Last week on the blog, I presented 3 Midwest Weekend Road Trips to Take This Summer if you are short on money or vacation days at work. Today, I am expanding upon that list with 2 More Midwest Weekend Road Trips to Take This Summer including the states of Missouri and Wisconsin.
What are the first things that come to mind when you think of these states?
Missouri
In my last post, I explained that Route 66 began in Chicago, Illinois and that you could spend the weekend cruising the Mother Road beginning there. This is also true for Missouri. You can continue your Route 66 road trip through Illinois and into Missouri.
If you choose to do so, stop in St. Louis.
St. Louis has so much to offer families even if you are on a budget. Take for example, the St, Louis Zoo. It is one of the best zoos in the United States and admission is free. To top it off with, many of the paid attractions within the Zoo are free during the first hour of opening. That’s right.
I’ll give you a little tip from our personal experience.
You can also park free, as long as you are willing to walk from across the street where the large Turtles are located. Feel free to read how we spent the weekend in St. Louis for less than $150 and check out the landmark (below) of where to park.
Lastly, if you are looking for lodging, why not grab a cabin at the Historic Route 66 KOA in Eureka, Missouri. Not only is it comfortable and affordable, but it is within driving distance to downtown St. Louis and is less than 10 minutes from Six Flags, Walmart, and Dollar Tree!
But, don’t forget to allow yourself time to spend at the campground. They have plenty of fun activities and amenities during your stay.
Wisconsin
Another Midwest weekend road trip to take is up through Wisconsin. I know many people immediately think Wisconsin Dells (which is soooo much fun) but there are also other amazing things to do and see in Wisconsin.
Take for example, Milwaukee, one of my favorite Midwest cities.
If you enter Wisconsin from the Chicago area, your first stop could be at the Jelly Belly Factory in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. We actually made the Jelly Belly Factory a day trip from where we are in Illinois. It was a lot of fun with my sons and my parents.
Guests are able to take a free tour throughout the factory, learn about the history of the jelly bean, have free samples, eat lunch in the cafeteria, and then shop until you drop.
From there, you can continue your journey into downtown Milwaukee where you will find Lake Michigan or “the beach”. On any given day, if you ride through the area there is always something going on. One of my favorite events downtown in the summer months is the kite festival.
In addition to events (which can be located on their Calendar of Events) there are many museums for both adults and children. My boys especially enjoyed the Betty Brinn’s Children’s Museum while I personally fell in love with the restaurants and lighthouses.
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery has THE best chicken nachos. I promise.
Personally, I feel Milwaukee has something for everyone.
Final Thoughts
One thing that I have loved about creating this post and the previous Midwest Weekend Road Trip post is the fact that I could cover less popular attractions that are just as fun and may be even more affordable.
So many times when we think of a state, we tend to think of the largest city or capital of that particular state. But, really there is so much more going on throughout the state.
I hope this post and my previous post encourage you to get out and road trip throughout the beautiful Midwest.
This post originally appeared 6.5.19.
