Stop and Go both directions on the Kennedy...

Traffic brings back memories of our time living in Chicago. And the names of the freeways! Chicago, although it has I90 and I290 and I55 and I94 and LOTS of others, the natives don’t understand that language that the rest of us use. In Chicago, you have to use the NAMES of the freeways. Simple, you say? Nah. Here’s a list:

·         Kingery Expressway: I-80, I-94

·         Bishop Ford Memorial Freeway: I-94

·         Chicago Skyway: I-90

·         Dan Ryan Expressway: I-90, I-94

·         Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway: I-88

·         Edens Expressway: I-94

·         Edens Expressway Spur: I-94

·         Eisenhower Expressway: I-290

·         Elgin O'Hare Expressway: I-390

·         Kennedy Expressway: I-190, I-90, I-94

·         Veterans Memorial Tollway: I-355

·         Jane Addams Memorial Tollway: I-90

·         Stevenson Expressway: I-55

·         Tri-State Tollway: I-294, I-94

Note that I-94 has AT LEAST six names: the (always use “the”) Kingery, the Bishop Ford, the Dan Ryan, the Edens, the Tri-State Tollway, the Kennedy—but note that the Kennedy is also the name of (a portion of) I90, I190, and I94. Confused yet?

So, en route from beautiful downtown Dubuque to Chicago, we took the scenic route, practicing for Route 66. “Scenic route” is shorthand for two lanes with few passing lanes. The other practice we’ve had is living in a motorhome is great practice for driving in the cockpit of a car that is about 60 cubic feet. How so, you ask? Well, when you live 24/7/365 in about 300 square feet you get to know your partner really, Really, REALLY well. Driving in a car in about 60 cubic feet you also get to know your partner really, Really, REALLY well. We’re going on 60 years of living together, so we do know each other pretty well.

We will be in Chicago at the Westin Hotel for three nights. Tomorrow we have dinner with friends at Signature Room at  the 95th (Hancock Tower) and before that we’ll try to find and go up the Willis Tower (used to be the Sears Tower back when it was the tallest in the world) to be able to look down on the start of Route 66.