Illinois - Pitstops for Kids

Tips to planning your family trip to Chicago

August 31, 2021 By Amy Hagstrom

When it comes to traveling with kids, not all cities are created equal. Luckily, Chi-Town is one of our favorite kid-approved metropolises, offering loads of fun for the whole family. From the towering T-Rex at the Chicago Field Museum to the Penguin Cove exhibit at the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Windy City is a generous host to kid-friendly adventures. Keep reading for tips on planning your family trip to Chicago.

Essential Items to Pack

Strollers: While Chicago is a fantastic kid-friendly city, it’s still a busy place, and you may need to adjust your plans to accommodate young children. For example, the layout of Chi-Town makes walking through the city a tourist’s dream. But it’s still a busy metropolis with lots of traffic, distractions, and the typical hustle-bustle of a big city. So avoid mishaps by packing a stroller or baby carriage so you can explore Chicago while keeping your tiny tots safe. Ideally, pack a stroller with an umbrella or enclosures to shelter young ones from the city hubbub.

Comfortable Shoes: While Chicago has phenomenal public transportation, the hot spots studded throughout the city are easy to get to by foot. With this in mind, be sure to pack good walking shoes because even if you stick to taxis or the L Train, you and the family will have to hoof it in Chicago.

Pack for the Season: What you take on your family trip to Chicago depends on what time of year you go. Summertime is the most popular because the city gardens are robust, and the temperatures are ideal for a Chicago boat tour or a splash in Lake Michigan. If you launch your adventure in the Summer, remember that it can get hot and sticky in the city, so pack cool clothing and forget the sunscreen. Spring and autumn pose cooler temperatures and chances of rainfall. These seasons can also be unpredictable, so your best bet is to pack with layers in mind; take sweaters or jackets that can be easily shed and stuffed in a backpack. If you and the kids opt to brave the winter in the Windy City, bundle up because it gets cold. Take coats, gloves, hats, and good winter boots.

What to Know When You Go to Chicago for a Family Trip

Age-Appropriate Attractions: Chicago offers endless adventures for kids of all ages. Many attractions feature a mixture of options that appeal to adults and children alike. For example, the Lincoln Park Zoo offers engaging activities and exhibits the kids will love and also caters to parents by serving local craft brews, or you can even attend a cocktail-making class on the zoo grounds. The Shedd Aquarium and Millennium Park are also good options as they are entertaining for young minds and also engaging for adults.

Budget-Friendly Options: If your family is vacationing on a budget, you may want to invest in a Chicago City Pass. The Pass will save you 53% on gate prices at attractions such as Skydeck Chicago, the Museum of Science, Adler Planetarium, or the Field Museum. An alternative to a Pass might be the Go Chicago Card. It offers similar discounts with a 55% savings on many attractions that may not be included with the Chicago City Pass. Another savings option is the For the Explore Pass. The discount is 40% off gate entry prices, and you’re limited to three to five attractions. Go to the city of Chicago’s website to get the details on the many pass options available and pick the one that best fits your family’s budget and travel goals.

Eating Out: There are tons of family-friendly restaurants, eateries, and yum-shops in Chi-Town. For example, your kids will swoon over Marie’s Candies; their Atomic Sundae is so sensationally sweet, you’ll be searching for dentists in Plainfield IL! Or try RJ Grunts close to Lincoln Zoo for kid-centric meals served on retro cafeteria trays. Wherever you choose to sample the local cuisine, remember that restaurants can get busy early. Avoid crowds by making reservations whenever you can. If that’s not possible, try to plan dining excursions during off-peak hours or go early before restaurants get packed.

Make Early Reservations: Depending upon when you are planning your family trip to Chicago, do yourself a favor and book early. The earlier you get your airfare and hotel reservations the better your odds for getting premium amenities at a cheaper rate. Remember that summer is a popular time for tourists, so if you’re going in the summertime, make early reservations to avoid missing out on the accommodations you and your family want.

