Any roads in Eastern Illinois/Western Indiana that I should ride?

[megillet]

I doubt there are.

I'm going from Kalamazoo to St. Louis and back....

Super slabbing it there, and taking this route back:

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Any roads I shouldn't miss close to this route on the way home?  I have about 10 hours to make the trip, I have class at 6pm EST and I lose an hour coming home.  I plan to start the return trip from St. Louis Monday at 5 or 6 am.

[Fourstring]

I'd mebbe hit up Starved Rock just south of Utica, IL.  It's a pretty common day trip for Chicago riders.  With your route, you'd take 47 North to Rt 6 or Old Stage Rd. and kind of play it by ear.  Reconnect with slab at 39.  The good part is at 71, west of Ottowa.

Don't know if it's worth the detour for you or not, but Rt 100 South, west of Peoria, IL is lightly populated and has sweepers that can be taken at 100 mph or so.  It culminates in the Great River Road and Pere Marquette as you get close to St. Louis, and south of Grafton (a cool place too) looks like another country.  It ends at Alton, which is about 20 minutes from Scott AFB.

Route 100, west of Peoria.  Mile after mile of this, with no traffic:


River Road.  The picture doesn't do the bluffs justice.



I'm from Collinsville, so I know the area pretty well.  If you need recommendations on food or stuff to do, shoot me a PM.   

[Britt]

For what it's worth, I was at Starved Rock this past sunday and Route 71 through the park was closed for construction.  I wish I could tell you when it will be open....

[dnlwthrn]

I have a feeling that the above suggestions are probably too far out of your way.  If I were you, I'd look at all the "interesting looking" roads in between 57 and 65.  We rode through that area a couple of years ago on our way south to Land between the Lakes, but I don't recall any specific roads that were "amazing."  I'd get on Google maps and just pan through the area at a decent level of detail to see if there's anything cool-looking.

If you're interested in more than just twisties on your route, how about trying to find this bridge?

Hint:  You'll find it in the same spot as an Ernie Pyle roadside memorial.

[Playinthestreet]

NW Indiana doesn't offer alot, but 25 northeast out of Lafayette or 13 north of Wabash would be about the best I could suggest.

[blackbird13]

Hi, Last summer I rode from Mt. Vernon, Ill. to Cincinnati on Route 50. Great ride but traffic can get tricky. My problem with the ride was it happened to be 102 degrees that day which made for a long day! Thanks and good luck.

[R.Markus]

NW Indiana doesn't offer alot...

That may be the understatement of the decade.

[Jetpilot5]

For what it's worth, I was at Starved Rock this past sunday and Route 71 through the park was closed for construction.  I wish I could tell you when it will be open....

Scheduled to be closed until October 15.

[Fourstring]

Scheduled to be closed until October 15.

True.  So you get to the end of the route, head back a half mile and take the first road south.  Gets you around it no problem.

[Jetpilot5]

Thanks!  I'll have to try that next time I'm up there.

[Putt]

Some nice roads in Indiana...

From Nashville (IN) West on 46 to Bloomington (IN) Then pick up 45 and go West to 54... Nice ride...

Putt...

[R.Markus]

It looks like you'll be spending most of the day in Illinois. Personally, I would travel a bit northwest and follow the Mississippi river up to around Louisiana (if you ride up the MO side), cross back and follow the roads with triple digit names back to somewhere around BLoomington, IL. from there take 55 up to 80 and take 80 to 94 and don't get off the slab until you get back to Kalamazoo.

Play down south. If you get off the slab to ride into Indiana you will be dissappointed. The route you have takes you up 2 in Indiana through Michigan City and into Michigan.
Maybe it's because I ride that area a lot, but I don't think it's worth the detour off of a main highway... i.e. 55 to 80/94.

I also noticed that you route takes you through State Road 212 on the east side of Michigan City...there is a bridge out on 212 and a long pain in the ass detour to get around it.