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MN_Ben
Explorer
Aug 18, 2015

Looking for attractions on I90 from Minn to Mass

I am heading to Massachusetts this week to purchase a truck camper. The wife and I will have time on the way home to sight see. She has been to Salem a couple of time and we will most likely hit up a few shops there.
Just wondering if any of you had a favorite, or real duds, on places to stop and see. I do plan on having a Chicago style hot dog on the way out and maybe a Chicago style pizza on the way back.....in Chicago!
Someone told me to have a New York style pizza in New York, so maybe I will put that on our list.
What say you???
MNBen
  • Food is good, but it is just food and it can be recreated anywhere. If you have to go down the coast (not advised) be sure to stop a Mystic Seaport Museum for at least an entire day. There is camping available at one of the casinos. (I lived there once so I use a friend's driveway.)

    But if you can get back to Albany, don't use the NYT ($$). Take the Southern Tier - I-81 & 86 and be sure to stop in Corning at the Glass Museum and see the failed Hale (Mt Palomar) mirror.

    You will hit I-90 just short of Erie. The maritime museum there is worth a stop. Not big, but neat.

    Stay with I-90 into Cleveland. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is there, but I have never been there. There is also a museum ship that is a retired laker. Never been there either.

    Out of Cleveland, look for I-90/US-2. I-80-90 across IN & OH is toll road. It won't zing you too bad, but we would avoid it. We would stay with Rt 2 until I-280. Then you need to make a choice.
    If you decide to go north, buy fuel at the Alexis Road stations. Fuel is expensive in MI because of taxes and graft.

    But, if you take I-94 (no tolls) across MI, you will be in striking range of the Henry Ford and Greenfield Museum complex (yes, that is worth two days $$). Near Battle Creek is the Gilmore Automobile Collection (read about that too) dry camping on the grounds used to be cheap. And the Kalamazoo Air Zoo (read about it first), is very changeable as the WWII aircraft are privately owned and come and go a lot.

    If you are looking for Free ONP, the Cabela's in Hammond is one of our favorite stops. (I am still hoping to stop there when there is not a sale that DW likes.) It is far enough outside of Chicago to be quiet and the lot is (used to be) patrolled.

    Matt
  • There is an application called RoadTrippers one can get for computer, tablet or smart phone.

    I have it on my I-phone. It's handy, has all sorts of neat things one can search for. And it will show you all sorts of neat stuff along any route you choose.

    Search feature included things to see/do, cuisine of all types, and other neat stuff.

    Worth trying.
  • re-created 1840

    1830s. I had to look it up, though! :B
  • Do a Google search for `______ tourism' and put the state or city in the blank and read what the experts suggest for their area.
  • If you're interested in history, Old Sturbrige Village is a place you can spend a day in a re-created 1840(?) New England village with artisans, craftsmen, and farmers. It is very close to Rte 90. Camp on!
  • I like to use Roadside America when traveling. Maybe you can find something of interest along your route.

    If your plans change and you get into central Pennsylvania, stop and tour the Yuengling Brewery. America's Oldest Brewery.
  • New York style pizza is ideally had in New York City, which you won't be going through. That's not to say you can't get decent similar pies other places, but IMHO it's not quite authentic, kind of like getting Chicago-style pizza outside of the Chicago area.

    Other food stuff:
    Buffalo wings in Buffalo. Duff's is one appropriate choice and where we usually went for Buffalo wings near Buffalo when I was a student at RIT.

    If you have an iron stomach, a garbage plate from Nick Tahou's is a Rochester regional dish. They're actually not bad tasting--just not very small, very healthy, or very refined cuisine.

    Amusement parks--this list is probably not complete:
    Seabreeze in Rochester is a neat smallish family-owned traditional park.

    Darien Lake is a six flags park between Rochester and Buffalo.

    Waldameer in Erie, PA

    Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH, a quite large park with many roller coasters.


    Museums and miscellaneous--very incomplete:
    There are a number of exceptional NY state parks in the finger lakes region: Letchworth and Watkins Glen stand out.

    There's the international boxing hall of fame if you're a boxing fanatic.

    The George Eastman house in Rochester is worth visiting.

    While it's out of the way of I-90, the Henry Ford near Detroit is very much worth the excursion to visit. Two days would not be too much time there.

    Chicago has several excellent museums; the art institute is one of the few elite US art museums. There are several other exceptional museums in the city, too.