The 830-mile road trip from Chicago to Washington DC will take you around 14 hours to drive non-stop. Featuring city breaks, small coastal harbor towns, outstanding natural parks and the occasional wineries and breweries, here are our 20 best road trips from Chicago ordered from closest to furthest away - make sure to read further down for more epic road trip itineraries! Within a short distance of the city you can ski, skate, snow tube and sled, sometimes with beautiful views across Lake Mendota. 1 hour 30 minutes from Chicago (88 miles). Saugatuck, which sits at the center of the state's Art Coast, has been voted the Midwest's Best Beach Town, and its gently sloping sandy beach is the perfect place to spend an afternoon. The event runs in late Jan or early Feb, and hundreds of the city's restaurants showcase their best meals at reasonable prices - the perfect way to brighten up a long, cold winter. These will carry you up to a quarter of a mile across the resort's valleys, giving you a bird's eye view of your stunning surroundings. This makes for one of the best road trips from Chicago. You can join the river at Savanna or a little further down at Clinton depending on the route you take. The detour will add around two and a half hours so bake that into your planning and consider stops along the way. Our highlights: You can see all the historic gems of Philly decked out with lights and trees for the holiday season, and the city's beautiful riverside setting just adds to the magic. Two different types of ski lifts were invented here - so when you ski here in modern times you'll be following the lead of some of the country's ski pioneers. Then, take I-40 from Knoxville to Asheville then join I-26 south passing Spartanburg and Columbia. Your email will not be provided to third parties. How to get there: This is a really simple trip just follow I-90 all the way from Chicago. The village represents a historic view of Dutch settlements and you can even visit a wooden clog (shoe) making factory. Your email will not be provided to third parties. Visit the theme parks in their holiday finest whether your first choice is Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld or Legoland Florida, each one will be suitably festive with parades and events to match. Our travel tips: Visit the Luge in the evenings and you can warm up by a bonfire after your slide down the track. Bozeman, MT. It was founded by a group of Swiss settlers from the Swiss canton of Glarus in 1845. Rib Mountain, part of the ski area here, is Wisconsin's tallest mountain so you'll find plenty of downhill runs here to suit all abilities. You can get a tour of the mansion and explore the vast grounds which include 620 feet of shoreline. As well as sliding the high-speed downhill ice track, you can enjoy cross-country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing, and ice skating at the park. Further up the road, you'll find a truly unique destination in Holland, where Dutch colonists established a foothold in the 1800s, bringing with them their culture, architecture, pastries (check . You should ride to the top of it to get unbelievable views of the city below - tickets are $14 for adults and $11 for children with discounts outside weekends. NOTL is also a really charming little town, and while you're here you might like to take a horse-drawn carriage ride through its historic streets - a wonderfully atmospheric way to travel through the snow-covered streets. Try the City Lights brewery tour - located in the renovated Milwaukee Gas Light Company buildings dating back to 1902, the brewery has a cool industrial vibe with its mix of old and new. Our highlights: Just outside the city at Cascade Mountain and Devils Head Resort you'll find some exhilarating downhill skiing as well as snowtubing and sledding. To make the most of the trip, take a couple of weeks and make a lot of stops along the way. And one of the three sections of the Hoosier National Forest is immediate to this area. The area is also home to a number of very decent wineries. You can enjoy spending time outside, take a walk along the river, or just relax in one of Savannah's beautiful squares - the polar opposite of a Chicago winter. Treat your group to an exhilarating zip line adventure with Shawnee Bluffs Canopy Tour. From here, pick up I-76 and follow it straight down to Denver. Driving time from Chicago: One and a half hours Our neighbors to the north will make you feel right at home with a seemingly endless supply of craft beer and cheese. Parking can be difficult, especially in the summer months when hundreds of visitors head to town. The classic design may look more like an East Coast city with Louisville having the second highest number of cast iron faades after New York, primarily in its West Main District. Why you should visit: The weather stays mild all year round in Savannah, so it's a great place to come and escape the Midwest chill. Further afield, the city is packed full of other shopping districts, including the West Village, Bleeker Street, Union Square and the Meatpacking District to name just a few. Ride down the Kalamazoo River on a paddle steamer, explore the lakeshore and river in a kayak, or charter a yacht. Once a month the district comes to life with live music and guided tours, plus the chance to taste local wine. Car production moved to other cities in the US, factories in Asia and Mexico and large blocks of Detroit became ghosts of their own past. Distance from Chicago: 150 miles north, 2.5-hour drive This charming little hideaway about 30 minutes west of Sheboygan is often overlooked but shouldn't be. If you want to test your senses, the Limburger cheese holds the title of the world's worst smelling cheese and is only made in Monroe. If you're visiting at other times during the winter, there's still plenty to do in Elkhart Lake. Don't worry about missing out on too much of that winter snow either - your drive will take you through the Appalachians so you can take in some stunning views as you make your way south to Georgia. 24 Top Weekend Getaways From Chicago - US News & World Report 5 Winter Road Trip Ideas to Warmer Destinations - Auto Lab It will satisfy a wide range of abilities, and you can also try out snow tubing and snowshoeing here. As well as the festive markets that take place across the city, where you can admire beautiful decorations and gifts or enjoy some fabulous food and drink, you can take in a carol concert at the National Cathedral. One is the Forever Curious Children's Museum - a non-profit organization created to spark a love for learning in kids of all ages. After Gainesville, join the Florida Turnpike which takes you the last stretch of the drive into Orlando. There are plenty of places to stop and a lot of parks and trails if you want to get out of the car. Cool down in warmer weather by riding the natural waterslide at Sliding Rock. Whether you want to hike, climb, bike, ski, snowshoe or simply follow miles of scenic drives to mountaintop lookouts, take your pick in this stunning national park and the surrounding winter sports resorts.

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