Need a road trip (Chicago, Decatur: live in, storage, store)

[mbakerphoto]

I'm in Illinois, live in Chicago but will be starting out from Decatur, IL. I'm a big big road triper. It's basically my profession. I'm a photographer that photographs abandoned buildings (Megan Baker Photography)
I have three days. I've been EVERY WHERE on the Mississippi river, south to north. Pretty much been everywhere in Illinois. Where else can I go?

[oneluckymug]

if you really want to do abandoned buildings.......have a lot to pick from in detroit

[Trybal]

Bowling Green, IN. I drive through it. It's small, lots of abandoned building. Quite creepy.

[css9450]

Another vote for Detroit. Its abandoned buildings are numerous and varied.

On a smaller scale, Gary Indiana has a lot and is a lot closer too. You could go there and back in one day if necessary. Gary's abandoned buildings seem to get less graffiti than Detroit's for some reason.

[Dis99]

Just checked out your portfolio. I dig your style, very talented

[linicx]

Do you ever go into the smaller isolate villages in Illinois?

[mbakerphoto]

Originally Posted by linicx

Do you ever go into the smaller isolate villages in Illinois?

That's all I do. I'm not really interested in cities.

[darstar]

Come on up to Upper MIchigan...lots of photo old buildings, ghost towns, mines,all within 300 plus miles from Chicago. The best of the Midwest, right here in da U.P.

[Scio42]

Since you're starting from Decatur, here's a (very) short trip idea to see some unique abonded buildings. If you travel east about 15 miles from Decatur along old rt 36, there's an abandoned WWII munitions factory out in the country just east of Illiopolis (and the Formosa chemical plant). To get there from Decatur you can either take I-72 to Illiopolis, then turn off on the Illiopolis exit to get on old rt 36 and then head east about 1 mile. You could also just take old rt 36 (the old 2 lane highway just north of I-72) east all the way from Decatur.

When you see the tall brick smokestacks popping out of the farm fields east of Illiopolis you're there. The factory is on the south side of old 36. Some of the buildings have been coverted to storage buildings by farmers, while others have been left as they were when the factory closed at the end of WWII and are in various states of disrepair. North of old 36 you'll see a number of large earthen mounds which are actually underground storage areas the factory used to store material and finished munitions.

[Scio42]

A couple thoughts for a longer road trip in the region.

Illinois - Head south from Decatur to southern Illinois and the Shawnee National forest. Follow the Ohio River to Cairo. Very scenic. Also Cairo, a former River boomtown in the 19th century, is pretty abandoned these days. Lots of abandoned buildings to photograph. There's also the S Illinois wine rd south of Marion.

Missouri - Travel to St. Louis then follow highway 94 east from St. Louis along the Missouri river. This area is known as the Missouri Rhineland. A number of vinyards and small towns with 19th century german inspired architecture

Wisconsin - Travel through Door Ct, or along the Wisconsin's Lake Superior coast.

Michigan - Travel along the lower pennisula's northern coast or through the upper penninsula.