Chicago, a city in the heart of the Great Lakes
2024
Highlights of the trip
During your stay you can enjoy the following highlights: Culture / Heritage, Faune and flora, Discovery, Adventure / Sports & Leisure, Free time.
Best times to go
The best time(s) to go is/are : Printemps, Eté, Automne, Hiver.
Petit Futé
Where to stay - Chicago ?
The map of your stay "Chicago, a city in the heart of the Great Lakes"
Detail of the stay : Chicago, a city in the heart of the Great Lakes
How to get there - Chicago
Towards Milwaukee
Steps: Milwaukee
Car rental in the morning either in downtown Chicago or at the airport to facilitate the return to France. Departure to Milwaukee (two hours drive). At noon: arrival in Milwaukee. Visit of Old World Third Street area, lunch in one of its ethnic restaurants, and then walk in the afternoon along the river. Visit the East Town and West Town neighbourhoods. In the evening, dinner at the Lakefront Brewery with a good "fish fry", and visit the beer production chain in the basement.
Visit of Milwaukee
Steps: Milwaukee
In the morning, lunch at Alterra Café near Lake Michigan, and visit of Brady Street, a former hippie street and still very trendy today. Visit of the Milwaukee Art Museum, a superb contemporary art museum whose design was carried out by the Spanish architect Calatrava. Lunch in the area of the Third Ward, the warehouse area that is completely rehabilitated today, and in the afternoon, visit the "Ordinance", a conservatory of exotic flowers and trees in the west of the city. Dinner in the city centre.
Places of interest : MILWAUKEE ART MUSEUM
Door County
Steps: Fish Creek
Departure to Door County Peninsula (two and a half hours' drive). Arrival on site at 11 pm and lunch at Sturgeon Bay in the historic quarter of the city. In the afternoon, reconnaissance of the places on the peninsula's car. Visit of Peninsula State Park, possible cycling tours, visit of the Cana Island lighthouse and the Ridges wild flower reserve. Relaxation along the beaches. Evening at Fish Creek and dinner at White Gull Inn for a traditional Fish Boil.
Places of interest : CANA ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE PENINSULA STATE PARK
Sturgeon Bay, Washington Island and Ephraim
Steps: Washington Island
Visit of the Maritime Museum of Sturgeon Bay, wandering in the historic quarter. Visit of Washington Island to the north of the peninsula: crossing on board a ferry of the P3assage of Deaths", a small strait whose dangerosity gave its name to the passage (there's no more problem now, one can safely pass through). On Washington Island, visit the small museum, swimming in the lake, wandering. Back on the continent in the evening, and then visit Ellison Bluff at sunset, panoramic view of all Door County, panorama on Lake Michigan from the top of a 25 m high cliff. In the evening, dinner in a restaurant in Ephraim or Sister Bay, facing the lake.
Places of interest : DOOR COUNTY MARITIME MUSEUM
On the road of Bayfield
Steps: Ashland
Departure west towards Bayfield (four hours' drive). Passage to Northern Great Lakes Visitor's Center of Ashland, to gather information about the region. Lunch at Maggie's, in the centre of Bayfield, and then visit the small streets of the centre with views of Lake Superior and the archipelago of the Apostle Islands. Visit of the orchards inside the land, strolling along the lake. Dine at Wild Rice in the evening, a restaurant outside the city.
Bayfield and Madeline Island
Steps: Madeline Island
Departure on board a ferry to Madeline Island, just in front of Bayfield, and visit of LaPointe, a small village of the southern tip of the island. Bike rental (or keeping on the driving tour for those who have crossed the Bay with their vehicle) and visit of Big Bay Park, the natural park of Madeline Island. Beautiful lagoon crossed by a small wooden bridge. Lunch in a restaurant with terrace on the lake at LaPointe and then on ferry to Bayfield. Late afternoon and evening in the large street of Ashland, south of Bayfield (half an hour drive). Dinner qt the South Shore Brewery.
Places of interest : BIG BAY STATE PARK
Duluth, Minnesota
Steps: Duluth
Departure to Duluth (two hours drive). Visit of the historical centre of this harbour city, visit of the old Park Channel and airlift of more than 100 years, and lunch in Grandma' S Saloon of Park Channel. Observation of the large boats transporting iron ore which leave the Duluth port, while passing under the large metal bridge, to sail on the Large Lakes. In the afternoon, visit of the fresh water aquarium which exhibits the Large Lakes fish, and visit of the "Depot", old railway station which become an artistic centre and Railway Museum. Don't miss the Museum, especially for its wonderful locomotives. Possibility of a two hour excursion by train along the lake. Walk along the Lakewalk, and dinner at Bennett's restaurant with a view of the Lake Superior. In the evening, why not a night walk along the lake?
