If you are traveling the Indiana Toll Road (80/90) you should stop at the Indiana Dunes state Park. Lots of great sand dunes and on clear days good views of chicago across the lake. You would get off at the Chesterton/ Valparaiso exit and go North on Indiana 49 that leads you right into the dunes. I think that it is like 5 bucks a car load and you can take the pets as long as they are on a lesh. Nice scenery can be found there and it is always fun to climb the dunes. When will you be coming through? I have not been there in a while so ther may be better parts of the beach to go to. I can ask some others around here, I do know that the dunes are a popular place to get photographs taken. On almost every photographers wall around here is a picture of a wedding or family on the beach. ALso off of the toll road is Notre Dame(beware of the area if it is a saturday during football season!) Beware if you are traveling through Chicago around the weekend of either the 16-17 or 23-24 of August because that may be the air/water show in downtown and that brings in a lot of poeple. Not sure about those dates. Back to Indiana, there are about 2-3 hotels near the beach too. Not sure if they are pet friendly or not. You can check them if looking for loding in Chesterton IN. Valparaiso also has a couple of hotel off of HWY49(south) There are plenty of corn fields around here (I live right across from one). There is also a Wizard of Oz museum right off of HWY 49. Never been in there, but heard it is nice (small probaly take a 1/2 hour tops) CHesterton is the birthplace of the person who wrote the wizard of oz. There are lots of festivals the last part of August and the first part of September. If I think of anything else I'll let you know.

Thank you for your reply. Wizard of Oz Museum sounds like it is stop worthy and the chance for everyone to stretch their legs at the dunes is a winner in my book. We will be traveling next week July 31 needing to arrive in Minneapolis area by August 3rd (business).

take a look at stopping off the ohio turnpike and driving north a bit and seeing lake erie at the Marblehead lighthouse. one of the oldest operational lighthouses on the great lakes. very picturesque.

i should add... if you had time, and if you're making this trip before the end of the summer, or on a weekend after labor day... and you all like roller coasters, it would be worth it to stop and go to Cedar Point!!! they do have a pet check, so the cats could be taken care of for the day. the best amusement park for roller coasters in the world.