getting thru illinois on I90
 

Hi folks. I'll be traveling north this summer from SC to Glacier National Park and beyond. The bulk of this trip will be a slow, scenic ride but I'm a little concerned about getting thru Illinois. We'll be heading up 65 thru Indiana and hitting I90 all the way thru Illinois.
My question is about the toll road situation. I don't mind paying a few dollars here and there but I hate to be stopping and starting every few miles. How congested will I90 be, how much will it cost to travel thru, and is there a better alternative?
Thanks in advance, Cuz

Yes, I have been through the Dan Ryan in Chicago. I don't like it and never have.
Let me try to steer you clear of Chicago and the nightmare.
You didn't say where in SC so I picked Columbia. First night Louisville KY 8 hours. Second night Cedar Rapids IA 8 hours.
Third night Fargo ND 8 hours. Fourth night Williston ND 6.5 hours plus any time you spend to see Theodore Roosevelt NP off of US 85. From Williston you can make it at least to East Glacier MT in 8 hours on US 2. Plan on 5 nights with 7.5 to 8.5 hour daylight drives.

Thanks for the reply Tom. I should have added a few more details to my question before asking for advice so let me back up a little.
The trip I have mapped out is a 3 week motorcycle affair and after Glacier I'll be heading for the Columbia River Gorge, down the Pacific Coast a bit to San Fran...I won't bore you with the whole itinerary but basicly, even tho I'm leaving from SC, my vacation will actually begin in earnest when I hit hwy 2 in Grand Forks ND. (at least I think Grand Forks is in ND - it appears to be right on the line)
As a result the only thing that matters to me between SC and ND is how fast I can get there so I can spend more time on the fun part of the trip.
So...with that in mind how would you make the SC to ND section of the trip? Thanks, Cuz

Grand Forks is 80 miles north of Fargo (1:15) on I-29. You want to come through Mason City IA on the way to Fargo. For sure don't try the toll roads with a motorcycle.
When you leave Whitefish you will be going through Spokane on the way to Pendleton, OR. Take I-84 west to Hood River and then take Rt. 35 on the east side of Mt. Hood to get on US 26 west to get to the coast missing most of the Portland traffic.

It's 800 miles from Grand Forks ND to Browning, MT which takes about 13 hours. You will see an oil boom going on in northern ND and eastern Montana.

If you want to avoid Chicago, wouldn't a route like this work?

http://goo.gl/maps/SbUUi

Living in the Chicagoland area, the toll roads don't bother me. I would never drive out of my way to avoid them. Of course, I have an Ipass and if you pay cash the fee is double, so there's that. If you do travel the toll roads, just try to avoid morning & afternoon rush hours and any holiday weekend Friday and you'll be fine.

You can plot in your tollway entrance and exit points here and it will tell you how much it will cost:

http://www.illinoistollway.com/tolls...rip-calculator

Avoid Chicago if at all possible - good gosh, would you voluntarily drive through NYC or LA if you didn't have to?

The route bluestar posted seems to be the quickest way to Grand Forks. Get to Indianapolis then head west to Bloomington on I74, then head north. There's no need to go through Iowa, it will add more time as you won't be on the interstate anymore.

If you're planning on taking the scenic drive through Glacier National Park on the Going to the Sun Road - which I would highly recommend- you may want to keep in mind there is still road construction on that road which will cause delays. It can take 2-3 hours to get from Many Glacier to Lake McDonald - that's without any stops for photos, hiking, etc. If you can, drive through first thing in the morning before traffic picks up.

http://www.hikinginglacier.com/glaci...e-sun-road.htm

An alternative is to go around Glacier on Highway 2...but you'd be missing all the beautiful scenery!!

If you want #2 (and my opinion is absolutely!!! Love that drive!!!) you might consider picking up the ferry from Muskegon,MI or Ludington, Mi and arriving in Milwakee, WI or Manitowac,WI. Saves cruising with the crazies around and through Ill. Avoiding Chi. altogether. Saves miles and time and stress. Can sleep on the ferry if need be, 2 crossing a day.The Badger is the one from Ludington and Lake Express is the other.I94 in this Part of the country is ok also except wild around Minn/St Paul(take north route)... #2 is just great..Although mostly 2 lanes there are now passing lanes and the scenic beauty of the Northern Midwest is lovely. Consider the oil boom area as problematic for accom. We found last fall many places in ND and Eastern MT booked on a full time basis. #2 will take a little longer but worth it.IMO. Hapy trails.

Happy...as in Happy trails...Whatever Hapy might be!!!