Then, join I-80 and follow it around the south of Cleveland before switching onto I-76 and continuing southeast past Pittsburgh. NOTL is also a really charming little town, and while you're here you might like to take a horse-drawn carriage ride through its historic streets - a wonderfully atmospheric way to travel through the snow-covered streets. Join I-90 E to head out of Chicago then merge onto I-94 to continue to follow the shore of Lake Michigan. The whole town gets decked out in style for the holidays. Sept. 2, 2022, at 12:30 p.m. 24 Top Weekend Getaways From Chicago. Our travel tips: Check ahead for dates of candle-lit snowshoe trails across the city. 10 hours 10 minutes from Chicago (660 miles). 25 Best Road Trips From Chicago - LazyTrips Although there's the regular rush hour traffic that might slow you down a little, the city doesn't experience significant congestion. Back outdoors, visit DC's largest outdoor ice rink at Washington Harbour, for views out across the waterfront, or see the Holiday Boat Parade, which includes fireworks and live music as well as festively decorated boats parading down the Potomac River. There are only 3 other Luge tracks in the whole of the United States, so if you've always fancied trying out this exhilarating sport, this is probably your best chance. The city's popular Longwood Gardens is transformed with amazing lights and live music, so it makes a great place to spend some time after the sun goes down (which happens early in winter!). First is the village of New Glarus. Several of the hotels in town have excellent in-house spas, so you can treat yourself to some relaxation time during your trip. You might consider day trips from Chicago to Milwaukee on the train. Follow this road all the way across Illinois to Davenport, where you'll cross over the Mississippi River which forms the border between Illinois and Iowa. Home to the huge Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee is better known for having a huge selection of seriously good micro-breweries and small beer manufacturers. The City of Lakes is a bustling hub of activity - 6 of the Fortune 500 companies are headquartered here and it's known as a major cultural and arts center. The capitol building and a few great museums are definitely worth seeing - the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art and the Chazen Art Museum both have huge collections spanning different styles and time periods. 809 Civic Center Dr., Niles; 847-972-2540 or kingspa.com. Take a carriage ride through Central Park, which is even more magical when there's snow on the ground. If you're in Philadelphia towards the end of the holiday season, you'll be able to watch the Mummers' Parade on New Year's Day. 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. Expect congestion on the Blue Ridge Parkway, especially if you visit at weekends. Kentucky is only about seven hours from Chicago. Our highlights: Just outside the city at Cascade Mountain and Devils Head Resort you'll find some exhilarating downhill skiing as well as snowtubing and sledding. To help you make the most of this great drive, we've set out the best routes and places to stop . 605 S. Prospect St., Galena IL, 800-717-2317. The Anheuser-Busch Brewery and Biergarten are the home of Budweiser but there are loads of small local breweries where you will get a more authentic experience. Our travel tips: Equipment can be rented at this resort but arrive early on weekends or holidays as it's first come, first served. A quick road trip from Chicago to Milwaukee will take you north along the I-94 to the point where three separate rivers (Milwaukee, Menomonee and the Kinnickinnic) merge and flow into Lake Michigan. From here, follow I-196 further around the lake shore. Just before Cleveland, merge onto I-80 and follow this all the way across Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey before crossing into Manhattan via George Washington Bridge. The same road takes you right across Indiana and Ohio then along the whole length of Lake Erie, before you finally turn onto NY-5 through Buffalo around 5 miles before you reach your destination. So, without further ado, here's what I would recommend for the Chicagoans ready to take on the road and create life-long Spring Road Trip memories with family and friends. 4 hours 30 minutes from Chicago (300 miles). (Disney Enterprises . Ride down the Kalamazoo River on a paddle steamer, explore the lakeshore and river in a kayak, or charter a yacht. It's also a great place to enjoy fabulous snow-based activities - the temperature usually sits around freezing and the area experiences heavy snowfall, so conditions are perfect. You must try the Glarner Stube restaurant in town. 2 hours 45 minutes from Chicago (186 miles). To make the most of it, though, you really should consider stopping the night and exploring the local beer scene. You can easily visit for a day or stay the night to see more of the local sights and museums. The interstate carries on across Nebraska and then splits just as you approach the northeast corner of Colorado. 12 Short & Long Road Trips From Chicago | Budget Car Rental This park is illuminated with amazing twinkling lights all through the holiday period and is a really popular local attraction. If you are looking for cheap weekend getaways from Chicago, this is a good place to stay. 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. St Julian Winery or Lemon Creek are great to visit and well located just off the interstate. Leave time to explore. also, you have the option of taking the ss badger car ferry across Lake Michigan to avoid traffic around the bottom of the Lake and to add an The best thing about Grand Rapids, however, is the food and the drink. 