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Family Vacation Spots Near Chicago
- Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, is a popular family vacation destination near Chicago.sunrise over lake michigan in door county wisconsin image by David Smith from Fotolia.com
Chicago is a popular destination for both business and pleasure travelers, and the city's residents have a number of family vacation destinations within a few hours' drive. Summer is the most popular time of year to visit these destinations, though smaller crowds and reduced off-season rates await families going at other times. - Lake Geneva is located just across the Wisconsin/Illinois border, about 90 minutes northwest of downtown Chicago. The town of Lake Geneva is on the northeast shore of its namesake lake, which is ideal for swimming, boating, and relaxing on the beach. There are several hotels and resorts in town, and vacation home rentals are also available. Indeed, many Chicagoans own summer homes in the area. Lake Geneva's downtown offers shopping, art galleries, and restaurants; the area is also home to several golf courses, as well as various festivals throughout the summer and fall.
- About 3 1/2 hours northwest of Chicago is Wisconsin Dells, the water-park capital of the United States, and a very popular Midwest spot for family vacations. You could spend an entire week in Wisconsin Dells and still not visit all the town's water parks; many of its hotels also have small water parks on site. Visitors can tour the area aboard the Wisconsin Ducks, amphibious vehicles (part bus, part boat) that drive on land and float in the water. Downtown Wisconsin Dells offers restaurants, souvenir shops, candy stores, haunted houses, and arcades.
- Many people will tell you that the best family vacation destination near Chicago is ... Chicago! The city is full of activities for people of all ages. Museums, professional sports, restaurants, shopping, and sight-seeing are just a few of the activities that families --- vacationers and stay-cationers alike --- enjoy in Chicago. During the summer, every weekend bring a different street festival, with neighborhoods giving over their streets to live music and food vendors; admission is usually free. You can spend a day on Oak Street Beach, a few blocks away from downtown's famous Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue, or stroll through Millennium Park and frolic in the fountains there.