Best scenic drives/driving roads in Chicagoland? (Rockford, Evanston: beaches, cars)

[Ramo Nash]

This is a bit of an odd question, but I'm just wondering whether anyone can think of some good driving roads in the Chicago-area--highly curvy, possibly hilly, and ideally not crowded. Having a destination doesn't really matter. The only road that comes to mind for me is Sheridan north of Evanston. Anyone else have any other ideas???

I'm guessing there is something near the dunes in Indiana or michigan, but am pretty clueless.

[hsw]

Even when weather is acceptable for driving perf cars w/max perf summer tires, Chic is one of worst regions in US for a car nut....topography yields endless flat, straight, boring rds throughout Midwest....

Sheridan in NS is tightly enforced....

Chic simply lacks the endless, rather convenient, mountain twisties that both LA and SF have....located <30mins from LA's Westside in Malibu cyns...or the mtns above SiliconValley....

[Ramo Nash]

Originally Posted by hsw

Even when weather is acceptable for driving perf cars w/max perf summer tires, Chic is one of worst regions in US for a car nut....topography yields endless flat, straight, boring rds throughout Midwest....

Sheridan in NS is tightly enforced....

Chic simply lacks the endless, rather convenient, mountain twisties that both LA and SF have....located <30mins from LA's Westside in Malibu cyns...or the mtns above SiliconValley....

Bummer, thought there might be some hidden gem somewhere. Yeah, even the rural roads are pretty flat and straight here. I think the bend in LSD might be the only curve in chicago!

Oh, well there's always chicago indoor racing...

[myrc60]

I think it is Maple Lake out in the Willow Springs area there are a few small areas of what you are looking for. They don't last long though.

Have you taken Sheridan north yet and how far did you go if you have?

We have those kinds of roads down here. When they are narrow they are not much fun unless you know you have the road to yourself. I'm was born in WV and always liked the windy roads as long as they are wide enough; some you can barely fit one car wide.

[sbkim]

Bump - any other input? Just moved here from Northern NJ where we have quite a bit of twisties and scenic routes but haven't seen much in the North Shore/Chicagoland... yet

[soulful]

If you are up for a bit of a drive, Route 2, which runs alongside the Rock River, from Rockford south to Dixon, is absolutely magical.

[RiverRise]

Hinsdale, though it's probably not going to be amazing. About the best you're gonna get.

[summer22]

Try Route 171 southwest of the city. Catch it by taking the 171/Archer exit from I-55. You will have to wind through Summit and Argo, but then it opens up and takes you past the forest preserves. It follows an indian trail and eventually takes you to the older part of Lockport.

It's a great night drive, especially if it's a starry night or a full moon. Growing up in the city, 171 was one of the only roads we knew of where there wasn't much lighting, stoplights, or crossroad traffic.

[summer22]

As far as the Dunes area in Indiana, you're going to be interested in Route 12. Please for your own good, skip the part that goes through Gary and don't catch 12 until you are at least east of I-65. There are going to be stop signs, towns, or stoplights every 5-10 miles, so its not great, but when you get east of Route 49, you'll have a good ten mile stretch that is a very scenic drive through the National Lakeshore. It is great in summer when you have a lot of tree cover and in early fall when the leaves start to change... just beautiful. Keep going east and you will have the opportunity to either keep going on 12 into Michigan (very interesting drive all the way north to New Buffalo, St. Joseph, and beyond) or to get closer to the lake in certain spots, for instance Lake Shore Drive in Long Beach, Indiana. The Michigan cities I mentioned are great places to stop and spend a few hours.

Your impressions of the Indiana/Michigan lakefront will be interesting to hear. Some parts are very developed, interesting, tourist-friendly, and have up-to-date amenities.

I've been on other parts of the Michigan lakefront that seem to have been stuck in time from 1960, with people who look the part, deserted small lakefront beaches and parks, and no amenities. It's very unusual. I think the people who grew up in a lot of these areas don't realize the value and the gift of this natural resource, and for one reason or another, Chicagoland has never embraced it either.

Michigan's lakeshore is certainly safe, but you will feel like its Kentucky or Alabama at times, and you wonder if all those stories about the Michigan militias are true. Let's say education, culture, prosperity, and modern development never reached a good portion of those SW Michigan counties.

[pinipig523]

To my knowledge, these great driving roads are few and far between in the Chicago area.