Get Tickets Online Beforehand: Chicago is known for famous attractions, museums, and entertainment venues. Whenever possible, buy your tickets online and in advance. Chicago’s art festivals, music events, and beloved tourist attractions fill up fast during the peak travel season. So getting your tickets before you go will ensure you and your family have top spots at events and attractions. Buying tickets beforehand will also help your family avoid long lines and waiting to get into your desired destinations.

Remember the Golden Rule

Planning your family trip to Chicago is crucial to having a great time in the Windy City. But don’t get so caught up in strategy that you forget the golden rule: Have fun! No matter which exciting attractions you and the kids visit, always remember to stay safe and have a jolly good time while you make lasting memories during your family trip to Chicago.

Midwest road trip: Perfect family-friendly suites in Bloomington illinois

May 20, 2021 By Amy Hagstrom

This summer, our family was fortunate enough to discover the Holiday Inn and Suites-Bloomington Airport, for an overnight in Bloomington, Illinois, while on our way to points north for vacation. We thought it was going to be a quick in-and-out, but we found there was quite a bit to do in Bloomington-Normal: a zoo, a wind farm viewing platform, a children’s museum, the Ewing cultural center, and the Prairie Aviation Museum. In fact, we ended up hanging around the morning following our stay in order to visit a couple local attractions.

So if you have a chance to visit Bloomington-Normal for events at the local colleges (there are two) or are just stopping in on your way from point A to point B, we highly recommend devoting some time—and using the Holiday Inn and Suites as your home away from home.

Holiday Inn and Suites has chosen to be intentional about welcoming families: kids stay and eat free on-site with their parents. In Bloomington, the airport, which is literally across the street, will likely the first thing your kids will clue in on. If you’re lucky, your room will face that direction and the kids can watch planes take off and land. The air traffic isn’t constant–you don’t have to worry about noise all night long–but between dinner and bedtime, our younger boys got to see a couple of passenger planes skimming the highway on their way in for landing.

In addition to standard rooms, the Holiday Inn-Bloomington Airport offers three family suites. Our suite was compact but very family friendly, with refrigerator, an extra in-room sink (speeds up tooth brushing!), microwave, and plenty of electrical outlets as well as a second bedroom. The suite sleeps six: two queen beds plus twin bunk beds in the kids’ room. While the main room is a fairly standard, nice hotel room (plenty of pillows!), the second room is clearly decorated with kids in mind. The colors are bright, from the red bedspreads to the multicolored floor lamp. There’s a preschool-sized art table and a beanbag (what kid can resist?). And, in keeping with their neighbor across the street, the art is all airplanes, from the coat hangers on the wall to the 3D hanging sculpture of a propeller plane—with a propeller that actually turns.

But let me reiterate the best part, just in case you missed it: a family suite offers parents that magical element that’s so hard to come by on the road: separate rooms! This is not a set of adjoining hotel rooms with a door that opens between them. It is a true suite in which the kids’ room is accessed through the parents’ room. So you can rest securely knowing that you have your own space while the kids are perfectly safe next door.

Hotel features:

For a photo tour of the hotel, click here. The beds are comfortable, and the room features plenty of outlets for charging electronics. You also get free wifi, and the hotel has a business center and meeting rooms on the ground floor. Laundry facilities are available.

I also love the intentional focus on sustainability at this particular location. Most hotels now give guests the option to reuse towels, but at the Holiday Inn Bloomington-Airport we found a note inviting us to earn reward points toward future stays by participating.

Of course, the first question out of any kid’s mouth is, “Is there a pool?” The Bloomington Holiday Inn’s indoor pool and hot tub are open 8 a.m-11p.m. The adjacent fitness center, open 24 hours, has two treadmills, one elliptical, weights and an exercise ball.

Dining on site:

You have several options for breakfast. The morning buffet in the lobby cafe costs $9.99 for adults, or there’s an a la carte menu if you prefer. You can also order a granola bar-and-fruit feature to go for $5. Simpler still is to grab a yogurt from the commissary around the corner from the check-in desk.

For lunch and dinner, check out the in-house Baxter’s American Grille, an upscale restaurant with a varied and mouth-watering menu serving lunch and dinner.

