vacation ideas

[Cozy439]

AND there's free ice water at Wall Drug Store.

I seriously thought about mentioning that, the ice water and the "Where the heck is Wall Drug" but I didn't know if enough folks even knew about it to have any meaning. I am glad to know others out there know

 

[Twangbanger]

Ive heard if you drive through there they require you to stick OBX or salt life stickers on the back of your car. Not happening.

Google photos of Glen Lake in Michigan. They put an M-22 sticker on your vehicle. No biggie. (If you get outside the Midwest, everybody thinks it's a punk band or something). See if you can find an AirBnB. Pretty crystal blue lake next to Sleeping Bear Dunes NP, and you can still do the Badger on the way up or back and fit Chitcago into your plans, if the wife is into that sort of thing. There are a few neat Lake Michigan lighthouses to see on the way up the west side of Michigan, too.

Tell your wife Michigan won this year, so it's ok to spend money there once every 20 years or so. Woody would approve. She'll understand.

 

[Tactically Fat]

Do y'all like to hike around in the great outdoors?

So - your wife's a Buckeye (my condolences. I have a ton of in-laws in Ohio)... The Athens, OH area / Hocking Hills are fantastic. If you go - eat at Avalanche Pizza. Also in Ohio - Mohican State Park. Amazing hiking. Farther to the NE is Cuyahoga National Park. Simply gorgeous. Tons of hiking, tons of waterfalls. Even far north into the Cleveland City Park territory - there are some really neat hikes and waterfalls.

Different direction: Missouri has something like 50 state parks. I may be low on that estimate. If you stay near enough to St. Louis, you can hit up the Arch, too. And the City Museum in SL is amazing. Seriously amazing. Not sure how that's operating these days with the 'Rona. Heading farther west in MO can mean Ozarks. Seriously a ton of stuff to do out that way. And if you head to MO, you can stop at Cahokia on the IL side and learn about the mound-building peoples. It's neat.

Or head far-ish south to North GA. Dahlonega-to-Helen areas. Dahlonega isn't too far off I-75. Farther east into the mountains is a little touristy trap town of Helen. All kinds of hiking and waterfalls in that area, too. And if it's warm enough outside, you can take a tube float trip down the Chattahoochie river. In the Dahlonega area there are still a few operating gold mines. Site of America's first gold rush. Sad history of how white settlers drove off the Cherokee, though. It's a beautiful area.

Chattanooga, TN offers a metric crap ton to do. Aquarium is pretty cool. There's a pedestrian walking bridge across the river, too. Ton of great restaurants. And the area is chock full of Civil War history and battlefields. From Lookout Mountain to Chickamauga. The museum / visitor's center @ Chickamauga is also home to a simply amazing private firearms library that's on loan for display. It's incredible. And, honestly, the touristy spots in Chattanooga are fun, too. Lookout Mountain, Incline Railway, Ruby Falls, and Rock City. Again - some amazing hiking to be had in that area, too.

Nashville, TN area also has a ton of things to do. You can spend several days in town / suburbs and find things to do. Tour the Opry, tour the Gaylord hotel next to the Opry and take a boat ride inside the hotel. It's pretty amazing. Again - ton of hiking to be had near Nashville.

In KY - we've spend time in the Corbin area hiking around. Less overall "amenities" than lots of other places, but still amazing hiking. Or head farther east towards Cumberland Gap. We were in that area last week - though too rainy for us to hike. We plan to go back. Middlesboro has a few hotels. Probably a ton of rental cabins, too.

Opposite Direction: Traverse City, MI. Absolutely gorgeous. Plenty to do in that area - though I'm not sure about how much hiking there is.

 

[two70]

Chattanooga, TN offers a metric crap ton to do. Aquarium is pretty cool. There's a pedestrian walking bridge across the river, too. Ton of great restaurants. And the area is chock full of Civil War history and battlefields. From Lookout Mountain to Chickamauga. The museum / visitor's center @ Chickamauga is also home to a simply amazing private firearms library that's on loan for display. It's incredible. And, honestly, the touristy spots in Chattanooga are fun, too. Lookout Mountain, Incline Railway, Ruby Falls, and Rock City. Again - some amazing hiking to be had in that area, too.

