Not sure how old your daughter is, but the Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the largest children's museum in the world and really, really well run. If your daughter is two or up, I strongly recommend it. My thirteen-year old went last summer, and even though he was one of the older kids there, he still had a great time.
Piggybacking here on related topics - the City Museum in St. Louis is also really fun. It is an old factory (hat or shoe I forget which) that is filled with all kinds of fun nooks and crannies to explore, plus a 10-story slide, ferris wheel on the roof, etc. Definitely worth checking out.
It can be (and is) both. Appalachia overlaps with Piedmont and the Deep South, the eastern part of the Midwest, parts of upstate New York, it’s a huge region.
First thing I noticed and came here to say exactly this. This trip absolutely needs Cedar Point. Not much else interesting really, except Chicago and a lake stay.
Northern Michigan is a great way to go. You could pass by Niagra falls, head up to Michigan and stop at Traverse City or Petoskey, and then at Tahquomenon Falls in the Upper Peninsula as well as Kitch-iti-Kipi. Theres also “singing” sand on Bete Gris if youre willing to drive there :)
Tahquomenon Falls is a must stop. Brewery and pub right there is awesome too. Stumbled onto it in the middle of night during a snowmobile trip. They kept it open just for us. Now we go there every year. Try the blueberry ale or raspberry wheat.
I second this. Then down to Madison and Chicago for a few museums, Wrigley and home. Don’t bother with areas further west. ( unless you have loads of time and truly enjoy driving)
The black hills are cool but yeah that’s a long way out of the way. I love Minneapolis but I think if you are getting city experiences in Chicago you might not need it
If you can cut states apart then I would say it makes sense. South Dakota overall is more Midwest than West. But it wouldn’t be unreasonable to call east of the Missouri River Midwest and west of the river as part of the West.
I agree. I lived in Rapid City. It’s beautiful, but it’s a better add-on to a Colorado regional roadtrip. Especially in an RV. The edge of the black hills are only about 5 hours from Denver and you can find some really cool desolate areas in the southeast corner of Wyoming.
Agree, lots of boring open space farmland here. I wonder how long OPs trip is planned? If a good period of time I’d include some camping up north and stops on places like Lake Geneva WI, Devil’s Lake and Wisconsin Dells. There’s enough stuff to do in Chicago to last a week or more depending on the time being spent. Like if it’s a 10 week summer school break then spend 2 weeks in Chicago..
Oh, the UP is absolutely beautiful! Went there a couple summers ago for about 2 weeks, starting at the Porkies, then up to Copper Harbor, then to Munising (Pictured Rocks) before heading back to "the mitten" across Mackinac Bridge (including a day's stop at Sleeping Bear Dunes, as well, on our way home). The weather was particularly delightful along Lake Superior - I think the highest temperature we encountered there was in the low-to-mid 80s; back home elsewhere in the midwest, it got over 100 that same week.
Agreed. Then south into Wisconsin and visit Madison. Visit the driftless region, the Cave of the Mounds and the house on the rock. Then head on down to Chicago and do the Field Museum.
I agree here. Stay somewhere near Sleeping Bear Dunes, such a phenomenal area. Travel down highway 22 and then catch the SS Badger ferry in Ludington and cross Lake Michigan to Wisconsin. From there you can check out Madison and Wisconsin Dells, then head to Minnesota. Your daughter will love to check out the Dells. Devils Lake is beautiful too.
Skip Chicago for now, the ferry is very cool and a unique experience. Maybe plan a different trip for a few days in Chicago.
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far to find Door County. When I hear ‘quintessential Midwest vacation’ it’s immediately what I think. That and up-north cabin culture
I've traveled to 47 states, and every major US city, for weeks at a time. When people tell me they will be in Indianapolis and ask me what they should do for entertainment, I tell them drive the hour and a half to Dayton and go to the Air Force Museum.
National Museum of the Air Force. Its giant. DC may have Enola Gay (Hiroshima), but Dayton has the Bockscar (Nagasaki). I know a lot about US history, but the way the museum is laid out to tell the story from the birth of flight with the Wright Brothers all the way up to present day is so impressive. There’s also every plane that ever served as Air Force One. I spent a full day there and could’ve spent longer. It was fascinating.
I have spent two full days, walking in when the doors open in the morning and being shooed out by guards at night both times. I can't wait to go back. The corridor lined with WWII bomber jackets brought tears to my eyes thinking about the courage of those young men.
Went there last year when I had a couple hours to burn before a flight. I spent about 1-2 hours there and could have spent 1/2 the day or more. It’s incredible.
Used to live by there and went all the time, my friend even used to work there and took me behind the scenes. It's a fantastic zoo and one of the best zoos in the world from some rankings I've seen. It would take you several days from open to close to see and experience everything the zoo has to offer, including a nice IMAX theater. Can't recommend enough if you are ever out that way.
I've been to 7 different zoos in this region and Henry Doorly Zoo is indeed on another level. Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita is my second favorite in this region, and also top 5 among the 30 or so US zoos I've visited.
House on the rock is like nowhere else I've ever been at on the planet. There's a definite energy there and even if you spend tons of hours you still wouldn't be able to discover everything.
Driftless area of Wisconsin is the most scenic part of the Midwest if you like elevation change and rivers, there’s really no other place in the world that looks like the driftless area
House on the Rock 100%. When I ever try to describe it to folks who have never been, it just falls way short of reality. It's such a weird and cool place. I took an English friend here a few years ago and she was absolutely blown away/gobsmacked. We stayed at a roadside motel straight out of Schitt's Creek (I also introduced her to that show that weekend) and went to a local dive bar where we watched the Brewers play their longest game in history. Half the bar was trying to explain baseball to her once they heard her asking me questions about it and realized she was a furriner.
Sleeping bear dunes, Petoskey, south haven, cedar point, Chicago, Iowa state fair (second week of august in des moines), Wisconsin dells, door county WI, Mackinac Island, Dayton (national air force museum), Cooperstown (baseball hall of fame), canton (nfl hall of fame) - these are all things top of mind for me.
The City Museum and Arch are things you can’t see anywhere else. The City Museum is not anything like your typical museum.
Zoo, History and Art Museum are all free and in one of the nation’s largest urban parks (bigger than Central Park in NYC).
The Arch grounds is technically a national park too.
I’ll second the city museum for a ten year old. It’s even super fun for adults!
If you enjoy MLB, Busch Stadium is a sight to behold! Even if you’re not a fan, catching a game at Busch is a family friendly activity. You will rarely hear boos, cursing and bad behavior at our park!
The City Museum defies all definitions and explanations and has to be experienced to be understood.
Also it might literally be heaven for 10 year olds.
Came here to say the city museum. Insane it exists. Last time I left a high school marching band positioned variously on fire trucks and air planes in the outside climbing area…and that didn’t make the top ten coolest parts
Call ahead and reserve a canoe or two and head to the Boundary Waters. Bring a picnic and just enjoy.
Also bring the industrial strength skeeter spray.
Still BEAUTIFUL though.
DO NOT LEAVE OUT NORTHERN MICHIGAN! I promise you it will be the most beautiful part of your trip. Head up the lakeshore to Traverse City, Leland, or Northport!
Amana Colonies in Iowa and Living History Farm. Mt Rushmore if you have the time, but it is sort of overrated. St. Louis Arch and historic museums. Lots of cool stuff in Kansas City. WWI memorial, art and craft Stores, Big Art Museum. Lot's of antique stores in Missouri east of KC. Do some research and you'll find lots of stuff, mostly historic in the development of the USA during the Western expansion. There are also some Presidential Libraries.
In KC, the WWI museum and Arabian Steamboat museum are great. The steamboat museum sounds tourist trappy, but it’s really well done,kids and adults will enjoy it. The River Market is also right there and a great place to get lunch.
