"There's a road I'd like to tell you about...

[Cormanus]

I love your work, EmptySea.

[the Ferret]

awesome report Sea, can't wait for the rest. A real contrast to the pics I posted up from my local ride today.

[emptysea]

Buckingham Fountain, in the heart of Grant Park, is one of the largest fountains in the world. It's design represents Lake Michigan, which it overlooks, with its four featured sea horses honoring the lake's bordering states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. It was dedicated in 1927 and has been welcoming countless visitors to this great city ever since.


The gentlemen in the above photo are facing west and are looking at more than just the camera because Buckingham Fountain also marks what was once the beginning of or, depending on your perspective, the end of another road immortalized in song - Route 66.

The road of Tom Joad. Of Nat King Cole. Of Wyatt and Billy. Of Tod Stiles andBuz Murdock. The Main Street of America. The Will Rogers Highway. The Mother Road. It started here, at the intersection of Columbus Drive and Congress Parkway...


"If you ever plan to motor west..."



This day, though, we planned to motor north so time to remount and take a hit of LSD.

[Elipten_imp]

Love it! Great photos! Next time if brave start at the Science and Industry Museum for the full deal. What a great city and ride.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[emptysea]

My original plan was to start near the MSI, but I shortened the route in order to accommodate folks coming from the north. If I were to organize another trip on this ride, we'd meet at 7:00am at the MSI (actually, just a wee bit south of there at a point of interest that I will keep secret for now) so that we could ride the Drive with as little traffic interference as possible.

[Elipten_imp]

Going farther south can get rough. I grew up 3 blocks off 72nd and Stony Island.
Could start at President Obama's house near the Univ of Chicago.

Beautiful place when I grew up there in the 1960s. I would not loiter around there now days on the CB1100.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[emptysea]

The group ride on Lake Shore Drive essentially began at the intersection of Jackson Blvd. and Lake Shore Drive. During one of its many routings and re-routings, this was the eastern terminus of Rt.66. My day's journey on the Drive, along with Fritzwilliger's, began at Hollywood Ave. at the very north end of it.

Bill was a pleasure to ride with. He kept himself in my mirror, closed the gap between us when I approached a stale green light and rode very predictably. I look forward to riding with him again.

Lake Shore Drive starts at Hollywood now, but many many years ago it started at Foster Ave., not very far from where the picture below was taken. The eight lane road on which we were riding is indeed Lake Shore Drive, but there are, in a way, two Lake Shore Drives. The other one is the original, mostly two laned, street. Many Chicagoans refer to this road as "The Inner Drive" and our road for the day as "The Outer Drive". Much of the north end of the Outer Drive was built on landfill created with debris from other highway projects, most notably the Eisenhower Expressway which was originally named the Congress Exoressway and which was part of, you guessed it, Route 66. Make note of the pale pink (coral?) and white building behind Bill as I will address this landmark when the whole lot of us pass it on the way north...


The Outer Drive has only a few curves and almost no elevation changes. There happens to be a slight turn and a short bridge spanning the entrance to Diversey Harbor that combine to provide this great first look of downtown Chicago...


Bill and I had a wonderful ride down the Drive and I'm sure he was as excited as I was at the sight of the Hancock Building before us. It meant that we would soon be meeting a small group of like-minded individuals with whom to share the ride back north.

Going farther south can get rough. I grew up 3 blocks off 72nd and Stony Island.
Could start at President Obama's house near the Univ of Chicago.

Beautiful place when I grew up there in the 1960s. I would not loiter around there now days on the CB1100.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I wouldn't be too worried in the early morning and in a group. This picture was taken a few years ago when I was riding a CBR250r. My mom went to high school here in the late 1930s. I actually plan to ride the entire length of LSD from north to south the next time I ride to Michigan.

[Cormanus]

ES, I fear you don't get much sleep, but I'm enjoying the story as it unfolds.

[emptysea]

Migraine...Excederin cures the headache, but keeps me awake.

[Cormanus]

No good that. Hope it passes quickly.