YEA.!...you are looking forward and making plans! I have been to West Virginia and it is a beautiful state! In a few weeks would be perfect for viewing the amazing fall foliage...it is my favorite state for doing that! Taking a train ride through those beautiful trees would be wonderful!...at least to me. Good Luck and relax and enjoy your time away. Biltmore is nice, but wasn’t the top of my list.

I would suggest a weekend to Galena, IL. I only spent one day there and want to go back although the French kitchenware store is no longer there. You may be so close to it you have visited many times.

We've driven around Lake Michigan. I think there's still a car ferry across the lake; you could avoid the industrial bottom of the lake and south side Chicago. (You could avert your eyes at Green Bay. lol)

How about taking the train to Minneapolis?

Anything due West of you?

Pittsburgh, PA. Lots and lots to see there.

West Virginia. We enjoyed Pipestem and Black Water Falls. There's a lodge at Black Water Falls. It's inexpensive, lots of hiking and excursions, good lodge food, and a lobby where folks gather to chat and share the evenings.

Black Water Falls

Pipestem Resort

West Virginia, Places to Stay

How come flying isn't an option? For short trips, it would allow you to spend more time at your destination and less time getting to and coming home.

I love Door County, my DD has a cottage there and we go about every other year. Last time we were there, it was during the very busy months, we tried to go to Al Johnsons Restaurant (the one with the grass roof and the goats on the roof) but there was a 4 hour wait. We skipped it that year, but the food is so good. And there are so many small stores, I love the stained glass shop, always buy something there. Don't forget to get some chopped cherry jam too!

Mackinac Island it great! And don't forget to go to Mackinaw City too!

The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, WV is expensive, but a magnificent place to stay. In addition to the good food and gorgeous grounds, there is also the no-longer-in-use Cold War era bunker, which you can tour; it's fascinating history.

https://wvtourism.com/today-show-greenbrier-resort-bunker/

At this time of the year, I recommend the area around Asheville, NC for fall color. A drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway starting at Asheville and traveling north will blast you with color and there are a number of turnouts providing views. However, you may not have enough time. Allow 2 days travel to get there, 2 days touring, and another 2 days to return. That's a minimum of 6 days. In that area during the leaf color season, the place is crowed with "leaf peeppers" on weekends and motel rooms are scarce and priced accordingly. However, From Monday through Thursday, it won't be as crowded. The leaf color season ends quickly and is at peak for only about a week. If a rain and windstorm comes through while the leaves are turning, wait for another season. Wind and wetness will strip the trees of the most colorful leaves.

You and I both live in SE Wisconsin, therefore, there isn't much I can tell you about Wisconsin that you don't already know. If you are into bicycling, you probably have a list of your favorite trails. Roaming the county highways on a motorcycle is nice in many locations. For this, I recommend the north and south units of the Kettle Moraine, and rides that take you west toward the unglaciated regions.

I do not recommend a train trip to Minneapolis because that trip is best taken by auto. With a auto, you can explore nooks and crannies that you might find, and you can stop at will for photo opportunities. Leaf color will soon be peaking. Its best if you do not plan a long trip on the Great River Road. It a local road filled with many small towns and restrictive speed limits. Selected sections of it are good for scenics, but trying to go a large distance on it is tiresome and slow.

If you plan to travel north along the Mississippi R., I recommend Crossing the river at La Cross and take hwy 61 north. That road will afford you the best views up to Red Wing.

From where you live, its less than one day trip to the Ozark region of Missouri or one day to Arkansas. Notable features in south-central Missouri are large springs with water mills. Some of the springs in that area are underground streams that pop out into the open. If you go, I recommend that you do not go trough the heart of St. Louis. Instead, take the belt line around the south side of town.

If you do genealogy, this is a great time of the year to make genealogical search trips.

Following for hints on WV....I've never been there and would like to go...

Have you been to Asheville NC? Biltmore?

Western Michigan is a great place for all you mentioned. South Haven, Saugatuck, Holland, Grand Haven each town has lots of things to do. Wineries, trails, Art, Breweries, beautiful lake, great food places and I know there are several places for a scenic train ride.

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/michigan/train-day-trips-mi/

This may sound like an advertisement :-) but Charlottesville VA matches several of your criteria. It is a little larger than what I would consider "small town" but with the closed-off, pedestrian-only main street downtown it retains the feel of a small town, but it has a very wide array of great restaurants that you couldn't expect to find in a true small town. It has history with Thomas Jefferson's Monticello plus two other President's homes nearby. And it is only about a half hour drive from Shenandoah National Park. Plus there are literally dozens or wineries in the area, some of which are beautifully situated, and others that have quite good wine, and maybe 10 micro-breweries. And I can give you a pointer to an AirBnB that is just minutes to town but which is so secluded it feels like the middle of nowhere.

