Science and Industry is strangely far south from downtown, so easier to get to.  I never minded driving to that one.  The Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Adler Planetarium share a campus on the lakefront.  I think the Shedd is overpriced and you don't see much unless you pay for the extra exhibits, but my sister's family loved it and my BIL and his family go regularly.  Navy Pier isn't far away and is a fun tourist stop with its enormous Ferris wheel.  The Art Institute is huge and awesome...  You get the idea.

 

When we lived in NWI, we actually went to Lancaster County for vacation one year.  IIRC, we made it to the far side of Ohio or beginning of PA in a comfortable day of driving.  You could probably get farther since your kids are older than mine were at the time.  (I'd say as long as you're not alone in the car, you're not likely to get too overtired and can probably easily knock out ten hours as long as you don't make frequent or extended stops.)  In Lancaster, we visited the Amish Village, which had an interesting guided home tour and a variety of buildings for you to walk through and interact with folks who shared about Amish life and culture.  We also went on a buggy ride (we used Aaron & Jessica's Buggy Rides--the driver was friendly and chatty, telling us about his family and driving us to his own farm...where his family had cookies available for us to buy before we headed back to our starting point).  In Hershey we went to Hershey's Chocolate World.  They have a pretty cool tour you can take where you ride in carts and see how their chocolates are made (reminds me a bit of some Disney rides--kids thought it was great!).  They also have a couple other attractions you have to pay extra to do.  Then there's the huge store filled with Hershey candy.  Yum!  We didn't do Hershey Park, which has all the rides.  Those were our relevant tourist stops.  (Our other activities--besides lots of family time--were a tour of the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Factory in Lititz and a ride on a steam train.)  I'd say Lancaster and Hershey could each be done in a day, but I'm sure you could find more to do if you wanted to stay longer.

[happi duck]

Regarding Chicago:

The Shedd Aquarium/museum campus and Navy Pier/Ferris wheel are both on the lakefront *but* it's something like a 45 minute walk from one to the other.

 

The Art Institute is next to Millennium Park and makes for an awesome full day! However, anything in Chicago really calls for a full day and thus an overnight which is tricky, imo. (Expensive downtown, traffic issues if staying in the suburbs)