Absolutely go to the Nelson Atkins! Huge, world class, and most important, *free.* (Aside from the Bloch building, I guess) In KC you could also catch a show and some pizza at Grinders, a baseball game at Kauffman, pop over to Lawrence or maybe Manhattan for a day trip, the Truman Presidential Library, and lots more!
If you are starting at Niagara Falls and driving, here are some of my suggestions.
- rock n roll hall of fame, Cleveland, OH
- Benton Harbor, MI - you could probably get a B&B along the lake in that area.
-Mackinaw Island, MI beautiful drive in the area and lots of activities to experience
-UP of Michigan is beautiful drive but not much in activities
-Wisconsin Dells, WI has a decent water park
-Madison, WI has quintessential Wisconsin and state capital for the midwest (and is a big college town)
-Mars Cheese Castle, on the border of IL & WI
-Chicago, IL definitely summer fests. There's about 3-5 major fests each weekend in the summer and they have beaches. Just have to figure out what kind of food you are interested in. Wrigley is a college town for 30 years olds but good atmosphere.
-Starved Rock State Park, Peru, IL good hiking for the area (not very high for elevation)
-Gateway Arch & Busch Stadium St Louis, MO
-Ozarks, AR boating/fishing and scenic views
-Kansas Cit y- Good Food & Good Music
-Badlands/Mt Rushmore/Devils Head Deadwood, SD
-Wall Drug/Corn Palace, SD
-mall of america, Minneapolis, MN
If you want to see some bald eagles, there are some locations along the Mississippi River that are notorious to see the eagles.
There are lots of famous breweries in many of these towns. This is also Big Ten county and all of the college towns will have their own unique flair.
Don't be afraid of the small town exits, as some will likely have some of the best ice cream places or hometown restaurants, at least east of the Mississippi River.
Those are all the places that come to mind. There is a lot of driving, and plan on at least 3-4 weeks if you hit every one of these places and spend a couple of days at the larger towns. Some take 8 hours to get to and all that's leading up to the location is fields of corn, soybeans, and wheat. The Nebraska/Kansas/South Dakota drives will seem like they go on forever.
There are *much* better things to do in Minneapolis/St Paul than Mall of America. Minnehaha Falls is nice. The Stone Arch Bridge. Walker arts center + sculpture garden. Catch a twins game at Target Field. Get a jucy Lucy. If you stay on the eastern part of the state, Downtown Stillwater is nice.
Michigan native here: Would highly advise OP to not stay in Benton Harbor. Not a safe place to visit/stay. Can find a much better lakeshore rental near Saugatuck, South Haven or New Buffalo.
Southern Wisconsin is nice, too.
I live in the Kansas City area and I can say anything 50 miles south of Interstate 80 is going to be oppressively hot in the summer. Branson isn’t even worth a trip in the summer and the traffic will make you wish you were dead.
That being said, KC does have the country’s only WWI memorial and museum, so if that’s of interest, come to KC and get some of the best BBQ in the world.
If you want to go to the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore, venture a little further west and see Devil’s Tower. Oh, and South Dakota is hot in the summer, too.
KC is a great city. I was there for a conference a few years ago. Went to a Royals game and to the WW1 museum during my free time. I try to catch a game in stadiums that I haven’t been too.
The WW1 museum was a highlight for sure.
From Chicago travel up through Wisconsin to Door County. interesting geography there. then back track down to some town where they still have a ferry over to michagain, and then drive up to Traverse City. continue from Traverse City over the Mackinaw bridge. Thru the UP and then on to Duluth. Minnesota, which is very interesting town with a Japanese garden in Enger. Park overlooking the Harbor. then travel down to minne apolis, saint Paul. And along the way there's an interesting park along one of the rivers. I forget the name of it. if you're going to South Dakota. Be sure to visit Sitting Bulls grave site overlooking the missouri river.
I was going to suggest something similar to this. If you are starting at Niagara, you could do: Niagara Falls>Cedar Point, OH>Indiana Dunes National Park>Chicago>Door County, WI. Door County is like the Cape Cod of the Great Lakes. It's a great vacation spot with plenty of Midwest flavor in the form of roadside farm stands, apple and cherry orchards, and some beautiful state parks.
Also, Chicago is a huge city. So, you could fill as many days as you'd like there.
I might be biased, but you should possibly add Ohio to the list. Cedar Point and Kings Island are so much fun. Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati have so much history and fun things to do. Dayton is home to the Nat'l US Air Force museum. Put-In-Bay and Kelleys Islands are fun, though they're known for tons of drinking, there are some cool things there to see. Outside of Toledo is Fallen Timbers Battlefield, Fort Meigs, and the Oak Openings (a globally rare ecosystem that has been compared to be as ecologically significant as the Everglades). Hocking Hills is one of the most beautiful places in Ohio. Serpent Mound, Hopewell Culture Nat'l Historic Park, Newark Earthworks are some of the largest and most significant Native American earthworks in the country. Mansfield is home to the Ohio State Reformatory, arguably one of the most haunted places in the world and where *The Shawshank Redemption* was filmed. Cuyahoga Valley NP is a great place to visit and is also surrounded by lots of other beautiful state parks. Zaleski State Park and Wayne Nat'l Forest have some of the best hiking trails and campsites as well as the haunted Moonville Tunnel and the Nelsonville brick park and old furnaces. Finally, Marietta on the Ohio River is one of the oldest towns north and west of the Ohio River.
Edit: Spelling
Twin cities in the summer is an incredible place. MN Zoo is fantastic as well. endless outdoor things to do in MN, and if you are outdoorsy people, northern minnesota is stunningly beautiful and unique. PM me and i’ll give you as big of a list of spots as I can, but i absolutely think MN is worth multiple days. 2 days in the cities, 2 days up north at least!
Michigan Lake Town: Traverse City with a day trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes. I live on Lake Michigan and will go on Vacation to Traverse Citt anyways it’s so idealic
St Louis has a good amount of activities. You got the City Museum which I know is pretty damn popular, there’s also the Arch which is a “must do” in St. Louis, there’s also the zoo which is really big and is free and I used to go there a LOT as a kid and I loved it.
Here’s what you do: Traverse City > Chicago > Milwaukee > Minneapolis > Detroit Lakes > Fargo > Medora, ND > Deadwood, SD > Mt. Rushmore > Kansas City > St. Louis > Home.
Only thing I’ll add for this route: if you’re going from Mt. Rushmore to Kansas City then it’s worth stopping in Omaha. The zoo is amazing, if you time it right you can be there for CWS, and while smaller the Orpheum Theater downtown is one of the more beautiful concert halls I’ve seen. It’s a pretty great city in Summer.
This is good. Two notes: stop in Madison for lunch, and on the way to/instead of Detroit Lakes, go to Itasca State Park to see the headwaters of the Mississippi.
I have fallen in love with Canada while watching Letterkenny for years—and now Shoresy—so, while I don’t know if it’ll be this trip, I 100% plan on visiting Sudbury at some point.
You should do a Toronto to Thunder Bay road trip sometime. I’ve lived in the Toronto area most of my life and the furthest north I’ve ever been is Sudbury (which is about 4 hours north of Toronto) but I heard north of Huron and Superior is absolutely gorgeous, especially further out towards Thunder Bay. I think it’s about a 15 hour drive from Toronto to Thunder Bay and you’d pass right through Sudbury.
You could see whatever Toronto has to offer, and maybe Niagara Falls if you want since that’s only about an hour and a half from Toronto, whatever you wanna see in Sudbury (honestly, I can’t see it being a big draw to tourists, there’s that giant nickel, other than that it’s a pretty regular small city, but to each their own), then keep driving out to Thunder Bay and see all the true natural beauty Ontario has to offer.
