Day 73 The Ultimate USA road trip Milwaukee Chicago
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert René Plücken (MRA Master)
Last edit: 19-10-2023
Route Summary I have further supplemented the Road Trip with even more special points that you can visit in the USA. Today we drive from Milwaukee Wisconsin to Chicago Illinois. It is a drive of only 190 kilometers, but there are many beautiful and fun stops.
We drive along the coast of Lake Michigan, it is a busy urban area but we do drive along and through beautiful city parks and beaches. A number of stops are planned along the way at museums, amusement park and beach.
Despite the less interesting roads, I still rate this route with 4 stars because of the beautiful and interesting stops.
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Animation
Verdict
Duration
8h 59m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
169.91 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review Before we leave Milwaukee we visit the Harley-Davidson Museum. On the 20-acre campus-like grounds, you'll experience the lifestyle, culture and motorcycle community that only Harley-Davidson can offer. Discover the engineering behind how motorcycles work and learn about Harley-Davidson's iconic history in an exhibition of motorcycles from 1903 to the present day.
It is a large 2 story museum with a wonderful collection of motorcycles, memorabilia and exhibits. On campus there is a large shop, an outlet, a bar, restaurant and an Experience area where various activities are organized.
On the grounds is the “Harley-Davidson Living The Legend Rivet Walls” memorial where anyone can display a personalized and custom “Living the Legend™ Rivet” permanently in one of the steel walls. Your personal message is engraved in an electropolished stainless steel rivet and placed in one of the walls.
The Harley-Davidson Museum is one of Milwaukee's top tourist destinations for visitors from around the world and a must-visit when in Milwaukee.
Leaving Milwaukee through the Bay View Historic District is part of the east side of the original village of Bay View, this part of the village includes approximately 495 buildings, almost all of them residential, most of them built between 1870 and 1915. Few of them are designed by architects; many are simple cottages and bungalows. Probably the most historically significant building surviving in the district is the residence at 2590 South Superior Street, built circa 1870 for Bay View Rolling Mill superintendent Warren Brinton and wife Beulah Brinton. The Brinton residence played an important role in the development of the community. It housed Bay View's first lending library and Milwaukee's first hands-on social center, perhaps the first of its kind in the United States. Beulah Brinton and her son published the Bay View Weekly Herald in the 1880s. The small park in the area is called Beulah Brinton Park.
Beulah Brinton was an important figure in Bay View's early history. In the 1870s, new guest workers who came to work at Bay View Rolling Mill usually did not speak English. Beulah Brinton welcomed the workers and their families into her home, where she taught them English, reading, sewing, and other valuable skills.
Around noon we arrive at “North Rancine Beach”, this beautiful beach is in the top 10 family-friendly beaches in the United States. It features fifty hectares along 2500 meters of coastline. It is a beautiful clean sandy beach and you can enjoy the beautiful beach, there is a snack bar, changing rooms, palm trees, hammocks, concession stands, volleyball courts, a large playground and there is music on the weekends.
After a short stop to score a Poker Chip at Uke's Harley Davidson in Kenosha we drive parallel to the highway into the state of Illinois. We stop in Zion to visit the “Russell Military Museum”. It is dedicated to the conflicts and wars that the US has endured. The museum strives to illuminate the many problems faced by a country embroiled in war. Here, experience the magnitude of moving troops and vehicles around the world, or the boredom and tension a soldier can feel when all is still.
The Russell Military Museum encompasses a collection that has been more than 40 years in the making. Located on 10 acres, there are over 300 vehicles on display including tanks, jeeps, cannons, guns, helicopters, jets and many unique vehicles that you won't see anywhere else.
Another interesting museum on the route is the Pyramid House of Gold in Wadsworth. Built by a lover of Egypt, this museum consists of one main and several smaller pyramids with exhibits of Egyptian furniture, artifacts, and paintings, including a reproduction of King Tutankhamun's throne, 19th Century Revival chairs from the Hollywood Collection of Sam Goldwyn, more than 100 authentic Egyptian sculptures, custom Egyptian-style porcelain and goldware, and a striking tapestry of Tutankhamun's mask. The museum was partly destroyed by a major fire on July 17, 2018 and is being rebuilt. Currently, only part of the museum and collection is open to the public. Something to take into account if you want to visit the museum.
For theme park enthusiasts, a visit to “Six Flags Great America” is a must. This amusement park in Gurnee has a lot to offer. The 123-acre theme park originally opened as Marriott's Great America on May 29, 1976. Six Flags bought the theme park in 1984 and gave Six Flags the rights to the “Looney Tunes” intellectual properties.
With 15 roller coasters, the park ranks fourth among roller coaster parks in the world, along with “Cedar Point” (see day 68). In addition, the park features an adjacent 81,000 square foot water park called “Hurricane Harbor Chicago” with 25 water slides.
As of 2017, more than 3 million guests have visited Six Flags Great America, placing the park among the top 20 amusement parks. The park has achieved multiple milestones, records and awards. "American Eagle" was one of the park's first record breakers, becoming the tallest, fastest and longest wooden roller coaster in the world. "Batman: The Ride," the park's inverted roller coaster, was the first of its kind and was awarded the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) Landmark award in 2005.
