Looking for a fun day trip half-way from Chicago to FW

[paracelsus]

My family of 6 (me, DW, and 4 teenagers) will be driving from Chicagoland to FW next summer. I'm looking for something fun to do for part of a day along the road to break up the monotony of driving. Two summers ago, we stopped at Mammoth Cave on our way down to Disney, and we took the 4.5 hour walk through the cave. Everyone really enjoyed that. Is there something else like that in Kentucky, Tennessee or Georgia that our crowd might like? We're not looking for an amusement park because we're going to Disney. We're not looking for another cave; we did that. But a tour or museum or adventure of some kind would be great. Can anyone help with a suggestion? Thanks!

 

[Rhonda]

We always drove from Minneapolis to FW, and our favorite stop was Chattanooga, TN! You can go up the Incline Railway to Lookout Mountain! Here's a link: Lookout Mountain

 

[Pinkee77]

This is a nice museum in GA....http://www.fernbankmuseum.org/

My favorite place in TN is this....http://www.thelostsea.com/ I know you said you already did the cave thing, but this one is a little different and not as tiring to walk through. I went there as a teenager, then had to take my own kids there a couple years ago.

Oh! and another cool place in GA that I always liked . . . http://www.agrirama.com/main/

 

[Wistful_Thinking]

Corvette Factory Tour, Bowling Green, KY. The ONLY Chevrolet Factory that builds Corvettes. And right next door the National Corvette Museum. Tours start early and between the tour and the museum its easily 1/2 a day. Very interesting if you are a car buff or if you have boys.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-9971422-52.html


http://www.corvettemuseum.com/plant_tours/index.shtml

 

[kmurawski]

We loved Chattanooga and Lookout Mountain. The incline railway is a great way to get to the top of the mountain.

 

[bobbyshawatl]

In Chattanooga, don't forget their aquarium. You can get combo tickets for the aquarium and Lookout mountain. Both are well worth the visit.

If you are a nature lover, being from Georgia, I can recommend some nice state parks and hiking areas in the North Georgia mountains. Most are free or have a minimal park pass fee. There's Cloudland Canyon (which is actually on Georgia's side of Lookout mountain. There's also Fort Mountain which isn't too far away from I-75. One of my favorite state park trails is at Amicalola Falls. It has a BEAUTIFUL waterfall -- one of the tallest in Georgia. Go to gastateparks.org for some more information on some of these parks.

When I first saw your request, Mammoth Caves immediately came to mind, but seeing as you did that last year, I would second a lot of the other recommendations that Chatanooga would probably be your best bet.

Robert

 

[2goofycampers]

Another vote for Chattanooga. If you're a AAA member check into their combo tickets.

 

[paracelsus]

Thank you all for your suggestions!! It looks like Chattanooga is a good place to stop on the way to FW. While looking into Lookout Mountain and Ruby Falls, I discovered another possibility that I think my family will like. River Rafting!!

http://adventuresunlimited.net/

Check it out if all members of your party are at least 12 years old.