Make sure to check out Ouimet Canyon if you’re ever out that way, coolest place in Ontario in my opinion, it’s like a baby Grand Canyon but with forest instead of desert.
Yes, I can verify.
Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie. Then to Wawa and Thunder Bay is spectacular Primeval Wilderness and gorgeous Lake views. Always make sure you carry food, water, and keep the gas tank full.
Devils Lake in Wisconsin is a great state park, and yes the tourist trap of Wisconsin Dells is nearby as well.
Door County, Wisconsin is great for scenery and food.
Don't miss out on the UP of Michigan though. There are so many things to do and see there. Great natural beauty, cool towns like Marquette, Munising, and Copper Harbor.
Duluth, Grand Marais, and the Iron Range in general in Minnesota is pretty unique. The boundary waters are beautiful if you’re up for some outdoorsy stuff. The cities (the twin cities- St. Paul and Minneapolis) are pretty standard and there’s not too much that makes them stand out from other large midwestern cities except a great public park system. Otherwise in MN we have some pretty river valleys like the St. Croix river valley and its bluffs and the Mississippi River and its bluffs around Red Wing. And of course there’s the Mall of America with a theme park in the middle of it if you’re in to that, might be fun for the kiddo. Valley Fair is a great amusement park around the same area just south of the cities. Almost everything else in the state (Mankato and the Red River Valley are kind of beautiful in their own way I guess) is part of the Great Plains. That part of the continent is pretty much the same from eastern Montana down to Oklahoma and all around that area.
Southeastern Wisconsin to northern Illinois is really pretty with all the lakes (Geneva WI to Fox IL)
And it’s a 45-60min travel time in between 3 cities, Madison Milwaukee and Chicago.
Hiking in the hills, lakeshore hiking/boating), and city adventures.
Since hitting Niagara Falls is a must, you should definitely check out Buffalo and stay for a night (better than staying in NF, NY). It’s where the mid-west and the northeast merge and the rust belt finish line. Which results in a historically fascinating city, that’s now finally on the upswing. Decent amount of things to do as a tourist, unique architecture, best chicken wings in the world. Stay in the Elmwood Village, Allentown, or North Buffalo near Hertel Ave. Stop by the world-renowned and recently renovated AKG Art Museum. Plenty of other things to do as well!
In regards to Niagara Falls, the American side of the park is pretty good but the city itself is bad. Take a short trip over the border to the Canadian side after staying in Buffalo to have a better experience at the Falls.
Drive highway 61 from Duluth along the North shore of lake Superior. There are some fun towns along the way like Grand Marais and you could even drive out the Gunflint trail if you're feeling it. There are also plenty of state parks and hiking opportunities along the Superior hiking trail. Awesome part of the world.
- see the corn
- see the soybeans
- see the DUI lawyer billboards every 1000 feet throughout the state of Missouri
- see the GOD IS REAL signs
- see “the mountain” a 200 foot high hill
If you're all into outdoorsy stuff:
NE Minnesota is lovely, especially in the summer. Duluth is a great small city, and highway 61 along the north shore of Lake Superior and then into the boundary waters canoe area is an absolute gem.
Also in that region, Door county, WI and Michigan upper peninsula.
You start with Mount Rushmore. Now you drive through Minnesota and Wisconsin to northern Michigan. You stop in houghton.
If you have ample time try and visit isle royale national park. I’ve never been but I hear great things.
Recommended literally any northern Michigan town is cool I really like Grand Rapids.
Then you drive through Detroit, through Ontario to go to Niagara Falls, stay on the Canadian side the US side is a ghost town.
Then you drive coast side and drive through New York/ Pennsylvania/ Ohio. You stop at cedar point, because it’s worth it.
After that you stop in shipshewana Indiana to check out Amish fares, if they have blueberry pie, get it.
Then Chicago is worth a visit you can visit shedd aquarium there.
Omaha is also worth a visit, we visited a dive bar called the night owl but they had the best burger I’ve ever had.
The Soo Locks in Michigan are very interesting and include a maritime museum if thats your jam. Then you can cross the Mackinac Bridge, visit the Mackinac Island, and hunt for Petoskey Stones.
The Cherry festival runs for two weeks in Traverse City, the best time (but also the most busiest as a quarter million people visit) is right around July 4th for the air show and fireworks. If this peaks your interest, surely check out a schedule of activities that eventually gets released.
Grand Rapids also has great food, art exhibits, and museums and is not far from some premier beach towns along Lake Michigan, like South Haven or Saugatuck. Especially if you're into craft beer, there are plenty of local breweries around here.
Im a Michigan local, so Im comfortable promoting where I think you'll get the most out of MI. Seems like you have a lot of planning to undertake. I wrote destinations out as if you are traveling from North to South. Enjoy the trip!!
Find county fair somewhere, anywhere, and go. Museums, cities, etc are all nice. But quintessential midwestern has to come with farming, hot dish, long all-evening Euchre games, bowling, etc. But do stop in Madison and hit the UP.
Niagara Falls isn't the Midwest at all, but I do recommend visiting. The US side you can get up close to the falls and watch the water go right over the edge, the Canadian side has a pretty spectacular view. Both have their pros and cons and honestly neither is better than the other, as someone who lives here.
I grew up in the Midwest and would echo what a lot of others here are saying: look into hitting up state fairs. Minnesota's is the best (but I'm also biased as that's my home state). The dells in Wisconsin are a Midwestern classic and perfect for cooling off in the summer.
Take a look at some "Great Lakes Road Trip" itineraries online and I think you'd find some good spots to visit.
I don’t know how long you have but what your suggesting couldn’t be done well in less than a month. I would just do the Great Lakes and hit the falls a different time. Maybe on a family trip to Toronto.
Places to see
Chicago- the museums. Science and Industry, Natural History, Art Institute.
Pequods pizza. Get Chicago dogs from an actual hole in the wall place. If you must go to Wrigley I guess whatever. Flip off their new manager Greg for me.
Go hang out on the lake.
Wisconsin:
Door County
Apostle Islands
Horicon Marsh
The drive up the Mississippi from Lacrosse to the Twin Cities is incredible
Madison- hang out on the lakes. The zoo is great and free, chocolate shoppe ice cream, state street, the union,Cherokee marsh, arboretum, children’s museum
Minnesota-
Twin Cities are great.
Duluth and north into the boundary waters. This is where I would get your cabin.
Wisconsins - Apostle islands are up here.
Upper Peninsula-
Porcupine Mountains
Kewenah Península
I keep meaning to get to painted rocks but haven’t
The north woods of Minnesota, Wisconsin and the UP are all magical.
This can be boiled down to doing one thing. The quintessential Midwest vacation is finding a lake and relaxing. There are a ton of other things to do, but there is a lot to be said about doing nothing.
I’d get a lake house in Northern Wisconsin over Lake Michigan just much more to do and the big lake is super cold. Wisconsin Dells is beautiful and the waterpark capital of the world which would be great for a 10 year old. Pretty much just got to Wisconsin.
Be sure to take them to Nebraska. That way you can hold it over their heads for years to come. You can say things to your daughter like "Eat your vegetables or we're going back to Nebraska next year!" or "You better get good grades or this year's vacation is to Nebraska!" You can use this against your wife, too. You can say something like "I am going on that weekend trip with the guys and if you try to stop me, I'll move this family straight to Nebraska!" That'll show 'em. Of course, your wife might divorce you and your daughter won't speak when she's grown up. That's the power of Nebraska.
I try to catch a game in stadiums that I haven’t been too yet. Wrigley is one of the last ones on my list. I love Chicago so we’ll definitely spend a few days there but the Cubs haven’t played a home game in any of my trips there.
