Travel from Western Maryland to Galena, IL avoiding traffic? Possible?

[nswef]

We are traveling to Galena, IL this summer and I'd love to avoid Chicago.We don't mind interstates, but want to avoid as much city as possible. How bad is Indianapolis? Bloomington? I know some of you live or travel in the mid west. We've never been farther than South Bend,IN and that was 15 years ago. Traffic here has grown worse so I suspect out there it has, too. Thanks for any help or suggestions. We plan to take 2 days to travel.

[iris lilies]

I’ve driven through Indy on the way to Columbus, Ohio. It wasn’t bad. My general rule is avoid the cities at rush hour. And at night. I depend heavily on my GPS narrator to tell me what lane to stay in, that is a key reason I listen to GPS voice narration.


The cool thing about Chicago now is that when you go through a toll they snap your license plate and you can pay online. I no longer worry about driving through Chicago. The tolls were so stupidly stressful back in the day.

[Tybee]

Smart to avoid Chicago. I would do 70 west to 74 then north from there.
Motels would be cheaper, too. It's beautiful in Ohio!

[nswef]

Thanks Iris Lily and Tybee. I knew this group had some midwest travelers. Iris, do they do EZPass with the transmitter?

[iris lilies]

Thanks Iris Lily and Tybee. I knew this group had some midwest travelers. Iris, do they do EZPass with the transmitter?
Tradd will know what any pass is called.

I didn’t have a pass, we just traveled through Chicago area using what we presumed were toll roads. Then, a couple of days later, I looked up my name to see how much I owed and paid via credit card. (Lookup is name?or license plate?) After I had that account I put a few dollars on it for future trips.

[Tradd]

The Illinois version of the transponder pass is called Ipass. EZ Pass is accepted in IL.

[nswef]

Thanks Tradd. I've put money in there.

[littlebittybobby]

okay----it's good to know summa the new ways technology(lectronics) enable you kids ta just get out and DRIVE! drive and drive and drive and DRIVE! just getting those miles in, and stopping every few hundred to EAT! yup. 'specially through ill-annoy, land o' "honest abe" linkin' ! but yeah---when i thinka the pioneers heading westward in covered wagons over totally unpaved roads without none a that 'lectronic stuff, it completely & totally amazes mee! yup. thankk you & as always--thankk mee.

[nswef]

Thank you all for the suggestions. We took 68, to 70 through Columbus, OH, Indianapolis, IN then stopped for the night in Crawfordsville, IN. On to 74 for Davenport, IA, stayed the night in Eldridge, IA where my husband played 9 holes of golf at Rustic Ridge Golf course, on to Dubuque where where we went up the incline, then to Cuba City, WI for another 9 holes of golf at Cole Acres, then to Worldmark Galena time share. Trip over took us 2 nights, one very long day of driving. Two short days. Coming home we traveled to Bloomington, on 39, the 74 to 70 to Columbus, stayed in Canal Winchester, OH, off on 33 to Parkersburg, WV where we visited my niece and nephew , then home via 50 to 79 to 68 to 70 to home. It was about 1800 miles round trip, not bad construction, decent traffic and exquisite corn fields, big sky views!!! fun for these 75 year olds. We'll be resting for at least 2 or 3 days. Thanks for the advice!!! AND we crossed the Mississippi TWICE!

[Tybee]

Sounds wonderful! I miss the Midwest. So beautiful in the summer.
We used to go to Galena for our anniversary--it was a few hours from where we lived near Chicago.

[iris lilies]

I’m glad your trip went well.

[rosarugosa]

That sounds like quite a trip! I totally admit to having the "coastal elite" snob mentality about visiting the Midwest, as in why would I ever want to do that? I'm sure that means there are many wonderful things I am missing, but I don't like to spend a lot of time in transit, so I can live with that. I think I would like to lay eyes on the Mississippi some day though, so I guess that's my answer.
DH went to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia last year with a brother and a cousin. It was a 13-hour drive and didn't sound like there was much there once they arrived, but it's where the family roots are, so that was the impetus for the trip. DH has tried to talk me into going some day, but no thanks. At least the 10-hour trip to Niagara has The Falls as a reward at the end of the journey.