Shows at the park have also received critical acclaim, with recognition from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) winning "Best Overall Production" awards.
After scoring another Poker Chip at Lake Shore Harley-Davidson in Libertyville we drive to the terminus in Chicago, “The Windy City”. Chicago is the most populous city in the US state of Illinois and the third most populous city in the United States after New York City and Los Angeles. With a population of 2,746,388 in the 2020 Census, it is also the most populous city in the Midwest. Chicago is an international hub for finance, culture, commerce, industry, education, technology, telecommunications and transportation.
Chicago is a major tourist destination. Chicago's culture has contributed much to the visual arts, literature, film, theater, comedy, food, dance and music, especially jazz, blues, soul, hip hop, gospel and electronic dance music and house music.
Enjoy all the beauty that Downtown Chicago has to offer!
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Wisconsin
About this region
Wisconsin is a state in the upper Midwestern United States, bordered by Minnesota to the west; Iowa to the southwest; Illinois to the south; Lake Michigan to the east; Michigan to the northeast; and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous.
Three of its largest cities are situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, these include the largest, Milwaukee, as well as Green Bay and Kenosha, the third and fourth most populated Wisconsin cities respectively. The state capital, Madison, is currently the second most populated and fastest growing city in the state. Wisconsin is divided into 72 counties and as of the 2020 census had a population of nearly 5.9 million.Wisconsin's geography is diverse, having been greatly impacted by glaciers during the Ice Age with the exception of the Driftless Area. The Northern Highland and Western Upland along with a part of the Central Plain occupies the western part of the state, with lowlands stretching to the shore of Lake Michigan. Wisconsin is third to Ontario and Michigan in the length of its Great Lakes coastline. The northern portion of the state is home to the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
At the time of European contact the area was inhabited by Algonquian and Siouan nations, and today is home to eleven federally recognized tribes. During the 19th and early 20th centuries many European settlers entered the state, most of whom emigrated from Germany and Scandinavia. Wisconsin remains a center of German American and Scandinavian American culture.The state is one of the nation's leading dairy producers and is known as "America's Dairyland"; it is particularly famous for its cheese. The state is also famous for its beer, particularly and historically in Milwaukee. Its economy is dominated by manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, and agriculture; specifically dairy, cranberries and ginseng. Tourism is also a major contributor to the state's economy. The gross domestic product in 2020 was $348 billion.
Read more on Wikipedia
Three of its largest cities are situated on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan, these include the largest, Milwaukee, as well as Green Bay and Kenosha, the third and fourth most populated Wisconsin cities respectively. The state capital, Madison, is currently the second most populated and fastest growing city in the state. Wisconsin is divided into 72 counties and as of the 2020 census had a population of nearly 5.9 million.Wisconsin's geography is diverse, having been greatly impacted by glaciers during the Ice Age with the exception of the Driftless Area. The Northern Highland and Western Upland along with a part of the Central Plain occupies the western part of the state, with lowlands stretching to the shore of Lake Michigan. Wisconsin is third to Ontario and Michigan in the length of its Great Lakes coastline. The northern portion of the state is home to the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
At the time of European contact the area was inhabited by Algonquian and Siouan nations, and today is home to eleven federally recognized tribes. During the 19th and early 20th centuries many European settlers entered the state, most of whom emigrated from Germany and Scandinavia. Wisconsin remains a center of German American and Scandinavian American culture.The state is one of the nation's leading dairy producers and is known as "America's Dairyland"; it is particularly famous for its cheese. The state is also famous for its beer, particularly and historically in Milwaukee. Its economy is dominated by manufacturing, healthcare, information technology, and agriculture; specifically dairy, cranberries and ginseng. Tourism is also a major contributor to the state's economy. The gross domestic product in 2020 was $348 billion.
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The Ultimate Great Lakes tour is a route through the United States and Canada to scenic destinations along Lakes Michigan, Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario.
What are the Great Lakes? The Great Lakes are a series of five interconnected freshwater lakes located on the border of the United States and Canada. They are the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world by area and have sea-like characteristics such as rolling waves, strong currents, miles of sandy and rocky beaches, and distant horizons. This tour of 8 routes includes places to stop for coffee, lunch and overnight hotels. It also visits well known historic and scenic sites along the way mostly avoiding major highways. I have suggested 2 nights at Lake Superior and 2 nights at Niagara Falls, making this a 10 day tour, but of course, that is up to you. The scenery and landscapes are breathtaking and each day is different to the next. Please enjoy.
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The scientist Dr. Randy Olsen, who became known for using his knowledge of algorithms to find 'Waldo' in the well-known American 'Where's Waldo' book series, has been challenged by Tracy Staedter, from Discovery News, to use the same algorithm to create the perfect Road Trip by creating the US, which will visit almost every state in the US. Alaska and Hawaii are not included in this Road Trip due to their geographical location.
The following three requirements formed the basis of the route: In all 48 countries there must be at least one stop at famous points, monuments, historical sites, national parks, etc. I have added additional interesting points, beautiful tours and routes.
After more than 26 months, the job is finished and, with a lot of support from Nick Carthew, I have created 129 routes that run through the 48 states of the USA and part of Canada. This is the eighth collection that takes you from Mackinaw City in ten days through Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee to Springfield, Illinois.
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