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. For a more magical festive feel, head to Frederick Meijer Sculpture Gardens. It took 14 years to complete the huge memorial sculpture at Mount Rushmore. You can even ride across the river on the Chain Ferry, one of the last remaining in America. If you're not planning a trip until after Christmas, you'll be able to visit the Toronto Light Festival, when fabulous installations brighten up the city through the cold winter nights. I don't want to go to the Wisconsin Dells like every year but something different, fun, good places to visit, similar to New York. Our travel tips: You don't have to have your own equipment to enjoy skating, snowshoeing or skiing it's available to rent at many of the attractions. Then, soon after crossing the Mississippi River, change onto I-55 and follow it south. As with everywhere in Wisconsin, the food and drink scene takes center stage. Best Warm Weather Destinations For Winter - CBS Chicago 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. There's a real art to making Icewine and the conditions have to be just right to freeze the grapes for long enough on the vine. After passing New Baltimore and Everett, change onto I-70 and continue on through the Appalachians before joining I-270 at Frederick and following it right into the center of Washington DC. After Hopkinsville, join I-24 and follow it through Nashville to Chattanooga where you'll switch onto I-75 which runs all the way to Florida. It's also a popular LGBTQ destination. 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. If your time is limited, take your sled and enjoy a free downhill ride at one of the several hilly public parks in the city. Our travel tips: This is a really popular ski area, and lift passes can sell out during the busiest periods. After around 250 miles of driving you'll cross the Maumee River then turn off onto I-75 heading towards downtown Toledo. 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. The detour will add around two and a half hours so bake that into your planning and consider stops along the way. If you're visiting later in the season, check out Winter Restaurant Week. (866) 399-3866. www.grizzlyjacksresort.com. The 2,470-mile road trip from Chicago to San Francisco takes 38 hours to drive. Bonus: As well as being known for its winter sports, Grand Rapids is famous for its many craft breweries - in fact, it's been given the title of Beer City USA! There are plenty of places to stop and a lot of parks and trails if you want to get out of the car. 10 Best Road Trips From Chicago - Trips To Discover Take I-290 W from Chicago's downtown, which leads you out onto I-88. Everything here is about cheese. You can easily visit Milwaukee for a day and see the beautiful architecture and the Harley-Davidson Museum where you can learn about the infamous motorcycle brand's history and have a go on a scarily realistic simulator. Originally a very rural part of Michigan with a few small towns and their corresponding harbors on the lake, the area has grown into a popular tourist destination. Towns like New Buffalo, St. Joseph, Benton Harbor, Holland, Saugatuck and Grand Haven provide pristine beaches, great shopping, lakeside restaurants and front-row view of sunsets over Lake Michigan. Once you get to halfway point, you should spend a day or longer on Mackinac Island. How to get there: Follow the interstate east out of Chicago and then continue north, keeping Lake Michigan on your left. If that gets your creative juices flowing it's also possible to take a one-day art workshop or a longer summer school in the city. Amtrak has an overnight train (The City of New Orleans) to New Orleans where the weather will be warm. So, sit back, relax, and learn all you need to know in planning a road . Check ahead to find details of live performances and special events that are taking place. The classic town of Ann Arbor is a great stop on your way - this university town has classic architecture, art galleries and great small coffee shops for you to relax or grab some lunch. Our travel tips: Although temperatures are at or below freezing through most of the winter, you're not always guaranteed snow in Toronto, so be prepared that you might miss out on the insta-perfect images of this particular winter road trip. The laid-back, pretense-free. Galleries, restaurants and local businesses come together to bring some warmth and cheer to the new year, with a legendary chilli cook-off, Soup-A-Thon and ice sculptures dotted around town. Outside of the downtown Fennville, you'll find rolling fields and orchards that are both pretty and make some great food. Then, follow WI-57 towards Plymouth, from where you'll pick up WI-67 to Elkhart Lake. You can enjoy spending time outside, take a walk along the river, or just relax in one of Savannah's beautiful squares - the polar opposite of a Chicago winter. The 830-mile road trip from Chicago to Washington DC will take you around 14 hours to drive non-stop. 5 Winter Road Trip Ideas to Warmer Destinations - Auto Lab 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. But is it worth a daytrip to an obscure Chicago suburb? 1 hour 30 minutes from Chicago (93 miles). Once you arrive at Mount Rushmore, you can also spend time exploring the stunning Black Hills and surrounding area. Back in town you'll get beautiful winter views over icy Lake Michigan. If you're visiting at other times during the winter, there's still plenty to do in Elkhart Lake. 2 hours 50 minutes from Chicago (180 miles). The main attraction is the carved cliff face featuring four Presidents of the United States. The local skiing may be limited, but there is a lot to see and do around Lake Geneva. Some travellers prefer to make this journey on a longer route via the I-90, heading south near Mount Rushmore to reach Denver. So if time allows on your trip, you might like to tour a brewery or two or try some of the locally produced beers. 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. There's another dozen smaller lakes dotted around which breaks up the city into smaller neighborhoods and adds a lot of character. Where's the warmest, sunniest place in Chicago during the winter months? A lot of these are built indoors so you can enjoy a weekend swimming, relaxing and going down crazy slides when everything outside is frozen! 2 hours 20 minutes from Chicago (140 miles).