re: Looking for some ideas for a Chicago trip with kids...

Book a sleeper or family car and take the Amtrak train up. It runs daily from New Orleans direct to Chicago. The kids will love it.

Make sure you buy a City Pass. It lets you see 5 attractions for about half the price it would cost you individually. We just went in March for the first time, and it is now my favorite city. For about $90/person, we did the Field Museum, Science & Industry Museum, Willis Tower Skydeck, Adler Planetarium, and the Shedd Aquarium. Also hit the bean at Millenium Park. My favorite was the Field Museum - it has an incredible array of dinosaur skeletons, including the most complete T-rex. Also has The Ghost and The Darkness lions. My son's favorite was the Museum of Science and Industry. You need a full day there at least, and there are a lot of interactive displays for the kids. That place is the ultimate field trip for kids. The Adler Planetarium and the aquarium were nice, but a notch below the museums. Skydeck is a must. I thought it would be a hassle staying in the city since I'm not a city guy, but staying in the heart of the city is a must and is very convenient. We stayed at theWit in a junior suite that had an incredible view, right in the theatre district in the Loop, and everything was a inexpensive cab ride just minutes away. And of course the L-train will get you everywhere as well.

Just checked - the City Pass is $94 for adults, $79 for kids. It lets you pick 5 of 7 major attractions. The Navy Pier is also supposed to be nice, but it was snowing when we were there so that wasn't an option for us.