I was raised in the midwest (Missouri-area), so I can say there’s lots of fun things for families. 1. St. Louis – A fun big city to spend some time in. There’s the St. Louis Arch which you can ride up to the top, the zoo and a great art musuem. Mom and Dad will enjoy a nice authentic Italian dinner on the Hill, an old Italian neighborhood, and kids will love Ted Drewes ice cream for dessert. Don’t forget Six Flags and the Wet and Wild Water Park right outside St. Louis. There’s also Cahokia Mounds if you are interested in ancient Indian burial mounds. 2. Caves are always fun and a little spooky for kids, and
Hello,
The Midwest has a surprising variety of amazing vacation destinations for families. There are many many answers to this question, but I will start with ??? very different options and I am happy to offer more if interested.
1) Chicago, IL- This is an obvious choice as a destination for a family looking for a big city adventure. Navy Pier is the most visited attraction in the Midwest and has the Ferris Wheel (a Chicago invention), the new AeroBalloon (a hot air balloon ride tethered to Navy Pier), the Children’s Museum which features a dinosaur exhibit, and a bike rental to enjoy the outdoors and the fabulous lakefront path. Away from Navy Pier, the Sky Deck at the Willis tower is simply thrilling, the Shedd Aquarium is fun and beautiful, the historic Lincoln Park Zoo is free, and Maggie Daley Park is finally open to the public! Don’t even get me started on the food.
2) Bloominton, MN- This suburb of Minneapolis is great for a weekend getaway with the kids. It’s most well known attraction is the Mall of America, a shoppers paradise and national icon. It has hundreds of stores of course, but also some family fun attractions. Nickelodeon Universe has acres of rides, SEA LIFE Aquarium, mini golf, a Lego playroom, and a comedy theater. If you need some fresh air, check out the migrating bird populations at the Minnesota Valley Wildlife Refuge or find your inner zen at the Normandale Japanese Gardens. I also recommend checking to see what’s on at the Bloomington Civic Theater.
3) Isle Royale National Park- If you really want to get away from it all and experience nature while having some quality bonding time, this national park may be for you. It is in Lake Superior near the Canadian border. There are several ferries a day or the exciting option of float plane to get there. A perfect place to camp, fish, canoe or take a water taxi to see different parts of the island, you could really call this an “off the beaten track” family destination!
I hope this was useful, feel free to contact me with more questions or for more suggestions.
My list:
Mackinac Island, Michigan.
Chicago, Illinois. Lincoln park
Door County, Wisconsin
South Dakota Ski Resorts
Also, you can check here talk about Roadtrip-a-Matic which can help to plan such trips.