Our Upcoming Travel Plans
Our Move to Chicago in Detail and Tips and Tricks on the Road
We have a long trip ahead of us at some point this week. Once we leave Erie, we will be making a nearly 8 hour trip to Chicago, Illinois. Since I’m physically limited, the trip has to be spread out by at least two days.
My hope is that I can split this into two stretches two times per day to make it in two days but it could take up to four days depending on my physical condition and the weather. The weather in both Erie and Chicago is supposed to be relatively calm but cold for the next 3–4 days.
There is supposed to be snow in Erie this weekend and a chance of snow in Chicago later this week. Our hope is that the snow won’t be enough to slow us down on the road. If it is, I have where our planned stops are going to be already.
We will travel to travel centers to get gas, food, drinks, bathroom breaks, and other necessary supplies for the road. I know that I will have to listen to my body when it tells me if I’ve driven enough. I definitely don’t want to stall out or get too sore driving that I can’t continue.
I find that it is good for me to get a break every couple of hours while driving. I will definitely need to stretch and walk around for a bit at each planned stop. I will have to make sure I have enough water and fluids for the trip. Even though it’s cold right now, you can still get dehydrated. I recommend drinking at least a half-gallon of water a day, especially when you’re traveling.
I won’t have the same problem I did on my cross country trip from Sacramento to Chicago five years ago about having to find things to go to the bathroom in because we will stop frequently enough to go to the bathroom at rest stops and travel centers.
For the first stretch of the trip, I wanted to go to a travel center in Avon, Ohio, that I had frequented when I used to drive to Erie to come to see my partner when he was away from me. I love that they have a gas station and a McDonald’s there. I could eat there for relatively cheap and get on the road again.
The second stop I’ve planned for us will probably be an overnight stop in Toledo, Ohio. I chose to stop at the Pilot there in town. We have some friends in town we might want to stop by and visit which is why I made sure to make this stop a priority even though it’s not too much further away from the first stop.
The next day, I’m looking to breeze through Indiana. I don’t really want to be in Indiana for too long but I know that we’ll probably need to stop in South Bend for food, gas, and a break. South Bend is the northern Indiana town that was famous for having our current Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, as mayor. I definitely want to see what that city is all about as I’ve never visited before. South Bend is only a short couple of hours from our destination in Chicago.
I hope to do that trip the same day but there is a chance we could overnight in South Bend as well depending on how I’m feeling. I’ll keep everyone updated on my status as we get closer to Chicago. When the trip starts, I may not be writing much in the next couple of days following that.
I also didn’t write out the weekly newsletter for the publication last Sunday. I will actually make it every two weeks until the group gets bigger and will complete it this Sunday after Daylight Savings Time starts. Because the sun is out more, I’ll try my best to do the bulk of my driving time in the daytime since I want a safe trip.
I originally was going to avoid tolls but I think for the sake of time and gas since both are limited and extremely high right now (gas is 4.27 where I’m at today), then we will just go directly through the fastest way possible. The tollway will be the most fuel-efficient and will get us there the fastest. Wish us luck and safe travels on our journey.
