Lake Michigan Tourists????

Fellow bent tourers,

I'm going to be taking a road tour around Lake Michigan late in the spring. But I worry a bit about navigating the industrial area of Gary and Hammond, Indiana. I'll be on my way around the bottom of the lake toward Chicago.

Has anyone taken that route before? Is is advisable?

Thanks for any assistance you might provide.

Tailwinds,
Ben

 

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
> Fellow bent tourers,
>
> I'm going to be taking a road tour around Lake Michigan late in the spring. But I worry a bit
> about navigating the industrial area of Gary and Hammond, Indiana. I'll be on my way around the
> bottom of the lake toward Chicago.
>
> Has anyone taken that route before? Is is advisable?
>
> Thanks for any assistance you might provide.

You will probably get the best advice on routing if you ask it to the touring mailing list. Touring
mailing list [email protected] You can subscribe here: http://phred.org/mailman/listinfo/touring
Browse and search the archives: http://search.bikelist.org
--

Cletus D. Lee Bacchetta Giro Lightning Voyager http://www.clee.org
- Bellaire, TX USA -

 

Ben wrote:
>
> Fellow bent tourers,
>
> I'm going to be taking a road tour around Lake Michigan late in the spring. But I worry a bit
> about navigating the industrial area of Gary and Hammond, Indiana. I'll be on my way around the
> bottom of the lake toward Chicago.
>
> Has anyone taken that route before? Is is advisable?
>
> Thanks for any assistance you might provide.

Ben,

Take a shortcut across the lake. < http://www.shuttlebike.com/ >

Tom Sherman - Various HPV's Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

 

In article <[email protected]>,
Ben <[email protected]> wrote:

> Fellow bent tourers,
>
> I'm going to be taking a road tour around Lake Michigan late in the spring. But I worry a bit
> about navigating the industrial area of Gary and Hammond, Indiana. I'll be on my way around the
> bottom of the lake toward Chicago.

You might try contacting the Chicago Bike Federation: http://www.chibikefed.org/

They maintain a map with good bike routes for the greater Chicago area and might have some advice
for getting through the south side and NW Indiana.

That area is much better than it used to be, but I don't think it has improved enough that I'd get
off the highway through there on purpose. There may be a ferry you can catch that will take you up
to Chicaog, or you can see if the South Shore electric train will let you take your bike. That would
get you through the troubled parts pretty quickly.

-Carl

 

Hi Ben,

Back in 1968 I took a bicycle trip around Lakes Michigan and Superior. It was a solo bicycle trip
and I was 16 years old at the time. Traffic around the part of Lake Michigan you are referring to
was awesome then. I think it is much more intense now. So I avoided that part. At the time there was
a ferry which crossed Lake Michigangoing from Milwaukee, WI to Ludington,
Mi. I elected that option. It was an 8 hour ferry ride.

I don't think that particular ferry route is available anymore. However I believe there is a ferry
from Mantowoc, WI to Ludington, MI.

I hope you enjoy your trip. It was sure enjoyable taking it during 1968.

Jim Ek

P.S. I don't know how much research you've done. Bicycles are not allowed on the Mackinac Bridge.
Your options are contacting the Bridge authorities and having them take you across, or
possibly you could take a Ferry from Mackinaw City to Mackinac Island, and then another ferry
from Mackinac Island to St. Ignace which is on the upper peninsula of Michigan. The ferries to
the islands are a very short trip....maybe 1/2 hour.

"Ben" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Fellow bent tourers,
>
> I'm going to be taking a road tour around Lake
Michigan late in the
> spring. But I worry a bit about navigating the
industrial area of Gary
> and Hammond, Indiana. I'll be on my way around
the bottom of the lake
> toward Chicago.
>
> Has anyone taken that route before? Is is
advisable?
>
> Thanks for any assistance you might provide.
>
> Tailwinds, Ben
>
>
>
> --
> >--------------------------<
> Posted via cyclingforums.com http://www.cyclingforums.com

 

Sounds like there is another ferry option beginning this spring, running from St Joseph MI to
Chicago. No clue whether they will offer bicycle service, as it is a high-speed passenger ferry.

http://pub69.ezboard.com/fmichigansoutdoorforumsfrm1.showMessage?topicID=322.topic