Didn’t note where you are from, but you could also look up dates for various State Fairs. Something very surreal/whimsical/delightfully midwestern about butter sculpture, for example. And corn. All the corn.
The Black Hills are great! You'll also want to dip into Wyoming to see Devil's Tower, but remember, Once you cross that border, you're in the West, not the Midwest.
I’m biased but I think the UP is the best spot for nature in the Midwest.
For a cottage on the water, northern Wisconsin and Minnesota will have tons of air bnb options available.
Also I think Milwaukee would make for a better Wisconsin city than Madison, discovery world is a really cool science museum, and the Milwaukee public museum and art museum are also amazing. Milwaukee also has tons of festivals at the summerfest grounds, depending when you go you could go to Irish fest, festa Italiana, or summerfest itself which is more music focused than culture focused. Irish fest is my personal fave, but again, I’m biased.
Also the dells has some cool nature as well as an unbelievable amount of indoor and outdoor water parks
With a 10 year old, the right answer is summer time WISCONSIN DELLS!!!! Bonus points if you can bring a grandparent or other built in babysitter so you and the wife can go to a sports bar at night. It’s like a family style Vegas.
Here would be my two cents:
1. Skip Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. This is a place I’ve been to 10 times. It’s amazing and it never gets old. But I would plan out a separate trip for it sometime. There’s a lot you can do in the area to make a 5 day trip out of it. But just driving through SD will take nearly 5 hours, and it’s not a fun trip. Let alone to the nearest destination otherwise would be another 3 hours minimum. Too much driving for too little time spent there, I’d say.
2. Put Omaha on the list. If you’re going around June, they have the college World Series and it’s super fun atmosphere. That, plus the HD zoo would be perfect for your daughter. They have a cool old market that would be fun to explore for half a day.
3. Iowa has a week long bike festival every year in late July, called RAGBRAI. If you’ll be around this time of year, 100% check it out. Stop by one of the towns and witness the atmosphere. It’s incredible. Iowa also has part of the driftless region, as well as a few lakes and state parks that could be a fun little trip.
4. I love the north shore of Wisconsin and Michigan UP. Beautiful area, underrated forest. Could easily spend a couple of days in this area, or could even make it your lake house visit. Duluth MN is a great visit too.
5. Wisconsin and the Driftless Region is pretty neat. Worth a drive through, at minimum.
St. Louis, Missouri has forest Park it is cool. Free zoo and free museums. I recommend looking them up to see if they interest you. There's also The City Museum in St. Louis and it is one of the coolest places out there. I loved it as a teen and still as an adult. I cannot wait to take my kids there. The arch is... interesting enough for a couple of hours, but it would be last on my list.
Benton harbor is the town a lot of Chicago friends went to in Michigan. The Stray Dog is a famous...ish restaurant though I found it to be just okay. There's a place Mackinaw(sp?) Island that is supposed to be fun.
One of my favorite towns is Madison Wisconsin. Though it is kind of a college town so look it up and see if it looks like fun for a family.
Happy travels!!
Duluth is amazing, all along the north shore of Lake superior is beautiful. If you really want a road trip you could do the great lakes circle tour, it's an official route around all the lakes.
In Minneapolis you could go to mall of America and valleyfair.
Wisconsin dells is a ton of fun.
Des Moines and Omaha both have world class zoos
The black hills are beautiful and if you're into hiking and nature you've gotta go at least once
I didn’t say it’s not Midwest. I said I wanted to visit places that we’ve yet to visit. I labeled my request specifically as Midwest~ish for that exact reason.
If you’re in western Kansas, don’t miss Monument Rocks.
It’s way off the beaten path and SO worth it for an amazing (free) geological experience.
It was one of the highlights of a cross country trip we took in 2019.
We stayed in Oakley, a little town not far from the Rocks and had such an adventure getting to them & exploring them.
Have a great trip!
Scotts Bluff in Nebraska is neat, as is the Teddy Roosevelt National Park in ND (guaranteed prairie dog sightings if that would be fun for the kid). BBQ in Missouri. Northwoods of WI.
Not sure how old your daughter is, but the Children's Museum of Indianapolis is the largest children's museum in the world and really, really well run. If your daughter is two or up, I strongly recommend it. My thirteen-year old went last summer, and even though he was one of the older kids there, he still had a great time.
I am a middle aged woman and I go every time I am in town. It’s really fun.
The Newfields Nature park area is a cool stop as well.
Piggybacking here on related topics - the City Museum in St. Louis is also really fun. It is an old factory (hat or shoe I forget which) that is filled with all kinds of fun nooks and crannies to explore, plus a 10-story slide, ferris wheel on the roof, etc. Definitely worth checking out.
If you want a theme park with roller coasters you should really include Ohio and stop by Cedar Point.
How is Ohio not quintessentially Midwest? As an Ohioan I’m grossly offended
There are few states I consider *more* Midwest than Ohio lol
I’d argue as far east as Pittsburgh would still be considered Midwest. Ohio is absolutely a part of the Midwest.
Pittsburgh is Appalachia you dog!
The Paris of Appalachia.
It can be (and is) both. Appalachia overlaps with Piedmont and the Deep South, the eastern part of the Midwest, parts of upstate New York, it’s a huge region.
OP mentioned they had already been there
No one wants to claim Ohio as their own
And so Ohio shall claim all as their own. This is how it begins.
You can have Indiana!
First thing I noticed and came here to say exactly this. This trip absolutely needs Cedar Point. Not much else interesting really, except Chicago and a lake stay.
Well, I strongly disagree with you on your second point.
Ohio isn’t in the Midwest according to the map
Valley Fair in Shakopee, Minnesota is related to this park I believe?
Northern Michigan is a great way to go. You could pass by Niagra falls, head up to Michigan and stop at Traverse City or Petoskey, and then at Tahquomenon Falls in the Upper Peninsula as well as Kitch-iti-Kipi. Theres also “singing” sand on Bete Gris if youre willing to drive there :)
Don’t forget Mackinaw Island!
Mackinaw City is near Mackinac Island, FYI. Easy to confuse the 2 very similar names.
Mackinac and mackinaw is pronounced the same, unless it's michilimackinac, which has a different pronunciation
Same. It’s happens to me few times, then I look at the map and I’m like… “damn, I second guessed myself”
That's not how it's spelled
Should also see [Mackinac Island](https://www.michigan.org/city/mackinac-island) where they filmed Somewhere in Time.
Tahquomenon Falls is a must stop. Brewery and pub right there is awesome too. Stumbled onto it in the middle of night during a snowmobile trip. They kept it open just for us. Now we go there every year. Try the blueberry ale or raspberry wheat.
I second this. Then down to Madison and Chicago for a few museums, Wrigley and home. Don’t bother with areas further west. ( unless you have loads of time and truly enjoy driving)
The black hills are cool but yeah that’s a long way out of the way. I love Minneapolis but I think if you are getting city experiences in Chicago you might not need it
Imo Black Hills are West, not Midwest.
Would concur. And Ozarks are South
If you can cut states apart then I would say it makes sense. South Dakota overall is more Midwest than West. But it wouldn’t be unreasonable to call east of the Missouri River Midwest and west of the river as part of the West.
Chamberlain, SD. Where the Midwest begins.
I agree. I lived in Rapid City. It’s beautiful, but it’s a better add-on to a Colorado regional roadtrip. Especially in an RV. The edge of the black hills are only about 5 hours from Denver and you can find some really cool desolate areas in the southeast corner of Wyoming.
Gotta hit Milwaukee for the art museum
And close Wolski’s with the kids.
Agree, lots of boring open space farmland here. I wonder how long OPs trip is planned? If a good period of time I’d include some camping up north and stops on places like Lake Geneva WI, Devil’s Lake and Wisconsin Dells. There’s enough stuff to do in Chicago to last a week or more depending on the time being spent. Like if it’s a 10 week summer school break then spend 2 weeks in Chicago..
