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huggytree
06-26-2013, 09:35 PM
my van is getting painted mid July...so I have 4 days to go somewhere

im in WI

I was considering going to KY to visit the Turtle Man......we have gone to Mamouth cave many times....also Kentucky Downunder.....I can make a 4 day trip out of it with 2 days of it driving

wife is looking into Upper MI.....not sure there's enough for 2 full days w/ kids



anyone have any idea's for a good family vacation 10 hours or less from WI????

MyITGuy
06-26-2013, 10:08 PM
The only thing I can think of in your general area is Boston...I hear their fireworks display is one of, if not the best...but that looks like an 18 hour drive or so.

BTW, didn't you just have a wrap done?

billbenson
06-26-2013, 10:35 PM
Not sure huggy. In the 80's WV was part of my sales territory. Appoligies to anyone from WV but I can't think of a reason to go there. I'd look at DC if you haven't been there. Same drive time more or less and a ton of educational stuff for the kids.

Logan
06-27-2013, 01:14 AM
The only thing that I know of that combines the Upper Peninsula, 2 Days and kids is Mackinac Island. Your wife will enjoy the ride along the north shore of Lake Michigan on the way there, then take the ferry over to the island from St Ignace or Mackinaw City. There is plenty to do for two days on the island if you stay overnight.

If you really want to spice things up, and you have the money, on your way back home consider heading down to Ludington in the Lower Peninsula and take a car ferry across Lake Michigan back to Wisconsin. It's not cheap with a car and family, but it is a nice 4 hour boat ride and gives you a break from behind the wheel.

Steve B
06-27-2013, 06:57 AM
How about amusement parks? We have on one of the best kept secrets about an hour north of Louisville - it's called Holiday World. They have some great wooden roller coasters and it's the most reasonably priced park I've ever been to. It's not as huge as others, but it's a great value and it would take 2 full days to do it all (one day in the water park and one in the park).

Freelancier
06-27-2013, 12:12 PM
10 hours from WI? And you have the kids?

The Badlands/Mount Rushmore is just outside your range.
Chicago.
Memphis.
Nashville.
St. Louis.

Basically, you can go find a baseball game and outstanding food and in a few cases, some really interesting tours and museums. :)

huggytree
06-27-2013, 05:20 PM
went to badlands/mt rushmore 2 years ago....kids hated the trip...they said the best thing was the hot tub at 1 hotel on the way back
I bought a car near boston and drove it home this feb.....it was a horrible drive and takes 1.5 days

Wife wants UP and mackinac island.....some people have told me its a 1 day trip....hard to get a 2nd day....any details??

kids are 5-7-9 and are board with anything that doesn't have Mario in it

Steve!!.....you may have found a gem!....a day trip to a water park may be just the thing we need....ill look into it

billbenson
06-27-2013, 09:16 PM
Here's an idea Huggy, although the only place I know of you can do it is CA. Gotta be other places though. A hat air balloon ride. You and your wife can sip champagne while your kids scream and ruin your day. Bet its something the kits won't complain about though. And if they do you can just push them out :)

huggytree
06-27-2013, 09:37 PM
my oldest boy is afraid of his own shadow sometimes...not sure if he'd do that....wife and daughters would love it...id be nervous.....anytime im not in control im not comfortable...I hate the sudden drops that go along with flying

I checked out Steve's idea on the amusement park....I may make that the focus of our trip.....leave early and do a few hours at the cave, 1 day roller coasters, 1 day water park and try to go to Kentucky downunder before we leave for home.....its making for a horrible drive home and a late night when im back to work the next day

we really enjoy Kentucky....I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun weekend trip....mammoth caves are very cool

Thanks to Steve!

Steve B
06-28-2013, 05:16 AM
I'll check on the other cave option I told you about in the PM (Indiana Caverns). If it's open, it will be worth visiting from what I've heard and it will be right on your way (between Holiday World and Louisville). It has a boat ride in the cave.

I always hesitate to tell people about Holiday World - I don't want it to get too popular and make the lines longer! It's a great park. They have free soft drink stations all over the park and free sunscreen. And, the price of their food is pretty reasonable also.

Don't forget the Louisville Slugger museum and associated Lego exhibit.

Steve B
06-28-2013, 05:21 AM
I just checked the website and Indiana Caverns is now open the public. Check it out.

