Here's where I want to fly, now what do I need?

The following are questions about the reality in going from no flying
experience to being qualified to fly my family away on weekends.
Please indicate if this is the wrong newsgroup for these questions.

The weekend drive from my home in Grosse Pointe, MI to Lake Ann, MI is
230 statute miles, about 4.5 to 5 hours each way.

Detroit to Traverse City (30 minutes from Lake Ann) is 180 nautical
miles. There are municipal airports near Grosse Pointe although I have
not investigated them. There is a grass strip about 5 minutes from
Lake Ann.

I dislike driving this distance for a weekend. I am considering flying
occasionally as an alternative.

1) Is 3K-5K a realistic estimate of the cost of getting VFR rated?
2) Being the Midwest, it is frequently cloudy. Is IFR a realistic
requirement to be able to return home safely on a given weekend?
3) Is another 3K-5K realistic for an IFR rating?
4) What plane would be suitable to hire for this distance, a grass
strip, 2 adults, 2 young children and some luggage?
5) What rate would you expect to pay per hour?
6) If the answer to (2) is yes, what is the rental availability of IRF
aircraft and is there a premium?
6) What would the flight time be?
7) Can you generally leave your car at municipal airports free?
8) If I left on Friday afternoon and returned at dawn on Monday
morning, what additional charges are applied to the rental?

Is this a realistic alternative idea for weekend family trips or a
pipe dream?