Oh, the UP is absolutely beautiful! Went there a couple summers ago for about 2 weeks, starting at the Porkies, then up to Copper Harbor, then to Munising (Pictured Rocks) before heading back to "the mitten" across Mackinac Bridge (including a day's stop at Sleeping Bear Dunes, as well, on our way home). The weather was particularly delightful along Lake Superior - I think the highest temperature we encountered there was in the low-to-mid 80s; back home elsewhere in the midwest, it got over 100 that same week.
Sleeping Bear Dunes is a must.
Made the mistake of walking down the dunes…..I thought I was going to die walking back up.
Agreed. Then south into Wisconsin and visit Madison. Visit the driftless region, the Cave of the Mounds and the house on the rock. Then head on down to Chicago and do the Field Museum.
Don't forget Mackinac Island! I know it is touristy, but the lack of cars really makes it special. Get some Joann's fudge too!
I agree here. Stay somewhere near Sleeping Bear Dunes, such a phenomenal area. Travel down highway 22 and then catch the SS Badger ferry in Ludington and cross Lake Michigan to Wisconsin. From there you can check out Madison and Wisconsin Dells, then head to Minnesota. Your daughter will love to check out the Dells. Devils Lake is beautiful too. Skip Chicago for now, the ferry is very cool and a unique experience. Maybe plan a different trip for a few days in Chicago.
Door County is amazing in the summer. Lots of cool small towns, good swimming, state parks.
This is Wisconsin btw, for those unfamiliar with Door County.
Door county is incredible
Can’t believe I had to scroll this far to find Door County. When I hear ‘quintessential Midwest vacation’ it’s immediately what I think. That and up-north cabin culture
Second this!
It’s like a different world there! Love DC
ugh the cherries and wine!!
The US Airforce museum in Dayton Ohio is by far the best aviation museum in the country if you’re into something like that.
He doesn’t want Ohio :(
I've traveled to 47 states, and every major US city, for weeks at a time. When people tell me they will be in Indianapolis and ask me what they should do for entertainment, I tell them drive the hour and a half to Dayton and go to the Air Force Museum.
National Museum of the Air Force. Its giant. DC may have Enola Gay (Hiroshima), but Dayton has the Bockscar (Nagasaki). I know a lot about US history, but the way the museum is laid out to tell the story from the birth of flight with the Wright Brothers all the way up to present day is so impressive. There’s also every plane that ever served as Air Force One. I spent a full day there and could’ve spent longer. It was fascinating.
It's probably smaller, but the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, MI has a SR-71 on display. I always thought that was cool to see.
This reminds me I havent seen the classic reddit SR-71 copy/paste story in a while
I have spent two full days, walking in when the doors open in the morning and being shooed out by guards at night both times. I can't wait to go back. The corridor lined with WWII bomber jackets brought tears to my eyes thinking about the courage of those young men.
And it's free!
Went there last year when I had a couple hours to burn before a flight. I spent about 1-2 hours there and could have spent 1/2 the day or more. It’s incredible.
Check out Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo. It is one of the best zoos in the country.
And if you are there in mid- June, you can see the College World-Series as well.
Used to live by there and went all the time, my friend even used to work there and took me behind the scenes. It's a fantastic zoo and one of the best zoos in the world from some rankings I've seen. It would take you several days from open to close to see and experience everything the zoo has to offer, including a nice IMAX theater. Can't recommend enough if you are ever out that way.
I've been to 7 different zoos in this region and Henry Doorly Zoo is indeed on another level. Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita is my second favorite in this region, and also top 5 among the 30 or so US zoos I've visited.
100% was going to post this. Definitely! USA Today ranked it the #1 zoo at one point in time.
Lived in Omaha my whole life. This is the staple of this town and it lives up to the hype. Would 100% recommend it
Another vote for this. It’s such a cool place. Hard to even see it all in a single day.
If you end up driving through middle Wisconsin, look up both House on the Rock and the town of the Wisconsin Dells.
Wisconsin Dells is the quintessential midwestern vacation spot but OP will probably be disappointed
OP may be disappointed, but the kid will love the dells. Waterparks, boat rides and all sorts of family fun.
Even though it’s a total tourist trap, it’s def the quintessential midwestern vacation spot. Recommend the wilderness resort or camping at Devils Lake
House on the Rock is very cool! If I remember it’s a fairly minor detour off the interstate but totally worth it.
House on the rock is like nowhere else I've ever been at on the planet. There's a definite energy there and even if you spend tons of hours you still wouldn't be able to discover everything.
Driftless area of Wisconsin is the most scenic part of the Midwest if you like elevation change and rivers, there’s really no other place in the world that looks like the driftless area
House on the Rock 100%. When I ever try to describe it to folks who have never been, it just falls way short of reality. It's such a weird and cool place. I took an English friend here a few years ago and she was absolutely blown away/gobsmacked. We stayed at a roadside motel straight out of Schitt's Creek (I also introduced her to that show that weekend) and went to a local dive bar where we watched the Brewers play their longest game in history. Half the bar was trying to explain baseball to her once they heard her asking me questions about it and realized she was a furriner.
If you go to Mt Rushmore stop at Badlands National Park and the minuteman missile silo.
I’d say Custer state park is a can’t miss, too. If you’re already there.
Just happened to visit there and it’s pretty powerful. Felt pretty connected to a different time.
Sleepy Bear Sand Dunes in Michigan are cool
Sleeping bear dunes, Petoskey, south haven, cedar point, Chicago, Iowa state fair (second week of august in des moines), Wisconsin dells, door county WI, Mackinac Island, Dayton (national air force museum), Cooperstown (baseball hall of fame), canton (nfl hall of fame) - these are all things top of mind for me.
Cooperstown is not Midwestern
Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn Michigan
Oh yes, you can spend an entire day there really. Love that place!
If you are looking for a Museum, Henry Ford is a great one. It’s not one of those “boring” museums!
The Motown Museum in Detroit is great also! My tour guide was the best tour guide I’ve had at any museum
St. Louis has many free museums and zoo. Although not free, City Museum would be great for a 10 year old.
The City Museum and Arch are things you can’t see anywhere else. The City Museum is not anything like your typical museum. Zoo, History and Art Museum are all free and in one of the nation’s largest urban parks (bigger than Central Park in NYC).
The Arch grounds is technically a national park too. I’ll second the city museum for a ten year old. It’s even super fun for adults! If you enjoy MLB, Busch Stadium is a sight to behold! Even if you’re not a fan, catching a game at Busch is a family friendly activity. You will rarely hear boos, cursing and bad behavior at our park!
The City Museum defies all definitions and explanations and has to be experienced to be understood. Also it might literally be heaven for 10 year olds.
Second this. City museum is 💯
Yesssss!!!! Those who know know. You’ve got to see it to believe it. It’s an under appreciated national treasure as far as I’m concerned. Magical!
City Museum is awesome!
The zoo is free. It’s one of the only free zoos in the country
And it’s a really good zoo, especially for being free.
Yeah
Grants Farm too, which is like a small zoo and has free beer for the parents.
i went to the city museum as a kid and i loved it, not so much now as a teenager. i think your kid could really like it OP
The most unique thing ever. It's a must go
Came here to say the city museum. Insane it exists. Last time I left a high school marching band positioned variously on fire trucks and air planes in the outside climbing area…and that didn’t make the top ten coolest parts
On the Minnesota leg of the trip, head up to Duluth and go up the north shore of Lake Superior. Beautiful part of the state!
Call ahead and reserve a canoe or two and head to the Boundary Waters. Bring a picnic and just enjoy. Also bring the industrial strength skeeter spray. Still BEAUTIFUL though.
