Driving
to Midwest Furfest
From East and Southeast of Chicago
See
Google Map with directions
Take
I-294 (the Tri-State Tollway) north around Chicago. 12
miles north past O’Hare International Airport, take
the Lake Cook Road exit. At the top of the exit ramp,
turn left onto Lake Cook Road. Go 1.9 miles and take the
Milwaukee Ave. exit. Turn left at the bottom of the exit
ramp. Just after you pass under Lake Cook Road, the Westin
Chicago North Shore will be on your left.
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you follow I-94 from downtown
Chicago (The Edens Expressway), there is not an exit for
Lake Cook Road! No problem, though - You will just need
to take the Deerfield Road exit and follow
the map shown here.
From South and West of Chicago (via I-80 or
I-55)
See
Google Map with directions
Take
either I-55 north or I-80 east to I-355. Take I-355 (Veterans
Memorial Tollway) north 19.5 miles to I-290, then merge
onto I-290 West. At I-90 (Jane Addams Memorial Tollway)
continue straight ahead as the expressway becomes Illinois
53 North. After 6 miles, there will be an exit for Illinois
53 – DO NOT TAKE
IT. Stay on the expressway another
1.3 miles to Lake Cook Road. Take the first exit for Lake
Cook Road, eastbound. Stay on Lake Cook Road for 4.8 miles,
then take the Milwaukee Avenue exit. At the bottom of
the exit ramp, turn right. The Westin Chicago North Shore
will be immediately on your left.
From
Northwest of Chicago (via I-90)
See
Google Map with directions
Take
I-90 (Jane Addams Memorial Tollway) east to Schaumburg,
Illinois. Take the exit for Illinois 53 North. After 6
miles, there will be an exit for Illinois 53 – DO
NOT TAKE IT. Stay on the expressway
another 1.3 miles to Lake Cook Road. Take the first exit
for Lake Cook Road, eastbound. Stay on Lake Cook Road
for 4.8 miles, then take the Milwaukee Avenue exit. At
the bottom of the exit ramp, turn right. The Westin Chicago
North Shore will be immediately on your left.
From North of Chicago (via I-94)
See
Google Map with directions
Take
I-94 south into Illinois. From the Illinois/Wisconsin
state line, go 25 miles and then take the Lake Cook Road
exit. At the top of the exit ramp, turn right. Go 1.7
miles and take the Milwaukee Ave. exit. Turn left at the
bottom of the exit ramp. Just after you pass under Lake
Cook Road, the Westin Chicago North Shore will be on your
left.
Notes
About Traffic
-
Driving in Chicago is pretty much like
driving in any other large city, but you should remember
that Wheeling is actually about 25 miles north of Chicago.
You get the volume but not necessarily the craziness
of driving in the city.
-
Rush hours in Chicago are typically from 6:00 AM - 9:30
AM and 2:30 PM - 7 PM. This doesn't mean that traffic
can't back up at other times, unfortunately. Traffic
is heavy during these times and it is especially bad
on Fridays. It helps to keep a close eye on traffic
and know your routes.
- BRING
A MAP!
Sure, Mapquest and Google Maps are OK for general directions,
but seriously: go to Wal Mart and drop a couple bucks
for a good road atlas.
- Traffic
reports are available every ten minutes (on the 8's)
on WBBM-AM (780
AM) and continuously on Channel 151 on Sirius
and Channel 217 on XM.
Here's a handy glossary to decipher just how far it
is from The Circle to the Junction, and whether you
have to worry if traffic is slow from Mannhein to the
Post Office.
-
Tolls are a fact of life in the Chicago area. You will
need cash! The tollway accepts IPASS
and EZ-Pass, though.
Questions?
We can provide travel advice until Tuesday before the
convention (at which point e-mail contact will be unreliable,
if not nonexistent). Just
drop us an e-mail.
