Chicago

Weekends Trips in Chicago

Chicago is located in the Midwest plains which means that outside of Chicago there is not a lot to see for the weekend unless you drive at least 4-5 hours to neighboring states.

A good resource to discover the area around Chicago is the book from Bonnie Miller Rubin and Marcy Mason, Quick Escapes Chicago. 26 Weekend Gateways In and Around the Windy City, The Globe Pequot Press, Guildford, Connecticut.

Illinois

Starved Rock State Park

It will take you around two hours of driving in traffic to get to Starved Rock State Park, which is located 95 miles southwest of Chicago. You can leave Chicago after work around 5 pm and arrive for dinner at 7 pm. It can also make a nice daylong excursion.

Starved Rock State Park http://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/

How to go there from downtown Chicago:

1. Head north on S. Morgan St toward W. Cermak Rd (0.1 mile)
2. Turn right at W. Cermak Rd( 59 feet)
3. Slight left at S. Canalport Ave (0.3 miles)
4. Turn right onto the ramp to I-55 S (0.1 miles)
5. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for I-55 S, and merge onto I-55 S (42.1 miles)
6. Take exit 250B to merge onto I-80 W toward Iowa (35.9 miles)
7. Take exit 90 toward Columbus St/IL-23 S (0.2 miles)
8. Turn left at Columbus St/IL-23 S (1.8 miles)
9. Slight left at IL-23 S/IL-71 W/La Salle St. Continue to follow IL-23 S/IL-71 W (0.9 miles)
10. Turn right at Courtney St (0.4 miles)
11. Continue onto Hitt St/IL-71 W. Continue to follow IL-71 W.

What to see at Starved Rock State Park:

The name of the Park is due to a war between two Indians tribes. One of them sought refuge atop the rock and was surrounded by their enemies. They starved to death.

The main attraction of the park is the famous rock, a 125-pound sandstone. There are also waterfalls to see and trails that are very easily accessible for young children. Depending on the season you are visiting, different kinds of activities are available: cross-country ski, horseback riding, and canoeing.

Springfield

It will take you around three hours and a half of driving. Springfield is located 200 miles southwest of Chicago.

City of Springfield, Illinois: http://www.springfield.il.us/

How to go there from downtown Chicago:

1. Head north on S. Morgan St toward W. Cermak Rd (0.1 mile).
2. Turn right at W. Cermak Rd (59 feet)
3. Slight left at S Canalport Ave (0.3 mile)
4. Turn right onto the ramp to I-55 S (0.1 mile)
5. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for I-55 S and merge onto I-55 S (195 miles)
6. Take exit 98B for IL-97 W/Clear Lake Ave (0.4 mile)
7. Merge onto E Clear Lake Ave/IL-97 E
8. Continue to follow IL-97 E (2.6 miles)
9. Turn left at N 7th St (410 feet)
10. Take the 1st left onto E Washington St

What to see at Springfield:

Springfield is the capital of Illinois and is the home of one of the most famous US citizens, Abraham Lincoln. A journey to Springfield then is a travel back in time and in US history. The main attractions are the historic and government buildings (free of charge), Lincoln’s Home, Lincoln’s tomb, the state capitol, the Illinois State Museum, the Dana-Thomas House. It is a good way to learn American history for the children.

Wisconsin

Lake Geneva

It will take you less than two hours of driving to get to Lake Geneva, which is located about 80 miles north of Chicago.

How to go there from downtown Chicago:

1. Head north on S. Morgan St toward W. Cermak Rd (0.1 mile)
2. Turn right at W Cermak Rd (59 feet )
3. Slight left at S Canalport Ave (0.4 mile)
4. Turn left at S Ruble St (0.1 mile)
5. Merge onto I-90 W/I-94 W via the ramp on the left to I-290/Roosevelt Rd/Taylor St. Continue to follow I-94 W. Partial toll road (50.2 miles)
6. Take the IL-173/Rosecrans Rd exit. Toll road (0.4 mile)
7. Turn left at IL-173 W/Rosecrans Rd. Continue to follow IL-173 W (18.3 miles)
8. Turn right at Kenosha St/Main St/State Route 173/US-12 W. Continue to follow US-12 W. Entering Wisconsin (1.4 miles)
9. Take the ramp onto US-12 W (8.8 miles)
10. Take the exit toward Co Rd 120 (0.3 mile)
11. Turn right at Co Rd 120 (0.3 mile)
12. Continue onto Main St/WI-50 W (1.0 mile)

What to see and what to do at Lake Geneva:

The main attractions lay around the lake. A good way to discover the area is to do a sight-seeing tour on the lake on a restored paddle wheeler. Onboard you will discover the Victorian estates. Of course, there are also beaches that the children can enjoy in summer. The activities available in Lake Geneva are: boating, fishing, hiking, and skiing.

Madison

It will take you less than three hours of driving to arrive to Madison, which is located in the South of Wisconsin.

City of Madison, Wisconsin: http://www.cityofmadison.com/

How to go there from downtown Chicago:

1. Head north on S Morgan St toward W Cermak Rd (0.1 mile)
2. Turn right at W Cermak Rd (59 feet)
3. Slight left at S Canalport Ave (0.4 mile)
4. Turn left at S Ruble St (0.1 mile)
5. Merge onto I-90 W/I-94 W via the ramp on the left to I-290/Roosevelt Rd/Taylor St. Continue to follow I-90 W. Partial toll road. Entering Wisconsin (140 miles)
6. Take exit 142A on the left to merge onto US-12 W/US-18 W toward Madison (6.0 miles)
7. Take exit 261A-261B for US-151 N/Park St toward US-14 E/Oregon (0.2 miles)
8. Turn right at S Park St/US-151 N. Continue to follow S Park St (2.5 miles)
9. Turn left at University Avenue.

What to see and what to do at Madison:

Madison is the capital of Wisconsin state and is surrounded by four lakes. An isthmus formed by two larger lakes (Mendota and Monona) is the heart of the city. Madison is also the home of the state University: University of Wisconsin. Madison is a recreational area all year around. The activities available are fishing, cross-country skiing, ice skating, golf, and water sports. For the children, we advise the Madison Children’s Museum (http://www.madisonchildrensmuseum.org): it can save your life on a rainy day! However, during the football season, avoid the Saturdays when the Madison football team (the Badger) plays.

Other Places of Interest for the Week-end

• Galena in Illinois. City of Galena, Illinois: http://www.cityofgalena.org/

Located in the countryside of Illinois, Galena is the right place for a good rest from the intense life in Chicago. It is also important historically as Galena was the hometown of President Ulysses S. Grant.

• Milwaukee in Wisconsin. City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin:

Milwaukee is just one hour drive from Chicago. It has been strongly influenced by the old European world, which is still felt in the city atmosphere. Milwaukee is mainly known for its breweries but has a lot of other interests: parks, lakeshore, ethnic restaurants, the Milwaukee Zoo, and more.

• Wisconsin Dells in Wisconsin: http://wisdells.com/

Wisconsin Dells is great for children because of the water parks. It requires more than a weekend, however, because it is far away from Chicago. It’s an ideal place for the Labor Day weekend, just before going back to school in September.

• South Bend in Indiana and especially the Notre Dame University campus. http://www.ci.south-bend.in.us/

If you are an American football fan, take tickets for a university game. You can buy tickets online at http://www.und.com/tickets/ or call the box office at (574) 631-7356.