Hey guys, so my grandma promised me a road trip of my choice as a high school graduation present! ;-) By that I am assuming she means nothing too far out of the reach from MN, in the midwest. Do any of you have any ideas of must-sees? All of my ideas are kind of lengthy... :sombrero:
My suggestion: do more than just ride in a car. Stop and look at stuff. Visit places. Bring a bike. Go for a hike. SOMETHING besides just riding in the car, eating, and sleeping.
Depends on which direction you head from Minnesota. You have lots of places in Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and Michigan's Upper Peninsula within reach. Visit the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan, for example.
Quote from: froggie on December 24, 2012, 09:43:28 PM
My suggestion: do more than just ride in a car. Stop and look at stuff. Visit places. Bring a bike. Go for a hike. SOMETHING besides just riding in the car, eating, and sleeping.
All of which I was planning on! Especially biking, I'm an avid biker! Thanks :D
Quote from: Brandon on December 24, 2012, 10:03:13 PM
Depends on which direction you head from Minnesota. You have lots of places in Wisconsin, northern Illinois, and Michigan's Upper Peninsula within reach. Visit the Keweenaw Peninsula in Michigan, for example.
Never been there, that's high on my list! :nod: I haven't experienced much of the U.P. yet :paranoid:
What are you interested in, exactly? County collecting? Highway clinching? Old bridges? Alignment hunting? Scenery?
Get your passport and do the Lake Superior Circle Tour.
Mount Rushmore?
Quote from: JREwing78 on December 25, 2012, 12:53:17 AM
Get your passport and do the Lake Superior Circle Tour.
Or at least MN 61 from Duluth to the Canadian border.
Quote from: Mdcastle on December 25, 2012, 06:17:32 AM
Mount Rushmore?
You can add to that the Badlands, the Crazy Horse memorial u/c, and lots of other stuff in the Black Hills.
Before heading back, you can head north to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park along I-94, which has its own under-publicized badlands.
Quote from: oscar on December 25, 2012, 08:11:51 AM
Quote from: Mdcastle on December 25, 2012, 06:17:32 AM
Mount Rushmore?
You can add to that the Badlands, the Crazy Horse memorial u/c, and lots of other stuff in the Black Hills.
Before heading back, you can head north to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park along I-94, which has its own under-publicized badlands.
That would be nice! Never been anywhere in North Dakota beyond Fargo! I actually went to the Black Hills on a school trip last year! It would be cool to go there again and visit more places :clap:
Quote from: JREwing78 on December 25, 2012, 12:53:17 AM
Get your passport and do the Lake Superior Circle Tour.
Already planning that as a separate trip sometime in August :nod:
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 25, 2012, 12:29:03 AM
What are you interested in, exactly? County collecting? Highway clinching? Old bridges? Alignment hunting? Scenery?
Mostly scenery, my grandma isn't exactly the biggest roadgeek :sombrero:
If you head down Chicago way, I suggest Starved Rock State Park (IL) and the Indiana Dunes, as well as downtown Chicago.
Kansas City is a cool city to visit if you have some money to spend, but I don't know how it is to visit on the cheap.
Personally, I'd probably do the U.P. and some of lower Michigan as well.
The Dakotas and Nebraska.
I'd recommend Wisconsin as being surprisingly scenic. or, if you really want to make it a reach, go to Four Corners.
Quote from: kphoger on December 26, 2012, 11:12:10 AMKansas City is a cool city to visit if you have some money to spend, but I don't know how it is to visit on the cheap.
It is not a budget-buster, especially for culture vultures. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (which is my personal main KC draw) has free admission. There are other museums which also have free admission on at least one day of the week, and still others where the admissions charges are nominal, or at least were when I last visited them (the position may have changed since the mid-1990's, especially on the Kansas side where arts funding has been cut to the bone). Country Club Plaza is well worth visiting for the architecture (and costs nothing to window-shop), and Ward Parkway is not bad for cycling or a scenic drive. Crown Center has the Hallmark Cards visitors' center, with free admission. The Liberty Memorial has been awarded the Congressional distinction of being
the national museum for World War I, but there is an admissions charge and I felt the exhibits were a bit text-heavy and the exposition a little vague.
On the Kansas side Johnson County has the Electric House, which is a museum of suburbia, and if your taste runs to the fine arts, the Spencer Museum of Art in Lawrence (on the KU campus) is a nice supplement to the Nelson-Atkins. Topeka also has the Curry murals in the state capitol, and the
Brown v. Board of Education national historic park.