[early morning]

Glad you had good trip, nswef! We don't mind destinations that are far away - because almost everything IS far away, lol. But I don't look at it as being in transit, generally - to me, the journey is part of the fun! I really like to avoid interstates when possible, just to be more in the travel-moment. We try to find cool places to visit both coming and going, whenever possible. And sometimes it's NOT possible for scheduling reasons, and then we slog straight through via interstate. But I still love the scenery in most places we have traveled - which is usually pretty varied. I do remember my second child's description of the more monotonous scenery as they and a friend drove across Iowa and Nebraska - corn, corn corn, WATERPARK! corn, corn, PORN! WATERPARK! corn, corn, corn..... :~). Overall, I think Ohio is a pretty good place for traveling both in AND out of, lol.

[iris lilies]

Glad you had good trip, nswef! We don't mind destinations that are far away - because almost everything IS far away, lol. But I don't look at it as being in transit, generally - to me, the journey is part of the fun! I really like to avoid interstates when possible, just to be more in the travel-moment. We try to find cool places to visit both coming and going, whenever possible. And sometimes it's NOT possible for scheduling reasons, and then we slog straight through via interstate. But I still love the scenery in most places we have traveled - which is usually pretty varied. I do remember my second child's description of the more monotonous scenery as they and a friend drove across Iowa and Nebraska - corn, corn corn, WATERPARK! corn, corn, PORN! WATERPARK! corn, corn, corn..... :~). Overall, I think Ohio is a pretty good place for traveling both in AND out of, lol.

From corn country I am. Imagine that landscape in winter: flat flat flat, barns, flat.

DH being from a Rich Farm Land area evaluates every scene of topography according to how flat it is because they can’t grow stuff if it isn’t flat! I point out to him that growing stuff may not be the ultimate goal for many people. He hast to sit with that concept.

It is kind of ironic that he also loves the Swiss mountains of his ancestors. But of course they can’t grow stuff there! Haha.

[early morning]

[QUOTE]DH being from a Rich Farm Land area evaluates every scene of topography according to how flat it is because they can’t grow stuff if it isn’t flat! I point out to him that growing stuff may not be the ultimate goal for many people. He hast to sit with that concept. [QUOTE]

Personally, I think pastures are prettier than crop fields, and flat is not necessary! Although I am a bit partial to fields of sunflowers.

[nswef]

We live in the Piedmont region of Maryland, foot of the mountains with valleys and hills. Our county is known for its dairy cows. Lots of fields where things grow! Lots of woods. Mountains, but not jagged and super tall like in CO. Farmers need to use smaller machinery than in the FLAT lands! Growing up in Pgh. PA we learned about contour farming that stayed with me all these years...follow the terrain and you can grow things!! I loved Nova Scotia. We went to the Cabot Trail...beautiful. My mom was in Nova Scotia until she was 14. Then they moved to Pgh. It is a LONG drive to Prince Edward Island through TREES and more trees...Maine.

[iris lilies]

We live in the Piedmont region of Maryland, foot of the mountains with valleys and hills. Our county is known for its dairy cows. Lots of fields where things grow! Lots of woods. Mountains, but not jagged and super tall like in CO. Farmers need to use smaller machinery than in the FLAT lands! Growing up in Pgh. PA we learned about contour farming that stayed with me all these years...follow the terrain and you can grow things!! I loved Nova Scotia. We went to the Cabot Trail...beautiful. My mom was in Nova Scotia until she was 14. Then they moved to Pgh. It is a LONG drive to Prince Edward Island through TREES and more trees...Maine.

But Big Ag educated DH will point out how inefficient is those crop methods of small machinery and rolling hills, Just sayin’ :~)

They brainwash them at the Aggie colleges. Combine that with DH’s Germanic outlook of ORDER and EFFICIENCY and lo, you have rigid thinking.

it’s the same thing when we’re driving, he wants to take the most efficient route. I tell him sometimes “can’t we take a less efficient route that is scenic? “. This is always a novel thought for him.

[nswef]

Thanks Iris for the giggle, My main thing with roads is NO TRAFFIC if it can be arranged. Husband is fine with that most of the time. We have lots of orchards here...due to the hills and valleys that are rather inefficient I guess. Lots of German and Swiss heritage here. Mennonites, too.