Chicago to South Bend Roadtrip
October 15, 2011 5:20 AM
Can you suggest must-do's and must-not do's for a road trip from the Chicago area to South Bend (Notre Dame)?
I want to take my two pre-teen boys on a visit to ND. We 'll visit the bookstore and stroll the campus. What else should we do?
I assume we shouldn't go on a game day as the whole area will be crowded with people; although it'd be kind of fun to get caught up in all the excitement of a game day. (What's the chance of entering the stadium without tickets in the late fourth quarter as you can do in some venues?).
Any good places to stop off the interstate for breakfast or lunch on the way there?
I want to take my two pre-teen boys on a visit to ND. We 'll visit the bookstore and stroll the campus. What else should we do?
I assume we shouldn't go on a game day as the whole area will be crowded with people; although it'd be kind of fun to get caught up in all the excitement of a game day. (What's the chance of entering the stadium without tickets in the late fourth quarter as you can do in some venues?).
Any good places to stop off the interstate for breakfast or lunch on the way there?
ND alum here.
Yeah, don't go on game day hoping to get into the stadium unless you've got tickets. It's a complete zoo, and as far as I know they don't just let people in.
Also, if you do go on a game day, be prepared to walk. Like, a lot. The parking areas where the public can just sort of show up without making arrangements ahead of time are either 1) quite a ways from campus, 2) $20, easy, or 3) both. Some of the official parking areas are like a two mile walk. There are shuttles, but they fill up fast, and there aren't a ton of 'em. Parking on non-game days isn't nearly as big of a deal, particularly for visitors, but it's still a sprawling campus, i.e. South Quad is about half a mile long, and if you want to go around the lakes it's a good few miles. I don't know how old your boys are, but short little legs can get pretty tired pretty quick.
It's really not worth stopping between Chicago and SB. There's not only nothing on the way, but it's only about three hours. If the boys need to hit the restroom, there are rest stops on the Toll Road, but other than that, the route is pretty deserted once you leave Gary.
As for stuff to do other than campus... well there's the College Football Hall of Fame downtown. It's kind of lame, but I can see a couple of boys your kids' age getting a kick out of it, at least for an hour or two. And you should probably hit up Fiddler's Hearth, which is a damn fine Irish pub, also downtown, which is entirely kid-friendly. Friday and Saturday evenings they tend to have live music, and there's a step-dancing troupe that come in every so often.
posted by valkyryn at 7:36 AM on October 15, 2011
Yeah, don't go on game day hoping to get into the stadium unless you've got tickets. It's a complete zoo, and as far as I know they don't just let people in.
Also, if you do go on a game day, be prepared to walk. Like, a lot. The parking areas where the public can just sort of show up without making arrangements ahead of time are either 1) quite a ways from campus, 2) $20, easy, or 3) both. Some of the official parking areas are like a two mile walk. There are shuttles, but they fill up fast, and there aren't a ton of 'em. Parking on non-game days isn't nearly as big of a deal, particularly for visitors, but it's still a sprawling campus, i.e. South Quad is about half a mile long, and if you want to go around the lakes it's a good few miles. I don't know how old your boys are, but short little legs can get pretty tired pretty quick.
It's really not worth stopping between Chicago and SB. There's not only nothing on the way, but it's only about three hours. If the boys need to hit the restroom, there are rest stops on the Toll Road, but other than that, the route is pretty deserted once you leave Gary.
As for stuff to do other than campus... well there's the College Football Hall of Fame downtown. It's kind of lame, but I can see a couple of boys your kids' age getting a kick out of it, at least for an hour or two. And you should probably hit up Fiddler's Hearth, which is a damn fine Irish pub, also downtown, which is entirely kid-friendly. Friday and Saturday evenings they tend to have live music, and there's a step-dancing troupe that come in every so often.
posted by valkyryn at 7:36 AM on October 15, 2011
Especially in fall, there's a lot of parent/child groups on the quad tossing around a football during their visits.
Make sure you do the main building during your tour -- historic murals, general prettiness. The log chapel is also popular, and the Grotto. You can get a map and/or join a tour at the visitor's center on your way in to the campus.
Exit 72 is South Bend. Exit 77 is Notre Dame. It didn't used to be that well signed that the exit for Notre Dame was coming up, so a certain number of people coming from Chicago always get off at 72 and have no idea where they are. It might be better-signed now.
