Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Vacationing the Midwest
39
items We love drive-able vacations! We are able to see and do a lot things that don't feel like suburban Chicago by just hopping in the car!
Sections
3
Starved Rock and surrounding area
South Haven, MI
Grafton, IL Pere Marquette State Park
Starved Rock and surrounding area
There is so much to see and do just a quick 45 minute drive west. The lodge is a wonderful escape with trails, a pool, and great food all right there!
We have stayed here many times and love the pool for our boys. The restaurant and pub serve up some great food. There is a cute gift shop and ice cream store too. The views from the lodge are wonderful and you can warm up by a huge stone fireplace.
Starved Rock Lodge & Conference Center
This place just ROCKS! Great for tastings, hanging out, enjoying a wine slushie, shopping and just having a blast in Utica!
August Hill Winery: Home
They are White Sox fans here…just saying! Ha! This place is great and always delicious!
CANAL PORT, North Utica - Restaurant Reviews, Photos ...
Gorgeous views looking out at the Illinois River. Yes, there are bison there too!
Buffalo Rock State Park
This is a fun stop for the kids. There is a visitors center with two story viewing. It is really cool to see how the barges move through and the water level changes. Lots of good history to take in as well. There are telescopes that also allow for viewing to Plum Island where there are usually eagles to see.
Starved Rock Lock and Dam - Rock Island District
This is a great spot to grab lunch and do some tastings. It is expansive inside and just has a great vibe! Drive back to the Starved Rock area and see such pretty sights along the river too.
Tangled Roots Brewing Company | Where Craft Beer Meets ...
This is a great place to hike and not on everyone's radar. The waterfall is lovely and the trails are well-marked and safe.
Matthiessen State Park
great viewing for watching the barges come through
Illinois Waterway Visitors Center
I love stopping in here. They have an awesome selection of IL wines. There is a spot to hangout upstairs too. Lots of cute gift options as well.
Clarks Run Creek – Wine & Gifts
Super yummy eats and a fun place to watch sports.
Skoog's Pub & Grill
This little museum is right along the I&M canal. There is all kinds of information about how vital the I&M was to the area.
LaSalle County Historical Society & Museums | Utica, Illinois
History is well preserved here along this trail. It is hard to imagine how important this waterway was.
I&M Canal State Trail Access - Utica
Just a short drive from Starved Rock and you can see first-hand how people traveled on the I&M canal by boat.
I&M Canal Boat
Love horses and nature? This is a great way to spend time with both!
Cedar Creek Ranch
South Haven, MI
This is my favorite place to go! It feels so coastal, you feel like you've really life suburbia behind!
We love coming here. There is so much history and they offer boat rides too!
Michigan Maritime Museum: Home
I can go on and on about how much I love this little gem! I give it a neurodivergent thumbs up too!
The Mitten Children's Museum - Facebook
It really is a picture perfect as it seems! The sand is wonderful and there is a cute concessions stand with restrooms. We can spend all kinds of time here!
North Beach | South Haven Visitors Bureau
Our boys LOVE this place! There is quite a set up for kids to enjoy with animals, dig for treasure, and more!
Bumbleberry Acres
Just a short drive north and you can have an amazing Root Beer float from a barrel! Their mac - n - cheese is pretty amazing too!
Douglas Root Beer Barrel
The dunes here are amazing - and of course, there is a beach! There is a little walk up concessions stand too!
Oval Beach - Saugatuck Douglas, MI
Grafton, IL Pere Marquette State Park
We just got back from some time at this sweet gem of a spot along the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers! Such a fun spot!
Come for the views, the wine, the adventure stuff like zip lines, alpine coaster, and the gondala ride up from Grafton. This place has an awesome gift shop and really shows off the confluence so well!
Aerie's Resort | Great Rivers & Routes
This place has awesome hiking trails, camping sites, picnic areas, fishing areas, gorgeous views from lookouts, an equestrian and associated trails, and so much more!
Pere Marquette State Park
I've stayed here twice. One time in the lodge and then recently in a cabin. Both are great! The lodge has a nice restaurant that offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The pool looks out from these huge windows to the river across the way. The massive fireplace is always so cozy, and the kids liked playing giant chess. It has a little wine bar with a cute patio where you can taste some local vintages. Just a fun spot!
Pere Marquette Lodge & Conference Center.
This is a fun hop across the Illinois River and FREE! Our kids thought it was so exciting!
Ferry Services - Illinois Department of Transportation
Just a lovely drive down The Great River Road, slightly north of where Alton gets busy you'll find this painted on a cliffside.
Piasa
Get the catfish fritters! This place has a great vibe! It is perfectly situated along the river with stunning views! It has a large bar and plenty of space for many to gather!
The Loading Dock
We almost got to go 80 feet up to see the Lock & Dam, but the weather turned…so alas, no. But the museum is great! Our boys enjoyed all of the hands on activites and displays, and I admittedly learned a lot! There is a lot of great info there!
National Great Rivers Museum
It is a bit of a drive from Grafton, but such a REALLY AWESOME place that highlights the significant part of history that the area was for Native Americans.
Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site
This is such a nice venue and has a rooftop deck with great views! Do tastings or stay and while and have a glass!
Grafton Winery and Brewhaus - Illinois Full Production Winery and ...
This drive is worth it - and kids will enjoy seeing all the barges and boats! There are some stunning spots to see cliffs alongside the wide waterways!
Great River Road Illinois - Welcome!
The (steep) drive up is exciting, and the views at the top are stunning!
Tara Point Inn & Cottages
Set back from the main road a bit, this is a tucked away option for a bite.
Fountain Hill Steak & Seafood
If you like fish - check out the menu!
Beasley Fish
Right along the river and fun vibe!
Grafton Oyster Bar
Charming and fun!
The Bloody Bucket Saloon
It is such a cute place!
Grafton Fudge and Ice Cream
It wasn't open when we were there (out of season), but it looks GREAT!
Raging Rivers Waterpark | Outdoor Waterpark | Grafton, Illinois
We drove through here a couple of times because it is SO DANG SWEET! I swear it is a movie set (it isn't).
Home - Escape to Elsah, Illinois
You can check this out as a tour - the views are stunning!
Principia College