60 days in Great Lakes USA Itinerary

Created using Inspirock Great Lakes USA attractions planner
Make it your trip
Fly
1
Evansville
— 1 day
Drive
2
Indianapolis
— 6 nights
Fly
3
Chicago
— 7 nights
Fly
4
Galena
— 3 nights
Drive
5
Madison
— 4 nights
Fly
6
Minneapolis
— 5 nights
Fly
7
Ely
— 3 nights
Fly
8
Traverse City
— 6 nights
Drive
9
Grand Rapids
— 5 nights
Fly
10
Detroit
— 5 nights
Fly
11
Cleveland
— 5 nights
Drive
12
Columbus
— 5 nights
Drive
13
Cincinnati
— 5 nights
Fly

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Evansville — 1 day

Evansville is a city in and the county seat of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. Start off your visit on the 1st (Sun): enjoy some diversion at Friedman Park, brush up on your military savvy at Evansville Wartime Museum, and then examine the collection at Dream Car Museum.

For ratings, maps, and tourist information, read Evansville route planner.

Atlanta to Evansville is an approximately 3-hour flight. You can also drive; or take a bus. Traveling from Atlanta to Evansville, you'll gain 1 hour due to the time zone difference. In January, Evansville is a bit cooler than Atlanta - with highs of 42°F and lows of 24°F. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 1st (Sun) to allow time to drive to Indianapolis.
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Museums · Parks · Fun & Games
Side Trip

Indianapolis — 6 nights

Circle City

Indiana's capital and most populous city, Indianapolis is best known for its racecar events and impressive museums, and as the hometown of Kurt Vonnegut.
Change things up with these side-trips from Indianapolis: Purgatory Golf Club (in Noblesville), Westfield (Collective Beauty Salon & Spa & Urban Vines Winery & Brewery Co.) and Indiana University (in Bloomington). There's lots more to do: test your team's savvy at popular escape rooms, steep yourself in history at Indianapolis Museum of Art, examine the collection at Indiana State Museum, and gain some tasty knowledge on Indy JoyRides.

To find out how to plan a trip to Indianapolis, use our trip itinerary maker.

You can drive from Evansville to Indianapolis in 3 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus; or fly. The time zone difference moving from Central Standard Time to Eastern Standard Time is 1 hour. Traveling from Evansville in January, things will get little chillier in Indianapolis: highs are around 36°F and lows about 19°F. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 7th (Sat) so you can catch the flight to Chicago.
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Parks · Museums · Wineries · Breweries & Distilleries
Side Trips

Chicago — 7 nights

Windy City

A huge and vibrant city, Chicago is home to top-notch theaters, shops, museums, galleries, and restaurants.
Chicago is known for sightseeing, museums, and nightlife. Your trip includes some of its best attractions: admire the masterpieces at The Art Institute of Chicago, enjoy breathtaking views from 360 Chicago Observation Deck, engage your brain at Museum of Science and Industry, and admire the landmark architecture of Skydeck Chicago - Willis Tower.

To see traveler tips, reviews, and other tourist information, use the Chicago day trip planner.

You can fly from Indianapolis to Chicago in 2.5 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a bus. The time zone changes from Eastern Standard Time (EST) to Central Standard Time (CST), which is usually a -1 hour difference. In January, plan for daily highs up to 32°F, and evening lows to 18°F. Finish your sightseeing early on the 14th (Sat) so you can fly to Galena.
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Museums · Parks · Childrens Museums · Zoos & Aquariums
Side Trips

Galena — 3 nights

Galena is the largest city in and the county seat of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, with a population of 3,429 at the 2010 census. Change things up with these side-trips from Galena: Stockton Heritage Museum (in Stockton) and National Brewery Museum (in Potosi). Next up on the itinerary: brush up on your knowledge of spirits at Blaum Bros. Distilling Co., indulge your thirst for a good beer at Highway 20 Brewing Company, take in the local highlights with Walking tours, and fly down the slopes at Chestnut Mountain Resort.

To see maps, reviews, traveler tips, and more tourist information, read Galena online sightseeing planner.