Room Rates:

As always at Holiday Inn, kids stay and eat free. Standard two-queen rooms start at $109/night, while the family suite rates start at $139—very reasonable if, like us, you normally have to get two rooms to accommodate the whole group. The hotel also offers executive and conference suites.

Location:

The Holiday Inn and Suites Bloomington/Airport is at 3202 E. Empire Street in Bloomington, Illinois, directly across the road from Central Illinois Regional Airport.

Our family stayed at the Holiday Inn compliments of the hotel in exchange for an honest review. Our opinions, as always, remain our own.

Southern Illinois pit stop: Jeremy Rochman Memorial Park

May 10, 2017 By Amy Hagstrom

Southern Illinois is an area with many beautiful natural parks, forests, and lakes to explore. Just south of Carbondale, Ill., home to Southern Illinois University, you’ll find a park you won’t want to miss if you’re traveling through the area. Online, you’ll find it listed as “Dungeons and Dragons Park,” or by its more official name, Jeremy ‘Boo’ Rochman Memorial Park. My kids, however, call it “Castle Park,” and it is at the top of their to-do list whenever we visit the area.

Southern Illinois pit stop:

Boo Rochman Park is a privately-owned park dedicated to the memory of the owners’ son, who died in a car accident in 1993. Because of his interest in fantasy gaming, they developed the park around that theme. Within its borders are hidden a host of surprises, from the obvious—a huge dragon to climb on, life-sized dueling wizards’ circle, and sea serpent benches—to the fantastic figures peeking from perches hidden in the crook of trees.

The main attraction, of course, is the castle itself—an enormous play structure that doesn’t just look like a medieval fortress; it practically is one. There are hidden passages, trick doors, thrones, towers, dungeons (monsters included)—kids can spend hours there, literally. Even older kids who are too old and “cool” for playgrounds will find this place hard to resist. It is without exception the most imagination-encouraging play area I have ever seen. Parents will want to explore it, too.

Bonus points: the grounds around the castle are mostly shaded by mature trees, and the sculptures tucked into every nook and cranny ensure that you’ll find something new no matter which way you turn. Also, the entire park is fenced in, with only one open entrance by the parking lot.

Come with friends, if you can. Bring a picnic to share under the trees—but whatever you do, make sure to bring water. Southern Illinois is very hot in the summertime.

Jeremy Rochman Memorial Park is open from 9 a.m. to dusk. It is located at 31 Homewood Drive, Carbondale, IL. From Main Street/Highway 13, take Giant City Road (Highway 12) south 3 1/2 miles. The park is on the left at the intersection of Giant City Road and No Name Road (no kidding!). Admission is free, but donations are accepted to keep the park in good shape.

Exploring Garden of the Gods, Illinois

May 18, 2016 By Amy Hagstrom

One of the prime attractions in the Shawnee National Forest, which covers 280,000 acres in Southern Illinois, is Garden of the Gods, a collection of fantastic rock formations that towers above a vast expanse of wilderness. The short hiking trail there makes this a great place to let the kids get up close and personal with nature.

The most famous rock formation is called the camel, but there are many others along the trail, each one beautiful in its own right and showcasing different geological processes and features. It’s a paradise for kids who like to climb, and the views are expansive and beautiful.

A well-groomed walking trail lined with paving stones opens the rock formations to most families. If you have babies or new walkers, you’ll want a carrier or a jogging stroller. There are hills and a few steps, but our four-year-old did just fine on his own two feet. For older kids and adults, the U.S. Forest Service has provided QR codes and a call-in number for a guided tour as well as interpretive signs along the path.

The trail can be walked in 30-45 minutes, but if you explore the formations in depth, you can spend several hours. Garden of the Gods is largely wilderness, which means nothing is off limits for climbing. It’s a fabulous opportunity for the adventuresome souls in your party.

However, “wilderness” also means there are no safety railings. That being said, I was not overly worried about my crowd of four kids. From the trail, the dropoffs look abrupt, but once you get to the “edge,” you generally find several lower levels of rock preceding the long drop. Still, parents will want to take reasonable precautions. We kept our developmentally disabled daughter well away from the edge, and our four-year-old, who sees every even surface as a race track and every uneven one as a launch pad, was required to hold an adult’s hand when he ventured onto the rocks.

