Chicago area from the southwest - advice?

Jay Honeck wrote:


"Now picture stopping all 16 lanes of traffic every few miles to
collect a few coins from each car, causing epic traffic back-ups,
rather than simply increasing the local gas tax a penny."

There is a funny folk duo from Madison that on the beginning
of one of their albums has a history of Wisconsin (involving
things like the expedition of Merriweather Lewis and Kimberly
Clark). The talk about the expedition realizing that they
had proceded south of out Wisconsin when their indian guides
stopped periodically to throw forty cents into the bushes.

"Ron Natalie" wrote in message
...
Jay Honeck wrote:


"Now picture stopping all 16 lanes of traffic every few miles to
collect a few coins from each car, causing epic traffic back-ups,
rather than simply increasing the local gas tax a penny."

There is a funny folk duo from Madison that on the beginning
of one of their albums has a history of Wisconsin (involving
things like the expedition of Merriweather Lewis and Kimberly
Clark). The talk about the expedition realizing that they
had proceded south of out Wisconsin when their indian guides
stopped periodically to throw forty cents into the bushes.

As a Great Lakes area native, the above description just has me rolling with
laughter...

Jay B

: There is a funny folk duo from Madison that on the beginning
: of one of their albums has a history of Wisconsin (involving
: things like the expedition of Merriweather Lewis and Kimberly
: Clark). The talk about the expedition realizing that they
: had proceded south of out Wisconsin when their indian guides
: stopped periodically to throw forty cents into the bushes.

: As a Great Lakes area native, the above description just has me rolling with
: laughter...

Having gone to graduate school in Champaign, IL and driven to the folks' in Milwaukee, WI a number of
times on I-39, I roll a bit myself at the truth...

-Cory

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************************************************** ***********************
* Cory Papenfuss, Ph.D., PPSEL-IA *
* Electrical Engineering *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
************************************************** ***********************

Jay Beckman wrote:


As a Great Lakes area native, the above description just has me rolling with
laughter...

Jay B


It turns out they have that text on their website. I can't do it
justice:

http://members.aol.com/berrymanp/alyrics/01sesq.html

"Jay Beckman" wrote in
:

I've not flown into the Chicagoland area .. but I've driven there a lot.
Chicago freeway traffic can be some of the worst you'll ever see in the
USA.

Picture your typical rush hour crush in most major cities (excepting LA
or NY) and this is what is normal for about 20 hours a day around the
Chigago area. Now add another 40% more cars and then you have actual
rush hour in Chicago. No lie, I've had it take over two hours to go
from the Loop out to O'Hare...at 430 in the morning!!! Using the major
surface streets can actually work better if you are going from point a
to point b and don't mind altering your route at will.

The suggestion offered regarding using the train to downtown is a good
one, IMO but whatever means you use to get downtown, Chicago is actually
a pretty good walking city. Michigan Ave, along the lake (the Gold
Coast), Rush Street area, all are fun to just meander around on foot.

Good luck with your trip...

Jay Beckman
PP-ASEL
Chandler, AZ

I can tell you unequivocably that Chicago traffic is worse than NY traffic.
NY traffic is pretty tame - North-South traffic is really not all that bad,
it's just getting across town that sucks.

Chicago traffic sucks in every direction. I'd compare it to Washington DC
traffic, where yesterday it took us an hour to go 1.8 miles.

Public transportation is the way to go...

: Now, I'm definitely hoping to take a lake shore tour in the plane. It
: sounds ironically easy now that Meigs is closed. So much for security.
: Any helpful tips or local procedures for the tour?

I've flow along lakeshore transitioning between Gary and Milwaukee about a
dozen times or so. So long as you stay clear the Bravo, Chicago approach is
completely fine with you being there. I've used VFR flight following about half the
time and just squawked 1200 the other half. So long as you're prompt and professional
on the radio, they don't have any troubles with you.

Of course traffice is rather "compressed" in that small corridor, so looking
out for other VFR traffic is pretty important. The lake is at about 700' IIRC, and
the bottom of the Bravo is either 3000' or 1900', depending on where you are.

-Cory

--

************************************************** ***********************
* Cory Papenfuss, Ph.D., PPSEL-IA *
* Electrical Engineering *
* Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University *
************************************************** ***********************