suggestions for a daytrip?

so, due to some work constraints, hubby and i won't be able to take a "real" vacation this summer, so we're thinking of taking a day trip or overnight trip somewhere. the only problem is, we have no idea where. so far a coworker suggested galena, and i was thinking maybe amish country somewhere. any other suggestions?

HI,

Illinois Attractions Hardly Anyone KNows About might be a good beginning.

The nearest Amish settlement is in Arthur, Illinois south of Champaign just west of I-55.

If you look on the Events board, there are reports on a trip to Indianapolis, which includes lots of information on places to eat.

Owensboro, KY is home of mutton BBQ, which is a day trip with an overnight included.

Regards,

Southwest Michigan is a nice area to consider. There are some decent restaurants and sites to visit. A search using Southwest Michigan on Beyond Chicago suggests these and other threads:

Searching for chow in Michigan City/New Buffalo area

Three Oaks, Mesa Luna

Southwest Michigan--that other side o' the lake--looong

I just got back this weekend from a one-night excursion to beautiful Dubuque, IA. It's just 13 miles past Galena and they've got a nice setup right on the Mighty Mississip. My brother in law took me to a nice place called Pepper Sprout where I was served a pretty good quail stuffed with goat cheese and artichoke hearts, and for lunch the next day would you believe they have a pretty-okay wood-fired pizza place?

Before we left I searched LTH for anything out that way and came across this, and it was my first case of LTHja-vu.

Pepper Sprout
378 Main St, Dubuque, 52001
(563) 556-2167
http://www.peppersprout.com/main.htm

One of the more obvious places is Lake Geneva. Could do either day only or one night. We went there frequently when I was a child, which I enjoyed, but I have to say that I find it more boring when I visit as an adult. Just kind of depends on what type of traveler you are. They do have a few nice restaurants and a really nice, long path along the lake itself that is great for a long walk, with views of some mighty large homes and mansions.

Personally, as an adult, I've enjoyed Door County. At least one night is probably required and two nights is ideal. For me, it's a nice combination of scenary, cuteness, and activities.

I've also been to Galena, however I found it a bit boring. They do have at least one nice resort if you're into golfing, but the town itself seemed to lack zip for me. Cute, but not too exciting, in my opinion.

I've only been through Wisconsin Dells, but I have adult friends who have seemed to enjoy visits there, and they don't have kids!

Lastly, I think Madison and Milwaukee are kind of interesting. I wouldn't take a long trip up there, but probably interesting enough for the time you are looking to fill.

The search function on this board should provide you with more info on many of these places.

I used to think you had to go somewhere else for a vacation but you can do more than you think right here in Chicagoland. Consider a canoe trip down the Chicago or the Des Plaines River followed by a great dinner at a GNR restaurant, or a cook out in the woods where you put out.

Stay at a swanky downtown hotel. Go to Six Flags theme / water park. Play at the casinos. Walk up and down Devon Ave / Chinatown / Pilsen / Kedzie & Lawrence / Broadway & Arglye, etc, and enter each place and sample what you choose. Hit a four star restaurant and let them select your meal. Walk down Michigan Avenue like a tourist. Get drunk at a bar you can walk home from and be sure to play the juke box. Go to a local park and watch a crazed game of Chicago style soft ball. Spend a Sunday morn at Maxwell Street. Try a house of worship other than your own.

-ramon

A few ideas if you are thinking of heading to Arthur, IL:

Arthur is the nearest Amish community located near Arcola about three hours south of Chicago. However, in terms of tourism, well, the place is not really exciting at all. If you decide to head in that direction, I would head down the weekend of August 25th-26th for the Arthur Mennonite Relief sale which is a two day auction. Proceeds from the sale help support the work of the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a cooperative relief and service agency located in Akron, Pennsylvania. MCC was started by Mennonites in 1920 to help alleviate the famine in Russia. Today it has numerous volunteers working in America and many countries around the world. Eighty percent of relief sale proceeds go to MCC. Twenty percent is distributed locally to help people in need.

I attend the sale occasionally as a source of homemade baked goods, noodles and to develop contacts with local craftsmen. It is a great source for handsewn quilts and handmade furniture.

http://www.prairienet.org/arthurreliefsale/


The following week is the Arthur Cheese Sale where the community distributes 600# of locally produced cheese ... free. Remember, since the Amish don't generally milk into refrigeration, their milk is Grade B and is generally converted into cheese. (For years, my father-in-law operated a dairy operation in Amish country in Ohio. His milk was Grade B as he was unwilling to pay for a milk carrier to ship his milk separate from the Amish farms in the area.)

http://www.arthurcheesefestival.com/


The third summer event in the area is the Douglas Co./Moultrie Co, Fair which will be held July 9-15th this year and generally has some decent entertainment for rural Illinois.