"Jim" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Hi Ben,
>
> Back in 1968 I took a bicycle trip around Lakes Michigan and Superior. It was a solo bicycle trip
> and I was 16 years old at the time. Traffic around the part of Lake Michigan you are referring to
> was awesome then. I think it is much more intense now. So I avoided that part. At the time there
> was a ferry which crossed Lake Michigangoing from Milwaukee, WI to Ludington,
> Mi. I elected that option. It was an 8 hour ferry ride.
>
> I don't think that particular ferry route is available anymore. However I believe there is a ferry
> from Mantowoc, WI to Ludington, MI.
>
> I hope you enjoy your trip. It was sure enjoyable taking it during 1968.
>
> Jim Ek
>
> P.S. I don't know how much research you've done. Bicycles are not allowed on the Mackinac Bridge.
> Your options are contacting the Bridge authorities and having them take you across, or
> possibly you could take a Ferry from Mackinaw City to Mackinac Island, and then another
> ferry from Mackinac Island to St. Ignace which is on the upper peninsula of Michigan. The
> ferries to the islands are a very short trip....maybe 1/2 hour.
>
>
> "Ben" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > Fellow bent tourers,
> >
> > I'm going to be taking a road tour around Lake
> Michigan late in the
> > spring. But I worry a bit about navigating the
> industrial area of Gary
> > and Hammond, Indiana. I'll be on my way around
> the bottom of the lake
> > toward Chicago.
> >
> > Has anyone taken that route before? Is is
> advisable?
> >
> > Thanks for any assistance you might provide.
> >
> > Tailwinds, Ben
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > >--------------------------<
> > Posted via cyclingforums.com http://www.cyclingforums.com

 

Wow, this looks great. Wonder if this would work on my rans Tailwind.

Jim Ek

RANS Tailwind Penninger Voyager

"Tom Sherman" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> Ben wrote:
> >
> > Fellow bent tourers,
> >
> > I'm going to be taking a road tour around Lake
Michigan late in the
> > spring. But I worry a bit about navigating the
industrial area of Gary
> > and Hammond, Indiana. I'll be on my way around
the bottom of the lake
> > toward Chicago.
> >
> > Has anyone taken that route before? Is is
advisable?
> >
> > Thanks for any assistance you might provide.
>
> Ben,
>
> Take a shortcut across the lake. < http://www.shuttlebike.com/ >
>
> Tom Sherman - Various HPV's Quad Cities USA (Illinois side)

 

I would recommend starting from lower Michigan instead of the Chicago area. Gary is one of the worst
cities in the country imo

"Ben" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Fellow bent tourers,
>
> I'm going to be taking a road tour around Lake Michigan late in the spring. But I worry a bit
> about navigating the industrial area of Gary and Hammond, Indiana. I'll be on my way around the
> bottom of the lake toward Chicago.
>
> Has anyone taken that route before? Is is advisable?
>
> Thanks for any assistance you might provide.
>
> Tailwinds, Ben
>
>
>
> --
> >--------------------------<
> Posted via cyclingforums.com http://www.cyclingforums.com

 

B"H Hi Ben, I went around lake Michigan at the end of August 2001. I used a book "Round Lake
Michigan: A Bicyclist's Tour Guide" by Harvey Botzman.
http://www.allbookstores.com/browse/Author/Botzman,%20Harvey:2 I started in the Evanston, Illinois
and went clockwise around the lake. I highly recommend a tour of Door Peninsula and instead of
getting a ride by the authorities over the Mackinaw Bridge, take a speed ferry from San Ignace to
the Mackinac Island. There you can take a nice ride around the circumference of the island and visit
Fort Mackinac museum. From the island you take a speed ferry to Mackinaw City. From there I followed
the trail till Muskegon. From there I went to Grand Rapids and returned to Ludington. There I took a
ferry to Manitowoc, Wisconsin and rode back to Evanston. Besides visiting a relative in Grand
Rapids, I really didn't care to ride around Gary, Indiana because is stinks. My family lives in
Chicago, so while in college, I used to drive from Ithaca, NY and back through Gary four times a
year and didn't like it much. So on a bike one would need to endure the stench five to six times
longer. Also riding a fully loaded bike in South Chicago may not be safe. Have a great trip. Victor
Houston, Texas

 

It seems to me that one could ride the Shore Line from east of Gary into downtown. From there, you
can ride along the lake on bike trails. Ask Ed Gin at Chicago Recumbents group about the details.

I agree Gary is to be avoided. It looks like a war zone and I'm sure the bankruptcy of Bethlehem
Steel has wreaked enough economic hardship to make it very dangerous.

Other than that strip, It seems very doable.

--
Miles of Smiles,

Tom Blum Winter Haven, Florida Homebuilts: SWB Tour Easy Clone Speed Machine Clone

www.gate.net/~teblum