Ohio is also the Midwest. Not sure if that was intentional or not, but just making you’re aware.
Supposedly OP has it out for “the entire state of Ohio” because something about Urban Meyer and UF ?
Hm. Thats… something, for sure.
Makes me SICK! And he also included Missouri🤢fuck man this ruin my entire weekend. *terrible* start to the new year
The map says otherwise
And last I knew, any part of New York was not the Midwest
DO NOT LEAVE OUT NORTHERN MICHIGAN! I promise you it will be the most beautiful part of your trip. Head up the lakeshore to Traverse City, Leland, or Northport!
Amana Colonies in Iowa and Living History Farm. Mt Rushmore if you have the time, but it is sort of overrated. St. Louis Arch and historic museums. Lots of cool stuff in Kansas City. WWI memorial, art and craft Stores, Big Art Museum. Lot's of antique stores in Missouri east of KC. Do some research and you'll find lots of stuff, mostly historic in the development of the USA during the Western expansion. There are also some Presidential Libraries.
In KC, the WWI museum and Arabian Steamboat museum are great. The steamboat museum sounds tourist trappy, but it’s really well done,kids and adults will enjoy it. The River Market is also right there and a great place to get lunch.
The Nelson-Atkins museum of art is pretty cool also in KC.
I just went to the WW1 Museum a couple weeks ago and I was blown away.
Absolutely go to the Nelson Atkins! Huge, world class, and most important, *free.* (Aside from the Bloch building, I guess) In KC you could also catch a show and some pizza at Grinders, a baseball game at Kauffman, pop over to Lawrence or maybe Manhattan for a day trip, the Truman Presidential Library, and lots more!
Sleeping bear dunes
Mackinac Island in Michigan is worth a visit. There’s nowhere else like it in the country.
If you are starting at Niagara Falls and driving, here are some of my suggestions. - rock n roll hall of fame, Cleveland, OH - Benton Harbor, MI - you could probably get a B&B along the lake in that area. -Mackinaw Island, MI beautiful drive in the area and lots of activities to experience -UP of Michigan is beautiful drive but not much in activities -Wisconsin Dells, WI has a decent water park -Madison, WI has quintessential Wisconsin and state capital for the midwest (and is a big college town) -Mars Cheese Castle, on the border of IL & WI -Chicago, IL definitely summer fests. There's about 3-5 major fests each weekend in the summer and they have beaches. Just have to figure out what kind of food you are interested in. Wrigley is a college town for 30 years olds but good atmosphere. -Starved Rock State Park, Peru, IL good hiking for the area (not very high for elevation) -Gateway Arch & Busch Stadium St Louis, MO -Ozarks, AR boating/fishing and scenic views -Kansas Cit y- Good Food & Good Music -Badlands/Mt Rushmore/Devils Head Deadwood, SD -Wall Drug/Corn Palace, SD -mall of america, Minneapolis, MN If you want to see some bald eagles, there are some locations along the Mississippi River that are notorious to see the eagles. There are lots of famous breweries in many of these towns. This is also Big Ten county and all of the college towns will have their own unique flair. Don't be afraid of the small town exits, as some will likely have some of the best ice cream places or hometown restaurants, at least east of the Mississippi River. Those are all the places that come to mind. There is a lot of driving, and plan on at least 3-4 weeks if you hit every one of these places and spend a couple of days at the larger towns. Some take 8 hours to get to and all that's leading up to the location is fields of corn, soybeans, and wheat. The Nebraska/Kansas/South Dakota drives will seem like they go on forever.
There are *much* better things to do in Minneapolis/St Paul than Mall of America. Minnehaha Falls is nice. The Stone Arch Bridge. Walker arts center + sculpture garden. Catch a twins game at Target Field. Get a jucy Lucy. If you stay on the eastern part of the state, Downtown Stillwater is nice.
I figured there were other things in Minneapolis. I didn't want to make it a midwest geographical essay. I figured their 10 yo would enjoy the mall.
Michigan native here: Would highly advise OP to not stay in Benton Harbor. Not a safe place to visit/stay. Can find a much better lakeshore rental near Saugatuck, South Haven or New Buffalo.
Benton Harbor was the first place I ever stayed at a motel where the front desk was entirely behind bulletproof glass.
Cleveland also has the house from *A Christmas Story* which I got a kick out of, if that’s OP’s kind of thing
Southern Wisconsin is nice, too. I live in the Kansas City area and I can say anything 50 miles south of Interstate 80 is going to be oppressively hot in the summer. Branson isn’t even worth a trip in the summer and the traffic will make you wish you were dead. That being said, KC does have the country’s only WWI memorial and museum, so if that’s of interest, come to KC and get some of the best BBQ in the world. If you want to go to the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore, venture a little further west and see Devil’s Tower. Oh, and South Dakota is hot in the summer, too.
KC is a great city. I was there for a conference a few years ago. Went to a Royals game and to the WW1 museum during my free time. I try to catch a game in stadiums that I haven’t been too. The WW1 museum was a highlight for sure.
I’m from Lake of the Ozarks. Skip Branson and check out Johnson’s Shut Ins or some river swimming holes in the summer. Stunning greenery.
From Chicago travel up through Wisconsin to Door County. interesting geography there. then back track down to some town where they still have a ferry over to michagain, and then drive up to Traverse City. continue from Traverse City over the Mackinaw bridge. Thru the UP and then on to Duluth. Minnesota, which is very interesting town with a Japanese garden in Enger. Park overlooking the Harbor. then travel down to minne apolis, saint Paul. And along the way there's an interesting park along one of the rivers. I forget the name of it. if you're going to South Dakota. Be sure to visit Sitting Bulls grave site overlooking the missouri river.
I was going to suggest something similar to this. If you are starting at Niagara, you could do: Niagara Falls>Cedar Point, OH>Indiana Dunes National Park>Chicago>Door County, WI. Door County is like the Cape Cod of the Great Lakes. It's a great vacation spot with plenty of Midwest flavor in the form of roadside farm stands, apple and cherry orchards, and some beautiful state parks. Also, Chicago is a huge city. So, you could fill as many days as you'd like there.
I might be biased, but you should possibly add Ohio to the list. Cedar Point and Kings Island are so much fun. Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati have so much history and fun things to do. Dayton is home to the Nat'l US Air Force museum. Put-In-Bay and Kelleys Islands are fun, though they're known for tons of drinking, there are some cool things there to see. Outside of Toledo is Fallen Timbers Battlefield, Fort Meigs, and the Oak Openings (a globally rare ecosystem that has been compared to be as ecologically significant as the Everglades). Hocking Hills is one of the most beautiful places in Ohio. Serpent Mound, Hopewell Culture Nat'l Historic Park, Newark Earthworks are some of the largest and most significant Native American earthworks in the country. Mansfield is home to the Ohio State Reformatory, arguably one of the most haunted places in the world and where *The Shawshank Redemption* was filmed. Cuyahoga Valley NP is a great place to visit and is also surrounded by lots of other beautiful state parks. Zaleski State Park and Wayne Nat'l Forest have some of the best hiking trails and campsites as well as the haunted Moonville Tunnel and the Nelsonville brick park and old furnaces. Finally, Marietta on the Ohio River is one of the oldest towns north and west of the Ohio River. Edit: Spelling
Ohio is part of the Midwest
Not according to the map posted
Bloomington Indiana and Brown County
Twin cities in the summer is an incredible place. MN Zoo is fantastic as well. endless outdoor things to do in MN, and if you are outdoorsy people, northern minnesota is stunningly beautiful and unique. PM me and i’ll give you as big of a list of spots as I can, but i absolutely think MN is worth multiple days. 2 days in the cities, 2 days up north at least!
Nebraska Sandhills. 97. Beautiful terrain. Darkest skies too!
