Driving from Chicago to Boston over 3 days

Hi there, my husband, four year-old and I will be driving from Chicago to Boston in our SUV (we're moving!). Originally we were planning to do it starting Saturday afternoon and getting there Monday evening. But now it turns out we can leave Friday afternoon around 3 pm, with the goal of getting to Boston at some point before 6 pm on Monday. We would like to drive no more than 4-5 hours per day as I am in my third trimester of pregnancy. We plan to stop by the African Safari Park in Clinton, Ohio as our daughter will enjoy it.
All 3 of us love beaches, lake views, and nature so any recommendations for great hotels/comfortable cabins that are literally on a beach or have water views would be appreciated. I would welcome any suggestions of fun family-friendly things to do along the way, and importantly places to stay at - this will be our last road trip for a while, and I'd like to make the most of it. We have been to Niagara Falls from both the Canadian and US side, so no plans to do that. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Look forward to any insights.

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

It's great that you can get away a bit earlier, but with a 3:00 PM departure on a weekday, I wouldn't count on that extra 'day' for much more than getting out of Chicago before rush hour (Remember that Friday rush hour tends to start earlier than normal as everyone else will be trying to get out of town just like you.) and maybe just a bit down the road. I certainly wouldn't plan on any activities on that day other than a good dinner break somewhere around Elkhart IN. That first day will be busy enough with last minute packing and getting out of town in good shape. A good goal would be the eastern suburbs of Toledo. It will be tempting to continue on to the shore of Lake Erie around Sandusky and the Bass Islands, But to do so means more hours in the car and probably not arriving until sunset, meaning that a lakeshore stop would be wasted. Better to spend that time at a motel with a good pool nearer the highway, and making any adjustments to your car packing that the first day's travel may have necessitated.

That will then set you up for three very easy days getting to Boston, with no more than a two or three stnts of an hour and a half drive. That would also mean that Day 2 (Saturday) would include your visit to Safari Park, so maybe not quite as much driving, but you'll still want to get past Youngstown before settling down for the night. Mercer PA would be a good target destination. You'll note that I am suggesting that you use I-80 across northern Pennsylvania rather than hugging the Great Lakes on the toll roads, the Ohio Turnpike and the New York State Thruway. I-80 also offers you the chance to take breaks at some river- and/or lake-side parks such as Clear Creek, Black Moshannon, and Milton before taking I-81 up to the Scranton area where Day 3 (Sunday) would draw to a close. Day 4 would start with you taking I-84 east into New England, hooking up with the Mass Pike near Sturbridge and following that the rest of the way into Boston. Possible stops to break up the drive on this last leg include the northern reaches of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Waldo State Park, Bigelow Hollow State Park, Streeter Point Recreation Area, and Whitehall State Park.


AZBuck

Depending on where in Boston you are heading, you might like to have a good look at a map of greater Boston, and see whether the MassPike or I-93 or I-95 are better routes to get you to where you want to go.

Lifey