Thank you all so much. We've been to Galena, Mackinack, Western Michigan, and Minnesota via the river road. I've done Biltmore, hubby hasn't but if we do that I would really rather see that at the holiday time. Blue Ridge mountains, I've done that, hubby hasn't. That may be an option though. Door county will be a weekend option for us or even a two day weekday trip. Hubby is in Green Bay often, Lambeau field with his job. We are both Bear fans so he doesn't go to the field.

We don't fly for two reasons. Hubby is not the least bit comfortable doing so, stresses him out. He won't even do roller coasters. For me, it messes up my ears and it causes ear aches. I don't enjoy that at all.

I'm really leaning towards West Virginia, thank you for the information and links. I'm also thinking about Lacrosse and St. Croix WI.

We don't generally drink however I would like to start going to wineries and even brewing companies to see if it will interest us.

Thanks again.

I only mentioned trains because you won't fly, and it could get you farther afield easier than driving. I haven't been ON a train in decades, so maybe driving actually IS easier! Anyone?

Weather has been so awful over the whole south recently, that I'd take that into consideration. Maybe stay north. Upstate New York is pretty -- the Finger Lakes?

Trains over driving always, but then I live on the Northeast Corridor route and am an Amtrak devotee. The traffic here is often bad, and the train circumvents all of that, as well as the anxiety of jockeying with the big rigs on the NJ Turnpike. If I never had to drive again I'd be very happy!

LaCrosse is beautiful, especially this time of year. And driving along the river to all the picturesque little towns like Winona, Red Wing, Lake City (MN) Trempeleau, Nelson is really fun. LaCrosse also has Octoberfest, not sure when. I would not recommend Minneapolis, unless you stay out of downtown. It's gotten very dangerous, with vagrants drugs and homelessness rampant. I love to go to shows and dread going there.

No suggestions to offer as I'm not familiar with that part of the country, but I want to wish you a happy holiday and send best wishes for you and hubby to have a wonderful time.

I will cast a vote for checking out the breweries - that's one of our favorite things to do when traveling. Wineries are fun too, but neither of us drink wine so it's not something we do unless we're with others who do enjoy the grape.

There are some interesting things to see in southern Iowa such as the John Wayne birthplace museum. the covered bridges of Madison county and there is also a winery in Madison county oddly enough called the Covered Bridges Winery. You could do La Crosse first and from there it's about 4 hours to Madison County. There are also several casinos in Iowa if that interests you. One of them is right on I-35 about 30 miles north of the Missouri state line.

I've never been, but want to visit Columbus, Indiana, a small town famous for its architecture and art. I've been interested in going there since hearing a podcast about it. They have preserved Victorian buildings, including the Civil War era Visitors' Center and a B&B that also dates back to the 1860s. But they are most known for their Mid-century Modern buildings, including three by Saarinen and a library by I.M. Pei. There's even a tour of a house designed by Saarinen, considered to be one of the greatest Mid-century Modern houses in the U.S. If I'm ever anywhere near there, I'm going.

Lots to do in downtown Cleveland! Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, and a wonderful Museum of Natural History to name a few. We can spend hours there and not see it all. Best part is, it's free! (Not the rock hall, just the museum). Michael Symon has a restaurant there if you're into foodie stuff.

Cleveland is no longer the "mistake on the lake". It's actually very beautiful in the summer. Can get very cold once Lake Erie freezes but before Christmas shouldn't be too bad.

Have fun planning your trips!

Share, we're planning a week long trip to the Cleveland area to participate in Destination Cleveland. Probably last week of October.

We spent 42 years in the area before moving to central Ohio.

Beer Passport

Michael, I don't like beer but I LOVE Great Lakes Brewing Co - they have the best food! Years ago I had a chicken sandwich on a pretzel bun - first time I'd ever seen pretzel dough made into a bun. I loved it enough to remember it years later! lol

I was going to suggest Cleveland also.

Columbus OH has a vibrant music scene, and also has very many great restaurants; the zoo & The Wilds, art museum & galleries, the Short North and German Village districts, frequent festivals along the downtown river front. The suburb of Dublin has its Irish Festival (the largest of its kind) at the end of July.

