Seeking Ideas for Summer Vacation

check out the oshtoff resort in elkhart lake wisconsin. it is about 3 hrs from chicago in a beautiful little quaint town. the resort is gorgeous and on the beach lake elkhart is a gorgeous very clean lake. there are many kids activities, restaurants and a fabulous spa in the resort. water sports and an outdoor deck bar on the lake. the weather in wisconsin in the summer is better for beaching than florida's summers:) its fantastic we make it a yearly family outing. they have a web site i think it is www.oshtoff.com if not google it.

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Check out South Haven Michigan. There is a resort there called Sleepy Hollow. It's right on the beach, they have a pool, tennis courts and I think activities for the kids. We went there years ago and really enjoyed it.

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FYI: Michigan City, IN has a nice beach. They have houses, and cottages you can rent for a week that are close to the beach. You can see the Chicago skyline if the weather is nice. They have a lighthouse and a pier that you can fish off of, a small zoo and they have lots of art festivals and things on the weekends. Right up the road about 10 miles is New Buffalo, MI that has a lot to do also.

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The kids want to go to the beach- Have you looked into Indiana Dunes? That might be a possibility. We also liked Lake of the Ozarks when the kids were small. It was hot there- but there was always a pool, nice rental condos- or camping sights with pool and beach areas along the lake. LAKe of the Ozarks is "busy" lik the Dells- putt putt golf,go carts, ect. find both Indiana and LAke of the Ozarks on the internet and see what appeals to you.

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We went to Mamouth Caves in Kentucky. It is very inexpensive and fun to do with the kids. You can rent little cabins or stay in the hotel there. We only spent about 4 days but had a great time.

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Nashville, TN was great. One of the best vacations for adults & kids. There is a long river that you can rent tubes. There is great hiking with a gorgeous waterfall. We had a short drive to Ashville, NC & went to Biltmore Estates & went white water rafting. Horseback riding, etc. You got lots of great ideas, have fun.

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Last summer, we went with another family and our 3 toddlers to St. Joseph, MI. Best vacation ever - beautiful beach with a very nice playground, horse-drawn buggy rides, little shops and galleries, outdoor concerts, and a children's museum. We rented a large historical home in town, and walked just about everywhere. I think we ate out maybe a few times just for breakfast, but otherwise did a lot of cooking out (and in) as the house was fully stocked. The town is about a 2 hour drive from NW Indiana. Good luck!

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One of our favorite vacation spots is the Wisconsin Dells. We love Wilderness Lodge, as well as Kalahari.

In the past we've also rented a lakehouse from a private owner, and those were some of our best vacations. Some include access to a boat, and had a private beach. Very relaxing!

M.,
The two places I have been thinking about are Myrtle Beach and Atlantis, Bahamas. I hear they're really awesome vacation spots.

All the Best!

I would suggest that you check out st. louis. It is about a 4 1/2 hr car ride from here. there are a lot of "free" things to do. the st. louis zoo is excellent..free. the museums etc in Forest park..free! The museum at the base of the arch..free! Grant's Farm..home of the famous budweiser clysdales, free!(plus, they even give mom and dad free budweiser samples). the trip to the top of the arch is not very expensive. there is also purina farm( a little west of the city) I can't remember if it is free, but it was great for younger kids like yours. lots of animals etc. there are tons of hotels, a children's museum, the old courthouse, etc. etc. check out the st. louis visitors website.

One of the best vacations we took was to Springfield, IL. There are LOTS of things to see that don't require a long attention span and are free to boot! There is a small zoo, a museum, the old capitol building, Lincoln's home/ museum, Lincoln's tomb, the present capitol building, etc. I know the city offers a vacation package with maps and summer events listed. Hope this helps.

I vote Indiana Dunes/Mt. Baldy. A huge sand dune to climb up or slide down. Not that long of a drive. Not sure where you live, but it is only 45 minutes from the IN/IL border at 80/94. It's a beach! Take buckets and shovels.

How about Indiana Dunes or Starved Rock--Utica, Il I know there is also an indoor waterpark out that way.

Indiana or Michigan dunes? Branson, MO?