Western route suggestions

I am headed west for the first time. I live just north of Toronto On. headed to South Dakota , Montana then Calgary. I have concerns about going through the Chicago area. All thoughts much appreciated.

I went across the states last summer. I went under the lakes on I70 until Indianapolis then I74 to the I80. I think the I80 is a toll road under the lakes. If I was doing your ride I would cross at Buffalo and head for the I70 but it really depends whether you want to make time or sightsee along the way. There are an unbelievable number of trucks on the 70 and 80 but it was a good ride . The lower loonie will be hugely offset by the cheap gas/hotels in the states.

Montana and SD are wonderful places to ride bike. It was very HOT there last summer.

I thought US14 from Spearfish SD to Yellowstone NP was a great ride. Lots of camping along the way as well as small towns and cool old motels.

I like the Upper Peninsula and you stop and eat a pasty or two. I went out in 2013, I thought 2012 but that was Newfoundland, one thing you have to be careful of is the weather. I was heading out in late June and thunderstorms pop out of nowhere out west and you need to head for cover since you might just be tallest object around. I remember I had just left the Badlands near the North Dakota and Montana border and all of a sudden the worst storm popped up, I was able to pull under an overpass and then I saw the neon sign of service centre. I made a run for it and got soaked pretty good. I had lots of time to dry out as the storm lasted a couple of hours, no cell service and a terrible internet connection. People kept coming from the west and saying how bad it was so I knew there was no point in starting. Finally it died to a drizzle and I headed to Billings.

The badlands where kind of interesting and there are a lot of wild horses near them. In the UP I saw two or three bears and quite a few deer but that was nothing compared to the wild life in the mountains.

Gerhard

STVFRST said:

I have concerns about going through the Chicago area. All thoughts much appreciated.

Click to expand...

Easy, stay out of Chicago, take the Interstate to Joliet and you'll be fine. Anywhere west of Illinois if good riding (except across Kansas). It can be lot's of miles between anywhere but most are looking for that.

Enjoy the ride.

Raymond

ZIAMON said:

<snip> Anywhere west of Illinois if good riding (except across Kansas)</snip>

Click to expand...

Stay off I-70 and Kansas can be appealing as well. It's dotted with little farming towns that often have nice cafes or coffee shops and local eateries. You'll be surprised if you go through the southwestern corner of the state (Dodge City and west) by the fact that they have little mesas and arroyos-- very Western style scenery.

I rode my bicycle across the state twice, west to east, and was struck by just how friendly Kansans are. And if you are fortunate enough to find a pie sale put on by the Lutheran ladies, STOP FOR IT. You WON'T be sorry. No offense to the Methodists and Presbyterians and Episcopalians and Catholics - they're all high-quality pie-makers in their own right - but the Lutheran ladies head the pie-making championship list IMO.

As a 56 year (ex) resident of Kansas I would tell anyone to ride across Nebraska or Oklahoma first before Kansas. just sayin', the "Sand hills road" Hwy 2 and the Platte river road (I-80) across Nebraska are way better then I-70 KS36, KS50 or KS96. I don't think he'll be that far south anyway. KS36 is the only road I would suggest as a scenic across state ride.

Not to be argumentative but those little mesas and arroyos you remember were probably into Colorado or Oklahoma. Western Kansas has one thing pretty much, flat land with a chalk mound thrown in here or there.

And the Mennotite and Amish roadside ladies' pies and breads beat the Lutheran's ladies pies all day long!!

Raymond

i avoid interstates and big cities, unless there is really good reason to do otherwise. there is so much more to see and experience on the highways and smaller roads. yes, it takes more time, but the journey is the destination.

Forget about going south of Lake Michigan through the Chicago area. If you don't have a GPS, the incredible maze of interstate and highways in the area will get you lost easily. Instead, if you choose to do a US route west, for a much nicer, less traffic ride, head north after crossing into the USA at Sarnia and head for US Hwy 2, which runs west, all the way, mostly paralleling the Can/US border. Lots of nice towns and good road and sights all the way. You can deke down to South Dakota as you get into North Dakota.

However, if you have never been around the lakes on an all Canada route west, then you really should hit the Trans Canada (Hwy 1), either going west or coming home. Spectacular scenery and REALLY great roads all the way from Barrie to Kenora.