This is a remote location and the only services are a pair of pit-style outhouses. Come prepared with your own water and snacks, but leave them in the car and come back when you need them, as they are not allowed on the hiking trail. Garden of the Gods is a place set up to enjoy the splendor of the outdoors in its natural state.

Location:

The Garden of the Gods lies southeast of Harrisburg, Ill., between Illinois Routes 34 and 1.

24-hour Chicago winter itinerary with kids

December 18, 2015 By Amy Hagstrom

On a snowy November weekend, my youngest son and I found ourselves in Chicago. Our trip there was accidental; we had been en route to Savannah, Georgia when we became stranded at O’Hare during the first snowstorm of the season. After 30-plus hours trying to continue our planned itinerary, our flight was cancelled and rebooked two days later. Rather than sit around waiting to depart, we decided to enjoy a Chicago winter itinerary. Here’s what we did with 24 hours in Chicago:

Morning: Head to the Museum Campus

Captain Obvious alert: Chicago in winter is cold! Rather than brave the weather all day long, start your itinerary with an indoors activity. We took Metra to the Museum Campus, which houses both The Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium. Families will want to budget at least three hours for each. Because we wanted to spend some time outdoors enjoying the wintry atmosphere as well, we opted to visit just one indoor attraction—Field Museum—but if you’d rather spend all day indoors (or the weather necessitates it), you could happily spend all day on the Museum Campus, checkout out both attractions.

We chose to visit the Field Museum for its temporary exhibits, including an excellent exhibit on Ancient Egypt and on Mastodons and Mammoths. In order to see these, we upgraded from a standard entrance fee to a full access pass, a difference of approximately $10 per person. With this pass comes admission to the museum’s 3D movie options as well. We started downstairs, checking out these special exhibits first, then moved our way up the museum to end with a 3D movie (check movie times when you enter). Favorite stops among the permanent exhibits included the mammals section and dinosaur section (which has a focus on extinctions during the ages).

We spent all morning enjoying the warmth of the museum, then ate lunch at the museum bistro, which had many healthy options, including a full salad bar and specialty sandwiches and soups. Alternatives include classic Chicago hot dog carts outside and—we were told later—food trucks on the museum ground floor.

Afternoon: Ice skating at Millennium Park

From the Museum Campus, we used the pedestrian underpass to access the nearest Metra bus stop, and took a bus back toward downtown to Millennium Park. We used Google Maps to find the correct bus lines for both the ride to and from the Museum Campus, and had no trouble using the system. If paying cash, our rides were $2.50 for adults and $1 for kids, each way.

At Millennium Park, the McCormick Ice Skating Rink is only about half a block further on foot. On the Sunday before the Thanksgiving holiday, the rink was crowded, but not unmanageable. Plus, the snowy weather added charm to the experience! We waited in line approximately 25 minutes to rent skates (they have a timed system here, so not too many people are crowding the rental area and rink at one time). Once on the ice, we could skate indefinitely. We enjoyed the rink for about 45 minutes, then took a break at the Warming Hut, which serves hot cocoa with a full hot cocoa ‘bar’ (toppings include several kinds of marshmallows, chocolate shavings, candy bar crumbles, and syrups), plus tea and coffee, to which liquors can be added. The hut has a padded floor, so there’s no need to take off skates while warming up.

We continued skating about 30 minutes or so, then unlaced so we could climb the stairs above the rink to check out the famous Chicago ‘bean’ sculpture, which overlooks the skating area. It was fun to see it reflecting the snowy Chicago landscape! We didn’t see much else to do outdoors in the immediate vicinity, but were told that had we been there just a week or so later, the ‘ice skating ribbon’ at adjacent Maggie Daley Park would have been open.