Places of interest : SHEDD AQUARIUM LAKE SUPERIOR RAILROAD MUSEUM
Lake Superior and Gooseberry Falls
Steps: Cascade River State Park
Departure to the large spaces north of Lake Superior, along Highway 61 which goes along the lake shore. Visit the Gooseberry Falls Natural Park and its waterfalls, stop at Split Rock's superb lighthouse perched atop a 40 m cliff overlooking the lake. Continuation of the road and visit of the many natural parks on the coast: Tettegouche, Temperance, Cascade. Arrival at Grand Marais, and visit of the little agglomeration wedged between large expanses of forests and Lake Superior. Art galleries, good restaurants. Back in the evening along Highway 61. Watch out for the deer that cross it!
Places of interest : SPLIT ROCK LIGHTHOUSE
Twin Cities
Steps: Minneapolis
Visit of the Twin Cities for a grasp of the contrast between the modernity of Mineapolis and the historical architecture of St Paul. Evening at the Guthrie Theater.
Places of interest : GUTHRIE THEATER
Departure to La Crosse
Steps: La Crosse
Visit of the historic city centre, walking along the Mississippi River and cruise aboard the motorboat on the large river. Visit of Grandad's Bluff, a cliff overlooking Mississippi, and the La Crosse city.
Places of interest : GRANDAD'S BLUFF
Madison, return to Wisconsin
Steps: La Crosse
Breakfast at La Crosse and departure to Madison (two hours drive). In the afternoon, visit of the State Street, student street, and Capitol, replica of the Capitol of Washington D.C. Promenade along Lake Mendota, and visit of the Arboretum de l'Université or the Chazen Museum of Art on the campus. In the evening, dinner in a restaurant in the east of the Capitol.
Places of interest : STATE STREET THE CHAZEN MUSEUM OF ART
Visit of Madison
Steps: Madison
For children, visit the Henry Vila's Zoo, or the beautiful Botanical Garden, in the east of the city, with its Thai pavilion. If you there on Wednesday or Saturday, go to the Farmer's Market, a open-air market for fresh products. Lunch in the Lobby Theatre lobby, in State Street, and then visit of the Monona Terrace conference centre, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. In the evening, after strolling along Monona Lake, evening at the Brewery Capital in the lovely Middleton district.
Places of interest : STATE STREET ORPHEUM THEATER
South Wisconsin campaign, New Glarus and Mount Horeb
Steps: Mineral Point
In the morning, visit of New Glarus, a small Swiss village with wooden chalets, then Mount Horeb and its small Norwegian village. Breakfast on the main street of Mount Horeb. In the afternoon, visit of the Mineral Point and Pendarvis, former barracks which the miners in the region used. Return to the hotel of Madison in the evening.
Devil's State Park and Taliesin
Steps: Spring Green
In the morning, after breakfast at Café Michelangelo of Madison, visit the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, the largest circus museum in the world, with trailers and circus animals, and visit Devil's State Park natural park with its high cliffs. Lunch at Spring Green, then visit of Taliesin, the famous architectural set of Frank Lloyd Wright, or House on the Rock, an archaic house perched atop a rocky promontory designed and built by architect Alex Jordan.
Places of interest : CIRCUS WORLD MUSEUM TALIESIN THE HOUSE ON THE ROCK
Stage in Chicago
Steps: Lake Geneva
On your return trip to Chicago, crossing of Lake Geneva, quick visit of downtown and marina, car tour of the lake, lunch at Popeye's facing the lake, and quiet return to Chicago, within two and a half hours' drive. Night on the spot, in the neighbourhood of your choice.
Lake Michigan and Grand Rapids
Steps: Grand Rapids
Follow the road along the shore of Lake Michigan and reach Grand Rapids after a three-hour drive. A relaxing evening is spent at the Leonard Bed & Breakfast, located next to a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house.
Astonishing Detroit
Steps: Detroit
The next morning, head to the Frederik Meijer Garden to contemplate works by artists from all over the world set in a thousand botanical garden splendour. In the early afternoon, take the road to Detroit (2h30). On arrival, walk in the Midtown area, by taking Cass Avenue. Dinner at the Selden Standard, renowned for being the city's best restaurant, and why not finishing the evening at the Bronx Bar, famous dive bar of the district.
Discovery of Detroit
Steps: Detroit
In the morning, visit of Corktown on Michigan Avenue to discover one of the city's emblematic neighbourhoods. Next, go to the city centre for a thematic visit of the neighbourhood (architecture, street art). After a typical lunch at Lafayette Coney Island, you can rent bikes on the Riverfront and visit the Eastern Market area and discover the large market hall while admiring the surrounding art frescoes. In the evening, go to the Majestic to let steam off on the dance track.
Places of interest : EASTERN MARKET
