Taking a family car trip to see Niagara Falls
Q. My family and I are considering our first family driving vacation. We have two sons, ages 8 and 4. We would like to visit Niagara Falls and stay at different places along the way to go swimming and fishing and other fun summer stuff. Do you have recommendations of a route to take (from the Chicago area) and places to stay? Thanks.
A. If you take I-90 all the way, Niagara Falls is just a reasonable day's drive, about 10 hours. So let's assume you'd rather take a bit more time and smell the roses.
Take U.S. Route 12 to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore where you can camp overnight (bring your own tent), fish and swim. (For information, call (219) 926-7561, ext. 225.)
Then you can go on to Michigan City, Ind., and spend a day there at the city's wonderful Lake Michigan beach at Washington Park, which also has a lighthouse and its museum, Coast Guard station and the Washington Park Zoo.
Then it's on to Ohio, probably on U.S. Route 20 or I-90. A stopover in Toledo would allow you to rest up at Promenade Park, a peaceful setting along the Maumee River where you can watch large freighters and towboats passing into and out of Toledo, one of the world's busiest freshwater ports. Ohio information can be found at www.ohiotourism.com or by calling (800) 282-5393.
Cleveland offers everything a city of more than 500,000 should, including the Metroparks Zoo, riding stables, boating, fishing and swimming. There's also the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which you and the kids might -- or might not -- find interesting.
By this time you're probably back on I-90, closing in on Niagara Falls. Here's where you will want to spend most of your time. Take a boat ride on the famous Maid of the Mist that passes right in front of the falls; see the Aquarium of Niagara and the Daredevil Museum. There's much more, so check www.niagara-usa.com or call (877) 325-5787 for a free visitors' guide.
Q. My mother-in-law loves lighthouses. I heard that there is a specific route that one can drive around Lake Michigan in order to see the lighthouses. I have not been able to find any information to share with her.
However, we were thinking that since they live in Indianapolis and we in the Chicago area, a trip around the lake would provide the perfect time for a stopover in Huntley for time with their grandsons.
Any information you could provide would be greatly appreciated. I really enjoy your column and am looking forward to traveling with our two boys and showing them the beauty of our country. Thank you.
A. Just recently I answered another letter about the trip around Lake Michigan, and it sounds like just the very thing your mother-in-law would enjoy if she's into lighthouses. A total of 115 of them are listed in the official Lake Michigan Circle Tour and Lighthouse Guide, published by the West Michigan Tourism Association, with public accessibility to more than 20 of them.
You can access the online guide and other information at www.wmta.org or by calling (800) 442-2084.
Send your questions at least sixweeks prior to travel to MadelynMerwin in care ofTravel,Daily Herald, P.O.Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006, or e-maildpmerwin@sbcglobal.net.