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What are some smaller towns, cities and villages within a days drive of chicago that exemplify "americana" |
Travel Info what are some towns close to chicago (in a days drive) in Iillinois, wisconsin and indiana that look like your classic heritage-look american main street....with nice old brick buildings...you know, a nice place to stroll and window shop...victorian and other elaborate old architecture would be nice Travel Tips Galena, IL on US rt 20 has all you ask plus good food, trendy shops, and plenty of history. Leave early as there is much to see...even flood gates! Exit I-90 at Rockford on rt 20 and head west through Elizabeth and some scenic views on your way to Galena. Checkout many pre-civil war bldgs and US Grant's home. A trolley ride connects various sites. If time permits, return via Wisconsin. Take rt 84 to Hazel Green then east to Monroe for a cheese stop in the victorian town square. Continue east to Janesville, WI to take you back to I-90 and Chgo. Others I am from Milwaukee, WI. It is about 45 minutes to an hour drive from Chicago and it is where they brew the Miller Beer products so when you are heading downtown there, you can start to smell the beer brewing. For 12 years of my life I lived ten minutes from downtown and I will always remember that for the rest of my life! Milwaukee is a lot cheaper than Chicago also. Right outside of Milwaukee is Gurnee Mills where they have a lot of malls and shops. They have a pretty big discount mall where you can get designer clothing for a lot cheaper price. Milwaukee has a lot of old style buildings downtown that are beautiful, a big Ben clock. Go to the Milwaukee Museum downtown and it is wonderful! They have a large section that they call "Old Milwaukee" made out of cobblestone streets and real old style buildings that shows exactly how the city once looked. They have a whole section dedicated to American Indians because there are a lot of cities in Wisconsin with Indian names (like Milwaukee). Have fun downtown. Milwaukee is a very special and dear place to me!! The closest would be Evanston. There is a section of the city west of Northwestern University's football stadium that looks like small town America. I went there once for their Fourth of July parade and it was like being in Mayberry... real cute. Small shops, a little park. And far less than a day's drive. As far as getting in the car, try Utica, Ill. It's about an hour and a half away from the city and right near Starved Rock State park. Galena is probaby the quintesential "small town" looking place in Illinois. In fact, that's their selling point. Springfield is also pretty historic looking. Someone else mentioned Milwaukee and I'd second that. There is a section that is their original Germantown and they have preserved it pretty well. It's got cheese shops, sausage shops a German restaruant, beer hall... cool. Geneva, Illinois. Walking and everything is old fashioned. It's about an 1-1 1/2 hours. from Chicago. I would check out Long Grove in downtown they have a beautifully restored town with storefronts, restaurants etc., most are covered in siding and have the 19th century look to them. It is about one hour drive from Chicago. http://www.longgroveonline.com Galena ill is a must see about 2 hours from Chicago. http://www.galena.org Another place I liked was Baraboo Wi http://www.baraboonow.com also you can't forget Mchigan and South Haven http://www.southhaven.org Those are probably few of the places I liked in this area and I always like going back to them. http://www.piotrwolodkowicz.com... Naperville and Wheaton both have very attractive, walkable downtown areas surrounded by historical homes. Both have a wide variety of restaurants, bookstores, small businesses for window shopping. Naperville is more developed, with national chain stores such as Barnes/Noble, William Sonoma, Crate and Barrel, Ann Taylor, etc, but it also has wonderful smaller, family owned businesses as well. And the Riverwalk that runs along the edge of town is wonderful. Both communities are southwest of the city, and well within an hours drive. Come check us out! |
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