Where to stay near Chicago?

[Swiss Carrera]

Hello fellow Porsche fans!

Hope you are all well during these strange times we live in.

After you you all came to the rescue when i needed assistance with where to stay in SoCal i thought id ask you all again.

Vacation plan this august is to drive the part of Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Fe (we did the Santa Fe to LA a few years ago).

We are flying in and out of Chicago, so when we finish the road trip part of the vacation we wanted a week or so relaxing at a lake beach type location - this can be anywhere near Chicago or even the Cleveland area as we have friends nearby.

In my minds eye im seeing a smaller town with beach, hotel with pool and some shopping options nearby for my wife and daughter (they love those outlet malls!). We just want to soak up some local vibes and relax.

Hopefully someone can come up with some suggestions (all and any ideas are welcome) and i thank you all in advance!!

[stevej37]

A little north of Chicago...but the west side of MI has some great beaches.
Saugatuck and Holland are two that would fit. Holland has more shopping by far.
Holland State Park is the largest in MI and it's right on Lake Michigan.

[Otter74]

For what you describe you want, I'd suggest a BnB or AirBnB or similar on the southwest coast of Michigan. You can get there in about two to two and a half hours from ORD in good traffic. Indiana also has some good options. I have no idea where outlet malls are, though. If you want something more inland-lakey, perhaps Lake Geneva. I'm not so well-versed on that kind of thing. I'd stay on Lake Michigan, though. "even the Cleveland area" sort of extends your range to basically the entire Great Lakes area - Cleveland is about a 5-6 hour drive from Chicago - so I'm not sure of your real range.

[john70t]

(Others will know better as I've only driven through a few times)

West Mi/Holland- Nice small downtown, quaint, lighthouses and rental cottages, a bit rural outside of that, may be busy during summer season.

Gary IN- Industrial, crime, stay away, same for South Side Chicago and Cleveland,

Chicago- The 94/90-55-290 freeway area is a log jam at rush hour and a chore to drive through. An hour of stress. Oak Park to the west has Frank Lloyd Wright houses but farther outside downtown. The North Shoreline I've never visited.


Look at crimes maps vs. the places of interest you'd like to visit.
Compare with prices.

[dlockhart]

Originally Posted by Swiss Carrera

Vacation plan this august is to drive the part of Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Fe (we did the Santa Fe to LA a few years ago).

I have traveled 66 a few times and enjoyed segments of it on many road trips west. I would recommend not worrying about the Chicago segment too much and just pick up the route near 355/ Bolingbrook IL.



.

[RM512]

Do yourself a favor and just avoid Chicago. Period. The entire city has become a cesspool. Although this cold weather tends to keep the cockroaches docile, unless they're driving

[Tobra]

Definitely not the Hilton

[monoflo]

The Michigan Coast is nice -- small towns -great beaches. Any the guys mentioned --even New Buffalo are nice.

The city --once great - still has great places-but the beach front thing will be nigh impossible.
Pricey --not as dangerous as advertised -- but you need to know where you are going.
by then though Beetlejuice will most likely have closed all the good restaurants.

[dlockhart]

Originally Posted by RM512

Do yourself a favor and just avoid Chicago. Period. The entire city has become a cesspool. Although this cold weather tends to keep the cockroaches docile, unless they're driving

66 does travel through some " interesting" areas in the Chicago segment. There is really nothing much to see there other than contemporary urban decay. You really notice 66 after Joliet as it heads downstate. You can mostly skip following the route in St Louis too.

[IROC]

I lived in the Zürich Flughafen for two days this past August when my flight was canceled. I went to Migros a lot. I also spent a lot of time walking around Zürich. My second time there... Beautiful city!!

I've only ever driven around Chicago, but the Lakeshore Drive/Navy Pier area was way nicer than I expected.

[jcommin]

Originally Posted by Swiss Carrera

Hello fellow Porsche fans!

Hope you are all well during these strange times we live in.

After you you all came to the rescue when i needed assistance with where to stay in SoCal i thought id ask you all again.

