Road Trips

We love a little adventure. Here are some of our road
trips, near and far.

Alaska
Dog Sled Musher's Camp and Discovery Center (Juneau)
Juneau
Ketchikan
Skagway

British Columbia
Victoria

Colorado

Chapungu Sculpture Park (Loveland)

Cheyenne Cañon Park (Colorado Springs)

Crystal Falls (Green Mountain Falls)

Dinosaur Ridge (Morrison)

Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs)

Green Mountain (Boulder)

Helen Hunt Falls (Colorado Springs)

Lookout Mountain (Golden)

Rainbow Falls (Manitou Springs)

Georgia
Andrew Low House (Savannah)
Atlanta History Center (Atlanta)
Olde Pink House (Savannah)
Savannah

Illinois
Affy Tapple (Niles)
All Chocolate Kitchen (Geneva)
Amaze N Apples Royal Oak Farm Orchard (Harvard)
American Science & Surplus (Chicago & Geneva)
Anderson's Candy Shop (Barrington)
Anderson Japanese Gardens (Rockford)
Andersonville Brewing (Chicago)
Apple River Fort (Elizabeth)
Backwater Gamblers Water Ski Show (Rock Island, Illinois)
Beat Street West (Arlington Heights)
Blackberry Farm (Aurora)
Black Hawk State Historic Site (Rock Island)

Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve (Rockford)
Blackwell Forest Preserve (Warrenville)
Burpee Museum of Natural History (Rockford)
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site (Collinsville)
Cantigny Park (Wheaton)
Chain O'Lakes (Spring Grove)
Chicago Botanic Garden Wonderland Express (Glencoe)
Chicago Botanic Garden Evenings (Glencoe)
Chicago Food Planet Chicago Food Tours
Christie's Dairy Delights (Palatine)
Circa 57 (Arlington Heights) CLOSED
Citizens Park (Barrington)
Congo River Adventure Golf (Hoffman Estates)
Coral Woods (Marengo)
Cosley Zoo Festival of Lights & Trees (Wheaton)
Crabtree Nature Center (Barrington Hills)

Dayton Bluffs Preserve (Ottawa)
Deerfield Historic Village (Deerfield)
Dickens Holiday Village (Antioch)
Donley's Wild West Town (Union) CLOSED

Elgin Area Getaway
Elk Pasture (Elk Grove Village)
Elmhurst Art Museum (Elmhurst)
Enlightened Balance (Crystal Lake)

Evanston
Fabyan Windmill (Geneva)
FireZone (Schaumburg)
First Division Museum (Wheaton)
Fox River Forest Preserve (Port Barrington)
Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio (Oak Park)
French Market (Chicago)
Fullersburg Woods (Oak Brook)
Gallery Park (Glenview)
Garfield Park Conservatory (Chicago)
Geneva

Giant City State Park (Makanda)
Gillson Beach (Wilmette)
Grafton
The Grove (Glenview)
The Grove Holiday Arts & Crafts Faire (Glenview)
Halim Time and Glass Museum (Evanston)

Hauberg Estate (Rock Island)
Hawthorne Hill Nature Center (Elgin)
Illinois Holocaust Museum (Skokie)

Illiniwek Forest Preserve (Hampton)  
Inline Skating Rink (Mt. Prospect)
Independence Grove (Libertyville)
John Deere Pavilion (Moline)

Kankakee River State Park (Bourbonnais)

Kishwaukee Gorge North Forest Preserve (Rockford)
Lagomarcino's (Moline)
Lake Katherine (Palos Heights)
Le Chocolat du Bouchard (Naperville)
Legoland Discovery Center (Schaumburg)
Lena Brewing Company (Lena)
Lincolnshire Marriott Theatre (Lincolnshire)
Long Grove Confectionery Factory (Buffalo Grove)
Madame ZuZu's Tea Shop (Highland Park)
Matthiessen State Park (Utica)

