Can it be done? Can one person drive straight through from Minnesota to Bowling Green, Kentucky in one day? It's nearly a 12-hour drive without any hiccups. That's a long drive. But I did it! That's exactly what I did when I took Peyton to Bowling Green, Kentucky over MEA break. We drove the whole way in one day. There were several stops along the way but we managed to do it in about 14 hours. And I even missed a turn in Illinois! That added about an hour onto our trip. Today, I'm going ...
Destinations
Escape to the Windy City for the Weekend
The Chicago area is one of our favorite destinations. It's only 5 hours from home and full of museums, zoos, attractions and more. It's the perfect change of scenery for the weekend. On our most recent trip, we stayed in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. It's just a short drive outside of Chicago, however, it's centrally located to the attractions and tollway making it the perfect choice for this trip. Our hotel of choice was the Country Inn and Suites in Elk Grove Village. Not only is it ...
Find Comfort at the Country Inn and Suites
On our recent trip to the Chicago area, we chose to stay at the Country Inn in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. We frequently visit the Chicago area and have discovered staying in a suburb is a nice option for our family. It's only a short drive to go into the city but the benefits of staying outside the city far outweigh the drive. First, you don't have to pay for parking in the suburbs! Did you know parking your vehicle at a Chicago hotel can cost over $50 a day? That adds up fast. Country ...
Toll Roads No Problem with the FastToll App
Peyton and I are in the Chicago area at least every other month. But I don't want to invest in an I-Pass because I don't need it in Minnesota. And Illinois is really the only place that we travel that has toll roads. But stopping at all those toll roads adds on travel time. That's more time being cramped up in a car. Plus you have to have exact change at some of the tolls because they are automated. Last year I heard about this new app call FastToll. Now, it only works in Illinois so you won't ...
A Night at Medieval Times
I am always looking for new and unique experiences to take Peyton to. And when I saw Medieval Times, I knew I wanted to take her! How cool would it be to sit in a castle, watch knights jousting and have dinner? It sounded so cool. The only problem is, there is no castle in Minnesota. But there's one in Schaumberg, Illinois! So when I was planning our next weekend adventure in Chicago I made sure to make some time for a night at Medieval Times! I really was not sure what to expect. I'd looked ...
Explore the Lincoln Park Zoo
Another place I had never been on all my travel to Illinois was the Lincoln Park Zoo. It's a free zoo so I'm not sure why we've never visited but I decided we were going to check it out this time. Spending the day at the zoo is one of Peyton's and my favorite things to do. We could just sit and watch the animals all day long. Peyton was pretty excited when I told her we were going to visit the Lincoln Park Zoo. She couldn't wait to see what we would find. The Lincoln Park Zoo is fairly ...