Family Vacation Within Driving Distance of Chicago with 2 Year Old

We're big fans of Lake Geneva which is 90 minutes from Chicago. We have stayed at Lake Lawn resort most often because of the indoor pool and large grounds. But, Timber Ridge has an indoor water park, so that's also a good option. The prices are a little high, in my opinion, but vacations don't seem to be getting any cheaper, despite the economy. Good luck!

The Dunes in Northwest Indiana is great. I live in Chesterton, IN and am only about 10-15 minutes from the beach. There are several beaches to go to within a short distance. There is a nominal fee at the National Lakeshore and the others are free, but you will need to find parking. Great relaxation for the adults and fun for the 2 year old. I have a 6 year old daughter and 16 month old son who love the beach. There is also a close small zoo which is fun for the children in Michigan City, IN. Visit http://www.nps.gov/indu/index.htm There are amenities to camp close to the beach as well as renting homes on the beach. Let me know if you need more info.
C.

check out http://kidzlist.com/

They have tons of stuff for lots of metro areas in the US. It is all categorized so very easy to find animals and nature topics.

We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge in The Dells and it was great. I think there are 3 separate indoor waterparks, as well as a huge game room and indoor play/climb area. They have crafts and other activities as well. You can stay in a regular hotel room, or you can choose a condo. We did the condo because you get a full size kitchen which is nice because you can make your coffee in the morning, have cereal for breakfast instead of paying $30 to eat out, and have lunch in your room as well. I loved it, because after swimming all day, the last thing any of us wanted to do was sit in a restaurant. The condos also have a family room separate from the bedroom. Meaning - you and the hubby can relax and watch some tv, have a glass of wine, unwind without disturbing your son.
If he loves animals, there is a deer park www.wisdellsdeerpark.com where the deer will literally eat out of your hands. I have pictures! ;) It's pretty cheap and I think you can find coupons online.
Have a great trip!

Hi,

We stayed at the Grand Geneva resort , they have a free petting zoo, paid horse rides, Timber Lakes water park is next door and the hotel itself has an outdoor and indoor pool and is set in beautiful surroundings because its a golf resort. The staff were great and gave our kids free icecreams and all sorts.We really enjoyed this place and its 1 hour 45mins drive away!Its close to Lake Geneva but also far away enough to be quiet.
Goodluck with your search!

We just took a mini vacation to Wisconsin - right over the border to Apple Holler. It has apple & pumpkin picking, games, animals, restaurant, etc.. We spent about 4 hours there, then stayed at a local hotel with a pool. On the way home, we went to Fright Fest at Great America. We were lucky with the weather last weekend though.

The Dells are nice, but in Utica by Starved Rock is Big Bear Lodge with an indoor water park. If your son is "cautious", this might open him up to adventure. You can stay at the lodge or on the same property are cabins. Very nice and very woodsy.
I have heard very nice things about Key Lime Cove, as mentioned by another person.

My bro likes to go to Great Wolf Lodge in the Dells for weekend trips. The first time he went, his d was 2 and they had a great time. You could also check out Michigan. They have a bunch of harvest festivals and there are a number of kids museums and such. We went to St Joseph in August and visited the Curious Kids Museum. All the kids had fun there. There are also lots of things within 40 miles--quick to get to since I94 is a straight drive through. There is a festival this coming weekend and they will have petting zoos and such. YOu can check out stuff at www.puremichigan.com and do a search by towns and things to do. St Joe is only about 1 hour and 45 minutes away.

A toddler favorite is the JG Shedd Aquarium. and it is also very close to the museum of natural history which has some great kid type exhibits.

Hmm, I personally (from the Ann Arbor area) loved going to Chicago to visit Shedd's Aquarium. If you want to drive to Ann Arbor for a weekend (it's about a six hour drive), there's the Hands On Museum (my kids LOVE IT), or you could drive a bit further and take him to Green Field Village and then Henry Ford Museum. Good luck!

How about Starved Rock State Park? There is a fantastic lodge with nice rooms and a swimming pool. You can go exploring in the caves, see the waterfalls, and there are hiking trails that are paved for a toddler or a stroller. The Sunday Brunch in the Lodge is fabulous too!

We went and stayed at Mt. Olympus in the Dells last spring break- I DON'T recommend it! Ick! The beds were horrible, rooms dirty, and they closed a huge portion of the pool/waterpark one of the days because a child pooped in it and they could not clean it up quick enough! But- be warned- there is not much to do in the Dells other than the hotel waterparks in winter if you are looking for other things to do.

I have heard rave reviews of Key Lime Cove near Gurnee from a few parents.

Timber Ridge in Lake Geneva is great! It has an indoor Water Park. It's a lot closer than the Dells and they have a very friendly little kids area inside the Water Park. They have kitchens in the rooms (no ovens) but a stove top, microwave, toaster, full size fridge, pots, dishes... You can bring whatever you want and eat in the room or eat at one of their places.

I like the Raintree up in the Dells. The website it www.dellsraintree.com It is a smaller hotel which is nice for the two year old, but still has an indoor waterpark.

Fair Oaks Farm dairy in Indiana has tours and an ice cream shop. It's near the border of IL.

Hi L.,

Try Key Lime Cove...it's a great place across the street from Great America! We loved it, just go online and check it out for yourself!

All the Best!