Hi,

Here's a different idea.... If you have the time (~4 hours) and money (~ $400 roundtrip for two people and a car), take the SS Badger ferry across Lake Michigan from Ludington to Manitowoc. Of course, that option is only good from during mid-Spring to mid-Autumn.

http://www.ssbadger.com/

The other option is the Lake Express from Muskegon to Milwaukee. It crosses the lake in about 2.5 hours but costs a bit more (~ $435 roundtrip for two adults and a car).

http://www.lake-express.com/

Sadly, coming from Northeast Ohio, you really don't have many options.

Some of the worst traffic is around Gary, Indiana where I-80, 90, 94, and 65 all intersect within a couple miles of each other.

If you take 90 or 94 through the city, going through the south side of Chicago, know that you'll be okay on the interstates, but if you have to wander off the highway for gas or a meal, you could be in some of the higher crime neighborhoods very easily.

My recommended route would be to stay on I-80 to I-294, the Tri-State Tollway, and take it around the west side of the city. You can still encounter heavy traffic and construction, but it keeps you out of the center of the city.

You don't say where in Northeast Ohio you are, but if you're closer to I-70 than I-80, you might consider an end run completely around the city: I-70 to I-74 in Indianapolis; I-74 to I-39 in Bloomington, IL; I-39 north to Madison and then state highways to Appleton. But adding so much extra distance may suck up the same--or more--time than sitting in Chicago traffic.

Finally, I use Sigalert's smartphone app and website to guide me through traffic here in San Diego. It's updated every 5 minutes, and I check which is the least congested route home before hopping in the car at the end of work.

http://www.sigalert.com/Map.asp?region=Chicago#lat=41.87296&lon=-88.07647&z=2

If you have a smartphone, it's definitely worth having their free app.

Safe travels,

Zed

Thank you carracar....sounds like a good option. But, dropping down to Columbus and I 70 is a 2 hour drive south for us. Would we then not have another 2 hour drive to go back north? Would this add 4 hours at least to our travel time or am I missing something? Granted...we would totally bypass Chicago!

Thanks Zed1958.....we are a little south of 80 and going 80 makes more sense to us. We have used 294 in the past. It is not ideal...but there are no good choices as you say. We had read about the 2 ferries and may actually do that at some time....but the cost is a factor. We have also thought about going all the way to I 39 and then doubling back when in Wisconsin. Also have considered going through Michigan and upper Michigan and then dropping down to Appleton. Don't know yet how much time that would add. It would be a more pleasant trip...however, maybe not in winter.

I would totally avoid I 90/94 going through the city. I know it better as the Dan Ryan/Kennedy/Edens Expressways. It seems like whenever I get on that road, it is backed up or at least busy and stressful. (Killer views of the city though, and you can even see the glass ledges of the Willis Tower if you look up!) I think taking the Tri State Tollway (294) is a better choice, even if it is more miles and you need to pay tolls. Make sure that you have a transponder. My sister lives in Ohio and I gave her one as a gift for when she visits!

Another option is to take I 80 west until you get to I 355 north towards Schaumburg, but that is going out of your way. I don't think there is as much traffic on 355 as there is on 294.

IllinoiTrav.....thank you so much for this additional information. A couple of questions. On 294, there are tolls...are there also tolls on 355? How can we obtain a transponder? Also, in looking at an Illinois map, I see that 355 ends at I 90. How do we then get back to 294? It looks like there are only surface roads at that point.

Here's a link to purchase a transponder:

http://www.illinoistollway.com/tolls-and-i-pass/about-i-pass/get-i-pass-and-get-going

Do you have one for the Ohio turnpike? I think you can use the same one, but I could be wrong. My sister lives in Cincinnati and there are no toll roads down there - that's why I gave her the Illinois transponder.

As far as I can tell, it is $3.80 with an iPass and $7.60 with cash on I 355. It would be $3.20 with the iPass, and $6.40 with cash on I 294. I used this website to calculate the tolls - I'm not sure if I used the right entry point:

https://www.illinoisvirtualtollway.com/?ContentPane=tripcalculator

I 355 leads into I 290/Route 53 - it is seamless, like you are staying on the same road. 355 between I 80 and I 55 is usually clear sailing. It gets a little busier up in the Schaumburg area, and the road is busy during the morning and evening rush. As you noticed, this road terminates at Lake Cook Road. You would then head east on Lake Cook Rd. for about 9 miles to get to I 94 which would take you up to Wisconsin.

Again, if it were me, I would take 294 rather than 90/94. The Tri State does get busy around the O'Hare area, but it is generally OK. 355 is another option, but it is farther out of your way. If there is any way to time your trip so that you avoid rush hours, I would do that.

I've been traveling from Ohio to the Chicago area for the last 25 years, and the improvements that have been made on 80/90/94 in the Gary area have really helped. I guess you know that there are lots of trucks on that stretch of road. I hope you have many happy and safe trips.

IlliniTrav.....thank you ...thank you....for being so very helpful. This information will help us a great deal as we will be traveling those roads a great deal now. We will probably try both your suggestions of 294 and 355 at different times in the near future to see what works best for us. The transport will be extremely helpful in making our travel a little easier. We really appreciate all the effort and time from everyone who advised us.

Check out the Massachusetts EZ Pass transponder program. It's essentially free for Ohio residents. Check to be certain it works on all toll roads that you'll encounter on this trip.

Don't rule out upper Michigan in winter. You have winter driving skills and sites such as accuweather.com offer good weather forecasts. Upper Michigan can be beautiful in winter. From Sleeping Bear Dunes north, there would be many opportunities to break up your trip with short or longer stops. Post on the excellent Michigan forum for suggestions.

The following amateur website has many winter folios of Michigan. Unfortunately you have to copy and paste the link, or search on Google for "Ann Arbor Mt. Evans randomspace.com."

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jensenl/visuals/album/

You could stop at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, perhaps partake of the Christmas celebrations at Greenfield Village (advance ticket purchases needed). Don't miss the Rouge factory tour if production is taking place.

Timing your trip through Chicago probably is the best and easiest way to avoid traffic problems. Search the Chicago forum or post there for the best times to travel through that metropolitan area.

You should be able to have a lot of fun on these trips. E.g., in early May, stop at the Magee Marsh west of Port Clinton to see the annual warbler migration. It draws birders from around the world, has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, and yet most of the residents in the Western Reserve have never experienced it!

Good planning!

Here's a travel article that may provide ideas for your future trips.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g191-c183176/United-States:A.Road.Trip.To.The.Great.Lakes.html