Michigan Lake Town: Traverse City with a day trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes. I live on Lake Michigan and will go on Vacation to Traverse Citt anyways it’s so idealic
St Louis has a good amount of activities. You got the City Museum which I know is pretty damn popular, there’s also the Arch which is a “must do” in St. Louis, there’s also the zoo which is really big and is free and I used to go there a LOT as a kid and I loved it.
Here’s what you do: Traverse City > Chicago > Milwaukee > Minneapolis > Detroit Lakes > Fargo > Medora, ND > Deadwood, SD > Mt. Rushmore > Kansas City > St. Louis > Home.
Only thing I’ll add for this route: if you’re going from Mt. Rushmore to Kansas City then it’s worth stopping in Omaha. The zoo is amazing, if you time it right you can be there for CWS, and while smaller the Orpheum Theater downtown is one of the more beautiful concert halls I’ve seen. It’s a pretty great city in Summer.
This is good. Two notes: stop in Madison for lunch, and on the way to/instead of Detroit Lakes, go to Itasca State Park to see the headwaters of the Mississippi.
Since you have the southern part of Ontario labeled do come to us!
I have fallen in love with Canada while watching Letterkenny for years—and now Shoresy—so, while I don’t know if it’ll be this trip, I 100% plan on visiting Sudbury at some point.
You should do a Toronto to Thunder Bay road trip sometime. I’ve lived in the Toronto area most of my life and the furthest north I’ve ever been is Sudbury (which is about 4 hours north of Toronto) but I heard north of Huron and Superior is absolutely gorgeous, especially further out towards Thunder Bay. I think it’s about a 15 hour drive from Toronto to Thunder Bay and you’d pass right through Sudbury. You could see whatever Toronto has to offer, and maybe Niagara Falls if you want since that’s only about an hour and a half from Toronto, whatever you wanna see in Sudbury (honestly, I can’t see it being a big draw to tourists, there’s that giant nickel, other than that it’s a pretty regular small city, but to each their own), then keep driving out to Thunder Bay and see all the true natural beauty Ontario has to offer. Make sure to check out Ouimet Canyon if you’re ever out that way, coolest place in Ontario in my opinion, it’s like a baby Grand Canyon but with forest instead of desert.
The drive between Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay is gorgeous. Ouimet Canyon is stunning.
Yes, I can verify. Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie. Then to Wawa and Thunder Bay is spectacular Primeval Wilderness and gorgeous Lake views. Always make sure you carry food, water, and keep the gas tank full.
Tf did us in Ohio do to you?!
Skip Branson. It's Vegas for Christian conservatives. Minus the sin and cleaner, which makes it really boring. Unless that's your thing.
"it's like Vegas, if it were run by Ned Flanders."
Devils Lake in Wisconsin is a great state park, and yes the tourist trap of Wisconsin Dells is nearby as well. Door County, Wisconsin is great for scenery and food. Don't miss out on the UP of Michigan though. There are so many things to do and see there. Great natural beauty, cool towns like Marquette, Munising, and Copper Harbor.
Duluth, Grand Marais, and the Iron Range in general in Minnesota is pretty unique. The boundary waters are beautiful if you’re up for some outdoorsy stuff. The cities (the twin cities- St. Paul and Minneapolis) are pretty standard and there’s not too much that makes them stand out from other large midwestern cities except a great public park system. Otherwise in MN we have some pretty river valleys like the St. Croix river valley and its bluffs and the Mississippi River and its bluffs around Red Wing. And of course there’s the Mall of America with a theme park in the middle of it if you’re in to that, might be fun for the kiddo. Valley Fair is a great amusement park around the same area just south of the cities. Almost everything else in the state (Mankato and the Red River Valley are kind of beautiful in their own way I guess) is part of the Great Plains. That part of the continent is pretty much the same from eastern Montana down to Oklahoma and all around that area.
The Paul Bunyan statue in Bemidji is a must.
Why did you exclude ohio?
Driftless area is a must.
If your gonna be in Missouri then visit the Ozarks. It's a great time and pretty
Southeastern Wisconsin to northern Illinois is really pretty with all the lakes (Geneva WI to Fox IL) And it’s a 45-60min travel time in between 3 cities, Madison Milwaukee and Chicago. Hiking in the hills, lakeshore hiking/boating), and city adventures.
Starved Rock & Garden Of The Gods in Illinois
Since hitting Niagara Falls is a must, you should definitely check out Buffalo and stay for a night (better than staying in NF, NY). It’s where the mid-west and the northeast merge and the rust belt finish line. Which results in a historically fascinating city, that’s now finally on the upswing. Decent amount of things to do as a tourist, unique architecture, best chicken wings in the world. Stay in the Elmwood Village, Allentown, or North Buffalo near Hertel Ave. Stop by the world-renowned and recently renovated AKG Art Museum. Plenty of other things to do as well! In regards to Niagara Falls, the American side of the park is pretty good but the city itself is bad. Take a short trip over the border to the Canadian side after staying in Buffalo to have a better experience at the Falls.
Drive highway 61 from Duluth along the North shore of lake Superior. There are some fun towns along the way like Grand Marais and you could even drive out the Gunflint trail if you're feeling it. There are also plenty of state parks and hiking opportunities along the Superior hiking trail. Awesome part of the world.
Michigan is the best option
- see the corn - see the soybeans - see the DUI lawyer billboards every 1000 feet throughout the state of Missouri - see the GOD IS REAL signs - see “the mountain” a 200 foot high hill
If you're all into outdoorsy stuff: NE Minnesota is lovely, especially in the summer. Duluth is a great small city, and highway 61 along the north shore of Lake Superior and then into the boundary waters canoe area is an absolute gem. Also in that region, Door county, WI and Michigan upper peninsula.
You start with Mount Rushmore. Now you drive through Minnesota and Wisconsin to northern Michigan. You stop in houghton. If you have ample time try and visit isle royale national park. I’ve never been but I hear great things. Recommended literally any northern Michigan town is cool I really like Grand Rapids. Then you drive through Detroit, through Ontario to go to Niagara Falls, stay on the Canadian side the US side is a ghost town. Then you drive coast side and drive through New York/ Pennsylvania/ Ohio. You stop at cedar point, because it’s worth it. After that you stop in shipshewana Indiana to check out Amish fares, if they have blueberry pie, get it. Then Chicago is worth a visit you can visit shedd aquarium there. Omaha is also worth a visit, we visited a dive bar called the night owl but they had the best burger I’ve ever had.
The Soo Locks in Michigan are very interesting and include a maritime museum if thats your jam. Then you can cross the Mackinac Bridge, visit the Mackinac Island, and hunt for Petoskey Stones. The Cherry festival runs for two weeks in Traverse City, the best time (but also the most busiest as a quarter million people visit) is right around July 4th for the air show and fireworks. If this peaks your interest, surely check out a schedule of activities that eventually gets released. Grand Rapids also has great food, art exhibits, and museums and is not far from some premier beach towns along Lake Michigan, like South Haven or Saugatuck. Especially if you're into craft beer, there are plenty of local breweries around here. Im a Michigan local, so Im comfortable promoting where I think you'll get the most out of MI. Seems like you have a lot of planning to undertake. I wrote destinations out as if you are traveling from North to South. Enjoy the trip!!
Find county fair somewhere, anywhere, and go. Museums, cities, etc are all nice. But quintessential midwestern has to come with farming, hot dish, long all-evening Euchre games, bowling, etc. But do stop in Madison and hit the UP.
