Good time to travel
I'll concur with what you'll already know, that the recession is generating some great travel deals.

Planes
Our round-trip airfare to the Midwest for 3 cost the same as our rental car. Both planes were on-time though full. (AA going out, United coming back.) We did pay the checked baggage fee for two bags, but even with this premium we paid about $150 less per ticket than a couple of years ago. I think travelling late spring rather than full summer also helped.

B&B
While we stayed with kind relatives most of the time, we did get a fantastic deal at the County Clare B&B in downtown Milwaukee, WI. $80 for Sunday - Tuesday. Down from $139/night. It includes a big breakfast in the Irish pub downstairs, whirlpool bath, walkable location, and great service. Only mild disappointment was having the restaurant closed on Memorial Day for service (though the pub was open). We've stayed here before, and give it our full recommendation.

Rental car
By renting through our Costco membership, we were able to hold the cost down somewhat, though I still think rental cars are over priced. Did pay the premium to pick up /drop off from O'Hare, but that was worth it.

Didn't get the free upgrade from a subcompact that we often get in the high season. Instead, paid $90 extra to have the four-door necessariy when you're installing a car seat. We got the craptastic Kia Optima that gave both of us back aches because the seats were so bad. Can't believe anyone actually owns this car even at Kia prices.

Having Sirius radio tuned into "1st Wave" gave us a musical nostalgia trip back to the 80s which perfectly matched when we last lived in Illinois. Cruise control was also good on the miles of prairie and corn fields that make perfect prey for the state patrol if you zone out too much.