Seattle to Cleveland and Back summer trip-3 kids, 3 weeks, help us choose a route

[Tiki]

If you go via Chicago, you will have significant tolls and terrible rush hour traffic. Just saying.

Don't forget Wall Drug and the Corn Palace.

Wall Drug and Corn Palace are on the list!

On our previous trip, we encountered one toll, near Chicago (we had to go that way to get to Fort Wayne, IN, to visit friends). It was about $.50! It was so novel to pay a toll that we took pictures at the toll booth--and got yelled at by the toll taker, who insisted we delete the pictures.

So....are the tolls in the $5-10 range total or are we talking more like $50? Also, Chicago got on the list because the DH saw how close it was to our route on the map and said he'd never been there and would like to see it. Should I try to talk him out of that?

[glc]

If you take I-90 into Chicago from Wisconsin, cash toll is $7.90.

Leaving Chicago, if you take I-294, the toll will be $6.00 from O'Hare to I-80, $4.50 from I-290 to I-80, or $3.00 from I-55 to I-80. If you take the Chicago Skyway (I-90) instead from downtown, it will be $4.50 to the Indiana state line.

Through Indiana, it's $8.10, add another $1.90 if you take the Skyway instead of I-294/I-80.

Through Ohio, it's $10.25 to the I-90 exit west of Cleveland.

I lived in the Chicago area for 35 years, and believe me, the rush hour traffic is impossible. Also, I-90 and/or I-94 south of the Loop (downtown) is not a safe area to be in, especially after dark. Hotels downtown are very expensive, the ones that aren't are dumps. If you want to spend a night in the area, the area around O'Hare is safe and somewhat less expensive than downtown. Consider leaving the car at the hotel, or parking at the Cumberland CTA station, and riding the "EL" downtown.

[Tiki]

Checking in again here, since our trip is coming up in a couple of weeks. We're now thinking of heading north from De Smet, SD, and getting to Cleveland via Wisconsin & Michigan. Avoids the tolls and doesn't look much longer if longer at all. HAven't yet run the numbers in the AAA trip calculator though.

And, coming back, it's looking like Canada is the winner, with us heading North from Cleveland and then West from there. None of us have been to any province other than BC, so we would love to see more of Canada.

Thoughts on these routes? Am I missing something big through lack of knowledge?

thanks!

[DonnaR57]

Are your passports in order, as they would need to be in order to travel into and out of Canada?

If you aren't tired of Laura Ingalls Wilder stuff after your visit to DeSmet, then you could check out Walnut Grove, MN, which is east of DeSmet on US-14. More LIW there, with a lot about the TV show (the way I understand it). Then in Pepin, WI, is the Little House in the Big Woods. Pepin is along the Mississippi River just southwest of Eau Claire.


Donna

[Tiki]

Four of is have passports; one kid's has expired but a certified birth cert is ok as she is under 16.

Thx for the LIW! Did not know about those sites.

[Tiki]

Thanks for all the tips and info. We are back from our trip and it was great! FYI, the purple pie place in Custer City has AMAZING good pie. I'll put a trip report together soon.

We did end up braving Chicago and the trip through that crazy city of crazy traffic was a highlight. Plus we snagged some Garrett popcorn:-).

[DonnaR57]

So glad your trip went well, and especially that the Purple Pie Place was amazing! We would LOVE to read more details about your trip....and we LOVE pictures here!

Yeah, Chicago can be crazy, that's for sure. Except when in the suburbs to visit family, I always avoid it, though. Garrett popcorn? How about pizza?



Donna

[Lifemagician]

I'll put a trip report together soon.

Each time I read a trip report it adds more places to the endless list I already have of places I want to see and experience.

Thanks in advance.

Lifey