Figuring out ahead of time the route I’ll be taking each day is usually a fun challenge. Not so much this time. The first day’s ride is obvious; I’ve even done it before. But the second day… Ugh.
The second day starts east of Gary and ends northwest of Chicago. Normally my strategy for dealing with big cities is simple: avoid them. I stayed away from Detroit, and detoured around Flint, Lansing, and Kalamazoo. But Chicago is too big. And it’s in my way.
The problem isn’t finding roads to take. The problem is too many roads to choose from.
Normally I can tell a good road from a bad road by looking at it on a map. But the things I look for don’t work in a megalopolis. A road following a river is probably an expressway, not a scenic drive. A road running alongside an Interstate is probably an overflow route, not a locals-only access road.
But I think I’ve mapped a route out. It’ll probably suck, and I’m sure I won’t stick to it once I get out there. But at least it’s a route.
Todd, I’m curious what route you will take through NW Indiana and the Chicago area. I lived in Valparaiso, IN on and off for a few years so I am familiar with the area.
John
I’ve just left Indiana, actually. I basically turned left before getting to Gary, then roughly paralleled I-80 through New Chicago, Highland, Munster, and Tinley Park (as a sample of names that cone to mind). I’ll be turning north around Homer Glen and passing through Lemont and Wheaton, according to plan.