Places around Champaign, IL with a 10 month old within driving distance.

June 21, 2015 8:21 PM

I live in Champaign, IL. My and wife have gone to Chicago a couple of times, so let's skip that. What other places in driving distance (say, 3 and a half hours to 4) can we go? ..... (More details after the break)

It's almost July. Another couple of months max, and it's back to horrible weather, needing 4 layers of clothing to even go check mail outside the house.

We have a 10 month old. At this point, the vacation isn't really for her to see anything, it's more for us to get out of the house, which becomes nearly impossible to do once winter sets in.

I don't mind leaving Friday night after work, getting a hotel room for Friday and Saturday and returning Sunday evening. If anything, I would prefer that than a leave-early-morning-come-back-by-night day trip.

Any places to visit? It can just about anything but museums. The infant's starting to walk, so perhaps some parks would be nice. We have visited Allerton and Kickapoo parks.

Doesn't have to be Illinois. Indiana or Missourie works too.

posted by harisund to Travel & Transportation around Champaign, IL (18 answers total)

St. Louis is within your range and has plenty to do including lots of parks and a free world-class zoo. By way of a heads up, the Arch, grounds and riverfront are a bit under construction (though still open).

Giant City State Park in Southern Illinois is a lot of fun, though some of the most interesting trails would be tough to get through with a baby in tow.
posted by brentajones at 8:58 PM on June 21, 2015 [6 favorites]

You can make the WI dells - it's a 5 hour roll each way, so a bit of a stretch, but doable, and lots to do, even for the sprog - my son used to love, love, love going there.
posted by Pogo_Fuzzybutt at 9:00 PM on June 21, 2015 [2 favorites]

At this hour anyway, Google Maps shows about 3.75 hours to Louisville, Kentucky. Staying downtown and driving to the outer neighborhoods with a better shopping/walking around/whatever scene was really fun and easy for us. The KFC museum, Louisville Slugger museum, historic hotels and bars, Churchill Downs, distilleries... It was a really fun day trip, and an extra day or two would have been great.
posted by papayaninja at 9:09 PM on June 21, 2015

Starved Rock is lovely - much more interesting than Kickapoo - assuming you can handle the ungodly humidity these days. And the Illinois Shakespeare Festival in Bloomington is nice - perhaps even doable with a 10 month old, if your baby can sleep about anywhere. The Festival is outside, so you can easily step outside the theater, if necessary. Actually, double check this - I haven't been in ages.
posted by she's not there at 9:13 PM on June 21, 2015 [3 favorites]

Just over the border in Indiana, the cool, wet canyons of Turkey Run and Shades state parks are nice escapes from the flat cropland. You might have to avoid some of the more rugged trails though.

Garden of the Gods in southern Illinois is also a nice change as well. Overall there's a lot to explore around the Shawnee National Forest area.

White Pines state park is pretty nice, and they have some cabins you can rent. Also off to the northwest are the Mississippi Palisades.
posted by Hither at 9:31 PM on June 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

I'm about to hit the Lincoln stuff in Springfield myself. I lived in IL for 24 years and never went.
posted by persona au gratin at 12:49 AM on June 22, 2015 [1 favorite]

FYI parts of Starved Rock are flooded as of yesterday--not sure if there will be damage to the trails, campsites etc. Updates are posted on their Facebook page--check before scheduling a trip in the near future.
posted by pullayup at 5:01 AM on June 22, 2015

Seconding the St. Louis Zoo if you've never been there. You could easily spend an entire day there and not see everything. There are a fair number of indoor exhibits that are air conditioned if you need to escape heat or rain for a bit. And admission is free. The closest parking is paid, but there is also free parking in Forest Park if you are willing to walk a little farther.

Also the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis is a great place to take kids (and a fair bit less noisy and crowded than the zoo at this time of year, at least on days that aren't special events). Right now they are having an amazing Chinese Lantern show at night that is definitely worth seeing-- and though it might be a bit past your little one's bedtime to go to the night show, the lanterns are also quite nice to look at during the day.
posted by BlueJae at 5:44 AM on June 22, 2015 [3 favorites]

Holland, MI is a decent little vacation spot within your driving range.
posted by drlith at 5:47 AM on June 22, 2015

Indianapolis has a nice zoo, too. And is a shorter drive than St. Louis.
posted by nightwood at 5:58 AM on June 22, 2015 [2 favorites]

The Galena, IL area is beautiful. (If you're a student, it might be a little pricey though.)

How about Memphis or Nashville?
posted by SuperSquirrel at 6:17 AM on June 22, 2015

If you do St. Louis, visit the Meramec Caverns. Delightful to go somewhere cool when it's hot outside (bring a light jacket).
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 6:47 AM on June 22, 2015

If you are heading to Indianapolis with a child don't miss the Childrens Museum, though 10 months old might be a smidge young to fully appreciate it so you might want to put it on the back burner for a year or so. Wolf Park might also be somewhere a little different to go, we went to one of their night time howls and it was a great experience, but they have day time tours as well, it's not huge but I found it very interesting to go & see the work they are doing, and their are animals for the little one to look at.

The Indianapolis Zoo is nice too, I haven't been to the St Louis one to compare, but it might be a closer drive & more of a size to take a younger child around
posted by wwax at 7:58 AM on June 22, 2015

Go visit Hannibal, MO, and get your Mark Twain on. You can visit his boyhood home (very much the inspiration for Tom Sawyer's home), Becky Thatcher's home, and tour the caverns--nice and cool--where Tom and Becky got lost. Baby would probably have to ride in a carrier for the cave part. Buy a commemorative "Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" to read to baby when she gets older.

Or discover Cahokia Mounds, in Collinsville IL, just east of St. Louis. This site was the largest city of Mississippian Indians in North America, and is an active archaeological dig. You and baby would like to hike up the largest burial mound, Monk's Mound. Self-guided outdoor tours and an interpretive museum round out the indoor-outdoor options.
posted by Liesl at 8:16 AM on June 22, 2015 [3 favorites]

If you're going to Hannibal, be sure to stop in Quincy, IL, just across the river. It's also a nice town with interesting history, a college campus, and some nice restaurants.
posted by ldthomps at 10:51 AM on June 22, 2015 [1 favorite]

Indianapolis Zoo:

Size: 64 acres. Animals: 3,800. Admission: 18.95 for adults, 14.45 children.

St. Louis Zoo:

Size: 90 acres. Animals: 18,700. Admission: free. Also you can watch sea lions swim over your head.
posted by BlueJae at 11:28 AM on June 22, 2015

Seconding Springfield and Indianapolis.

I'll also add Brown County, Indiana.
posted by SisterHavana at 6:52 PM on June 22, 2015

A relaxing weekend at Wildlife Prairie State Park near Peoria. You can stay overnight in a caboose, among other lodging options, or bring your own tent. From there, drive into Peoria and see a Peoria Chiefs minor-league baseball game.
posted by Joleta at 8:23 PM on June 22, 2015