Driving trip Minnesota to PA..can we avoid Chicago?
 

We are driving from Minneapolis to Gettysburg. I hate to go through Chicago. anyone have experience or ideas about how to do this?
thanks.

Hi GP,

www.maps.google.com shows you going through Chicago on Interstates.

You can move the route to go around Chi, and it will show you how much extra time it will take.

You can also use www.viamichelin.com.

It will take you about 7 hr to get to Chi, so you will probably want to stop for the night in the vicinity.

Hope this helps.

((I))

If you look at a map, you can see that you can either go through Chicago OR
go down I-35 to I-380 through Cedar Rapids, then I-80 east to the Quad Cities, then I-74 to Indianapolis, then I-70 to the PA Turnpike to Gettysburg. Doing the latter route adds several hours to your trip, which means you're better off going through Chicago if saving time is your main concern.

I'm not sure where in Minnesota you are traveling from but some Wisconsinites take the ferry across Lake Michigan from Manitowoc, Wi to Ludington, Michigan to avoid Chicago driving.

Even at worst the driving part through Chicago may add 2 hours. What's the problem?

A very expensive ferry or a very long drive on secondary roads.

You have to be kidding me....

You can take 294 around the city to avoid the downtown traffic. It only adds a four miles to your trip and reduces the chances you will get stuck in stop and go traffic...however in Chicago you never know!

We live in Iowa and travel to Michigan every summer. Hate traveling on 1-80 most years because of road construction. This year, we wizzed right thru Chicago/Gary area. No road constructions, which thus meant no two hours parked on the interstate. Other than that, I have not traveled thru Chicago. I think you may be okay taking this route. One final thought: We once decided to travel all night with three children. Idea was they would sleep, traffic would be less. Wrong! Three lanes suddenly became one lane during construction and three children were wide-eyed. I wouldn't suggest this approach.

I 2nd the Ferry idea...but do not take the one that goes to Ludington - that is the old ferry and it takes twice as long as the new lake express.

The Lake Express leaves Milwaukee, WI and ends up in Muskegan, MI - which will take you down a gorgeous drive along the western lakeshore of lake michigan.

Consider the Lake Express from Milwaukee. There is eternal road construction in Chicago. We drove through on our way south in April and took the bypass near O'Hare since the "Skyway" was under construction. That was a mess, traffic dead stopped on Sunday morning, an "accident" closed up all open lanes. Going south to Indiana, there was road construction all the way to the Indiana border. We plan to do a Lake Michigan circle tour but will use the high speed ferry from Milwaukee and skip Chicago.

Actually, we do it at least once, and usually two times a month.

Nearly all the roads you would take are now NOT under construction and are open full tilt after the floods.

Ironically, that way they told you to take down Michigan's shore- IS now under construction, and has been for most of the summer. But it is much better and moving along as well, although I think they are still closing sections down to 1 lane each way on I-94 in Michigan itself where bridges and other cross roads are still in construction modes.

But the Indiana I-80 fiasco of 4 to 5 years has blissfully come to an end. Get an I-Pass. Just do it.