Mississippi Palisades State Park (Savanna)
Mitsuwa Marketplace (Arlington Heights)
Morton Arboretum (Lisle)
Morton Arboretum Treehouse Exhibit (Lisle)
Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago)
Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)
Nachusa Grasslands (Franklin Grove)
Naperville Trolley Tour (Naperville)
Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens (Rockford)
Oak Park Conservatory (Oak Park)
Oak Park River Forest Museum (Oak Park)
Old Bakery Beer Company (Alton)
Openlands Lake Shore Preserve (Fort Sheridan)
Pease's Candy (Springfield)
Peck Farm (Geneva)
Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum (Chicago)
Pere Marquette State Park (Grafton)
Pinstripes (Northbrook, South Barrington, Oak Brook)
Raupp Museum (Buffalo Grove)
Red Oak Nature Center (Batavia)
Richardson Adventure Farm (Spring Grove)
Richardson Christmas Tree Farm (Spring Grove)
River Trail Nature Center (Northbrook)
Rock Cut State Park (Loves Park)

Rockford Art Museum
Rockford Museums
Royal Oak Farm (Harvard)
Royal Oak Farm Orchard updated (Harvard)

Shawnee National Forest
Skokie Lagoons (Wilmette)
Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park (Skokie)
Skydeck Chicago (Chicago)
Snowshoeing in the Chicago Suburbs
The Spice House (Chicago, Evanston, Geneva)
Spring Valley Nature Center-Snowshoeing (Schaumburg)
Stade's (McHenry)
Starved Rock (Utica)
Starved Rock in Spring (Utica)
St. James Farm (Winfield)
Suzette's Creperie (Wheaton)
Swedish American Museum (Chicago)

Sylvan Island (Moline)
Tea Harbor (Vernon Hills)
Tekakwitha Woods Forest Preserve (St. Charles)
The Field Museum (Chicago)
The Norwegian (Rockford)
The Wildbird Shack (Mt. Prospect)
Trailside Museum of Natural History (River Forest)
Twin Lakes (Palatine)
U.S. Grant Home (Galena)
Veteran Acres Woods (Crystal Lake)
Village Green (Northbrook)
Volo Auto Museum (Volo)
Volo Bog (Volo)
Wagner Farm (Glenview)
Waterfall Glen (Darien)
West Street Sculpture Park (Galena)
Wildlife Prairie Park (Hanna City) 
Willowbrook Wildlife Center (Glen Ellyn)
5 Unique Nature Destinations in Illinois

Indiana
Berries & Ivy and Homestead Primitives (Martinsville)
Falls of the Ohio (Indiana)
French Lick West Baden Museum
French Lick Resort 

Friendship Botanic Gardens
Hendricks County
Hendricks County Historical Museum (Danville)
Hoosier National Forest (French Lick)
Hot Blown Glass (Clayton in Hendricks County)
Holiday World and Splashin' Safari (Santa Claus)
Lake Rudolph Campground and RV Park (Santa Claus)
Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial (Lincoln City)
Martinsville Candy Kitchen (Martinsville)
Mayberry Cafe (Danville)
Mayberry in the Midwest (Danville)
McCloud Nature Park (North Salem, Hendricks County)
Morgan County
Perillo's Pizzeria (North Salem, Hendricks County)
The Rathskeller (Indianapolis)
Santa Claus
Shoreline Brewery (Michigan City)
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (Indianapolis)
South Bend Chocolate Factory
South Bend Chocolate Factory (Rest Areas)
Zydeco's (Mooresville)

Iowa
Antique Archaeology (Le Claire)
Bix Beiderbecke Museum (Davenport)
Channel Cat (East Davenport)

Devils Glen Park (Bettendorf)

Figge Art Museum (Davenport)
Isabel Bloom Studio and Tour (Davenport)
Fenelon Place Elevator (Dubuque)
Nahant Marsh (Davenport)
Putnam Museum (Davenport)

Wildcat Den State Park (Muscatine)

Kansas

Strawberry Hill Urban Hike (Kansas City)

Wyandotte County Lake Park (Kansas City)

Kentucky
Churchill Downs and Kentucky Derby Museum (Louisville)
Completely Kentucky (Frankfort)
Frazier History Museum (Louisville)
Henry's Ark (Prospect)
Louisville Eats and other finds
Mark's Feed Store (Louisville)
Mega Cavern (Louisville)
My Old Kentucky Home (Bardstown)
Raven Run Nature Sanctuary (Lexington)
Rebecca Ruth Candy Factory (Frankfort)
Seelbach Hilton Louisville
Frankfort
Louisville (overview)

Louisiana
Bienville House Hotel (New Orleans)
Destrehan Plantation (Destrehan)
English Tea Room (Covington)
Jean Lafitte National Park and Preserve (New Orleans & Louisiana)
New Orleans