If you are into roads history research, Kansas City metro (Lee's Summit specifically) has the National Archives and Records Administration satellite facility for the midwest region. I know the states covered include Kansas north all the way to North Dakota, as well as Missouri and Iowa, but I am not sure if Minnesota is included. It costs nothing to go there and do research, but it is best to send an email in advance stating your general area of interest so the appropriate finding aids can be pulled for you, and you should also bring a digital camera (a fast shutter cycle is ideal) so you can take camera copies of documents that are of interest to you. The Lee's Summit NARA facility is the records repository for the Midwest regional and state BPR/FHWA offices, and records are grouped by state. Typically there is a general correspondence file covering various design policy issues which the state DOTs raised with FHWA, and then there are project files arranged by federal-aid project number, each of which deals with issues specific to a given project. For Kansas I have found, among other things, a proposed plan for a trumpet interchange at I-135/21st Street in Wichita (ultimately a volleyball was built, which was reconstructed about 20 years later into a diamond), and correspondence dealing with a controversy in the 1950's about whether ROW purchased for a surface-arterial upgrade of US 50 in Johnson County could be used to develop it into a freeway.
Kansas City is a regional retail destination for northeast Kansas and western Missouri, so there has long been a tendency to think of it primarily as a place to shop, but post-2008 I feel that is just courting disappointment--selection has gone down with disposable income and customer footfall, so the brick-and-mortar retail which KC used to do well doesn't really compete with Amazon's Emporium of Everything Under The Sun. With the museums, however, Kansas City has more than enough to justify a multi-day visit.
Kansas City also has a wide range of roadgeeking options. Since it straddles the state line, you can experience how KDOT and MoDOT handle similar situations and play compare-and-contrast with them, which I always find to be kind of fun. Downtown freeways are pretty substandard and usually move at a decent clip, so you may only want to head through that if driving through that sort of condition is fun to you (plus, you get to see the oddly-suffixed exits of the "alphabet loop"–only place in the US you will see an Exit 2Y). You can see the termini of two 2dis (I-29 and I-49) and there are several 3dis to clinch (I-635 is a one that I personally like), as well as several Kansas and Missouri state routes. Kansas freeway signage is generally second to none and you might run across a few "why didn't my state think of that?" moments (though from my experience Mn/DOT is generally pretty okay, so this will apply less so than to someone from, say, Oklahoma or New Mexico). If you are after old signs, I think there are still a few button copy signs kicking around the Missouri side (Kansas never used it), and the Quindaro neighborhood of the Kansas side is home to an original green Kansas Turnpike sign.
Let me give you some good food options throughout the Midwest that I have encountered in my travels.
Wisconsin
* Appleton (Outagamie Co) - "Machine Shed" exit US 41 at College Ave, go west. Home cooking type restaurant similar to Cracker Barrel but better food IMO. I love the Pork Ribs.
* Egg Harbor (Door Co) - "Shipwrecked" on Hwy 42. Light blue outside color restaurant featuring the best Walleye fish fry I ever had.
* Green Lake (Green Lake Co) - "Norton's" on Bus Hwy 23 (S Lawson Dr) on the west end of town with the dining room having a wonderful view of Green Lake.
* Oshkosh (Winnebago Co) - "Benvenuto's" off US 41 east frontage rd (Koeller St) north of 9th Ave, south of Witzel Ave in a retail plaza with the movie theatre. Really good and reasonable Italian.
* Oshkosh (Winnebago Co) - "Vitali's" on Murdock St east of Main St. The best Italian in town but also a bit more pricy.
*Pewaukee (Waukesha Co) - "Machine Shed" exit I-94 on to Hwy 164 North, next to the Raddison.
*Winneconne (Winnebago Co) - "Fin and Feather" on Hwy 116 at the Wolf River drawbridge. Good food and very scenic with boaters on the river/Wolf Lake in the Summer.
Illinois
*Chicago (Cook Co) - "Philly's Best" on W Jackson Blvd just east of Halsted St. Best Philly Cheesesteak outside of Philadelphia.
*Chicago (Cook Co) - "D'Agastino's" on W Addison St at Southport Ave, a couple blocks west of Wrigley Field. Best Chicago Style Deep Dish that is a small chain (4 stores).
*Rockford (Winnebago Co) - "Machine Shed" on Bus US 20 (E State St) west of the I-39/90 Tollway exit.
Iowa
*Davenport (Scott Co) - "Machine Shed" I-80 exit on to Hwy 130 (Northwest Blvd) and head southeast.
