need family vacation ideas

We'd like to take a family vacation the 1st week of August. I can't think of anywhere to go that is super kid-friendly, not overly expensive, and that we could possibly drive to. We have 4 kids (7y,4y,2y,1y) and live 45 min west of Milwaukee. Also, I'll be 7m pregnant with our 5th child. Air travel would be really expensive for us. I suppose, we'd fly if the airfare was reasonable. We went to Disney World last Thanksgiving so we're in no hurry to return that soon.

The primary problem I have is finding a place that has something for my young kids to do. DH suggested Colorado. I think of Colorado being a place for kids a bit older when they can take advantage of hiking, biking, and all other nature activities. I suggested Mackinac Island. But as I was reading info, I don't know what there is for the kids to do there. See my dilemma? Should we just head for a beach? We thought about going to Seattle to visit DH's brother and his family. I'd like a family vacation that didn't involve visiting relatives. That rarely happens. We're always visiting family when we travel and I get really sick of it. We were even with my family in Orlando.

Any suggestions would be great!


-Melanie


ETA: I grew up in Chicago and my sisters still live there so we don't need to go there.

Have you been to Wisconsin Dells? It seems like you would be very close the that area, so that would probably be nothing new. It can be expensive, but if your other ideas include flying, it might be cheaper. Mackinac Island is very very cool. I have been there many times, as a kid and an adult and I have always enjoyed it. Eating ice cream and fudge and the ferry ride over are fun. Its full of shops and park areas, and its also cool to see all the horses on the streets. The beaches are nice too, and being August will be plenty warm. Sault Ste. Marie is AWESOME. A personal favorite. You go to the locks and watch huge tankers come in and out. Tahquamenon Falls is also very cool. Do you camp? If so I have a ton of suggestions, you can pm me. My family vacations were always camping, and we definitely have some favorites.

Good luck coming up with something!

[SuzySunshine]

Being in MN I too was going to recommend the Dells. I haven't been there but everyone around here talks about them a lot.

What about Traverse City, MI - is that driving distance? That is a big touristy city.

There is supposed to be a really cool kids museum in Minneapolis, maybe that and catch a game?

If I think if anything else I'll come back.

Good luck!

Kris and her family have really enjoyed Jellystone. Maybe she can post a link to the website.

Colorado mountain towns are a lot of fun during the summer but I agree that your kids will enjoy it more when they are older. Your 4 and 7 yo would enjoy it. When we lived in Denver we would go to the mountains for overnight trips at least once a summer and my then 2 then 3 year old had fun. Since that was in driving distance it wasn't too expensive. With airfare involved, I would wait until they are older.

Friends of ours go to Traverse City with family almost every summer. They enjoy it and, from what they say, I think it would be good for kids of that age.

[mommax3]

We went to the Traverse City area last August for our anniversary and everywhere we went, I saw things that I wanted to do with our kids.....I definitely want to go back there with them! It seemed very family-friendly.

Sally

[Laker]

Traverse City area is awesome. We have a family cottage on Lake Leelanau in the Leeland Penninsula. You could take the kids to the Sleeping Bear Dunes national lakeshore and enjoy the beaches of lake michigan! I proposed to DW on the beach at Leland!

Here are some nice pics...

http://www.leelanau.com/cgi-bin/db/db.c ... earch&nh=1

Dells.

Baraboo has the Circus World Museum and the Mid Continental Railway, and the International Crane Foundation.

You could stay at the Seth Peterson Cottage in Mirror Lake if you are a Frank Lloyd Wright fan. Also Taliesen is close by in Spring Green. Have you been to House on the Rock?

Check out this book...it has tons of weird silly places in WI to visit.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/155652 ... e&n=283155

For example, Mt. Horeb, just outside Madison, is the Troll Capital of the World.

http://www.trollway.com/

[Phoebe]

Laker, I am so jealous! I love Leelanau! DH and I went to Glen Arbor last summer. It is my fantasy to have a cottage up north.

Traverse City is great, but it would be a drive from WI. The Sleeping Bear Dunes would be difficult 7 months pregnant, but you can't find a more beautiful place.

Jennifer

[Gwendolyn]

I was going to say the Dells also, and I have heard that if you all are outdoorsey, Door County has some great camping, hiking, cute baby animal farm...Oh! I was going to say all of that after I suggested we should get together sometime you wander into Milwaukee

Hello all!

Thanks so much for the suggestions! I have to say, the Dells does not appeal to me in the least. However, we got several free admission coupons to various Dells attractions from Culvers so we might end up going there at some point in the near future.

We certainly are considering Door County. DH is still trying for CO. He wants to stay at these huts that are in the woods and you have to hike to get to them. I don't know exactly where in CO it is. All I know is at 7m pregnant, the last thing I want to do is hike a few miles with 4 kids and carry our bags. I don't know what he's thinking!

I will have to look more into Leelanau.

OphthoWife, definitely would like to get together at some point. DH is in a med-peds practice in Oconomowoc.


-Melanie

Perhaps you are a heartier soul than I, but I could not do much hiking at 7 months pregnant. The exertion coupled with the altitude was too much.

The Colorado huts and yurts are very cool but usually fill up once reservations are open. So, they are probably full for this summer unless he already made a reservation. It is more luxurious than backpacking but still roughing it -- you have to pack in food, sleeping bags, and clothing. Plus carrying your younger kids in packs. Most of the huts will be too high an elevation for you to sleep at being pg. I would guess that most are at least 9,000'. If I remember correctly, 10,000 feet is either the limit for sleeping or hiking while pregnant but that was coming from 5,280 in Denver, not lower elevations in the midwest.

I think DH finally conceded about going to CO! He said to me last night as we were discussing CO, "You might be right." I never took into consideration the elevation issue. (Another point to bring up to DH if he should bring up CO again. ) I've never been to a high-altitude city. We drove through Albequerque but that's about it.

Regarding camping...I, personally, like to be comfortable. Cabin camping is more my style. DH doesn't mind roughing it in a tent.

[DCJenn]

If you feel like driving to the East Coast, you could do Williamsburg/Jamestown/Busch Gardens. There are so many activities for kids that it's crazy.

Jenn

[Laker]

Laker, I am so jealous! I love Leelanau! DH and I went to Glen Arbor last summer. It is my fantasy to have a cottage up north.

Traverse City is great, but it would be a drive from WI. The Sleeping Bear Dunes would be difficult 7 months pregnant, but you can't find a more beautiful place.

Jennifer

Yes, but if you take that SS Badger ferry across from Manitowoc to Ludington MI it would shave off most of the drive, plus be a heck of adventure with the kids. There is a faster ferry from Milwaukee to Muskegon MI called the Lake Express. I am not sure how much it would cost to bring your car across on it, but with gas the way it is now, probably a wash.

Here is a link to the Badger Lake MI ferry... (4 hours across)

http://www.ssbadger.com/schedule/schedule.html

Here is a link to the Lake Express...

http://www.lake-express.com/ (2.5 hours across)