Traveling by flight from Chicago to Galena takes 2.5 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a bus. Plan for little chillier temperatures traveling from Chicago in January, with highs in Galena at 27°F and lows at 10°F. Finish your sightseeing early on the 17th (Tue) to allow enough time to drive to Madison.
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Museums · Breweries & Distilleries · Parks · Outdoors
Side Trips

Madison — 4 nights

The City of Four Lakes

Madison might be the capital of Wisconsin, but students rather than politicians give the city its identity.
Explore the numerous day-trip ideas around Madison: Portage (Portage WWII History Museum & Cascade Mountain), Spas (in Lake Geneva) and Discovery Center Museum (in Rockford). On the 21st (Sat), ski the day away in the pristine settings at Snowflake Ski Club. Next up on the itinerary: test your problem-solving skills at popular escape rooms, admire the natural beauty at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, admire the landmark architecture of Overture Center for the Arts, and get a sense of history and politics at Wisconsin State Capitol.

To find reviews, traveler tips, ratings, and more tourist information, go to the Madison day trip planning app.

Getting from Galena to Madison by car takes about 2 hours. Other options: do a combination of taxi and bus. In January, daily temperatures in Madison can reach 27°F, while at night they dip to 11°F. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 21st (Sat) to allow time to fly to Minneapolis.
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Parks · Museums · Outdoors · Winter Sports
Side Trips

Minneapolis — 5 nights

The City of Lakes

Located on both banks of the Mississippi River, Minneapolis salutes the state's love of the outdoors with numerous lakes, wetlands, creeks, and waterfalls--many connected to one another by a national scenic byway great for sightseeing.
Minneapolis is known for fun & games, museums, and nature. Your trip includes some of its best attractions: explore the world behind art at Minneapolis Institute of Art, explore the activities along Chain of Lakes, look for all kinds of wild species at Stone Arch Bridge, and browse the different shops at Mall of America.

To see ratings, reviews, maps, and more tourist information, refer to the Minneapolis trip itinerary planner.

Traveling by flight from Madison to Minneapolis takes 3 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a bus. In January, daily temperatures in Minneapolis can reach 24°F, while at night they dip to 9°F. Finish your sightseeing early on the 26th (Thu) to allow enough time to fly to Ely.
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Parks · Museums · Nature · Shopping
Side Trips

Ely — 3 nights

Ely is a city in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. When in Ely, make a side trip to see Flathorn - Gegoka Cross Country Ski Trails in Isabella, approximately Isabella away. There's much more to do: surround yourself with nature on White Wilderness Sled Dog Adventures, examine the collection at International Wolf Center, immerse yourself in nature at Soudan Underground Mine, and hike along Chilly Dogs Sled Dog Trips.

To see more things to do, other places to visit, reviews, and tourist information, go to the Ely tour website.

You can fly from Minneapolis to Ely in 2.5 hours. Other options are to drive; or do a combination of bus and taxi. Traveling from Minneapolis in January, expect Ely to be little chillier, temps between 16°F and -4°F. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 29th (Sun) to allow time to fly to Traverse City.
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Outdoors · Wildlife · Parks · Tours
Side Trips

Traverse City — 6 nights

Cherry Capital of the World

Traverse City might be well known for its huge cherry industry, but its position along Grand Traverse Bay in Lake Michigan endows it with fine scenery and a wealth of outdoor attractions.
Change things up with these side-trips from Traverse City: Grayling (Wellington Farm & Hanson Hills Recreation Area), Grass River Natural Area (in Bellaire) and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (in Empire). There's still lots to do: sample some tasty brews at a beer tour and tasting, fly down the slopes at Nub's Nob, ski along the peaceful trails at Forbush Corner Cross-Country Skiing, and tour the pleasant surroundings at Crystal Mountain.

To see traveler tips, where to stay, other places to visit, and other tourist information, read Traverse City trip itinerary website.

You can fly from Ely to Traverse City in 6.5 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or do a combination of taxi and bus. The time zone difference when traveling from Ely to Traverse City is 1 hour. Traveling from Ely in January, expect nights in Traverse City to be warmer, around 17°F, while days are somewhat warmer, around 29°F. Finish your sightseeing early on the 4th (Sat) to allow enough time to drive to Grand Rapids.
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Parks · Outdoors · Winter Sports · Wildlife
Side Trips

Grand Rapids — 5 nights

Furniture City

The second largest city in Michigan and a hub of furniture manufacturing, Grand Rapids bears the nickname "Furniture City." However, the destination's original name came from the rapids of the Grand River that once ran through the downtown area.
Explore the numerous day-trip ideas around Grand Rapids: Bittersweet Ski Resort (in Otsego), Muskegon State Park (in Muskegon) and Gilmore Car Museum (in Hickory Corners). Next up on the itinerary: test your team's savvy at popular escape rooms, don't miss a visit to Horrock's, look for gifts at Horrocks Farm Market, and take in nature's colorful creations at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

For other places to visit, where to stay, photos, and tourist information, use the Grand Rapids trip itinerary maker.