Vacation plan this august is to drive the part of Route 66 from Chicago to Santa Fe (we did the Santa Fe to LA a few years ago).

We are flying in and out of Chicago, so when we finish the road trip part of the vacation we wanted a week or so relaxing at a lake beach type location - this can be anywhere near Chicago or even the Cleveland area as we have friends nearby.

In my minds eye im seeing a smaller town with beach, hotel with pool and some shopping options nearby for my wife and daughter (they love those outlet malls!). We just want to soak up some local vibes and relax.

Hopefully someone can come up with some suggestions (all and any ideas are welcome) and i thank you all in advance!!

Cleveland is a 5 1/2 hour ride to Chicago - if Ohio is your choice, I would look at the Sandusky area. However, it wouldn't be my first choice unless you really want to visit your friends.

I like the areas around the beach towns of Indiana or Michigan. The downside is traveling thru Chicago on your way to the airport. It takes at least an hour just to get thru the city during normal hours. If you plan for travel, these beach towns are nice. There is an outlet mall in Michigan City, IN which is close by.

Someone mentioned Lake Geneva, WI which is a viable option. It puts you north of the city and you will avoid the travel thru town. On your way to Lake Geneva, there is a very large outlet mall area in Kenosha, WI - all kinds of shopping there. Stop at the Brat Stop for a brat and beer.

[cstreit]

Since you're headed west - probably best not to drive all the way to Michigan's west shore from Chicago - thats like 6 hours the wrong way.

Lake Geneva and the Chain of Lakes, or Wisconsin Driftless Area will not dissapoint. 2 hours west of Ohare.

[stevej37]

^^^ Three hours from O'Hare to Holland, MI

[john70t]

I would trade you Lake Geneva, WI for Lake Geneva, SW any day....

[cstreit]

Originally Posted by stevej37

^^^ Three hours from O'Hare to Holland, MI

With Ohare traffic and then traffic along the IL/IN corridor? I'd be amazed.

It must be a lot better these days than I remember.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by john70t

Gary IN- Industrial, crime, stay away, same for South Side Chicago and Cleveland

You can kiss my fat ass on that Cleveland comment. That is profoundly ignorant.

[jcommin]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

You can kiss my fat ass on that Cleveland comment. That is profoundly ignorant.

My oldest just relocated to the Cleveland for a lucrative job opportunity. He bought a home in the eastern burbs. About 30 minutes outside of the downtown area a very different vibe from Chicago. I was pleasantly surprised.

[jcommin]

Swiss, since your are looking for something in August, most of the areas mentioned get heavy vacation traffic especially on weekends.

[mjohnson]

Originally Posted by jcommin

Swiss, since your are looking for something in August, most of the areas mentioned get heavy vacation traffic especially on weekends.

Yes - decide and reserve now. I'm biased as I'm from Grand Rapids MI and only really ever went to Grand Haven MI as family lived on the beach there but Saugatuck is great. Closer to Chicago would be Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, basically adjacent to Michigan City Indiana. IDK where but MI city you'd stay though.

HOWEVER I second/third/infinity the O'Hare to MI route can be torture. Seriously look into Lake Geneva WI. It seems like a bit of "Americana" that might really suit your interests (w.r.t. Route 66). Heck, go full 'merican and hit up an amusement park!

And I don't know how much Rt 66 research you've done but the route shifted numerous times over history and large sections _aren't_ basically frontage roads for the interstate.

Good luck and welcome back! We can use the business...

(edited because I heard "Albuquerque" when I read Santa Fe in your original post - if you're hitting SF look ahead for what weekends the various art markets are. Those are the times we NM-icans near there go elsewhere. Such a zoo unless you're into that.)

[Jay Auskin]

If you want to stay in a nice hotel/area with a pool, spa, restaurants, and shopping the Hyatt Lodge Oak Brook, IL is where I always stay. It's easy to get to from O' Hare airport and a hidden gem.

The beach part will require a trip downtown, or a bit of a drive, not be interesting along the way, and there will be a good amount of traffic. So, decide what is important.