If you read the links that Cathy2 provides, you will see references to Rockome Gardens. That might have qualified as a really interesting place to visit - maybe 40 years ago. In my book, it is not worth making a special trip. In fact to be honest with you, I don't think that I would run down to Arthur unless I was going to visit one of the events noted above.
The area does not have the tourist attractions that you find in Lancaster co, PA, Holmes Co., OH or even some of the settlements around Elkhart, IN which are more developed.

Hope that helps some.

milic13, It might help if you gave a few indicators on what kind of vacations you usually like. Are you outdoorsy or do you prefer museums and shopping? Do you prefer tranquility and beauty or rugged adventure? Of course, you're interested in food or you wouldn't be posting here, but do your tastes lean more toward six courses with matching wines or something greasy from the roof of your car? Are you looking for peaceful privacy or hustling, bustling crowds?

The nearby getaways in this article cover most of the range, though it's rather dated -- the Clock Museum in Rockford has been disbanded, for example, and Box's Bar-B-Q is gone.

Wine country in Michigan can also be fun, and Milwaukee has many attractions, though, like Ramon, I often think the most interesting vacation destination near Chicago is Chicago.

I've just added to the thread about Champaign-Urbana, which is nice and quiet in the Summer, with plenty of good eats to be had. A side trip to Tuscola is worth the trip to see Flessor's.

It's a nice overnight trip, especially if you squeeze in a dinner at Bacaro.

Best,
Michael

LAZ wrote:milic13, It might help if you gave a few indicators on what kind of vacations you usually like. Are you outdoorsy or do you prefer museums and shopping? Do you prefer tranquility and beauty or rugged adventure? Of course, you're interested in food or you wouldn't be posting here, but do your tastes lean more toward six courses with matching wines or something greasy from the roof of your car? Are you looking for peaceful privacy or hustling, bustling crowds?

The nearby getaways in this article cover most of the range, though it's rather dated -- the Clock Museum in Rockford has been disbanded, for example, and Box's Bar-B-Q is gone.

Wine country in Michigan can also be fun, and Milwaukee has many attractions, though, like Ramon, I often think the most interesting vacation destination near Chicago is Chicago.

wow, thanks for all the suggestions guys! i have to get a move on with planning if we're going this weekend. here are the basics:

- we don't like spending a lot of money, so we try to do everything as cheap as possible
- most of our vacations (sadly) revolve a lot around food
- i'm vegetarian and pregnant, so no steakhouses or casinos for me (which sucks, cuz i would love to go hit some vegas restaurants right now)
- nothing TOO outdoorsy, since i can't do anything strenuous in my condition

we like going to new locations and discovering things and taking it easy, or going on nature paths and such. for example, we recently drove up to madison for the first time, and we did a cave tour, cheese factory tour, house on the rock, mustard museum, breweries, and other stuff.

like i said, thanks so much for all your ideas! now i just have research!

Try this:

http://travel.yahoo.com/trip?action=search

I came across this today. I'm typically heavy on travel planning research, and this looks to be a good place to do some of that research.

Not this weekend, but towards the end of July, consider going down to Calhoun County. Combine a park, some interesting Mississippian sites and the museum, a parish fair with turtle soup and ripe, ripe, juicy peaches. Inexpensive and quite satisfying. More info here: http://www.greatriverroad.com/index.html.

I also like New Harmony, Indiana, but that is going to be a little more pricey.

There actually is a lot to do in Illinois and nearby. One could almost pick a county, do a little homework and find things to do. We spent about 3 weeks driving around and exploring the state a few years ago (the kids were younger, etc.) and there were many, many delightful things. A weekend camping in Shawnee National Forest is another fun option, though it is a long drive, but a beautiful place. Garden of the Gods is spectac.

Spring Green is a nice outing to the north.

So many things. Personally, we are leaning toward the weekend in the city, plus our annual pilgirmage to Algoma, Wisc. But Calhoun County and New Harmony are always calling me back. Illinois peaches and turtle soup are hard to beat.

Also, I've generally found some helpful links and tips at http://www.enjoyillinois.com.