Maine
Portland

Maryland
Annapolis
Cascade Falls in Patapsco Valley State Park
Chesapeake Heritage and Visitors Center (Kent Narrows)
Great Falls
Kent Island
Pickering Creek Audubon Center
Maryland State House
Reynold's Tavern (Annapolis)
William Paca House (Annapolis)

Massachusetts
Boston

Michigan
Chocolate Garden (Coloma)
Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park (Grand Rapids)
Froehlich's (Three Oaks)
G&M Variety (St. Joseph)
Galien River County Park (New Buffalo)
Grand Haven
Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids Art Musem (Grand Rapids)
Grand Rapids Eats
Grand Rapids Public Museum (Grand Rapids)
Grandpa's Cider Mill (Coloma)
Harbor Grand (New Buffalo)
Pleasant House (Three Oaks)

Jens Jensen Nature Preserve (Sawyer)
Journeyman Distillery (Three Oaks)
Magical Ice Fest (St. Joseph)
Magical Ice Fest 2013 (St. Joseph)
Marina Grand (New Buffalo)
New Buffalo Beach
Rosy Mound Natural Area (Grand Haven)
Seasons Harvest (Harbert)
Tree-Mendus (Eau Claire)
The Village Store (Three Oaks)
Warren Dunes 

Minnesota
Barn Bluff (Red Wing)
Como Park Zoo and Conservatory (St. Paul)
Duluth
Dresbach Welcome Center (La Crescent)
Foodie Finds in Roseville
Fort Snelling (St. Paul)
Gooseberry Falls State Park
Great Lakes Aquarium (Duluth)
Jay Cooke State Park (Carlton)
Made in Minnesota (Roseville - St. Paul - Minneapolis)
Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center (Duluth)
Mill Ruins Park (Minneapolis)
National Eagle Center (Wabasha)
Nickelodeon Universe (Bloomington)

Pipestone National Monument (Pipestone)
Red Wing Eats
Red Wing Shoe Store and Museum (Red Wing)
Roseville: A Family Weekend
The Russian Museum of Art (Minneapolis)
Stone Arch Bridge (Minneapolis)

Missouri

Cape Girardeau Mississippi River Trails Mural
Grant's Farm

Hawn State Park (Ste. Genevieve County)

Line Creek Trail (Kansas City)

Parkville Nature Sanctuary (Parkville)
St. Charles

Ste. Genevieve

Swope Park (Kansas City)

Nebraska

Heron Haven (Omaha)

Mount Vernon Gardens (Omaha)

Platte River State Park (Louisville)

New Jersey
Allaire State Park and Historic Village
Historic Smithville
Jersey Freeze

New York
Old Fort Niagara (Youngstown)

North Carolina
Battleship North Carolina (Wilmington)
Bellamy Mansion (Wilmington)
Cape Fear Museum (Wilmington)
The Golden Gallery (Wilmington)
Horse-drawn Carriage Tour (Wilmington)
Oak Island
Southport
Wilmington Railroad Museum (Wilmington)

Ohio

Berea Falls (Berea)

Cascade Park (Elyria)
Cleveland Botanical Gardens 
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium (Columbus)
Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens (Columbus)
German Village (Columbus)
German Village (Columbus -- second visit)
Hocking Hills State Park
Lanterman's Mill (Youngstown)

Magee Marsh Wildlife Area (Oak Grove)
Maumee Valley Chocolate and Candy (Maumee)

Ontario
Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto)

Oregon
Cannon Beach
Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge (Cape Meares)

Ecola State Park (Cannon Beach)
International Rose Test Garden (Portland)
Lan Su Chinese Garden (Portland)

Portland Area Waterfalls
Portland Foodie Finds

Tillamook Creamery
Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

Pennsylvania
Andy Warhol Museum (Pittsburgh)
The Artsmiths of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh)
Baldwin's Book Barn (West Chester)

Bartram's Garden (Philadelphia)

Black Rock Sanctuary (Phoenixville)
Bridges and Sculpture of Pittsburgh

Buttermilk Falls (Beaver Falls)
Carnegie Museum of Natural History (Pittsburgh)
Condado Tacos (Pittsburgh)
Duquesne Incline (Pittsburgh)

East Branch Brandywine Trail (West Chester)