Early evening: City lights

Twilight hit the cityscape at approximately 4:30 pm, and we made our way back to the Metra stop to take a bus to Sears Tower (now called Willis Tower). The SkyDeck allows visitors to enjoy amazing views of the city from the 103rd floor, and even step out onto a glass floor for a thrill. Because we weren’t in the city long enough to warrant buying CityPass (more on this below), we had an hour wait in line for the SkyDeck (including the security line). We loved the views of the city with lights aglow, but agreed the wait was too long. There are two alternatives:

1. Buy CityPass tickets. We always buy CityPass when we visit participating cities, but our visit to Chicago was just too short this time around to make it worthwhile financially. However, if we’d even had one more day, we would have bought the tickets, which are approximately $95 for adults and $69 for kids, and allow entry to 5-7 attractions. With CityPass, families skip the majority of the queue at all attractions, and CityPass holders we saw at Willis Tower enjoyed very little wait time.

2. Head to Hancock Tower instead, and eat a meal at Signature Room on the 95th floor. I’m told the views here are just as amazing, and while you do need to purchase something to eat or drink to enjoy it, the price is less than SkyDeck. Unfortunately, during our visit, a small fire caused the building to close.

Evening: Dining in or out

I polled my favorite Midwest travel writers when I realized we’d be spending a day in Chicago, and they offered several great dining recommendations. Topping the list is Eataly, an upscale but fun Italian dining experience that even includes a Nutella bar. Eataly can be found at 43 E. Ohio. Other top picks are Pizzeria Due at 619 N. Wabash and Flo and Santos at 1310 S. Wabash. Where did we go? Back to our hotel to cozy up with room service! We loved ending our day in Chicago in our robes, looking out our window to watch the Chicago skyline.

Deal: Save up to 53% on Chicago’s 5 best attractions with CityPASS. Shop Now!

Alternate ideas for a Chicago winter itinerary:

While we couldn’t get to everything we wanted to during this trip, the following additional winter activities are on our radar for next time.

Museum of Science and Industry: This year, this museum is hosting an amazing robot exhibit called Robot Revolution, which cutting edge robots around around the world kids can interact with. During the holiday season, it also features Christmas Around the World and Holidays of Light, which depicts holiday traditions from dozens of countries and cultures.
Christkindl Market: This annual German Christmas market is held on Daley Plaza, with traditional wooden huts and vendors from Germany.
A Christmas Carol: This show is also an annual tradition and almost always a sell-out, so get advanced tickets for the Goodman Theatre.
Zoolights: Held every holiday season, Zoolights at Lincoln Park Zoo showcases light displays across the zoo in the after-hours; families can come during daylight to see the animals and stay for the light show.
Navy Pier: Though a different experience than during the warmer months, Navy Pier has events and attractions open year round. Pick a day that’s not too chilly to be directly on the water. During our visit, it was simply too windy for us to feel comfortable at Navy Pier!

Where to stay: Westin Chicago River North

We stayed two nights in complete luxurious comfort at Westin Chicago River North, which offered the perfect downtown location for our adventure. Our room on the 9th floor overlooked the Chicago River, and we loved watching the snow fall on the water and bridges. We upgraded to club level, which allowed us to use the club lounge on the 20th floor included in our stay. While an initial investment, I always recommend upgrading to club or concierge level when available. Most offer a complete breakfast service, plus snacks and drinks available all day and an appetizer and small plates spread in the evening to easily feed children and even adults (depending the day’s offering). If you’ll be at the hotel enough to take advantage of at least the breakfast and one additional stop-in during the day or evening, the value is there.

From O’Hare airport, the Westin North River is only one metra train line away (blue line from O’Hare), plus a two block walk. It’s also only two blocks from the metra bus lines. The views are amazing, and the concierge desk is invaluable when planning a last minute itinerary!

Photo credit

All-American pit stop: shopping at American Girl Place Chicago

June 30, 2015 By Sharlene Earnshaw

Francesca Mazurkiewicz is a Chicago-based travel blogger and working mom of two young children. Along with her family, Francesca is out to prove that she can have it all – a family, a career, and a travel lifestyle.

I’m not a girly-girl and never have been. I never played with dolls as a little girl but there is something about American Girl dolls… As a traveler and a history enthusiast, I was drawn to American Girl because the featured dolls represent girls from different time periods and varied cultural backgrounds.