KristineS
06-28-2013, 03:22 PM
The Island is fun, but I'm not sure it would be that big a deal for your kids. In the U.P. you have things like Tahquamenon Falls, Whitefish Point, the shipwreck museum, the Soo Locks, all that is fun and could be interesting if your kids like nature and big boats. The U.P. is really beautiful if you want to get away from it all. Not much in the way of fine dining or big city stuff, but very peaceful.

huggytree
06-29-2013, 09:31 AM
The Island is fun, but I'm not sure it would be that big a deal for your kids. In the U.P. you have things like Tahquamenon Falls, Whitefish Point, the shipwreck museum, the Soo Locks, all that is fun and could be interesting if your kids like nature and big boats. The U.P. is really beautiful if you want to get away from it all. Not much in the way of fine dining or big city stuff, but very peaceful.

my son is bored with anything that doesn't have Mario in it.

kids only like nature if we find a small frog or turtle...something they can play with or hold...or something they can climb on..like rocks....just looking at nature will bore with quickly

the UP doesn't sound like a good idea


Steve, I will look into the Indiana caverns....I checked out Mammoth caves yesterday and it seems like ive done all the tours too many times..they have less options than they used to and my kids aren't old enough for the real cool one, so we may skip Kentucky and stay in Indiana

huggytree
06-29-2013, 11:56 AM
got my trip figured out

day 1 drive to IN and cave
day 2 and 3 amusement park
day 4 Indianapolis childrens museum and drive home

action packed!!!

it started out a trip to KY and now its a IN vacation instead

I will be letting you guys design my vacations from now on....


thanks!!!!

Freelancier
06-29-2013, 12:23 PM
Are we there yet? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18AzodTPG5U)

Steve B
06-30-2013, 07:18 AM
I went to Indiana Caverns yesterday - it was really nice. Stop by the Corydon Welcome center to get a coupon for $2 off each ticket. I think your kids will love it. Lots of experienced cave people were saying it was one of the best tours they've been on.

My son and I are leaving later this morning for Indianapolis to see their minor league team play our minor league team. If it rains, we plan on going to the science museum.

Bronsontyler
06-30-2013, 03:56 PM
I really enjoyed Nashville with my kiddos. You could try that.


10 hours from WI? And you have the kids?

The Badlands/Mount Rushmore is just outside your range.
Chicago.
Memphis.
Nashville.
St. Louis.

Basically, you can go find a baseball game and outstanding food and in a few cases, some really interesting tours and museums. :)

patrickprecisione
07-01-2013, 01:34 PM
10 hours from WI? And you have the kids?


Basically, you can go find a baseball game and outstanding food and in a few cases, some really interesting tours and museums. :)

I'm going to second finding a baseball game. Wrigley is an amazing ball park. I think the Cardinals have a great ball park too, plus they're playing some good baseball right now, which would make a game interesting.

Business Attorney
07-02-2013, 02:06 AM
That sounds like a great trip huggy. I was going to mention the Louisville Slugger museum, if any of you have any interest in baseball. On our last trip to Kentucky we also took a short side trip to Cincinnati and took in a Cubs-Reds game at Great American Ball Park. We went to Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom instead of Holiday World (which was called Santa Claus Land and was mostly for small children when I was growing up). Six Flags closed shortly after our visit.

Another idea that is on the way is Conner Prairie in Fishers, Indiana. It's been years since I was there but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a living interactive history museum, central Indiana's version of Colonial Williamsburg on a smaller scale. The staff, in period costumes, stays in character as blacksmith, doctor, cook, etc... as you wander from building to building and get a real flavor for life in the Midwest when this was still the frontier. Since I last visited, they now have a tethered balloon that you can ride to 350 feet. Maybe the tether gives you enough control to try it.

We just returned from a family reunion week in Michigan. We stayed in Holland on Lake Macatawa but were a mile from Lake Michigan and the beaches and sand dunes. Between kayaking, paddle boarding and renting a pontoon boat (all on Lake Macatawa, not Lake Michigan), a fishing charter on Lake Michigan, side trips to Saugatuck and Grand Haven, two visits to the downtown farmer's market held every Wednesday and Saturday, street performers in downtown Holland on Thursday evening, a few rounds of golf, bike riding and more, no one person could do everything there was to do.