Fall Run Park (Glenshaw)
Gettsyburg Military Park 
The Heinz History Center (Pittsburgh)
The Heinz History Center (Heinz Exhibit, Toy Exhibit and more in Pittsburgh)
Hersey's Chocolate World (Hershey)
Hopewell Furnace (Elverson)

Laurel Summit State Park (Allegheny Mountains)
Longwood Gardens (Kennett Square)

Neal Thorpe Trail (Phoenixville)
Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium
Pittsburgh Strip District
Primanti Brothers (Pittsburgh)

Ridley Creek State Park (Newton Square)
The National Aviary (Pittsburgh)
Valley Forge

Quebec
Et La Lumiére Fut (Notre Dame Basilica, Montréal)

Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Museum of Archaeology and History (Montréal)

South Carolina
Charleston (quick stop)

South Dakota

Falls Park (Sioux Falls)

Queen City Bakery (Sioux Falls)

Tennessee 
Gaylord Opryland Resort Gardens (Nashville)
The Hermitage (Nashville)

Vermont
Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory (Burlington)
Magic Hat Brewing Company (Burlington)
Waterbury

Virginia
Cedar Creek Battlefield and Belle Grove
Mount Vernon
Shenandoah Caverns
Shenandoah National Park
Winchester

Washington

Hotel Murano (Tacoma)
LeMay America's Car Museum (Tacoma)
Museum of Glass (Tacoma)
Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
Seattle
Tacoma Art Museum
Tacoma Eats
Tacoma for Families
Washington Capitol Campus (Olympia)

Wisconsin
American Science & Surplus (Milwaukee)
Apple Hut (Beloit)
Beloit
Beloit's Intriguing Local Eateries
Black Cat Alley (Milwaukee)
The Brewhouse Inn and Suites (Milwaukee)
Bodacious Shops of Block 42 (Janesville)
Bristol 45 Diner (Bristol)

Bristol Woods (Kenosha)
Burr Oak Winery (New Lisbon)
Chazen Museum of Art (Madison)
The Civil War Museum (Kenosha)
Colectivo (Milwaukee)
Dells Boat Tours (Wisconsin Dells)
Devil's Lake State Park (Baraboo)
Dirty Bear Soap (Beloit)
Discovery World Science and Technology Center (Milwaukee)
Double B Farm Country Store and Cafe (Beloit)
Get Behind the Arts (Kenosha and Racine)
Grant Park (South Milwaukee)

Hemlock Curve Nature Trail (Peshtigo)
HH Bennett Studio (Wisconsin Dells)
Janesville
Kenosha
Kenosha Public Museum (Kenosha)
Kishwauketoe Trail (Williams Bay)
Kohler-Andrae State Park (Sheboygan)
Lakefront Brewery (Milwaukee)
Lion's Den Gorge (Grafton)
Little House Wayside (Pepin)
Little Pond Lodge Cabins (New Lisbon)
Mader's (Milwaukee)
Mill Bluff (Camp Douglas)
Milwaukee Public Museum 

Mirror Lake State Park (Baraboo)
The Mitchell Park Conservatory (The Domes) (Milwaukee)
National Mustard Museum (Middleton)

Natureland Park (Whitewater)
Parson's Indian Trading Post & Museum (Wisconsin Dells)

Period Park (Madison)
Old World Wisconsin (Eagle)
Pinkie the Elephant (DeForest)
Racine
Racine Art Museum
Rotary Botanical Gardens (Janesville)
Schlitz Audubon Nature Center (Milwaukee)

Seagull Bar State Natural Site (Marinette)
Skelly's Farm Market (Janesville)
Sprecher Brewing Tour (Glendale)
Swiss Maid Fudge (Wisconsin Dells)
The Safe House (Milwaukee)
Third Ward (Milwaukee)
Walker's Point (Milwaukee)

Wequiock Falls (Green Bay)
Williams Bay Beach (Williams Bay)
Willow River State Park (Hudson)
Wind Point Lighthouse (Racine)
Wisconsin Cranberry Discovery Center (Warrens)
Wisconsin Deer Park (Wisconsin Dells)

Washington, DC

National Mall
National Museum of American History
Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
Washington DC Night Tour (Old Town Trolleys)

Midwest Explorations
Favorite Hiking Trails of the Midwest
Favorite Hiking Trails of the Midwest Part 2
Favorite Midwest City Views
Midwest Beaches