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We are almost due South of Chicago, whose Southern Suburbs are about 100 miles away. Chicago has as much urban sprawl as any place, so it is about 30 miles more to downtown Chicago, and another 15 to Evanston, which is the first Suburb North of Chicago. Going by the direct route through the city, it takes two hours to reach its Southern extremity and two more to reach Evanston. Those last two hours are very hard on the driver's nerves so we don't go that way any more.

Now we swing for West of the City - due to the above - mentioned sprawl you have to stay 25 miles away to avoid developments, shopping centers, traffic jams, stop lights, etc. - and then turn east just opposite Evanston, and only have a few minutes of city driving.

The route leads through the flat Illinois cornfields (except for a short, slightly likely stretch west of Chicago, at the beginning of which a slow truck always appears ahead of us) and has very little traffic. I don't like night driving, and Doris doesn't like starting early, so we usually start late in the morning, stop for a picnic lunch around noon, and arrive early in the afternoon.