*Des Moines (Polk Co) - "Machine Shed" I-35/80 exit on to US 6 (Hickman Rd) East.
Missouri
*Kansas City (Jackson Co) - "Jess n Jim's Steakhouse" E 135th St about a mile east of the state line at a railroad crossing. Best KC Style Beef Ribs.
*Ozark (Christian Co) - "Lambert's" Off US 65 at Hwy J. Good food, interesting atmosphere. They "throw" rolls around the place.
*Sikeston (Scott Co) - "Lambert's" US 62 (Malone Ave) west of I-55.
South Dakota
*Rapid City (Pennington Co) - "Firehouse Brewing Co" on W Main St about 3 blocks east of I-190. Really good pub style food at a reasonable cost.
Quote from: hobsini2 on February 02, 2013, 01:05:45 PM
Let me give you some good food options throughout the Midwest that I have encountered in my travels.
Illinois
*Chicago (Cook Co) - Anywhere
FTFY.
Seriously, every Chicago visitor needs to eat Chicago-style pizza. And, I see you're from Minnesota, so it needs to be said: Old Chicago does not serve Chicago-style pizza.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on December 27, 2012, 12:49:56 PM
I'd recommend Wisconsin as being surprisingly scenic.
This.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.town-of-wheatland.com%2Ftudare3.jpg&hash=9ea0d8b649fadeaa24556cb3d70b426754337b8e)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fmyplayfulself.com%2Fwordpress%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F11%2Fkickapoo-valley.jpg&hash=1c89439da43854491fd71c2f77d04e4a1989d2fd)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwisconsinoutside.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F09%2FDriftlessroad.jpg&hash=86a23d3a048ca2159baad6e074673e5ad1579e90)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdriftlessrivers.org%2Fassets%2FSummer2Large.jpg&hash=095223d9186777f620b2fddfc3c9b8f5c1e100d4)
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fdriftlessrivers.org%2Fassets%2FFall1Large.jpg&hash=5028fa917759376a099aa3e310cd27337d3ccb20)
all from Google image search- NONE OF THESE ARE MINEHell, even I-94 northwest of Black River Falls can be quite scenic. US 10 west of Osseo has to be my personal dark horse for one of the most scenic major highways in the state. Also US 14 from Madison to La Crosse is a must for fall foliage gawking.
Quote from: on_wisconsin on February 02, 2013, 02:49:46 PM
Hell, even I-94 northwest of Black River Falls can be quite scenic. US 10 west of Osseo has to be my personal dark horse for one of the most scenic major highways in the state. Also US 14 from Madison to La Crosse is a must for fall foliage gawking.
In fact, some of your photos reminded me specifically of the Black River Falls—Osseo area.
Some of my favorite scenery is around Green Lake in East Central Wisconsin and the Driftless Area of SW Wisconsin.
None of these pics are mine though.
Green Lake:
http://epod.typepad.com/.a/6a0105371bb32c970b011570df3d50970c-750wi
http://www.menupix.com/town_img/GreenLakeWIHP.jpg
SW Wisconsin:
http://www.lonesomehollow.com/files/2010/11/Dans-photo.jpg
http://www.zanewilliamsphotography.com/wisconsinstock/wisconsinstock-pic/Williams_panoramic_wi.jpg
Quote from: kphoger on February 02, 2013, 02:39:24 PM
Quote from: hobsini2 on February 02, 2013, 01:05:45 PM
Let me give you some good food options throughout the Midwest that I have encountered in my travels.
Illinois
*Chicago (Cook Co) - Anywhere
FTFY.
Seriously, every Chicago visitor needs to eat Chicago-style pizza. And, I see you're from Minnesota, so it needs to be said: Old Chicago does not serve Chicago-style pizza.
Not all Chicago Style Deep Dish in Chicago is the same though. That's why I gave him my favorite place in the city. Connie's is ok. Gino's East is my 2nd favorite. Giordono's is my 3rd. The only Deep Dish Pizzerias i absolutely despise are Lou Malnoti's and Nancy's. My problem with both is that the crust is very soggy and the sauce is terrible.
It's barely in the midwest, but southeastern Oklahoma is a largely unknown gem. I recommend the Talimena Skyline Drive or US 259. US 271 is a nice drive as well.
I second Wisconsin. Even the interstates are scenic. The first time I drove through it, I didn't expect anything out of it. I was surprised. The picturesque farms with the red barns and the rolling hills along I-94 between Milwaukee and Madison are charming.
