You will be so happy that you took these simple steps to ready your adventure. And speaking of ready, now it\u2019s time to see all the amazing places you\u2019ll go to before heading back to your home state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Best Stops and Itinerary for a Midwest Road Trip<\/h2>\n\n\n\nDay 1-2: Chicago, Illinois<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Even though you\u2019re going to enjoy a lot of farmlands on this trip, you\u2019ll start the journey in a big city… Chi-town or the windy city, that is! Chicago is a must-do known for hot dogs, pizza, jazz, and architecture. While there, you can even combine the best of both worlds by eating a hotdog at a lakefront kiosk in Traverse City specifically chosen for its artistic \u201cwow!\u201d Bring a sweater for the evening because the wind off the Great Lakes can be chilly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Day 3-4: Madison, Wisconsin<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
On your way out of Chicago, you\u2019ll drive on the Great River Road for just enough time to see its beauty along the Mississippi River. Then, just two-and-a-half-hours (don’t you just love scenic drives?!) northwest is Madison \u2013 which basically means the beer, cheese, and waterfront views portion of your Midwest road trip! Given the possibility that you may throw back a cold one or two, remember to choose a designated sober driver in advance and to take time reading up on safe driving tips<\/a>. In Madison, you may also enjoy the Olbrich Botanical Gardens, Henry Villas Zoo, and the Wisconsin State Capitol. <\/p>\n\n\n The commute to Minneapolis is a bit longer than your previous drive time – especially if you detour into Grand Rapids, so here\u2019s a pro tip: do the drive on a Tuesday when incidents of car crashes are the lowest they\u2019ll be all week (according to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). After two days of cities, you probably want to check out nature! Exploring Minneapolis is one of the best ways to have an outdoor experience with places like Minnehaha Regional Park and Fort Snelling State Park. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The price you\u2019ll pay for a nearly seven-hour drive with tolls isn\u2019t so bad when you hear this news: You get to stay in Missouri for two whole days! Missouri has wonderful museums like the National WWI Museum and Memorial, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and the Arabia Steamboat Museum. When not indulging your artistic side, Kansas City is well known for Kansas-style barbecue and theater. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Just three hours further west into your Midwest road trip is St. Louis. Some of St. Louis\u2019 claims to fame are the Gateway Arch Monument and ice-cream cones! We agree, your summer vacation is basically turning into a life of food and fun. Before it ends though, you still have time to see South Dakota, which is where you\u2019ll go next… <\/p>\n\n\n\n Rounding out your road trip this summer is stunning Rapid City. Also known as the City of Presidents, Rapid City is a popular spot where you will finally get to see the faces of leadership etched in stone you\u2019ve always been curious about known as Mount Rushmore (say “hi” to Ulysses S. Grant and Abraham Lincoln for us). At this point you will be having such a good time that returning home won\u2019t feel right… so it\u2019s best to head to Badlands National Park for some quiet time in what can only be called \u201calien-looking terrain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then, you have the choice to fly out of South Dakota (sorry North Dakota, you’ll get a visit on the next trip) or to drive back to Chicago (being sure not to skip a hike in Shawnee National Forest on the way). <\/p>\n\n\n\n We want to let you in on some of the best ways for completing your Midwest road trip the affordable way this summer. To save some money while road tripping, choosing a cheaper hotel or the \u201crent a room\u201d option instead of \u201crenting a full Airbnb\u201d for accommodations is a great way to save money on your perfect place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can also plan to make your meals, so you don\u2019t have to eat out all the time by having some groceries on hand. Last, but not least, you can save on major unexpected expenses by making sure your car (or rental!) is \u201cvacation insured\u201d<\/a> and operating well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that you are ready to traverse the summer on one of the best Midwest road trips at a beautiful time of year, all you have to do is secure affordable car insurance today from Freeway Insurance and you’re basically a Midwesterner already. Get a fast and free quote online,<\/a> give us a call at 800-777-5620<\/a> or stop by one of our convenient locations.<\/a> Have the best time all across the smaller towns and rolling terrain of the United States!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Let\u2019s be honest: it\u2019s only spring and you\u2019re already dreaming of a summer vacation. If you\u2019ve had the kind of weather that feels grey, rainy, and very much indoors, you probably want to hit the open road and go somewhere with a lot of sun and space. We\u2019re here to help you take a Midwest […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1002630,"featured_media":8489,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,1986],"tags":[1973],"importance":[],"type-content":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8488"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1002630"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8488"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10107,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8488\/revisions\/10107"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8489"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8488"},{"taxonomy":"importance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/importance?post=8488"},{"taxonomy":"type-content","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/type-content?post=8488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Young](\"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Freeway-Directive-Midwest-road-trip2.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nDay 5-6: Minneapolis, Minnesota<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Day 7-8: Kansas City, Missouri<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Day 9-10: St. Louis, Missouri<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Day 11-12: Rapid City, South Dakota<\/h3>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.freeway.com\/knowledge-center\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2023\/05\/Freeway-Directive-midwest-road-trip3.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nTips for Affordable Midwest Road Trip Adventures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Road Trip Essential: Car Insurance for Your Midwest Adventure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n