ThePDB

New to the site-

looking for northern IL members input on your favorite places to go for drives. Purchased my vette a few weeks ago, but due to our 2 children, my wife and I haven't had a chance to really take the car out. We have a sitter all lined up for tomorrow and I was hoping for some scenic places that are fun to drive through.

Thanks!!!

Vette_DD

Ask the same question here:

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/great-lakes-43/

Itshakes

Rt. 71 west of Ottawa. It follows along the river. Stop at Starved Rock State Park for lunch.

Curt D

More of a place to go rather than cruise...but the last supercar Saturday of the year. There's a huge turnout.
http://www.supercarsaturdays.com/

cartop2

To some, northern Illinois means Chicago and suburbs. Northern Illinois actually goes all the way across to Iowa. If by chance you are from the west and better side of the state, there are some really nice places along the Mississippi River. The Mississippi Palisades State Park was a place I really enjoyed for fall colors when I lived in the region. Wait a month for the colors start changing. It is on the Illinois side of the river north of Clinton, Iowa.

On the other side of the state, you can see some really nice corn fields as you drive west from the Aurora area. Just kidding. There are some nice areas along the Fox River around McHenry or further upstream. You'll probably see some nice places to stop and enjoy a lunch where you can see the river.

If you get a weekend away before winter comes, consider a run into the hilly parts of Wisconsin.

LS3Knight

Lake Geneva area in Wisconsin is nice, but be careful, they love to ticket Illinois drivers!

OldCorvetteFan

Take the Stagecoach Trail from Lena to Galena. Then head over to Dubuque if you like riverboat gambling. If not, then head north into southern Wisconsin for the ride back east to Monroe. You could also head south out of Dubuque as you meander toward Savanna, IL. The bridge is quite unique!

Good Luck!
Steven

Kvothe

As others have said it depends on where Northern IL is for you. Also, how long of a drive are you looking to go on.

Rt.2 along the river is fun. A cruise up to Monroe WI to hit Baumgartner's for cheese sandwiches and a beer tour at Minhas. Lake Geneva area is good, fun places to grab lunch along the lake. Lot of options just need to know more specific where you are/want to go.

grandsport2

Don't know how far you want to go, or if you have all weekend, but Peoria hooters is having there annual Labor Day super cruise...several hundred cars normally show up, riverfront is nice too, bars, restaurants. Anybody in the area go to centralillinoiscruisers.com ��

ThePDB

Thanks everyone for all your input!

I'm not used to being part of a forum with SOO many members. I used to have a Silverado SS and there may have only been a handful of guys from IL that would ever get together. I'm located about 60 miles west of Chicago.

yellowzron

If you wanna drive really fast, come to Chicago. You can do the Indy 500 on the Dan Ryan where shootings are up 29 percent just on the expressways. Or if you want to see the pretty lakefront, come down lake shore drive, we had 14 murders over the last 48 and approx 50 people shot. It would be one hell of a dodge and weave to see how your vette handles.

Curt D

Dang, Dan Ryan and LSD here I come!! Oh, the weather...you forgot the weather forecast.

cart7381

Wisconsin. Just don't get pulled over.

Itshakes

So tell us where did you end up going??

cartop2

Hopefully you are out enjoying the weekend, but for a future drive, you may want to consider heading over to Rockford if it's not too far away. Years ago, it was a pretty drive to head southwest along the Rock River. Not sure what the roads are like now.

Dah, I think that is route 2, and smokinZ51 already suggested that.

ThePDB

The wife and I ended up just going for a drive and stopped for dinner in Naperville.

Beautiful weekend to go driving... unfortunately, like most of the time, my wife worked a lot and I was hanging with our 2 rug rats.

cartop2

Spending time with rug rats is one of the best things a father can do in life. Enjoy them. It's unbelievable how soon they will be in grade school --- away to college.

ThePDB

Very true! My son just started kindergarten this year. Daughter just turned 1 in July. Doesn't seem possible!!!