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

[the Ferret]

BTW US 41 runs nearly the entire length of the country North to South. in 2010, my son and I and his FIL Jimmy rode to the northern Terminus in the UP of Mich as far north as you can go before hitting water (way up there) and I took this pic

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/DSCF0261_zps3x2qlkjy.jpg.html]

[emptysea]

No more photo stops on Lake Shore Drive, but not for the lack of opportunity. We could have stopped at The John Hancock Building, the black, monolithic building with the twin antennae. It was the tallest building in world outside of New York City when it was built in 1968. While there, we could have taken a peek at the deco-styled Palmolive Building which was one of the tallest buildings in the city when it was built in 1927. The single spire atop this building is capped with the Lindbergh Beacon which for decades guided aircraft to Chicago's Midway Airport. The beacon was ultimately shut down when residence in neighboring buildings complained. In the 1960's Hugh Hefner bought the building and it was known as Playboy Tower for 30 years.

After the architectural tour, we could have shopped the Magnificent Mile which isn't exactly a mile, but is actually quite magnificent. The Playboy Building...er..Palmolive Building and the Drake Hotel stand sentinel over the exclusive Michigan Avenue shopping district called "The Mag Mile". The Chicago Water Tower, which did not burn in 1871, is just down the street from these buildings, too.

Or Oak Street Beach is there, just off to the left. I think Veech was checking out a cute jogger or beach volleyball player in his mirror when I took this shot.

On the right, beyond the trees, is the "Inner Drive" and the buildings that you can barely see are among the most valuable properties in the entire city. It's part of what we call our Gold Coast.

We could have stopped at any of these places for a photo, but the sun was out, the traffic was light, and it was time to leave the tall buildings behind and head to the North Shore....
[url=http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/emptysea43/media/LSD%20Trip/3359e7c5ee5b95ce74531aee1785fae5_zpsmhyhdqd9.jpg.html]

BTW US 41 runs nearly the entire length of the country North to South. in 2010, my son and I and his FIL Jimmy rode to the northern Terminus in the UP of Mich as far north as you can go before hitting water (way up there) and I took this pic

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/DSCF0261_zps3x2qlkjy.jpg.html]

Yes, we took 41 home through Indiana on our way back from Deal's Gap. Straight and flat, but beat the heck out of I-65.

[specialist8]

BTW US 41 runs nearly the entire length of the country North to South. in 2010, my son and I and his FIL Jimmy rode to the northern Terminus in the UP of Mich as far north as you can go before hitting water (way up there) and I took this pic

[url=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/theferret111/media/DSCF0261_zps3x2qlkjy.jpg.html]

A U.S. 41 trip up north sounds like a good trip in the making.

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[Cormanus]

It can be very hard for a non-American to figure out your roads as they often have lots of numbers. Am I right that they are often route numbers as much as road numbers? So, if you get on US41 north, it will take you from Florida to Michigan? I think I rode on it in Marietta recently. Amazing really.

[Elipten_imp]

Interstates are the big 4 lane minimum divided highways to superslab long distances fast with controlled access points (on and off ramps). Routes are the old highway system various configurations, open access, go through towns, stop lights and etc. after that local roads. Interstates were the dream of president Eisenhower from his experience in an army convoy movement coast to coast. Great man if he did nothing else. Odd numbers go north and south, even numbers got east and west. I-10 is interstate going east and west, I-35 runs north south.

Famous highways, Rt 41, Rt 66, Rt 1 and there are others.

Correct me gents if I got any of this wrong.


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[Cormanus]

Thank you, Elipten. That helps me understand the differences. I'm still struggling though to work out how to find anything other than the Interstates easily on Google Maps or Apple Maps. For example, it took me quite a while to find route 41 in GA; and I've really struggled to find the start of route 66 in CA. Doesn't matter, I guess, but I quite like looking at maps.

[emptysea]

The Edgewater Beach Hotel was a popular gathering place and getaway for Chicago's social elite since the day it opened in 1916. It was built far enough on the outskirts of town to be a nice weekend retreat from the mansions and luxury apartments on Gold Coast, yet it was close enough to downtown to serve as a perfect spot for visiting celebrities and other dignitaries.

