Featuring city breaks, small coastal harbor towns, outstanding natural parks and the occasional wineries and breweries, here are our 20 best road trips from Chicago ordered from closest to furthest away - make sure to read further down for more epic road trip itineraries! Oglesby and its neighbor Utica lie nestled into a curve of the Vermilion River and is perfect for exploring some of the best outdoors in Illinois. St Julian Winery or Lemon Creek are great to visit and well located just off the interstate. If you're looking for unique and often hand-made gifts for family and friends, you'll find plenty of choice here. Combined with St Paul, the two merged metro areas are known as the Twin Cities and are one of the largest in the Midwest. ETA: 10+ hours with couple of short breaks. You can also snowshoe, tube or skate if you want a break from the slopes. Plus the views from the vineyard are sublime! You can even ride across the river on the Chain Ferry, one of the last remaining in America. 4 hours 30 minutes from Chicago (300 miles). Bonus: These days you usually need to take a ferry across from Manhattan to Staten Island, but back in 1780 the entire harbour froze so hard that it was possible to walk all the way across the river. Although a lot of people will travel to Wisconsin Dells for the waterparks, don't forget to go on a tour down the Wisconsin River gorge. This makes for one of the best road trips from Chicago. As well as being beautiful, the crowds that flock to Niagara Falls are slightly less during winter. The Louisville Muhammad Ali Center and the Frazier History Museum will keep you busy! For a more magical festive feel, head to Frederick Meijer Sculpture Gardens. Things to do on Kauai include exploring the Waimea Canyon, Kkee State Park, Na Pali Coast and the Kalalau Trail. Then, check out the Christmas Village or the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market. Then, join I-80 and follow it around the south of Cleveland before switching onto I-76 and continuing southeast past Pittsburgh. How to get there: Follow I-90 out of Chicago then merge onto US-41 at the southern tip of Lake Michigan and continue south past Terre Haute and Vincennes. From here, follow I-196 further around the lake shore. Here you will find a great white sand beach and stroll along the boardwalk, watch local boats go by or explore the shops along the docks. A Little History. In Milwaukee, switch onto I-43 and continue north, before leaving the interstate just after Saukville. 6 hours 30 minutes from Chicago (430 miles). As well as the festive markets that take place across the city, where you can admire beautiful decorations and gifts or enjoy some fabulous food and drink, you can take in a carol concert at the National Cathedral. Everything here is about cheese. Afterwards, take some time to admire the cathedral's architecture - and see if you can spot the Darth Vader gargoyle. Of course, there are two sides to every story, and a few miles from Mount Rushmore you can visit the Crazy Horse Memorial. So if you are already in Chicago then you should explore these 12 best road trips from Chicago. Through the rest of the season, winter sports fans will love to ski at Wilmot Mountain, a popular ski resort with over 20 ski runs suitable for a wide range of abilities. Best for: Family fun or a romantic rendezvous. With art, culture, caf patios and waterfront dining, Toledo is a great short trip if you want a change of scene from Chicago. Why you should visit: As its name suggests, Granite Peak is a fabulous and long-established ski destination with some top-class runs and luxurious resort choices. While both parks are not as large as some, there is plenty to explore with trails going through canyons and some amazing rock formations. High season is considered to be June and July. So if time allows on your trip, you might like to tour a brewery or two or try some of the locally produced beers. Back in town you'll get beautiful winter views over icy Lake Michigan. Muskegon Farmers Market operates indoors on Saturdays through the winter so you can warm up and stock up on some fabulous local produce. This is a trip that will show off the best of what Lake Michigan has to offer - a complete circle of the lake, heading to Mackinac Island on the opposite corner before making the return trip. From mid-January you can see parades and events starting up, then the main event, Mardi Gras, starts on Shrove Tuesday and carries on for two weeks. " There's also an "Amethyst Room," whirlpools infused with jasmine and weirdly good organic fried chicken. 5 hours 40 minutes from Chicago (350 miles). The local Fermentorium brewery has some 24 different beers on tap - not too shabby for a local place! Once a month the district comes to life with live music and guided tours, plus the chance to taste local wine. You can see Cinderella's Castle made even more magical at Walt Disney World, or visit EPCOT's International Festival of the Holidays to take a whistle-stop tour around the world's traditions. The hip city has a lot of things to see and experience. There are 4 large waterpark resorts (Kalahari, Great Wolf, Chula Vista and the Wilderness) and around 20 in total with more being constructed. If there's one reason to visit Milwaukee, it is to see for yourself what the beer capital of the United States really looks like! 2 hours 30 minutes from Chicago (147 miles). You have a few to choose from, including the outdoor Downtown DC Holiday Market, the Swedish Christmas Bazaar in Georgetown, and the Heurich House Museum Christkindlmarkt. 15 hours 10 minutes from Chicago (960 miles). (Getty Images) Known as . The track is open to kids as young as 8 so bring the whole family and see if any of them catch the sliding bug. Best Travel Destinations Within Driving Distance of Chicago - Essence Whether you're looking for a rural, lake or city getaway, here are a few ideas all within 6 hours of driving distance. Thanks These will carry you up to a quarter of a mile across the resort's valleys, giving you a bird's eye view of your stunning surroundings. Sitting on Lake Michigan with the Great Lakes and a number of states within easy reach, there is every reason to get in the car and explore the surrounding areas of Chicago whether you are looking for a day trip, a weekend out or a longer adventure. 