Along the way, Chicago to Green Bay
I am a huge road trip fan. I love all the little things that bring character to a trip, that separate it from all the rest. And nothing has more character than the roadside attractions. The weirdness that can be found when traveling along highways from one place to another. All of these are kid-friendly, even though we didn’t have our daughter with us on this trip. The best part is, though, that they are all FREE!
When Dave told me he wanted to fly into Chicago because it was A LOT cheaper and then drive to Green Bay, I was so pumped! That meant I could dive into my research and find the weird things along the way, and I found a few! It was only a 3 hour drive, but we managed to get in six odd, short stops that we would never venture to otherwise!
Here you go, in order from Chicago to Green Bay:
The Gold Pyramid- who knew there was a mini-Egypt in Illinois. This random flea market/event center is completely unexpected, but has a lot of good photo ops and is definitely worth the short trip off the highway!
The Jelly Belly Factory Tour- The sweetest thing! They take you first to a welcome area with pictures made out of jelly beans, a jelly bean scent challenge, and the history of the place on the wall. From there, you take a train ride through the factory with many adorable stops along the way, following the journey of the jelly belly. Finally, at the end they give you two bags of Jelly Beans. The best part? It’s all TOTALLY FREE!
Mars Cheese Castle- I was feeling extra cheesy when I went here and snapped some pics. Free sample abound! (I legit ate like 15!) Most of the cheese sole here is Wisconsin cheese, and they also have a great selection of Wisconsin wines. There are obviously other types, but it was a great stop to get some local flavors. The owner (manager?) was super-helpful in our selections and gave us great recommendations!
Sputnik Crash Site- Out of this world! But really, just a spot on the ground marked with where Sputnik crashed in 1962. Definitely a cool little pull-off for those space junkies out there!
Kenosha North Pier Lighthouse- It’s Red! And it has some cool murals along the bottom! Actually one of the cutest little lighthouses I ever did see!
Cheesehead Dinosaur- This just made me laugh so hard and I thought it represented Green Bay so well! Definitely worth the drive-by, and a pull over for even funnier pics!
Overall, there was a lot of giggling along the way here. Really, it was just a lot of silliness that we bonded over along the way. And that, my friends, is what it means to have a travel partner!