Howdy -- I'll be in Chicago for work, which ends on a Thursday around 4pm. I've seen Chicago so I'm looking to to take a roadtrip somewhere before my flight Sunday at 7pm.

I've been to Milwaukee, open to driving around 4hours each way, but prefer less. I love transport (air, car, train) museums, hiking and general sightseeing, not a big history buff. Also will be traveling by myself. I'm 25, but not big into partying.

So what do you say locals and Chicago fans? Any tips are much welcome!

Thanks.

It would be helpful to know which weekend.


Chicago may have some weekend festival going on that interests you.

Have you thought of trying to go to Wrigley and see a Cubs game if they are at home?

what sort of budget are you looking at it terms of hotel stays?


You said planes/trains/autos---what about boats?

http://www.michiganmaritimemuseum.org/
http://www.glnmm.org/

Along Lake Michigan coast in Michigan you have a bunch of coastal towns and they have museums on boats and lighthouses. Same with Wisconsin.

You would be about 4 hrs from Detroit so you could drive up and tour one fo the auto museums there.

Ceder Point Amusement park is about 4 hrs drive away in Sandusky, Ohio along Lake Erie.

Green Bay is 3 hours away.
The National Railroad Museum is there
http://www.nationalrrmuseum.org/en-U...t/default.aspx

Madison and Wisconsin Dells area are also about 3 hrs away.

You, djp98374, are a savior. I am going to incorporate most of those WI destinations into my trip and would not have found them without your help, thanks so much.

I'll be in Chicago July 20-21, its Rock N Roll Marathon and Taste of River North. Hotel budget is nothing too fancy but nothing cheap if that makes sense.

Thanks again djp98374, appreciate it.

The Illinois Railway Museum is supposed to be really great, it's on my list to get to, just haven't made it yet. It's out in Union, which is sorta on the way to Madison.

http://www.irm.org/

http://www.thehouseontherock.com/

Interesting when you learn the history why it was built. Also, here are some additional ones.

http://www.caveofthemounds.com/attractions.htm

All these are in the southwestern portion of WI.

Beer guy?

http://www.newglarusbrewing.com/

http://thegrumpytroll.com/

http://www.pointbeer.com

I know this a bit outside your range but the Museum of Transportation in St. Louis is excellent.

http://www.transportmuseumassociation.org/

skip skip skip the Dells, no adult should be there "for leisure" unless they have kids, especially during hellish high season. I was just in the Dells for a conference and it gives me the creeps as it is crappy over-commercialized kitsch, like Kissimmee FL.two Wisconsin breweries I like:
http://tyranena.com/ & www.osobrewing.com
Here is a large list of Wisconsin breweries: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_breweries
two "nearby" Chicago hiking options:

Starved Rock State Park (Utica IL): http://www.starvedrockstatepark.org

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore: www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/hiking.htm

the benefit of the latter park is one can go swimming in refreshing Lake Michigan then catch the beautiful sunset on soft sand beaches. Also a delicious pizza place nearby the park: www.stop50woodfiredpizzeria.com

The beaches of the Great Lakes are sooooooo underrated/overlooked but well worth a stroll/dip/picnic or to catch a sunrise/sunset.

If you are interested in transportation, a stop at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry might be in order. They have, among other things, the first vehicles in the world to go 100 mph (locomotive) and 500 mph (Breedlove's Bonneville Salt Flats car). Also various early airplanes, WW II fighters, deep sea vehicles, stratospheric capsules, etc.

And a stunning intact WW II German submarine you can walk through, one of the least appreciated things in the city.

Thanks everyone, used all these tips into booking a great trip. Really looking forward to it, FlyerTalk is an awesome community!

Here is one more - its almost 300 miles away though.

US Airforce Museum
http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/index.asp

The place is huge.

If you are near House on the Rock, be sure to stop by Taliesin - Frank Lloyd Wright's home.

www.taliesinpreservation.org/

Springfield is a 3-hr train ride (about 3 hrs 15 mins) on high speed rail. You can see Lincoln's Presidential museum, the Old State Capitol, the new state capitol, Lincoln's home and law office. Oh, and non-Lincoln related stuff. There is a Hilton right downtown, with free shuttle to the Amtrak station or $8 parking if you drive.

This past Saturday, Mrs Willie & I took the 4 hour Estate Tour. Well worth it.

We stayed in Madison on Friday night. Taliesen is about an hour's drive west of Madison.

Mrs Willie & I visited Springfield IL a couple years ago, I was thrilled at how good Lincoln's Museum was. Great to tour the other places as well.

there is also a Frank Lloyd Wright home in Springfield, the Dana Thomas House http://www.dana-thomas.org/

We dined at a gastro pub and also a Vietnamese place. Can't recall name of Vietnamese place but the gastro pub is right downtown: Obed & Isaacs http://www.connshospitalitygroup.com...8/Default.aspx

A tip on when to go is the weekend prior to Thanksgiving as there were VERY few other tourists. We were the only people in our "group" for a tour of the state capital building.
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