Road Trips - Omaha,NE

SD--Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, and Wounded Knee.
Colorado--Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs (you can horseback ride through it and the horses are tame enough for small children.) there is the most awesome gift shop there and the Indian ruins nearby.
Red Rocks outside Denver. Your children would love eating at Casa Bonita. It looks like Acapulco inside and they do a dive show. There is an amusement park called Elitches near downtown on the west side.

A couple years ago we planned a trip to Mackinac. Online I found a good deal that included the hotel stay in Mackinac City for 2 nights at a nice hotel, I think it included the ferry tickets to the island, a carriage ride tour around the island, tickets to the butterfly conservatory, and tickets to Ft. Mackinac. For 4 of us I think it was just over $400 for all of that. It was amazing! You can rent bicycles and ride around the island, too (or take your own). Mackinac city has some fun shopping for adults and kids, and some deeeelicious restaurants! The hotel was within walking distance of everything. In Chicago, Shedd Aquarium is someplace you must take the kids! There's a field museum too that I've heard is great, though I've never been. There's a discovery center in Rockford (north of Chicago) that kids have a great time at. By the Wisconsin Dells area is the International Crane Foundation (technically in Baraboo, but just a short drive from the downtown Dells). There are really fun cranes (birds, not machines!) From all over the world. Kind of like a zoo just for cranes!

I love the Colorado Springs area! We were talking about going there this summer, but with the fires and with some family things happening we changed our plans. I haven't been there with my kids, but I remember going as a kid. The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is great and Santa's Village is fun too. There are some things for kids at Garden of the Gods too. There is also a lot to do in the Denver area and in Rocky Mt. National Park. We used to stay at YMCA of the Rockies for family reunions and had a great time!

There are tons of fun things to do in SD Black Hills and a lot of fun places to stop on the drive from Sioux Falls to Rapid City--the Corn Palace in Mitchell, the Akta Lakota Musem in Chamberlain, Wall Drug. There are lots of kid friendly things to do in Rapid, Keystone, Hill City, and the Mount Rushmore area. I've never stayed at a resort area there, but have known people who stay at a plane that I think is called Hart Ranch. I would caution that the Black Hills in August can be really tricky when the Sturgis Rally is going on--lots of motorcycle traffic, crowded restaurants and attractions and no place to stay.

The Twin Cities area has a lot of fun too. We love the MN Zoo, Como Park Zoo, the Mall of America, the MN Children's Museum. If you go towards the end of August there is also the state fair and the Renaissance Festival. There are also several other museums, some GREAT kids' bookstores, lots of parks, and several swimming beaches. I don't know of any resorts, but there is a hotel that has the Waterpark of America.

We took our kids to Chicago a couple of years ago and had a blast! There are two great zoos, a couple of great children's museums, the Museum of Science and Industry, the aquarium, Navy Pier, and lots of other attractions. There are also good swimming beaches on the lake. I don't know of any resorts though. We just stayed in a hotel near the airport. It was cheaper than staying closer to the city, but did mean a little more time in the car each day.

Send me a message if you want more details. I lived in SD for 11 years so I can tell you a lot more about that area. I've been to Chicago 6-7 times. We live in Rochester, MN and spend quite a bit of time in the Twin Cities and I lived there for a year, too so I can give you more info about that area and the Rochester area.

In Colorado.....Colorado springs. There is so much to do there

Just want to say I'm another Colorado Springs lover! We were there last week and had an amazing time. Our boys are older (8 and 14), so most of our activities wouldn't work for you - whitewater rafting, lots of hiking, etc., but it would still be a fabulous trip for any family.

If you happen to go there, my favorite meal was downtown at PB & Jellies. We ate at some other wonderful restaurants, but I loved my white chocolate peanut butter with bananas sandwich, and the people that worked there were soooo nice! There was also a high school student playing the piano. :)

The King's Chef Diner had a great breakfast, and the service was excellent, too!

Have a fun vacation wherever you go!

In Wisconsin Dells I like the Wilderness Resort. I haven't been there in the summer yet. We usually get a condo in the off-season (price drops) and use the indoor stuff. They limit their waterpark access to guests of the resort, which is a plus.

One of the nice things about the condos is a full kitchen. Bringing your own food to cook saves hundreds, because the onsite restaurants are insanely priced and even the off-site chain places have higher prices in the Dells.