Hubbie and I went to Lake Geneva for a short, sweet getaway and we definitely recommend it! We lucked out on a beautiful vacation home on the grounds of the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa, just off of Hwy 50.

check out the villas available for rentals [simply beautiful!] - www.lakegenevavillas.com

while there, dont miss the Lake Geneva Pie Company, a short drive from the Resort - www.lgpie.com
Lake Geneva Pie Company
150 E Geneva Square
Lake Geneva, WI 53147
located in the Geneva Square shopping center N of downtown Lake Geneva off HWY 120...Also out the back entrance of the Grand Geneva Resort and Spa


Some restaurants we also ate at and recommend:
Popeyes, casual fine dining overlooking Lake Geneva. We loved the shrimp and brie appetizer and definitely try the lamb dishes - they were so tender and juicy!!
www.popeyesonlakegeneva.com
POPEYE'S
811 Wrigley Drive
Lake Geneva, WI 53147

SCUTTLEBUTTS has great breakfast, especially their swedish pancakes with ligonberries. Their sausage links were uncommonly good too! They are just next door to Popeyes and share the same parking lot.
SCUTTLEBUTTS
831 Wrigley Drive
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 53147-2005


If you do stay at the Grand Geneva Resort, we recommend you try out:
- the sunday bruch offered at the Geneva Chophouse
- Smokey's Bar-B-Que House at the Timber Lodge Resort, also on the same grounds
- the Grand Cafe - we liked the prime rib sandwich
Grand Geneva Resort and Spa
Grand Geneva Resort
7036 Grand Geneva Way at Highways 50 East and 12
Lake Geneva, WI 53147
http://www.grandgeneva.com/dining/dining.asp
** the BEST part of eating at the Grand Geneva dining spots is that you can get up to 25% off your total bill just as a guest staying at the Lake Geneva Villas. ** You can't beat that anywhere!

We have enjoyed trips to Green County Wisconsin, a little southwest of Madison. It's a very pretty area and home to a number of cheese producers who have outlet stores and tours of their facilities. Baumgartners tavern on the square in Monroe has great food but their specialty is Limburger cheese sandwiches! Also in this area is Mt. Horeb which is home to the Mustard Museum.

http://greencounty.org/

I second dicksond's suggestion of a trip to Calhoun County. We stay at the Lodge at Pere Marquette State Park now, although we have stayed at the Super 8 in Jerseyville. It's truly a gorgeous area, but not a tremendous amount of things to do except relax and eat. There are a couple of wineries in Grafton. If you eat fish, I recommend the Kampsville Inn in Kampsville for fried catfish. The 518 South Restaurant in Jerseyville is probably the fanciest restaurant in the area, and not that expensive for what they have. Grafton has a couple of restaurants as well, including O'Jan's where you can sit outside and watch the barges go down the river. There is also an antique show every month in Grafton down at the old boatworks, but I'm not sure what weekends it runs. We've found some interesting things down there. My mother-in-law grew up in Grafton and has family all over that area. We will probably go down in October for Old Settler's Days in Kampsville, which is great fun and lots of good food.

Suzy

We just got back from a family reunion held at the Lodge of Pere Marquette State Park. I thoroughly enjoyed the pulled pork (catered) and excellent thick pork chop (dine-in) at the Piasa Harbor Lounge just up the road from Grafton. This place is nuts - it's an all-in-one gas station, convenience store, restaurant (look hard, its in the very back of the convenience store), and yes - a gun shop upstairs. Note that my companions did not enjoy their meals quite so much, but all who tasted my pork chop agreed that it was the best one he/she had ever had.

Another quick dining option near PM is in Brussels, (Calhoun County)which is a quick (and free) ferry ride across the IL river. The Wittmond Hotel provides mediocre (at best) food in a nifty setting. The ride on the ferry, the drive through southern Calhoun County, and the old hotel are the selling points.

Elsa, IL, also just up the road from Grafton, is a lovely town built into the bluffs. Very picturesque, though again, the food I tried was mediocre at best. The one exception were the pies (and only the pies) at My Just Desserts in Elsa - delicious!

St. Louis is close for a little more action, but Pere Marquette was a lovely site for a family reunion, with a huge 'great room' that my ridiculously large family took over almost every night. The river, though very much a working river, is quite beautiful and the bluffs and landscapes at dusk are truly remarkable.

What about Starved Rock National Park at Utica, IL? The park has so many interesting hiking trails and history. It's only 2 hours away from Chicago by car at most and if you want, you could stay at one of the town's log cabins for the weekend. Real cute! There's also this pub in downtown Utica (which I forgot the name of) that serves pretty darn good corn dogs ($4 for two sizeable corn dogs).