There are many historic sites in Ohio as well with scheduled activities- check out Shoenbrunn and Zoar Villages -- look at the Ohio History Connection website for ideas and details!

The Hocking Hills in southern Ohio, and the Allegheny Highlands and Allegheny Gap trail in Pennsylvania, are beautiful, for camping, hiking and cycling

And the John Glenn Astronomy Park.

The German Village in Columbus has one of the best bookstores, The Book Loft, I have been in. It is a series of small rooms each with a different book interest. I just looked and the ad stated 32 rooms of books. I do not know if they still do the music the same way and I do not know how they did it. In each room you would hear a different type of music. The first time we were there you could find places to sit and browse through the books. The second time there was a lot less seating

I've not ever been and know nothing about it but do remember that DH once took a business trip to Mountain Home Arkansas and said it was very nice...apparently an area that a lot of people from up Chicago way retire to. Might be worth a look see for something different. Mountains..rivers...lakes...

I would look to make sure the leaves are going to be nice this year. Southeastern US has been in a drought this September. Came home to everything dried up in my garden, except a few flowers that seemed to have thrived in the heat and dryness. The grass is brown. No wonder I never got a text message from my lawncare people to mow while I was on vacation. The tree leaves even look brown and sad. Wondering if it will affect the fall colors this year?

Believe it or not, a hot and dry September, followed by sunny days and cool nights in October usually brings on a spectacular display of fall colors. The forecast for Ohio is brilliant colors 3rd & 4th week of October.

Fall Colors

Prediction Map

Click on dates.

Maybe in some places, here in Central Ky a lot of trees have dead brown leaves. Not gonna get pretty.

Kath,

It's going to be later than usual, but beautiful.

November 9th - 16th.

If you would enjoy going to bourbon distilleries, the Bourbon Trail in Northern Kentucky is a lot of fun. I researched some of the ‘best’ distillery tours before we toured in late spring this year and came up with several in the Frankfort, KY area. It is possible to tour at least 3 in one day and still enjoy a nice lunch and dinner somewhere. We were passing through the state on our way from western New York and enjoyed our few days there.

You are also close to Louisville and can visit Churchill Downs. There are good local craft centers and a school in Berea KY with loads of photo ops for Quilt Barns in the area.

Outsideplaying, Frankfort is in Central KY. I live about 15 miles from there. 5 minutes from Wild Turkey distillery. ( : There is also Keenland and Red Mile Racetrack in Lexington KY, closer to Frankfort area than Churchill Downs. Lot of wineries in the area too. Horse farm tours, food tours in the Lexington area also.

My mistake, Kath, as I felt like we more in the northern part of the state, lol! Anyway, if we had known, we would have tried to catch up with you when we were there. We toured Buffalo Trace, Woodford Reserve, Castle & Key (all within 15 minutes or so of central Frankfort) and then Maker’s Mark about an hour west of there on the way toward home.

Outsideplaying, if you're ever here again let me know! I don't drink bourbon but I have taken several visitors on the tour of Wild Turkey, it's pretty interesting. I've not been to any of the others, though.

We'll be in Windsor on October 26 for the Rum Runners Tour. Fall colors should be in full bloom by then.

Just as a "want to waste some time option", you might start with a real map (real paper... I know, completely unheard of nowadays) and a simple school pencil compass. Use the compass to make several concentric circles with your home location at the center. This would give you a rough idea of how far you could or even want to drive in an average day. By using the mile indicator located on the map somewhere, you could set up the circles at perhaps 100 to 500 mile distances from one another.

Secondly, make a list (even a mental one) of the cities, burgs, and attractions between two or more circles. While not perfect, this will give you an idea of a couple of things. First, we will know that I/we don't mind driving XXX miles per day and secondly, what might be available to see and do within that preferred mileage suggestion. Thirdly, reduce that defined area by picking a compass direction that seems most advantageous to what you want to see and do on your (pick some number of days and insert here) trip. Realistically, the compass direction may have to be determined more on available roadways than on actual compass points but then, what's a good trip without a few side trips.

If you have even more spare time, start to look up commercial tours, where they go, what they include as sightseeing attractions, etc. You don't have to actually take the tours but rather, use their advertising $ and experience to plan your own trip. The internet is wonderful for these uses since it goes everywhere with no cost other than what you're already paying per month for the service. Every state and most of the mid to larger sized cities also now have a load of information on locations, attractions, and so on... all neatly arranged dated and free to you.

I've probably stated the above concepts poorly but maybe you can glean a bit of information that will make planning a bit easier.