The hotel was Chicago's only beachfront resort. Back then, a wide promenade called "The Beach Walk" and a small sliver of beach was all that separated the hotel from Lake Michigan. Later, after the city filled a portion of the lake to the south of the hotel, a large sandy beach established itself (mostly naturally) providing the rich and famous more space to sun themselves. Guests could even hire a seaplane to shuttle them to and from downtown Chicago. Celebrities like Shirley Temple, Babe Ruth, and Marilyn Monroe slept behind its pale pink walls. When they weren't sleeping, they very likely could have been enjoying the music of Tommy Dorsey or Xavier Cugat or Nat King Cole. In 1963, The National Conference on Religion and Race met at the hotel and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech and held a major press conference on racial equality.

In June of 1949, a 29 year old baseball player named Eddie Waitkus was in town for a game against his former team, The Chicago Cubs. A young woman, 19 year old Ruth Ann Steinhagen, had become infatuated with Eddie in 1948, prior to his being traded to the Phillies. She checked into the hotel using a name of a high school classmate of Eddie's and left a note for him stating that the friend needed to see him on a matter of some urgency. When Eddie came to the room, she shot him with a .22 caliber revolver. He was seriously injured, but recovered and after returning to baseball, was awarded the Comeback Player of the Year. This story became the basis for the novel and movie "The Natural".

Twelve years after it opened, the resort completed construction of its third building (the second building being an annex to the main hotel). This new building, the Edgewater Beach Apartments, completed the resort complex and provided year-around residents the feeling of being on vacation every day

The resort complex served as a landmark to me as a kid when we'd drive from our north side apartment to visit my grandparents on the south side. I knew we were on our way when I'd see it on the right side and I knew we'd be home soon when I'd see it on the left.

In 1951, Lake Shore Drive was extended from Foster Ave. to Hollywood Ave. cutting the resort off from Lake Michigan. I feel this was a flaw in the road planning, but unlike the flaw of the S Curve, this one would not be corrected and I believe it strangled the life from this wonderful property.

The apartment is the only building of the three that remains today, the other two being torn down in 1971. It still serves to remind me of a great trip to come or a great trip that was just had...


Now, our gang of six would ride along Sheridan Rd. through what remained of the city and proceed to travel through some of the wealthiest communities in our country...the REAL 1%ers live here. This leg would also give my new friends a chance to ride on "My Road", the 1/2 mile or so stretch of Sheridan Road called "The Ravines".

[veech_imp]

Interstates are the big 4 lane minimum divided highways to superslab long distances fast with controlled access points (on and off ramps). Routes are the old highway system various configurations, open access, go through towns, stop lights and etc. after that local roads. Interstates were the dream of president Eisenhower from his experience in an army convoy movement coast to coast. Great man if he did nothing else. Odd numbers go north and south, even numbers got east and west. I-10 is interstate going east and west, I-35 runs north south.

Famous highways, Rt 41, Rt 66, Rt 1 and there are others.

Correct me gents if I got any of this wrong.


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Holy crap, I'm 52 years old and NEVER realized that odd numbers go north and even go horizontal. You learn something new every day!
BTW, I wanted to mention EmptySea's amazing riding dexterity which he demonstrated aptly on this ride. We didn't have a GoPro so he was using his Canon for all the action shots you see in this thread, literally shooting over his shoulder while riding. While this is impressive enough on its own, he would continue to do this even through the twisties! We were all thoroughly impressed.

[specialist8]

Veech, keep in mind that those even/odds rules apply to the [b]majority[\b] of how the route/highway is laid out. For example, I90/94 clearly goes north and south for a good stretch in Illinois, but the majority of the route lies east-west. Also, wikipedia has some insightful info here:

Freeways that go into cites are called spur routes and start with an odd number. Freeways that go around cities are called loop routes and start with an even number. The last two digits in a spur or a loop route are the same as the freeway it started from.

[veech_imp]

Thanks for the additional explanation Specialist8. You clearly have a better grasp on the numbering scheme than I do. I feel better now as I'm back to my normal confused state again.