[raindrops]

Hi All,
Has anyone made any road trips to P.A area, I'm looking for advise/help on planing a trip from Omaha to Readding P.A. for about 15-18 days, I would like some suggestions on type and mode of transport I should be taking for 5 people going & 6 ppl. on the return journey during mid/late November and return in a fortnight into December or probably middle of Dec. I understand its about 18-21hrs drive so I'm thinking of stoping overnight at Chicago.

Please note : 4 out of the 6 are tourists.

Thanks for the taking the time to read, help and advise, god bless.

[Katiana]

I have essentially driven this trip. I/we have driven many times from Denver to Pittsburgh, via Omaha, and a few times to on to Delaware via Philadelphia, going almost through Reading. It is about 1260 miles total to Reading. Here is what I would recommend:

Do not go through Chicago unless you have to or really want to. It is a horrendous traffic mess. Take I-80 out of Omaha to the Quad Cities of IA/IL. There, get on I-74 which goes southeast to Champaign, IL then east to Indianapolis. Stay in Indy; it is about halfway. Get on I-70 in Indy, and take it to the Pennsylvania Turnpike at New Stanton. Get on the turnpike (toll road) and stay on till Reading. I have never gotten off there, but it looks like you take Highway 22 north into the city.

If you really want to go to Chicago, stay on I-80 through ILL, IN, and Ohio (turnpike through IN and OH) until the Ohio Turnpike (I-80) becomes I-76 in eastern Ohio. Stay on the Turnpike. It will become the Pennsylvania Turnpike in PA. You will skirt my hometown of Beaver Falls, PA. Give a little wave. Proceed as above.

[raindrops]

Thanks for the tip pittnurse70... by not taking Chicago does the route become shorter or longer ? anyways, we planned to spend a day in Chicago (sightseeing) i.e. why we planned to head towards Chicago and also because mapquest gave directions going into Chicago, Also, can you please recommend or suggest any other place/city that we could stop by and visit for a day, like a tourist spot ? which is on the way.

[Katiana]

It's a bit longer, but not by much when you consider the distance you are going. By a bit, I mean maybe 50 miles. You have to go south at some point as Reading is not on I-80. I am off to work right now, will answer the rest of your questions later today.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by raindrops

Thanks for the tip pittnurse70... by not taking Chicago does the route become shorter or longer ? anyways, we planned to spend a day in Chicago (sightseeing) i.e. why we planned to head towards Chicago and also because mapquest gave directions going into Chicago, Also, can you please recommend or suggest any other place/city that we could stop by and visit for a day, like a tourist spot ? which is on the way.

Well, if you haven't seen Chicago it's a neat place to visit. I would recommend perhaps going one way through Chicago and one way through Indianapolis. If you are looking for someplace else to visit, I would suggest Pittsburgh (don't laugh). There are lots of neat things there. If you go the southerly route, you would have to get on I-79 in Washington, PA and go north about 50 miles. There is lots to see there. Museums, the U. of Pittsburgh, the incline up Mt. Washington are all neat things to see. In Indianapolis you can go to the Indy 500 Speedway and take a tour. Indianapolis is the capital city of Indiana, so I would assume there are the usual history museums, etc there. I have never actually taken time to "smell the roses" in Indy, though I have stayed the night there. My daughter went to a war protest there last spring, LOL! (She was going to college in Northernwestern Indiana.)