The final GTG at our place

Shoot up 57 to Kankakee & over into Indiana, you will go thru Lake Village, Roselawn to Demotte. It can be scenic if you are adventurous & stop at the nudist camps…

 

I haven't been able to make it to any GTG anywhere. This would be the one to go to. I'll have to see how the schedule works out.

 

A perspective of experience. Been driving around Chicago since 1990.


The stupidity starts around the 90/94 split by tomah and get worse by the time you get to Madison.

as you get closer to Beloit, all the way regardless of route now, you’re essentially driving in Chicago traffic. Even if you shoot all the way down to US 24 and go east there.

And if the goal is to go to middle Michigan, why do I want to go almost to Indy to only come back north?.

I enjoy the backroads of the UP and such much more and it’s very easy to avoid Duluth.

the only concern is if the Mac is closed to campers and other high profile vehicles due to wind.

 

Spent a few nights in the rig in/around Chicago, I usually tried to avoid it if possible.

I thought the Chicago traffic usually started around Iowa City…

 

I don't blame you one bit. Hauling a 30+ foot trailer though Chicagoland would suck. It's bad enough with just 4 wheels.

 

I’ll be there.

 

If you’re coming from the west it does.

 

Going the northern route is definitely a much more scenic route for me.

The issue for me is the northern route is 560 miles and close to 8 hours 45 minutes and the southern route is a little over 6 hours and about 390 miles. There's about $10 in Illinois tolls, which is it's own issue due to the website/ state's ineptitude. It gets easier if you have an I pass but I don't go thru Illinois enough to have that make sense. Illinois got rid of pay stations during COVID, so you have to use their horrible website. I suggest anyone driving though Illinois and through their tolls that you note the and date as well as the exact toll spot. I use my phone's voice to text the toll station and the cost. The text will not the date and time. That will help considerably when it goes time to pay the toll. The website's plate recognition only works to their benefit, not to help you/ tell you what the tolls you actually owe are.

There's a toll over the Mack, but that's simple.

 

hard to avoid that since they catch you coming off the bridge…

 

Yep, but like I said, that toll is so easy. It's the basically 3hrs and close to 200 miles of added trip that's the kicker. Weighing that extra driving vs the Illinois toll BS is the deal. Now if we're lucky, the SS badger or the late Express will be running, but that's pricey. Again, with everything, pros and cons...

 

Same for me with the pass sticker.

It was much more betterer to just blow on by the booths then pay later but that was several years ago no idea what kind of pia it is now.

 

I think that is the same now. I just hope their plate reader was updated since. They had a trip predictor deal that you would put in your plate, what kind of vehicle and where and when you're expected to go and then they'd compile the toll fees for you. That didn't work last time I used it, but that was about 2 years ago.

 

The badger is worth it just for the experience.

I’ve been on it a few times with the semi. Loved every time

 

Should be worth noting…

The route of the SS Badger is also considered a continuation of US highway 10 too.

US 10 Designation : S.S Badger

 

From Milwaukee (area) if you take 94 to Us41 at the IL line back to 94 through Chicago, Indiana, into Michigan before 6am you should be able to get through with very little problems and no tolls.

Coming through on 80 to 80/94 it's only one toll.
6:30-9am / 11:30am- 1:30pm / 3:30-6:30pm are the bad times to try going through Chicago.

 

Thanks for the details. I have always tried to get through Chicago between 3-5 am, but it looks like I have a little bigger window than I thought.

The last gtg at Denny's I went to, I think I was around 5am in NW Indiana. I had to call in a drunk driver, the only other person on the road other than me. Followed shortly after by a couple of cops. Lol

 

Here's an update about the SS badger repairs. S.S. Badger ramp repairs well underway after damage ends 2023 season

It looks like they started repairs Nov 1st, and have the ramp taken apart, ready to begin the fixes.