You didn't mention the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. It's one of the best within a short drive in my opinion.

Bass Pro's Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium is another great attraction you left out in MO. It's in the Branson area.

 

[cburnworth]

Can't help you this time around, but but try this for next year: Orlando Informer. I have a friend who has done this twice. super discounted tickets. park access @ 5pm with general public after 7pm only informer people. Unlimited food & beverages after 7pm.

 

[Tactically Fat]

You didn't mention the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga. It's one of the best within a short drive in my opinion.

Bass Pro's Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium is another great attraction you left out in MO. It's in the Branson area.

Psssst... The aquarium is mentioned in my first line. :-)

 

[two70]

Psssst... The aquarium is mentioned in my first line. :-)

Technically your second but yeah I completely missed it.

 

[AtTheMurph]

There are some great cabin rentals on lakes in Wisconsin. I've looked into them a few times. Northern Wisconsin is beautiful in the summer.

Lower Wisconsin you could stay near the Dells (Wisconsin Dells), then be able to go over to the Dells for a day or two.

2nd this but if going the lake cabin route you really need to go further north in WI, like Tomahawk, Minoqua, Eagle River. Or go up to Lake Superior, it's spectacular.

 

[wabashman]

2nd this but if going the lake cabin route you really need to go further north in WI, like Tomahawk, Minoqua, Eagle River. Or go up to Lake Superior, it's spectacular.

Stay away from Minoqua. To expensive and way to tourist oriented now. Only perks of that city is the nice Wal-Mart.

We have a place up in Presque Isle so I'm through Moniqua all the time.

But I do agree with going that far north, so much nicer up there than lower WI.

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[Hkindiana]

Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. You get to keep what you find, and every year some nice ones are found. It is the only active diamond mine in the USA. If you time it right you are only a few hours away from the Tulsa Gun Show.

 

[Hkindiana]

if you are into history, Dalonega Georgia is fun. You can go on tours of a gold mine and pan for gold. There are some nice cabins for rent in the area, and white water rafting as well.

 

[kawtech87]

Put-in-bay Ohio. Small town located on South Bass Island in lake Erie. 5ish hour drive, park the car and rent a golf cart trust me on that. Lots of shops, bars, restaurants, two winerys one is the oldest in Ohio and the lake. Cool historic sites too. We try to go once a year. Used to be able to Island hope to Canada but no longer without a passport. Can still Island hope to the other Erie Islands though.

 

[Haven]

2nd this but if going the lake cabin route you really need to go further north in WI, like Tomahawk, Minoqua, Eagle River. Or go up to Lake Superior, it's spectacular.

We used to vacation up by St. Germain when I was a kid and we still lived in Wisconsin. We would stop in Minoqua and eat lunch at Bothke's.

I do agree with Northern Wisconsin. The north woods is the place to be, the lakes, the woods, etc. Probably why most of my cousins have places up there to get away to.

 

[AtTheMurph]

Stay away from Minoqua. To expensive and way to tourist oriented now. Only perks of that city is the nice Wal-Mart.

We have a place up in Presque Isle so I'm through Moniqua all the time.

But I do agree with going that far north, so much nicer up there than lower WI.

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Doesn't have to stay in Minoqua but can probably find a lake cabin on one of the thousands of lakes nearby. Probably some little resort like my friend grew up on near Cable/Hayward. Longer drive over there but not a bad idea.

I like Wisconsin better than Michigan. Culture in Wisconsin is a lot more fun IMO. Michigan is just sort of wierd, but the NW L.P. is beautiful. Th U.P is Wisconsin IMO, just with more of an accent.

 

[PlaysInTheDirt]

Grand Marais in the UP...Gotta see the pickle barrel cabin!
Land-between-the-Lakes in Kentucky...we like to get a cottage at Lighthouse Landing in Grand Rivers.