And of course, there is Chicago. There are no caves, of course, but there is plenty to do for all ages. For very young children there are children's museums in Glenview, Naperville and at Navy Pier. For children of all ages (including me) there is the Museum of Science and Industry. There are 2 zoos, in Lincoln Park and Brookfield. There are about 50 other museums ranging from the Field Museum and Art Institute to the Balzekas Museum of Lithuanian Culture. Of course there is the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium. On a sunny summer day, the beaches on our own inland sea, Lake Michigan rival the Outer Banks or the Jersey Shore. There are neighborhood festivals every weekend, major music festivals in Grant Park many weekends. There are bike trails throughout the region if you like to ride. You have probably visited our amusement park, Six Flags Great America, since it is almost as close to your house as it is to mine.

Oh, and there are balloon rides in the more distant suburbs but you might feel more in control if you stepped out over the city in the glass-bottom observation deck at the Willis (Sears) Tower.

Jayde
07-08-2013, 03:19 PM
What did you end up doing? I have been considering taking a vacation to the WI Dells. I could spend 2 weeks hopping from water park to water park LOL

huggytree
07-24-2013, 02:55 PM
I just checked the website and Indiana Caverns is now open the public. Check it out.

vacation went very well...kids loved it(except for the drive)

Steve, I mentioned your name to the owner of the caves....he has a very nice setup...I especially like how he dammed up the cave so you could do a boat ride...only issue is its in the middle of no where

amusement park was crazy busy...found out its their typical busiest weekend....barely got to go on any water rides...by noon you could hardly move in the water park....so we'd go to the roller coasters.

thanks for all the advice

Steve B
07-25-2013, 04:47 PM
I'm glad it was O.K. We're going to Holiday World Sunday and Monday - hoping that it will be slower days of the week for them. My kids go back to school on August 8 - so it's our last chance.

My friend told me he spoke to you in the parking lot. Hopefully, it was an overall positve experience. He told me they were packed that weekend also.

huggytree
07-25-2013, 07:55 PM
I drove 1.5 hours out of my way to go to his cave

he has very few signs.....none nearby....I felt lost driving the back roads to find his cave.....he should have signs everywhere saying '''this way to the cave''

everything he does is great...the gift shop...all prices are very low and affordable to anyone....then he makes you wait for the next tour, so you get to walk all over the gift shop..im sure he gets a sale from 1/2 the customers because of this...I didn't mind...

the only complaint I had is he uses a photo of a Gecko or lizard....my kids hoped to see one...I asked the guide and she said she's only seen one in the cave system twice...and since she was a local caver I figured that meant twice over many years.....it was kinda false advertising in my opinion....I don't expect every tour to see something living, but if you advertise with photo's it I expect 50% to see something living....my kids were disappointed not to see a gecko

the cave tour itself is great....my guess was $1,000,000 to get it all setup.....am I close???? I cant imagine how many hundreds of hours running electrical and then hiding it....custom creating all the walkways and stairs....then damming up part of the cave so its deep enough for boats

tour guide was also excellent...she had a smart @ss 12 year old kid that had a comment about everything...he tried to take over the tour.....she shut him down w/o offending the parents

Steve B
07-25-2013, 09:48 PM
I had the same reaction about finding it on the backroads. I imagine he would have to get permission from a lot of local farmers if he were to try to put up a lot of signs - but, it would be nice.

They've only been open a handful of weeks (maybe 6 or 7 weeks). That was probably the reference the guide had. You were there on the busiest weekend.

I also thought the gift shop was particularly affordable. I warned him about "shrinkage" since it would be easy to avoid paying for stuff since there wasn't a clear line where the gift shop started and ended and the main lobby started.

I also had a great tour guide that made it interesting.

He told me once how much it was, but I forget. I know they have several owners. Can you imagine all the work putting up all those walkways? He told me the first boat they carried in after it was completely assembled, then they got smart and carried the next boat in pieces and completed it inside the cave.

They have gotten lots of great reviews from people - many that go to a LOT of caves.

huggytree
07-26-2013, 07:22 PM
if you want to drive to IA there's a great cave state park...makitka state part or something like that

weve gone twice...its all free and there is no guide...you just go where you want by yourself...there is 1 large cave that's lighted and has a path. inside that large cave there are other smaller caves to crawl into....then there is a trail you follow to around a dozen more small caves...some you have to slither into......its a very cool 1 day vacation

if your friend pays a few farmers $1000 a year id bet they would allow a sign...in this economy they will jump at it