family vacation

[motherof4]

We live in Wisconsin. We have four kids ages 12, 10, 6 and 2. We are trying to plan a family vacation somewhere in the Midwest. We would be driving and not flying. Do you have any ideas of destinations that would have enough interests for the ages mentioned above? It seems all the interesting places like the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone are too far to travel in a 5-7 day span and the same goes for places out East. Any suggestions?

[Clanad]

It should be about a day and a half's fairly comfortable drive to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Having been there many times I would recommend it for the kids as well. They can see Reptile Gardens on the south edge of Rapid City and of course make the tour through Deadwood and the President's Monument. You'll go through Wall Drug Store, which is worth a stop of a few hours on the edge of the Badlands. Be sure to take the family about an hour south of Rapid City to Hot Springs, SD for a tour through the dinosaur digs that are continually going on. There's Custer, SD and the various caves, including the largest one in the Black Hills, the Cave of the Winds. A drive down Spearfish Canyon (remember Dances With Wolves?) from Cheyenne Crossing to the town of Spearfish is very interesting.
Just west of Rapid City is the first National Monument in the U.S., Devils Tower, Wyoming. It's a few miles outside of Sundance, Wyoming and a beautiful drive.

This site might be of help: http://www.blackhillsvacations.com/VacationPac kages/Index.cfm?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=p pc&utm_term=black+hills+vacation&utm_content=B hvacations&utm_campaign=Spring07

By the way, this is primarily a U.K. site. I hope you get some other answers as well...

[motherof4]

Thanks. I appreciate the ideas. We definitely will look more into those web sites.

[con-amca]

Clanad, what a wonderfully evocative post. I envy you the places and scenery you have on your doorstep, not to mention what is available for you farther afield. I have a friend who lives in Illinois. He has relatives in other states:
Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, Oregon and others. He almost always travels by car when visiting, and he sends me letters describing his journeys and stopovers that are nothing less than excellent travelogues. He is at the moment holidaying in the Napa Valley, California. And since we both like a glass (or two) of wine, I'm looking forward to the descriptions that will doubtless be in his next letter.

motherof4, I hope you don't mind my using your question to respond to Clanad in this way. I hope you have a nice
holiday with your family.

[Clanad]

Thanks for that, baldhair... I've lived in the western U.S. most of my life but have been in commercial aviation as a pilot about as long. I'm always surprised and amused when I visit with people on layovers around the world that they find it odd that the majority of people in the U.S. don't have Passports. It's difficult for them to understand, living as many of them do in countries smaller than some of our counties, that travel can be from coast to coast (2,500) miles or from border to border (1,800 miles) through a myriad of landscapes with no need for one. (Until recently, one wasn't required fro Canada or Mexico).
I'm sure you're friend will enjoy themselves in the Napa Valley!
Having said all that, since we are a nation of immigrants (even if several generations ago) most of us have a sincere desire to see the country(s) of our origins (mine being England and Scotland primarily), hence our frequent travels to Europe and other countries.