As a parent, I appreciate American Girl’s messages, books, and activities to help young girls deal with difficult topics like self-esteem and social issues like others spreading rumors. Not only is it enjoyable for the young girls to play with the dolls, but it’s also educational and empowering. That’s a winning combination in any parent’s handbook.

My 6-year-old daughter, Lucia, has become a big fan of American Girl and often asks for new accessories and clothing for her dolls. Recently, the opportunity arose for us to visit American Girl Place in our hometown, Chicago, for lunch and a morning of shopping. I couldn’t pass it up. I decided I’d make the trip to go shopping at American Girl Place Chicago a surprise for Lucia. It turned out to be a success on all levels.

Any young lady interested in American Girl dolls should have the opportunity for a store experience at least once in her life. There are American Girl retail stores in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York, Orlando, St. Louis, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.

American Girl retail stores are worthwhile stops while on a family vacation to one of these cities, and they’ve also become travel destinations all on their own. Since we live in Chicago, an American Girl retail store experience was an excellent excuse for Lucia and me to ride the train into downtown and have a lovely mommy-and-me day.

Shopping:

American Girl Place Chicago is located in Water Tower Place on the famed Magnificent Mile. Walking into the store for the first time can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you’ve got young girls to look after. This is why I suggest enlisting the services of a personal shopper. It is a complimentary service and advance appointments are required. Based on what experience the guests are hoping for, the personal shopper devises a game plan and leads the way. Ingrid, our personal shopper, knew that Lucia was to get a new doll and that we had lunch reservations at the in-store café. So we wasted no time in beginning our own American Girl retail store experience!

The first stop was the store’s second floor and the new Truly Me doll display. Truly Me, formerly known as My American Girl, is American Girl’s newly-rebranded line of contemporary 18-inch dolls and accessories. Truly Me allows a girl to create a one-of-a-kind friend through a variety of personalized doll options, including 40 different combinations of eye color, hair color and style, and skin color, as well as an array of outfits and accessories. Ingrid pointed out the dolls that most resembled Lucia: fair skin, no freckles, bob-length blond hair, and brown eyes. Lucia knew right away which one was to be her new friend! Then it was off to find her some new clothes and accessories.

The great thing about having Ingrid join us is that she knew exactly where to find the items that most interested Lucia. Ingrid already knew that Lucia plays soccer and that she loves horses, so Ingrid took us to those sections first. Ingrid also carried our shopping bag filled with items we selected. It allowed me the freedom to browse the items with Lucia and to take all kinds of pictures!

Dining:

The American Girl Café serves brunch, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner, and also hosts private parties. Dining is offered only at set seating times and reservations are highly recommended. We had lunch reservations for the 12:30 seating and it’s a good thing we did; the sophisticatedly whimsical café was almost at capacity. Still, service was professional and efficient. To start, each table is served deliciously gooey cinnamon rolls, followed by a family-style platter featuring soft pretzel baguettes, melted cheese dipping sauce, fresh broccoli and baby carrots, red grapes, and mini corn-dog muffins. Guests then select an entrée from the menu (chicken tenders for Lucia; bleu cheese burger for me), and the dining extravaganza culminates in an adorable and delectable dessert plate. Adults will be relieved to know that beer and wine are available, as well.

Truly Me Signature Studio:

This interactive experience is available at American Girl retail stores in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. Using a tablet interface, girls get to be fashion designers and create custom designed outfits or backpacks for their Truly Me dolls! They choose from several images and patterns and the piece is printed right there at the studio. The pieces the girls design are completely unique; talk about being “truly me”!

Our visit to American Girl Place Chicago was the perfect way to kick off our summer of family fun. Here is some more information to help you plan your own American Girl Place Chicago experience:

I definitely recommend having a plan in place prior to your visit. Have an idea of what you’d like to do and be sure to make advance dining reservations and appointments for a personal shopper.
Water Tower Place is easily accessible by public transportation. The closest Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) “L” station is the Red Line – Chicago Avenue stop. Water Tower Place is also serviced by the following CTA bus lines: numbers 66, 10, 146, 147, 151 and 157.
Parking is available nearby at Standard Parking, 111 East Chestnut, and discounts are available for American Girl Place visitors. Bring your parking voucher and proof of purchase to the American Girl Place concierge desk to receive validation for a parking discount.

