2gypsies wrote:
The big issue for you is the long, boring drive from Illinois to Colorado for a 1 year old and 4 year old. That's a long time for children to be confined to a car seat. If it were me I'd plan on no more than 4 or 5 hours of driving per day. Everyone will be in a better mood when you stop. Plan on places with a pool to wind down and relax.
Pick a location such as Colorado Springs and spend your vacation doing things in that area. Traveling from place to place will not matter to the children. A zoo is a zoo. A trail is a trail. Google the city for things to do with children. You'll get a lot of ideas.
Have fun planning!
Having camped with kids this age, I would never consider this. You'd spend too much of your vacation traveling.
We would drive, let the kids run at each rest stop, get back in and drive. The fewer days traveling the better. Eventually they fall asleep and you can get some miles in.