This year, the 50th Anniversary of the Interstate Highway System will kick off a record Fourth of July holiday weekend. AAA estimates that 40.7 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday, a 1.2 percent increase from the 40.2 million who traveled last year. Of those travelers, about 85 percent will travel by car on our national interstate and local road way system this weekend.
I'm not going to be one of the weekend/holiday travelers but I will be taking a trip after the 4th. I'm taking the kids to Chicago to see the King Tut exhibit at the Field Museum. I wasn't able to see it the last time (1977) it was in the U.S. and I didn't want to miss it this time.
We'll only be staying a couple of nights and we plan on visiting the Field Museum on the morning of the day after we arrive. That leaves the late afternoon/evening of our arrival day and the afternoon and evening of the second day open. I've been reading books and checking Websites to find things to do but would appreciate any suggestions for things to do with kids (10, 13, and 17).
Restaurant suggestions would also help. I would like to take them to a nice restaurant, the kind the guidebooks call "fine dining". I figure the chances of them acting civilized are better when they're in an unfamiliar city than at a good restaurant at home. (Their manners are usually pretty good but they are kids and a little unfamiliarity might move "pretty good" up to "a pleasure to dine with".)
I'm expecting that meal to be pricey so I'm also looking for good but inexpensive places for breakfasts, lunches, and one other dinner.
Posted by marybeth at July 1, 2006 01:04 AM Family , Travel