It’s well past nine pm, but the sky is still light.  This is how far North we are.  We left Chicago after rush hour and hit the Illinois Toll Road, bound for Beloit and points North.  Illinois is replacing most of their old faregates with new Open Toll lanes, much like the New Jersey Turnpike has, and several of the other major toll roads of the East.

 

Growing up in the West, I still don’t know quite what to make of the concept for paying to use a toll road.  Where I grew up, and the trips I took growing up, toll roads were never part of the experience.  Sure, I understand Bridge tolls, or Tunnel tolls, those are specific things that need cash upkeep, but just a plain road?  How odd.  

 

$6 or so in Pennsylvania, $9 in Ohio.  $4 in Indiana.  $5 in Illinois. $24 for the privilege of driving?  Shocking.

 

Wisconsin was peppered with signs for Beer and Cheese, but its real beauty was in all the empty space.  Much of I-90/94/39 runs through the farmland of Wisconsin, softly rolling hills and occasional barns and silos.  The best of these was an old barn right off the highway marked “Hawg Barn” and hocked used motorcycles, most of which I would bet were Harley-Davidsons.

 

If we thought Wisconsin was a lonely place, Minnesota demonstrated that those Wisconsin folks were far too close together for their comfort.  I-90 across the southernmost section of Minnesota is a lonely, lonely road.  Fortunately, that means that making up time here is entirely possible.