Chicago Outskirts

Could anyone suggest an area/hotel on the outskirts of chicago (1 1/2 - 2hr drive) that we could go to unwind and do a bit of sightseeing/shopping etc.

Many Thanks

Chicago Outskirts

I assume you%26#39;re hiring a car. A couple of options:

http://www.lakegenevawi.com/

http://galena.com/

Chicago Outskirts

Starved Rock State Park (http://www.starvedrocklodge.com/)

Galena is a neat place, but it is around 3 hours minimum (no traffic). Starved Rock and Lake Geneva are more in the 1 1/2 hour ballpark.

There are a number of motels in Gurnee around Six Flags and Gurnee Mills. I recently visited Gurnee Mills with a couple of European colleages (one Welsh, one Dutch) and they were pretty amazed at Gurnee Mills. But you might find it interesting. One of these guys ended up buying an expensive pair of eyeglasses for half of what it would cost in Europe. I%26#39;m not a big fan myself -- Gurnee Mills seems more geared to someone who wants to shop all day than to a local like me who%26#39;s just looking for a couple of items. In ideal conditions you can make the drive from downtown to Gurnee in about 50 minutes, but that can double on weekday rush hours.

Although I adore Galena and it%26#39;s a lovely drive (especially if you take the Stagecoach Trail into Galena), it will take you more than 2 hours to get there. Well worth it, though.

The southside of Chicago and NW Indiana (until you get eastward past Portage, IN) aren%26#39;t scenic - and it takes the best part of 1.25-1.5 hours to get through that area, depending on the traffic. However, once you are past that portion, you will first be traveling near the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Indiana Dunes State Park. Great for the scenery - nature hikes, beaches, etc.

Then, traveling further east along the Lake Michigan shoreline, you would go into Michigan City, which does have the Lighthouse Outlet (outdoor mall) for shopping.

A 10 minute drive NE from Michigan City, and you are going over the Indiana-Michigan state line. The first town you will enter is New Buffalo. This is the start of the area called ';Harbor Country';. Six little beach towns all along the Lake Michigan shoreline, which have specialty boutique shops, antiques shops, farmers markets, wineries, art galleries and the like.

If you go up further north from Harbor Country, you will first go through South Haven, then into the Saugatuck/Douglas area - the last which I highly recommend.

These three towns (Saugatuck and Douglas are two separate towns but in very close proximity) all have their own websites, so you can do a little research to see all there is to offer.

The total driving time up to Saugatuck/Douglas area from Chicago would be about 3.5-4 hours, although you can very easily break up the driving by stopping at the various areas. If you go to the Michigan forum here, you%26#39;ll find many, many entries for this area, as it is a great destination.

If I have done my job in ';persauding'; you to consider Saugatuck/Douglas as your ultimate goal, then consider going to the winery and Crane%26#39;s Pie Pantry near Fennville (10 miles inland from Saugatuck/Douglas). Each of these have their own websites as well, so you can take a look.

Michigan is a wonderful state to buy fresh produce, jams, jellies and the like - and wines as well. The fruits all have their own seasons, so take a look what%26#39;s in season when you go and take advantage.

Have fun in whatever you decide!

I just wanted to mention one other thing which might interest you. There are a number of lighthouses along the Lake Michigan shoreline, right along this route going up to Saugatuck/Douglas.

If you do a little research online, you%26#39;ll find information about the lighthouses, including their histories.

You can also try Kohler, WI - it is about 3 hours from the city but so worth it!

If you鈥檙e looking for something on the outskirts of Chicago, i.e. outer suburbs, Geneva Illinois has a nice Inn with decent reviews from the Trip Advisor. The Inn is located right on the Fox River in the far western city of Geneva. There is a restaurant you can walk to on the other side of the river called the Mill Race Inn and a small island park is located between the two which also contains a bike trail; shopping is also within walking distance. Driving time will vary with traffic as it鈥檚 a Suburb of Chicago so expect about an hour or more.

Inn

tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g36031-d226123-鈥?/a>

http://www.herringtoninn.com/

Restaurant

http://www.themillraceinn.com/

Shopping

http://www.genevachamber.com/shopping.html

And baseball - http://www.kccougars.com/

I highly recommend the Michigan City/New Buffalo area. Once you get out of the city, on a good day, it%26#39;ll only take an hour and a half. Once you hit the Indiana border most of the construction is done and traffic isn%26#39;t bad at all. Lighthouse mall, Washington Park, and the zoo are a great way to unwind for a day. If you%26#39;re looking to stay the night, www.serenity-springs.com. Totally relaxing!

I recommend Geneva and the Herrington Inn as well. It is right along the river. 3rd street offers a variety of shopping/dining. The Fox River bike trails are great, so bring or rent bikes and enjoy the river. There are some festivals in Geneva and neighboring St. Charles so check out their Chamber of commerce websites.

The traffic to Michigan from the city can be horrendous and really ruins a vacation mood.