ZIAMON said:

As a 56 year (ex) resident of Kansas I would tell anyone to ride across Nebraska or Oklahoma first before Kansas. just sayin', the "Sand hills road" Hwy 2 and the Platte river road (I-80) across Nebraska are way better then I-70 KS36, KS50 or KS96. I don't think he'll be that far south anyway. KS36 is the only road I would suggest as a scenic across state ride.

Not to be argumentative but those little mesas and arroyos you remember were probably into Colorado or Oklahoma. Western Kansas has one thing pretty much, flat land with a chalk mound thrown in here or there.

And the Mennotite and Amish roadside ladies' pies and breads beat the Lutheran's ladies pies all day long!!

Raymond

Click to expand...

I was only born there and live the first 3.5 years of my life there so your experience certainly trumps mine and I yield to the better-informed. I enjoyed the heck out of my visits, though.

I'll stand my ground on the mesas and arroyos being in Kansas-- when you're on a bicycle you're pretty aware when you cross a state line. They aren't Monument Valley caliber, granted, but it was surprising to run across them all the same. As you say, Kansas has no lack of flattish, wide-open spaces out west. (Do you know of the "dinosaur" sculptures, fashioned from car, truck, and tractor parts? They're one of the more imaginative bits of yard-art I've ever seen. I think they're somewhere right on US 54 southwest of Dodge City but that's a pretty fuzzy recollection and I could easily be wrong on the location.)

Never had the good fortune to run into either Amish or Mennonite pie in Kansas; my loss. Certainly the ones I can get here in Maryland or in Pennsylvania are first-rate.

A city timing suggestion might help. Chicago's doable early Sunday, and Lake Shore Drive, well lit from the east, might turn out to be one of your more scenic rides. Lake Michigan and the city's skyline are real draws. Time freeway stints carefully so you can race up to Wisconsin. Great roads await you there. I'd highly recommend Highway 33 from to Reedsburg to La Crosse.



Styles

like most large cities, Chicago is not a lot of fun to ride thru made worse in it's case by the many tolls on the main roads. I'd swing very wide of it if I were you. One alternative you might want to think about is cutting across Michigan and then taking the S.S. Badger across the lake. Its a grand old steamer of a ship and a pleasant few hours, something I've never found crossing Chicago to be:

http://www.ssbadger.com/

Once on the Wisconsin side you cross over to LaCrosse and pick up 90 which will shoot you out to the Badlands in no time. Do the loop thru the park and then buy something tackey at Wall Drug. Custer State Park is worth the trip and in particular the Needles highway within but really, my favorite road out that way is 212 out of Red Lodge, The BearTooth Highway:

if you take I94 to I80 it is 4 lanes and Indiana is the most crowded. once across the border you are in the burbs of Chicago and traffic to Joliet is not normally bad. Unless its a saturday or sunday stay away from 294 north and 94 thru Chicago all together. There is only one toll here. Then you can catch I 39 and head toward Rockford to catch I 90. I have lived in Chicago 60 years. The skyline and lake shore drive are really nice but at times, more than not its a crawl!!!!

I have a route that we took in 2013. I will be happy to send it to you. If I were doing it I would go across the top of the great lakes and then on to Glacier valley coming back south through South Dakota. Its the most northern US road east to west.

Jim

I don't like Chi town. My 1st ride thru it on a MC was '78. A few years ago I was heading east on I80 and it bogged down at I57 so I looked at my GPS and followed the open road north to US6. BAAAAD idea. But if you do go that way do like Al St1100 says and stay on 80 to 39. Then north to US20. I'll even recommend 20 far as Sioux City then 12 to US18. But better yet, just skip Chigago and go thru the UP.

DAS said:

I'll even recommend 20 far as Sioux City then 12 to US18.

Click to expand...

I enjoyed this route west to east, adding Rt44 from Rapid City/Badlands. Niobrara State Park in Nebraska appeared just before sunset and was a nice night in the tent. I did 20 most of the way into Chicago to visit relatives the next day. Maybe I lucked out, but Lakeshore Drive was just fine!

I am close to you in Kitchener and (looking out the window at the white stuff) assume that you'll be leaving the ST at home and taking 4 wheels. Drove to Oregon and back a few years ago skirting Chicaga on the trip west but Winnipeg-Duluth-Mackinaw on the way back. I definitely recommend the latter but .... ... if you are swinging through Chicago maybe you might consider picking up a heated Corbin that might still be hanging around for me?

Thank you all for the great route suggestions . Probably will hit the MOA gathering in Billings.This forum is great.