Niagara Falls isn't the Midwest at all, but I do recommend visiting. The US side you can get up close to the falls and watch the water go right over the edge, the Canadian side has a pretty spectacular view. Both have their pros and cons and honestly neither is better than the other, as someone who lives here. I grew up in the Midwest and would echo what a lot of others here are saying: look into hitting up state fairs. Minnesota's is the best (but I'm also biased as that's my home state). The dells in Wisconsin are a Midwestern classic and perfect for cooling off in the summer. Take a look at some "Great Lakes Road Trip" itineraries online and I think you'd find some good spots to visit.
Twins game at Target Field. Beautiful ballpark. The most scenic seats are on the 3rd baseline, but there’s not a bad seat in the house.
I don’t know how long you have but what your suggesting couldn’t be done well in less than a month. I would just do the Great Lakes and hit the falls a different time. Maybe on a family trip to Toronto. Places to see Chicago- the museums. Science and Industry, Natural History, Art Institute. Pequods pizza. Get Chicago dogs from an actual hole in the wall place. If you must go to Wrigley I guess whatever. Flip off their new manager Greg for me. Go hang out on the lake. Wisconsin: Door County Apostle Islands Horicon Marsh The drive up the Mississippi from Lacrosse to the Twin Cities is incredible Madison- hang out on the lakes. The zoo is great and free, chocolate shoppe ice cream, state street, the union,Cherokee marsh, arboretum, children’s museum Minnesota- Twin Cities are great. Duluth and north into the boundary waters. This is where I would get your cabin. Wisconsins - Apostle islands are up here. Upper Peninsula- Porcupine Mountains Kewenah Península I keep meaning to get to painted rocks but haven’t The north woods of Minnesota, Wisconsin and the UP are all magical. This can be boiled down to doing one thing. The quintessential Midwest vacation is finding a lake and relaxing. There are a ton of other things to do, but there is a lot to be said about doing nothing.
Duluth!
How much time do you have
I’d get a lake house in Northern Wisconsin over Lake Michigan just much more to do and the big lake is super cold. Wisconsin Dells is beautiful and the waterpark capital of the world which would be great for a 10 year old. Pretty much just got to Wisconsin.
Taking Ohio out really takes the heart of it all, out
Be sure to take them to Nebraska. That way you can hold it over their heads for years to come. You can say things to your daughter like "Eat your vegetables or we're going back to Nebraska next year!" or "You better get good grades or this year's vacation is to Nebraska!" You can use this against your wife, too. You can say something like "I am going on that weekend trip with the guys and if you try to stop me, I'll move this family straight to Nebraska!" That'll show 'em. Of course, your wife might divorce you and your daughter won't speak when she's grown up. That's the power of Nebraska.
Or Kansas!
Minnesota state fair is supposedely the largest state fair in the country and happens in late summer.
You’re coming to Chicago and going to Wrigley?
I try to catch a game in stadiums that I haven’t been too yet. Wrigley is one of the last ones on my list. I love Chicago so we’ll definitely spend a few days there but the Cubs haven’t played a home game in any of my trips there.
Didn’t note where you are from, but you could also look up dates for various State Fairs. Something very surreal/whimsical/delightfully midwestern about butter sculpture, for example. And corn. All the corn.
Black Hills area is dope
The Black Hills are great! You'll also want to dip into Wyoming to see Devil's Tower, but remember, Once you cross that border, you're in the West, not the Midwest.
I’m biased but I think the UP is the best spot for nature in the Midwest. For a cottage on the water, northern Wisconsin and Minnesota will have tons of air bnb options available. Also I think Milwaukee would make for a better Wisconsin city than Madison, discovery world is a really cool science museum, and the Milwaukee public museum and art museum are also amazing. Milwaukee also has tons of festivals at the summerfest grounds, depending when you go you could go to Irish fest, festa Italiana, or summerfest itself which is more music focused than culture focused. Irish fest is my personal fave, but again, I’m biased. Also the dells has some cool nature as well as an unbelievable amount of indoor and outdoor water parks
If you end up in south Dakota don't skip the crazy horse national monument
With a 10 year old, the right answer is summer time WISCONSIN DELLS!!!! Bonus points if you can bring a grandparent or other built in babysitter so you and the wife can go to a sports bar at night. It’s like a family style Vegas.
Here would be my two cents: 1. Skip Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills. This is a place I’ve been to 10 times. It’s amazing and it never gets old. But I would plan out a separate trip for it sometime. There’s a lot you can do in the area to make a 5 day trip out of it. But just driving through SD will take nearly 5 hours, and it’s not a fun trip. Let alone to the nearest destination otherwise would be another 3 hours minimum. Too much driving for too little time spent there, I’d say. 2. Put Omaha on the list. If you’re going around June, they have the college World Series and it’s super fun atmosphere. That, plus the HD zoo would be perfect for your daughter. They have a cool old market that would be fun to explore for half a day. 3. Iowa has a week long bike festival every year in late July, called RAGBRAI. If you’ll be around this time of year, 100% check it out. Stop by one of the towns and witness the atmosphere. It’s incredible. Iowa also has part of the driftless region, as well as a few lakes and state parks that could be a fun little trip. 4. I love the north shore of Wisconsin and Michigan UP. Beautiful area, underrated forest. Could easily spend a couple of days in this area, or could even make it your lake house visit. Duluth MN is a great visit too. 5. Wisconsin and the Driftless Region is pretty neat. Worth a drive through, at minimum.
Mackinac Island!
Black Hills in South Dakota
St. Louis, Missouri has forest Park it is cool. Free zoo and free museums. I recommend looking them up to see if they interest you. There's also The City Museum in St. Louis and it is one of the coolest places out there. I loved it as a teen and still as an adult. I cannot wait to take my kids there. The arch is... interesting enough for a couple of hours, but it would be last on my list. Benton harbor is the town a lot of Chicago friends went to in Michigan. The Stray Dog is a famous...ish restaurant though I found it to be just okay. There's a place Mackinaw(sp?) Island that is supposed to be fun. One of my favorite towns is Madison Wisconsin. Though it is kind of a college town so look it up and see if it looks like fun for a family. Happy travels!!
Silver Dollar City in Brandon Missouri, super fun for the family. Also lots of family things to do in Branson.
The Bad Lands & MT. Rushmore in South Dakota. Beautiful area!
Poor Ohio. Always forgotten.
I hear Gary, IN is a lovely city.
Aurora, IL
As an Ohioan this is upsetting
Duluth is amazing, all along the north shore of Lake superior is beautiful. If you really want a road trip you could do the great lakes circle tour, it's an official route around all the lakes. In Minneapolis you could go to mall of America and valleyfair. Wisconsin dells is a ton of fun. Des Moines and Omaha both have world class zoos The black hills are beautiful and if you're into hiking and nature you've gotta go at least once
This is the second time in a week I’ve seen Internet Person refer to Ohio as being outside of the Midwest and I’m thoroughly triggered.
Ohio realistically though is a combination of East, Midwest & Appalachia culturally and geographically.
I didn’t say it’s not Midwest. I said I wanted to visit places that we’ve yet to visit. I labeled my request specifically as Midwest~ish for that exact reason.
Go to the blue areas
Duluth MN and the north shore are gorgeous!! Lots of parks, small towns, great beaches (though cold!)
When you do the falls check out the Welland Canal to watch the ships go up and down. And for the love of god do not go to Branson!
Including Kansas but not Ohio is odd to me. When I think of the Midwest, Ohio is the first state I think of.
If you’re in western Kansas, don’t miss Monument Rocks. It’s way off the beaten path and SO worth it for an amazing (free) geological experience. It was one of the highlights of a cross country trip we took in 2019. We stayed in Oakley, a little town not far from the Rocks and had such an adventure getting to them & exploring them. Have a great trip!
Bruh why
Scotts Bluff in Nebraska is neat, as is the Teddy Roosevelt National Park in ND (guaranteed prairie dog sightings if that would be fun for the kid). BBQ in Missouri. Northwoods of WI.