Midwest & More Road Trip Discussion (Pre-departure)

[HostDave]

OK, let's get this thread started and hope this trip actually gets off the ground!

All I know for semi-sure is that the road trip part will start in Chicago in the Spring.

[pinfu]

The road trip part? Other than flying to Chicago, will there be other parts?? Are you going to Roswell?

Pinfu

[HostDave]

There will be other parts if things work out. I know I considered Roswell, but I don't remember now if I included it in this trip or not. Could be! I have a southwest trip in mind also, so it might have been saved for that one. I had just started looking for "attractions" along the way when we left for the desert trip, but the general route is laid out, subject to many revisions, of course.

[Marybeth]

Oh good. AS I've said before I love your road trips.

[FeAudrey]

I live in Chicago, and can offer endless attractions advice.

How long a trip are you thinking of? Your previous road trips have taken three or four weeks to cover maybe half the distance of a Chicago-to-San Diego itinerary.

[HostDave]

It will be +/- 30 days. I expect to stay in Chicago for four nights, so any advice is welcome. At this point, we're planning to stay at the Hilton Homewood Suites. So where are you taking us for dinner ?

[FeAudrey]

It will be +/- 30 days.

A cross-country sprint, by your standards.

I expect to stay in Chicago for four nights, so any advice is welcome.

Chicago is one of the world's leading cities for architecture. If that interests you, there are walking tours, building visits, and guidebooks galore. The river/lake boat tours don't start until around May 1st.

The "Big Three" of museums are the Art Institute, Field Museum of Natural History, and Museum of Science and Industry. The last is the one you are least likely to see anything like anywhere this side of Munich's Deutsches Museum:

http://www.msichicago.org/

Heading downstate, especially along the Mississippi River, you'll run into Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, native American sites, and of course the river itself.

At this point, we're planning to stay at the Hilton Homewood Suites.

The one on Grand Avenue? It's downtown-ish, but a bit north of the Loop (and across the Chicago River). So it will take a corresponding bit longer to get to some of what their webpage describes as "the infamous* Chicago attractions". It's a couple of blocks to an "L" stop (actually a subway at that point).

So where are you taking us for dinner ?

The classic Chicago dining experience is a neighborhood ethnic joint. In my neighborhood -- name your continent!


* same crowd as thinks that "pentultimate" is further than "ultimate"

[HostDave]

My software says it is 28 days and 2,800+ miles, but I'm sure I'll tack on a couple more days in there somewhere. None are single night stays, at least two or three days each. We're only limited by the amount of time we can stay away from home without some sort of disaster taking place. This time it was the exploded water main...at least that happened at the very end and not where we couldn't have made it home if need be.

Yes, the hotel is at Grand and N Wabash, but nothing is set yet, just looking for the best way to use my 200,000 HHonors points. We'll probably pick up the car at the Hilton across from Grant Park, so might end up staying there instead (or at one of the million or so other choices in the city.)

I do enjoy architecture, so I'm sure something we see will include that. We're not big museum fans usually, but if there is something unusual or must-see about one we'll give it a shot.

You're on track about the Lincoln sites...the planned second stop is Springfield.

The only ethnic food I'm not in love with is Indian, so other than that anything goes!

[FeAudrey]

... the hotel is at Grand and N Wabash ... the Hilton across from Grant Park ...

You might also consider the (historic!) Palmer House Hilton, in the middle of the Loop and just off a major restoration/renovation.

I do enjoy architecture, so I'm sure something we see will include that ...

A look at the list of tours offered by the Chicago Architecture Foundation will give you an idea of how much there is to choose from:

http://caf.architecture.org/page.aspx?pid=592

Ira Bach's Chicago on Foot was long the standard for self-guided walking tours, but the last revision was 1994 (it outlived both Bach and his successor editor). There are at least half-a-dozen other general books, plus many specialty books, including Lost Chicago, a guide to places that aren't there any more.

You're on track about the Lincoln sites...the planned second stop is Springfield.

The Chicago Historical Society (now calling itself the Chicago History Museum, but the new name has not yet propagated itself widely) has a large Lincoln section.

(They also have a gay history gallery, "Out in Chicago").

The museum is at the south end of (woo-hoo!) Lincoln Park. Go north, and you will be in a classic urban park, with gardens, sports fields, a zoo, a conservatory, monuments, and so forth.

[FeAudrey]

The Mayor has just announced that Chicago will host the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates April 23-25:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/loca ... rint.story

Plan according to your tastes.

If any kind of Nobel laureates will do, University of Chicago has 'em up the wazoo in economics and all the science and medicine categories, all year 'round.