One of the rest stops on the toll road has a Fazoli's and I used to always get Fazoli's bread sticks (suuuuuper greasy and delicious) in fairly large quantity and munch them on the drive, but I never saw a Fazoli's before I went to college so that was exciting for me.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:49 AM on October 15, 2011
Make sure you do the main building during your tour -- historic murals, general prettiness. The log chapel is also popular, and the Grotto. You can get a map and/or join a tour at the visitor's center on your way in to the campus.
Exit 72 is South Bend. Exit 77 is Notre Dame. It didn't used to be that well signed that the exit for Notre Dame was coming up, so a certain number of people coming from Chicago always get off at 72 and have no idea where they are. It might be better-signed now.
One of the rest stops on the toll road has a Fazoli's and I used to always get Fazoli's bread sticks (suuuuuper greasy and delicious) in fairly large quantity and munch them on the drive, but I never saw a Fazoli's before I went to college so that was exciting for me.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 7:49 AM on October 15, 2011
I did this drive (on the toll road) last weekend. It's incredibly dull. Also, get good directions printed out in advance - between the exit 77 business (not that clear still) and the fact that the campus isn't well-marked unless you interpret "hang tags" to mean "this is where ND is" getting lost in South Bend is a real possibility.
posted by SMPA at 8:17 AM on October 15, 2011
posted by SMPA at 8:17 AM on October 15, 2011
As far as I know, there's nowhere to stop for food. I mean, there are towns, but you might as well pick something randomly from the signs. It's a drive you can make without stopping, though. Or stopping once for the bathroom. You might as well go out to breakfast before you set off.
I was going to suggest stopping at Woodwind Brasswind if any of you play music, but it looks like they've recently closed their store.
I remember downtown South Bend being totally deserted, aside from the College Football Hall of Fame. That wasn't terrible for someone who doesn't care about football, but it's not so great you must go. I thought the Studebaker Museum was gone, so I never tried to find it when I was at Notre Dame for a summer, but it looks like it is still there.
I'm trying to think of somewhere to suggest for lunch, and I realise that not once did I eat in a restaurant in South Bend. When one does the sort of program I was doing, you normally go out as a group a couple of times. We had picnics instead, probably because there's nowhere to go. There's a grocery store, a Jimmy John's and a Dairy Queen (I think--some sort of fast food) within walking distance from campus--you follow the road out past the stadium, the football office building/clubhouse, the football practice field, the softball field, then keep heading in that same direction through a road with a few houses and apartment buildings and you pop out at a big intersection with some little strip malls. Somewhere in South Bend, there's a Meijer and bigger strip malls. You'd probably find your standard chain restaurants there.
I sound really down on South Bend and Notre Dame in this answer. If you went to ND or know someone who's there, I always the various religious-turned-football statues/murals fairly amusing. Touchdown Jesus, there's a first down Moses somewhere, etc.
posted by hoyland at 8:41 AM on October 15, 2011
I was going to suggest stopping at Woodwind Brasswind if any of you play music, but it looks like they've recently closed their store.
I remember downtown South Bend being totally deserted, aside from the College Football Hall of Fame. That wasn't terrible for someone who doesn't care about football, but it's not so great you must go. I thought the Studebaker Museum was gone, so I never tried to find it when I was at Notre Dame for a summer, but it looks like it is still there.
I'm trying to think of somewhere to suggest for lunch, and I realise that not once did I eat in a restaurant in South Bend. When one does the sort of program I was doing, you normally go out as a group a couple of times. We had picnics instead, probably because there's nowhere to go. There's a grocery store, a Jimmy John's and a Dairy Queen (I think--some sort of fast food) within walking distance from campus--you follow the road out past the stadium, the football office building/clubhouse, the football practice field, the softball field, then keep heading in that same direction through a road with a few houses and apartment buildings and you pop out at a big intersection with some little strip malls. Somewhere in South Bend, there's a Meijer and bigger strip malls. You'd probably find your standard chain restaurants there.
I sound really down on South Bend and Notre Dame in this answer. If you went to ND or know someone who's there, I always the various religious-turned-football statues/murals fairly amusing. Touchdown Jesus, there's a first down Moses somewhere, etc.
posted by hoyland at 8:41 AM on October 15, 2011
The drive from Chicago is a breeze, boring but easy. There are rest stops and the like on the way if you need breakfast, but nothing special all franchise sort of things. I usually hit up a Gloria Jeans for a pastry and coffee if I am traveling that route in the AM.
I live in Mishawaka (city next to SB), but only moved here a couple of years ago and I am not a teenage boy so I don't know how good my suggestions are.
The campus is very beautiful and well worth a look around. There are tours you can go on, if you check out the Uni's website they will give you lot's of info about that.