2 hours 40 minutes from Chicago (150 miles) Why you should visit: Wisconsin's state capital has all the cultural and foodie delights that you'd expect in a big city, with added snow that opens up a whole range of other activities to enjoy. Next, pick up I-40 which winds through a section of the Appalachian Mountains on its way to your destination, Asheville. For those who want to go on a longer road, trip, the options above may not quite cut it so here are some longer routes that you might like the sound of: By joining our email list, you give LazyTrips permission to use your email for sending you newsletters, emails and updates including for marketing purposes. Bonus: The capital hosts a fabulous Lunar New Year Parade in January or February depending on when the new year begins. If you're having issues using the site, please enable JavaScript and refresh your browser. The temperatures surpassed the 136-year-old . Located right by Lake Ontario, you can enjoy frosty views out across the water, then head back into the city to indulge yourself in some culture or plain old festive cheer. Then, shortly after crossing the Wisconsin River, turn onto I-39 and follow it north to Granite Peak Ski Area. Distance from Chicago: 150 miles north, 2.5-hour drive This charming little hideaway about 30 minutes west of Sheboygan is often overlooked but shouldn't be. Further afield, the city is packed full of other shopping districts, including the West Village, Bleeker Street, Union Square and the Meatpacking District to name just a few. PC . This idyllic shoreline in Michigan's southwestern corner stretches from the Indiana border to the town of Sawyer. As well as all the holiday attractions and the chance to see some of the world-famous monuments beautifully surrounded by snow, the crowds at the city's museums are likely to be quieter during the winter. With no cars on the island and a super relaxed vibe, you can take strolls, visit lighthouses and hike to see the Arch Rock on the east side of the island. Go snowshoeing at Quit Qui Oc golf course or ice skate at June Vollrath Park. If you have time to head out of town, make your way to Tampa to see Christmas Town at Busch Gardens. Featuring city breaks, small coastal harbor towns, outstanding natural parks and the occasional wineries and breweries, here are our 20 best road trips from Chicago ordered from closest to furthest away - make sure to read further down for more epic road trip itineraries! Millions of years of geologic changes are reflected at the Garden of the Gods in These change year on year, but in the past have included things like silent disco, outdoor musical performances, and storytelling to mark Native American traditions or Chinese New Year. There are a lot of activities for children - special rides and a petting zoo so bring the family and enjoy a great weekend out of the city! San Diego San Diego boasts 260 sunny days a year, miles of rugged beachside and barking seals. The village represents a historic view of Dutch settlements and you can even visit a wooden clog (shoe) making factory. Our travel tips: Don't go to DC expecting reliable snowfall daytime temperatures are milder than the more northern destinations (in the mid-40 degrees Fahrenheit and above), though it still gets pretty cold at night, and snow is likely but not guaranteed in January and February. Whether you want to enjoy the winter weather or escape from it, a winter road trip from Chicago can mean hitting the slopes at a ski resort, viewing iconic landmarks, taking a festive shopping trip or relaxing in the winter sun in the Southern states. At night, you can see the falls lit up in spectacular illuminations as part of the Winter Festival of Lights. Our travel tips: Book in advance if you're visiting Winterfest, as the town gets really busy. Hemlock Hideaway Campground. From here, turn onto Route 31 which takes you on to Muskegon. Saugatuck, which sits at the center of the state's Art Coast, has been voted the Midwest's Best Beach Town, and its gently sloping sandy beach is the perfect place to spend an afternoon. Our highlights: From Thanksgiving onwards, enjoy a Reveillon Dinner a local tradition which now sees restaurants across the city offering seasonal Creole-inspired food all through December. Hike along Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes National Seashore on your next weekend getaway from Chicago. If you're able to visit mid-week, you'll probably find the slopes are quieter. It's not all about the outdoors though. From jazz to soul, St Louis has been one of the most prominent musical cities in the US - Tina Turner and Scott Joplin started their careers here among others. There's another dozen smaller lakes dotted around which breaks up the city into smaller neighborhoods and adds a lot of character. With large distances to cover, some of the early pioneers of flight lived and worked in this part of the country and you can also find out about the former Air Force base where the museum is located. Grand Rapids is the second largest city in Michigan after Detroit and has gained notoriety for its cool vibe and hipster feel over the recent years. You'll finally turn off the interstate at Rapid City, joining US-16 for the last few miles of your drive to Mount Rushmore. Louisville is best known as the host of the Kentucky Derby - the famous horse race takes place on the first Saturday in May and has run since 1875. For something a little different, visit Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum to see a large collection of planes, including many vintage models. Kentucky might only provide about a twenty-degree warm-up, but during the super cold times, those twenty degrees can feel like heaven.
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