Traveling by car from Traverse City to Grand Rapids takes 2.5 hours. Alternatively, you can take a bus. In February, plan for daily highs up to 33°F, and evening lows to 17°F. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 9th (Thu) so you can catch the flight to Detroit.
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Parks · Museums · Breweries & Distilleries · Spas
Side Trips

Detroit — 5 nights

The Motor City

Founded in 1701 by a French explorer and adventurer, Detroit exerted a profound impact on the world for most of the 20th century.
Explore Detroit's surroundings by going to Toledo (Maumee Bay Brew Pub & Toledo Museum of Art), Snook's Dream Cars (in Bowling Green) and FasTrak Exotic Driving Experience (in Grosse Ile). There's still lots to do: explore the world behind art at Detroit Institute of Arts, see the interesting displays at The Henry Ford, indulge your thirst for a good beer at Eastern Market Brewing Co, and learn more about the world around you at DNR Outdoor Adventure Center.

To see maps, reviews, traveler tips, and more tourist information, refer to the Detroit trip itinerary planning site.

Traveling by flight from Grand Rapids to Detroit takes 2.5 hours. Alternatively, you can drive; or take a bus. February in Detroit sees daily highs of 34°F and lows of 20°F at night. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 14th (Tue) so you can catch the flight to Cleveland.
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Museums · Fun & Games · Breweries & Distilleries · Spas
Side Trips

Cleveland — 5 nights

Forest City

A culturally diverse city situated on the shores of Lake Erie, Cleveland boasts many places to visit, such as world-class museums, popular amusement parks, and sprawling recreational areas.
Get out of town with these interesting Cleveland side-trips: Warther Museum (in Dover), Akron (Room Escape Games, F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm, &more) and Railroad Brewing Company (in Avon). Spend the 19th (Sun) exploring nature at Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The adventure continues: admire the masterpieces at The Cleveland Museum of Art, see the interesting displays at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, try to win big at JACK Cleveland Casino, and indulge your thirst for a good beer at Birdfish Brewing Co..

For traveler tips, maps, where to stay, and other tourist information, read our Cleveland travel itinerary planner.

You can fly from Detroit to Cleveland in 2.5 hours. Other options are to drive; or take a bus. Expect a daytime high around 36°F in February, and nighttime lows around 22°F. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 19th (Sun) so you can go by car to Columbus.
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Parks · Museums · Nature · Breweries & Distilleries
Side Trips

Columbus — 5 nights

The Discovery City

More than just one of the nation's top business centers, Columbus is a mixture of many different parts of America, situated at the spot where the so-called "Bible Belt" meets the varied cultures of the Great Plains and Appalachia.
You'll find plenty of places to visit near Columbus: Snow Trails (in Mansfield), Heritage Vineyard Winery (in Warsaw) and Portsmouth Floodwall Mural (in Portsmouth). And it doesn't end there: test your problem-solving skills at popular escape rooms, examine the collection at Honda Heritage Center, browse the different shops at Polaris Fashion Place, and explore the world behind art at Columbus Museum of Art.

For ratings, reviews, maps, and tourist information, go to the Columbus trip planner.

Getting from Cleveland to Columbus by car takes about 2.5 hours. Other options: take a bus; or fly. February in Columbus sees daily highs of 41°F and lows of 23°F at night. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 24th (Fri) so you can go by car to Cincinnati.
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Parks · Museums · Outdoors · Winter Sports
Side Trips

Cincinnati — 5 nights

The Queen of the West

Situated on the north bank of the Ohio River, Cincinnati distinguished itself as the only U.S. city that left a favorable impression on one of its most famous 19th-century visitors, English author Charles Dickens.
Explore the numerous day-trip ideas around Cincinnati: Dayton (Carillon Historical Park, America's Packard Museum - The Citizens Motorcar Co., &more). Next up on the itinerary: gain some tasty knowledge on Cincy Brew Bus, walk around Smale Riverfront Park, test your problem-solving skills at popular escape rooms, and look for gifts at Rookwood.

To find traveler tips, maps, and more tourist information, read Cincinnati trip planner.

Getting from Columbus to Cincinnati by car takes about 2 hours. Other options: take a bus. In February, daytime highs in Cincinnati are 43°F, while nighttime lows are 25°F. Wrap up your sightseeing on the 1st (Wed) early enough to fly back home.
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Museums · Tours · Parks · Historic Sites
Side Trip