Weekend Trips from Chicago

Hello! I have very few vacation days during the year to use on trips (and limited funds as well), however, I would love to take a couple trips on long weekends (4 or 5 days). I live in Chicago and need some good ideas for my husband and I to get away from the city and see some cool things. I was thinking maybe something involving Memphis (which I've been to but only for a short time), the Mississippi River, or going up into the Black Hills/Badlands. Can anyone recommend any good circles from Chicago leaving on a Thurs night/Fri morning til Monday evening? I don't want to be worn out coming back but I'd love to see more of the midwest since I just moved here. Thanks for any help you can give!

Where you want to go depends upon what you're interested in, I suppose, but here's a few ideas.

Drive across to the Mississippi either to the Quad Cities or up to Rockford and over to Dubuque. From there drive up the River Road to Minneapolis. Stop at the "original" Pike's Peak near Marquette, Iowa or on Granddad Bluff in LaCrosse, Wi to get some great views of the river valley on your way. Minneapolis is my favorite big city in the Midwest, I'm sure you can find something fun there no matter what your interests. Some other interesting activities not far off this route include "Field of Dreams" in Dyersville, IA and the Spam Museum in Austin, MN.

You can also head south to St. Louis. Stop in Springfield and check out all of the Lincoln historic sites, before checking out the Arch and the rest of St. Louis. From there you could either swing over to Memphis, or head back north and check out the stretch of the Great River Road from St. Louis to the Quad Cities.

You could also head to Cincinatti. Again, it would depend on what you're interested in, but I've found plenty of fun things to do down there.

And if none of those ideas sound good, you can always head up the Lake Michigan coast to Door County. I've heard its very nice up there, and since most of you Illinois-types consider Wisconsin to be your playground, you'll probably find yourself in pretty comfortable surroundings. (joke)

thank you so much! minneapolis is definitely a place ive been meaning to visit and everythign you suggested sounds great!

If you do go to Minn/St Paul, and you are there on a Saturday, you could see if tickets are available for Prairie Home Companion's weekly live "radio" show (usually) broadcast from the Fitzgerald Theater. It's a lot of fun, but the tickets go quickly. The radio show is broadcast on NPR on Saturday evenings -- and in some areas, is repeated on Sunday mornings (in case you've never heard it). Check it out on NPR and see if it's something you'd care to see! Bob