This thread has pretty much summed up my vacations for the last few years.   
Gatlinburg, good place to go and rent a cabin in the mountains, VERY touristy. 6 hour drive 
Niagra Falls, super cool place to go, but 3 days and you might run out of things to do, stop in buffalo NY and get wings!  6 hour drive 
Chicago, super expensive and not relaxing. 6 hour drive