If you go to KC, be sure to try some local BBQ. I recommend Gates or LC's. I hear Oklahoma Joe's is good too but I've never had it. I'd avoid Arthur Bryant's because it's not typical KC BBQ and the sauce is very weird. It's still pretty good though.
Quote from: hobsini2 on February 02, 2013, 03:50:52 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 02, 2013, 02:39:24 PM
Quote from: hobsini2 on February 02, 2013, 01:05:45 PM
Let me give you some good food options throughout the Midwest that I have encountered in my travels.
Illinois
*Chicago (Cook Co) - Anywhere
FTFY.
Seriously, every Chicago visitor needs to eat Chicago-style pizza. And, I see you're from Minnesota, so it needs to be said: Old Chicago does not serve Chicago-style pizza.
Not all Chicago Style Deep Dish in Chicago is the same though. That's why I gave him my favorite place in the city. Connie's is ok. Gino's East is my 2nd favorite. Giordono's is my 3rd. The only Deep Dish Pizzerias i absolutely despise are Lou Malnoti's and Nancy's. My problem with both is that the crust is very soggy and the sauce is terrible.
That's funny: I've never eaten at Lou Malnatis' or Nancy's! I know what you mean about the crust, though. It can make or break it.
I had a bad experience the only time I've been to Gino's, and Giordano's is close to my heart for personal reasons. I must say, eating at Giordano's downtown is a cool experience just due to its location (http://goo.gl/maps/uq4Ou); it's one of my favorite (and one of the most affordable) places to eat downtown.
Quote from: kphoger on February 03, 2013, 08:20:12 AM
Quote from: hobsini2 on February 02, 2013, 03:50:52 PM
Quote from: kphoger on February 02, 2013, 02:39:24 PM
Quote from: hobsini2 on February 02, 2013, 01:05:45 PM
Let me give you some good food options throughout the Midwest that I have encountered in my travels.
Illinois
*Chicago (Cook Co) - Anywhere
FTFY.
Seriously, every Chicago visitor needs to eat Chicago-style pizza. And, I see you're from Minnesota, so it needs to be said: Old Chicago does not serve Chicago-style pizza.
Not all Chicago Style Deep Dish in Chicago is the same though. That's why I gave him my favorite place in the city. Connie's is ok. Gino's East is my 2nd favorite. Giordono's is my 3rd. The only Deep Dish Pizzerias i absolutely despise are Lou Malnoti's and Nancy's. My problem with both is that the crust is very soggy and the sauce is terrible.
That's funny: I've never eaten at Lou Malnatis' or Nancy's! I know what you mean about the crust, though. It can make or break it.
I had a bad experience the only time I've been to Gino's, and Giordano's is close to my heart for personal reasons. I must say, eating at Giordano's downtown is a cool experience just due to its location (http://goo.gl/maps/uq4Ou); it's one of my favorite (and one of the most affordable) places to eat downtown.
Are you talking about Giordano's on E Randolph across from Millenium Park? If so, I agree about the view. Trust me though KP. Next time you are in Chicago and have a craving for some Deep Dish, try D'ags on W Addison and N
Southport west of Wrigley. It is also one of the few DD places I know where one can get just a slice of DD instead of the whole pie.
Actually, I was referring to 223 W Jackson, but my love of Giordano's started in Oak Park.
I used to work a block from a place that sold Chicago deep dish by the slice, and for a while I was eating one every day for lunch. Then I figured I'd probably die of a heart attack if I didn't stop soon. I did learn once that it's not wise to order a Chicago-style pizza at an off-peak time, as it can take upwards of an hour to make one–two trips through the oven, for one thing.
I've heard that "Chicago pizza" isn't indicative of most pizza joints in Chicago. What I've heard is that most Chicago pizza joints use a thin crust made of sourdough. Whether this is true or not I don't know.
Michigan has a lot of awesome drives... especially along Lake Michigan (U.S. 31/M-22) - including the Leelanau Peninsula, Sleeping Bear Dunes area, Traverse City, crossing the Mackinac Bridge (including the Mackinaw City/St. Ignace areas), and then all across the Upper Peninsula. The Pictured Rocks near Munising (along the Lake Superior shoreline) are fantastic. The U.P. has a lot of gorgeous waterfalls, hikes, and drives. M-26 at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula (including Brockway Mountain Drive) is breathtaking.
