Find latest started threadsIf you know that it's 8k, be prepared to pay class 2 rates in PA.
RoadTrip Guru & Enthusiast
If you know that it's 8k, be prepared to pay class 2 rates in PA.
I'm certain it's 8000 lbs -- somewhere, I have the paperwork to prove it. A 3/4 ton is only that on the chassis. A friend of ours has an older 3/4 ton and when he took it in to be weighed, he took the back passenger seat out, camper shell off, and a bunch of other non-essential stuff. He found out that it didn't make a whole hill of beans to California, it was going to cost that much even with the seats in it. So we took it in fully loaded.
I decided to call PA Turnpike Customer Assistance....class 2 it is. We did some options around and it would have cost the same amount in extra fuel, so we'll just deal with the costs. (Sigh).
As far as going around Chicago -- we're taking 80, which means only a little bit of toll (if any at all) all the way to I-39 North. (I think that's the #, I'm not at home next to my maps). We want to poke around LaSalle, Peru, Ladd and the area for a little bit, since I still have family in cemeteries in that area. I will drive an extra 100 miles to avoid driving in Chicago, if I have to!
Donna
Ahh, but even that won't have you completely avoiding tolls in IL. You'll still have one toll on I-80 not long after getting into the state, and they'll hit you again on I-39/I-90 just before Wisconsin.
Even when you think you can get around them, Illinois hits you both coming and going!
Not necessarily.
That is easily bypassed. I have driven there several times, am yet to use that bit of toll road. Besides, taking the alternative, one comes past a variety of roadside motels, at some of which I have stayed.Originally Posted by Midwest Michael
Lifey
I assume you're talking about IL-251, Lifey?
Way too many stoplights, and thus too slow for my tastes. Not worth the headache of getting off the freeway and easily adding 15 minutes to the drive to avoid the toll.
I'd also question staying in the roadside motels along that stretch too! There are much worse neighborhoods in the Rockford area, and driving through never concerns me, but there's large sections through there where I wouldn't want to leave my car parked overnight.
IL: We will be leaving IN toll road at I-65, head south to US-30 west, which we will take (stoplights and all) until we get to family in IL. That was the suggestion of my uncle, with whom we are staying in the 'burbs. To leave the 'burbs, we will head down US-30 west to pick up I-57 north up to I-80. At that point, I-80 is no longer a toll road. Hubby already declined taking US-30 all the way out to New Lennox, because he didn't want to deal with the stoplights that have been along that route for more than 40 years. (I moved out of the area 44 years ago, and those stoplights were there, though I-57 was JUST being built.)
As for that last bit of I-39 in IL, going around Rockford, we'll just live with it. Then we will be done with toll roads for the rest of the trip! UPDATE: That little section will only cost us $1.90, according to the IL Toll Road page. It would cost more than that in fuel to avoid it. No big deal!
To be sure, *despite* turning in a USA map to AAA that was specifically labeled with a detour through Morris, Peru, La Salle, Spring Valley IL, AAA *still* gave us a TripTik routing on I-294 to I-90 through Chicago. UGH, UGH, UGH. We will ignore it. It turns out that I have more family still alive in La Salle - Peru area than I was aware of.
Donna
Last edited by DonnaR57; 05-20-2014 at 06:16 PM.
RoadTrip Guru & Enthusiast
I would get off the IN toll road at Burns Harbor, and take I-80/94 west to IL-394 to US-30. 30 from 65 to 394 is miserable and longer milewise. I don't know how your uncle thinks otherwise. 394 is a freeway from 80 to 30.
I would agree with GLC, as long as your family is in the Suburbs is in IL, not NWIndiana, Using I-80 to 394 should be a much better choice, and still toll free.
I did 394 to US-30 to I-65 a number of years ago to avoid construction on I-80/94 and as was previously mentioned it was a very slow, with lots of stop and go traffic. I wound up wishing I would have stuck to the Interstate, even with the construction.
Perhaps my uncle hasn't driven that way in awhile. Certainly we haven't; we haven't been back to that neck of the woods in 16 years. I'll take a look at your suggestions, and see what I can come up with. (We are going to the Chicago Heights-Steger-Park Forest-Matteson-Olympia Fields area, all in IL.)
I do want to drive down US-30 near the corner of US-41, though, while we're there. A very long time ago, there was an amusement park on the northwest corner, or near it. I understand it isn't there any more, though you can still see where it was (according to a website). I have fond memories of going there with my parents when I was small. (I never did get to Riverview in Chicago before it closed, but an older friend of ours grew up in the neighborhood right next to that.)
Donna
New question:
After years of having an ordinary cell phone and an Android smart phone, both of us now have smart phones.
On mine, I put GasBuddy, Hotels.com, TripAdvisor, Yelp, Urbanspoon, and Foodspotting. Any others that I absolutely should have for travel?
Donna
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