There is now Eddy Street Commons very near one of the entrances to ND. It's a rather nice spot to go though I imagine crazy busy on game days. Fiddler's Hearth as someone else recommended is a nice place to eat. If you like Middle Eastern/Mediterranean style food I love eating at Elias
There is the East Race Waterway for white water kayaking, which is fun but would be might mighty cold this time of year.
You can hit the South Bend Chocolate Factory up for a tour too. I haven't been but was lucky enough to get a big bag of seconds chocolate from someone who has.
This time of year you are kind of in between going canoeing on the St Joe river and Tubing season, but there are some nice parks locally for a walk or mini hiking as we call it, and Mishawaka has a couple of nice river walks/bike paths.
You aren't far from Shipshewana or Napanee if you wanted to go for a pretty drive and see some of the Amish/touristy stuff, though I imagine that is not really what kids want to see.
If you are up for the crowds, and your boys love football I'd actually suggest coming on a game day. It's insane and you have to park miles away and pay $20 to park on someones lawn and walk but the campus is crazily exciting to be on. Tailgate parties everywhere, people everywhere, spontaneous games of football on the grass. Going out for meal afterwards if they have won a game is so much fun. I moved here from Australia, I know absolutely nothing about US football and I had a blast going and hanging out around the stadium on game day.
Chances of getting in free are pretty much zip, I was lucky enough to get given a ticket to sit on the field behind the goals when a friend heard I'd never seen a US football game live before. Iit was an amazing intro to the game, but unless you know someone getting in free is probably not going to happen. There are people selling outside the stadium on the day though but the tickets are pricey. I honestly think if you are up for the crazy traffic coming on Game Day and picnicing or something in amongst it all would be a much better option and much more memorable though exhausting.
posted by wwax at 10:00 AM on October 15, 2011
I live in Mishawaka (city next to SB), but only moved here a couple of years ago and I am not a teenage boy so I don't know how good my suggestions are.
The campus is very beautiful and well worth a look around. There are tours you can go on, if you check out the Uni's website they will give you lot's of info about that.
There is now Eddy Street Commons very near one of the entrances to ND. It's a rather nice spot to go though I imagine crazy busy on game days. Fiddler's Hearth as someone else recommended is a nice place to eat. If you like Middle Eastern/Mediterranean style food I love eating at Elias
There is the East Race Waterway for white water kayaking, which is fun but would be might mighty cold this time of year.
You can hit the South Bend Chocolate Factory up for a tour too. I haven't been but was lucky enough to get a big bag of seconds chocolate from someone who has.
This time of year you are kind of in between going canoeing on the St Joe river and Tubing season, but there are some nice parks locally for a walk or mini hiking as we call it, and Mishawaka has a couple of nice river walks/bike paths.
You aren't far from Shipshewana or Napanee if you wanted to go for a pretty drive and see some of the Amish/touristy stuff, though I imagine that is not really what kids want to see.
If you are up for the crowds, and your boys love football I'd actually suggest coming on a game day. It's insane and you have to park miles away and pay $20 to park on someones lawn and walk but the campus is crazily exciting to be on. Tailgate parties everywhere, people everywhere, spontaneous games of football on the grass. Going out for meal afterwards if they have won a game is so much fun. I moved here from Australia, I know absolutely nothing about US football and I had a blast going and hanging out around the stadium on game day.
Chances of getting in free are pretty much zip, I was lucky enough to get given a ticket to sit on the field behind the goals when a friend heard I'd never seen a US football game live before. Iit was an amazing intro to the game, but unless you know someone getting in free is probably not going to happen. There are people selling outside the stadium on the day though but the tickets are pricey. I honestly think if you are up for the crazy traffic coming on Game Day and picnicing or something in amongst it all would be a much better option and much more memorable though exhausting.
posted by wwax at 10:00 AM on October 15, 2011
Don Quijote, a restaurant in Valparaiso, is a place I particularly enjoy--the most authentic Spanish style food I've had since living in Spain a lifetime ago.
posted by willF at 1:34 PM on October 15, 2011
posted by willF at 1:34 PM on October 15, 2011
There are actually a lot of great restaurants in the area -- but they're all little bitty places that tend to come and go and don't advertise a lot. Best Italian food I've ever had in the U.S. was at a hole-in-the-wall in South Bend. Also a little Ethiopian place. Killer tiny pizza places. Etc. I haven't lived there in so long I have no idea what to suggest but there are a whole bunch of little six-table places that are just fantastic. Rents are low, so a lot of little places can make a go of it.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:53 PM on October 15, 2011
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 6:53 PM on October 15, 2011
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posted by brujita at 6:45 AM on October 15, 2011