Quote from: Stalin on February 04, 2013, 08:03:49 PM
I've heard that "Chicago pizza" isn't indicative of most pizza joints in Chicago. What I've heard is that most Chicago pizza joints use a thin crust made of sourdough. Whether this is true or not I don't know.
I don't know about the Sourdough being used as I do not bake bread (even though my father has for years) but here is a simple recipe for you if you care to make Deep Dish.
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicago-style-deep-dish-pizza-10000001120351/
Quote from: hobsini2 on February 06, 2013, 06:49:12 PM
Quote from: Stalin on February 04, 2013, 08:03:49 PM
I've heard that "Chicago pizza" isn't indicative of most pizza joints in Chicago. What I've heard is that most Chicago pizza joints use a thin crust made of sourdough. Whether this is true or not I don't know.
I don't know about the Sourdough being used as I do not bake bread (even though my father has for years) but here is a simple recipe for you if you care to make Deep Dish.
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chicago-style-deep-dish-pizza-10000001120351/
Hobsini2 - noticed you are from Bolingbrook... Is Bono's still there across the street from the truckstop? They used to have great Chicago style food! From Google Maps, it looks like the space is now taken over by Fatty Magoo's. Probably yet another place I can scratch off my bucket list of places to return to someday...
DJ, the Bono's in Bolingbrook is gone, replaced by Fatty Magoo's. However, there is still a Bono's on Ogden Ave near Yackley Ave in Lisle. I want to say it is just west of the intersection.
My boss, who is from Chicago, has everyone convinced that Homerun Inn has the best pizza in that area. I agree. (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skyscrapercity.com%2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2Fdrool.gif&hash=859d9ea0a35dd38f594cedd878b6799e55ecb457)
Quote from: hobsini2 on February 09, 2013, 10:14:39 PM
DJ, the Bono's in Bolingbrook is gone, replaced by Fatty Magoo's. However, there is still a Bono's on Ogden Ave near Yackley Ave in Lisle. I want to say it is just west of the intersection.
Thanks for the info. I know I was not the only rabid fan, as one time I was in line at Bono's behind an airline pilot. He was on his way home to San Francisco, and stopped for a few Italian sausage heroes to go home with... It was not the best Chicago hot dog stand, but the location made it one of my favorites...
Lots of great replies so far, thanks guys! I might have to go to Chicago again since the last time I went there 4 years ago, the trip was dedicated solely to getting a new harp from Lyon and Healy. I haven't done much else there since I was really little :-D
Quote from: djsinco on February 10, 2013, 04:04:35 AM
Quote from: hobsini2 on February 09, 2013, 10:14:39 PM
DJ, the Bono's in Bolingbrook is gone, replaced by Fatty Magoo's. However, there is still a Bono's on Ogden Ave near Yackley Ave in Lisle. I want to say it is just west of the intersection.
Thanks for the info. I know I was not the only rabid fan, as one time I was in line at Bono's behind an airline pilot. He was on his way home to San Francisco, and stopped for a few Italian sausage heroes to go home with... It was not the best Chicago hot dog stand, but the location made it one of my favorites...
Personally, my favorite hot dog stand is in River Forest on River Rd called Gene and Jude's. It has been there for something like 50 years. One of the unique things they do that I like is they put the fries ON the dog. The other ones that I like are Paradise Pup, also on River Rd, in Des Plaines and Jim's Original on S Union (West Frontage Rd to 90/94 Ryan) near UIC south of Roosevelt. If you go to Jim's though, make sure you go to the north building. There is a place next door (the south one) that looks exactly like it that is a knock off. I also go to Jim's for their bone in pork chop sandwich.
Thanks, but unfortunately, when I am traveling I-80 across IL, I generally am on a schedule. I always try to get a quick taste of something local. The easiest to access currently are Big Al's Beef or the Portillo's which are just north of 80 on Harlem. Either will do in a pinch, but I still miss the 3 dogs and 2 fries for 5 bucks Mom and Pop places of long ago...
Quote from: djsinco on February 13, 2013, 02:28:30 PM
Thanks, but unfortunately, when I am traveling I-80 across IL, I generally am on a schedule. I always try to get a quick taste of something local. The easiest to access currently are Big Al's Beef or the Portillo's which are just north of 80 on Harlem. Either will do in a pinch, but I still miss the 3 dogs and 2 fries for 5 bucks Mom and Pop places of long ago...
Both Gene & Jude's and Jim's Original have deals like that still today.
Jules: [laughing] Oh, man. I'm going, that's all there is to it. I'm fucking going.
Vincent: Yeah, baby, you'd dig it the most