Directions:

The American Girl store is located at 835 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL.
Disclosure: our guest reviewer experienced American Girl Place and the Truly Me experience complimentarily, for the purpose of review.

Key Lime Cove, Gurnee Illinois

September 21, 2011 By Amy Hagstrom

The following pit stop is submitted by Jessie Voigts of WanderingEducators.com.

Heading to Wisconsin, north of Chicago, and stopping to shop at Gurnee? Or perhaps spending some time at Six Flags? We’ve got the perfect place to stay: Key Lime Cove, in Gurnee, Illinois.

Key Lime Cove is a Key West-inspired waterpark and destination hotel. It includes a Key West-themed marketplace, restaurant, bar, and ice cream parlor, a huge arcade, a spa, and more. The interior is uniquely themed with Key West beach shops and kids’ activities.

The hotel rooms are spacious and well-equipped. We had a separate room for the bedroom and then another room (with southern-type sliding doors) to the family area. There was a microwave and fridge, a kitchen table, a couch and lounge chair, and a large flat screen tv. In the bedroom, there was an ipod dock that served as a charging station and speakers. There was also a Keurig coffeemaker and Paul Newman Organic Coffee pods.

There are plenty of kids activities, from a scavenger hunt in the marketplace to an entire kid activity area, with things to do, color, and play.

The waterpark is set at 82 degrees, so it is a perfect winter getaway. There are towels, many lifeguards, and a manned first-aid station that helps set the tone for safety. While the waterpark isn’t as large as, say, Great Wolf Lodge, it is plenty big enough. There is a hot tub, a lazy river and wave pool, a smaller kiddie area, and several slides. For more information, read a full review at Wandering Educators!

Distance from the interstate: Just off I-94.

Room rates and reservations: For reservations and current room rates, visit the website at www.KeyLimeCove.com or call 877-360-0403.

Directions: Key Lime Cove is located at 1700 Nations Drive, Gurnee, IL, midway between Chicago and Milwaukee. Take the Grand Avenue exit (132) off I-94. The hotel is right next to Six Flags Great America, across from Gurnee Mills.

Starved Rock State Park

August 18, 2011 By Amy Hagstrom

The following pit stop was submitted by Pit Stops for Kids reader Erica Smith.

Starved Rock State Park is one of Illinois’ most beautiful natural landmarks. Located in Utica, Illinois and filled with canyons and waterfalls, Starved Rock offers breathtaking hiking, biking, exploration, and lodging. Families can stop by for the day, or consider it a destination!

Distance from the interstate: Five minutes from I-39, also near I-80.

What to do: Kids can meet and learn about animals at Fox Ridge, the new outdoor venue near the lodge, and entire families will enjoy hiking the many trails (open in all seasons). Land and water cruises are offered June through September, and events and festivals continue throughout the year.

Admission cost: Free day use.

Hours of operation: 7 am to 9 pm.

Dining options: Picnic areas are available, as well as casual and fine dining at the lodge.

Accommodations: Camping is available, and a full lodge is located in the state park. If you want to cater specifically to the kids, located right next to Starved Rock is Grizzly Jack’s Grand Bear Resort. Housing a full indoor-outdoor water park, plenty of in-house dining, and kids’ activities, this ‘Great Wolf Lodge’ type resort offers the best of both worlds: kid heaven adjacent to natural splendor. Rates can be found on the Grizzly Jack resort page. Since lodge accommodations are needed for water park admission, we recommend booking one night here, and subsequent nights at the lodge or campground.

Directions: The lodge and park are located east of the intersection of Routes 178 & 71 in Utica, IL. From I-39 southbound: Go south to I-80 east (exit #59). Go two miles to exit #81 (Rt. 178, Utica). Go south (right) 3 miles on Rt. 178 and follow the signs into the park.