<p>Hugs to you Consolation - that is a lot of stress and worry! </p>
<p>I am not fully familiar with all of US-30 but my impression is that it would be a fair bit out of the way and not as good a road - less lanes, much country, etc. I think I’d stick with 80 - they will/should have lots of road maintenance on it if it is snowing. </p>
<p>But I like the flying plan if it can work out. :)</p>
<p>We are in the Chicago area (which is not far from Chesterton); D1 was in school at Syracuse and D2 was in school at Allentown, so we’ve made both of those trips (I-80 and I-90) many times (as have our daughters), especially in December/January when they’d come home for the month-long winter break. Regardless of which way you go, I-80 and I-90 merge together at Cleveland and stay that way until after you reach Chesterton. But if I was coming from Wilton (H is from New Canaan, so we’ve made that trip, too, but not as often), I would definitely take I-80 and go through PA for the majority of the trip. You’re going to have a much higher risk of lake effect snow along I-90. Our experience has been that of the three states you go through, PA and OH tend to have the most speed radars set up, but it was actually in IN that D2 got a speeding ticket.</p>
<p>Regarding switching to US30-W, I wouldn’t do it unless you’re hearing on the radio that lake effect snow is horrible in Cleveland and the plows can’t keep up. Because Cleveland is a major metropolitan area, they do a pretty good job of keeping the interstates plowed and running smoothly.</p>
<p>teriwtt, I am from New Canaan, originally. :)</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice, everyone. Sounds like 80 is the way to go.</p>
<p>H grew up in Erie, PA.; we lived in Buffalo. Before that, we both attended college at Oberlin, near Cleveland. Many years later, we sent a D to Oberlin, so had to deal with winter pickups between Buffalo and Cleveland, putting us onto I-90 more recently.</p>
<p>Due to the Great Lakes, I’d avoid I-90 if you have an alternative, although I don’t really know much about I-80. While lake effect snow impacts the entire region south and east of the Great Lakes, H believes the very worst area on I-90 is between Erie and Buffalo. On a map, see Jamestown or Fredonia NY - right there. It’s a crotch in the southeast corner of Lake Erie, where the blowing snow from the lake first hits land. It catches the snow and whirls it around mercilessly. </p>
<p>Whiteout is the real issue for driving in that region, even more than snow depth. The plows can keep up, but sometimes the falling snow upon each driving car is so intense that you can’t see inches in front of your own windshield. Once I had to take a motel just an hour from home because I couldn’t inch forward safely, unable to see the front of my car. It’s worse at night, of course. I’ve heard that parts of the Dakotas and High Plains have whiteouts like this, too.</p>
<p>Has anyone looked at the train as an alternative, especially for a squeamish Mom?</p>
<p>Taking I-80 through PA and OH you should swing enough south to miss all but a tiny bit of lake effect when you cross from PA to OH. You will go south of Cleveland and miss being very near the lake. They do not get lake effect on the west side of Cleveland (not hardly ever and I would not worry about it). I’ve been on this route plenty and it is your best bet. </p>
<p>Maybe I missed it, you are going to Chesterton? My S lives very near there. Take 1-80 across PA and it becomes the Ohio turnpike and then the IN turnpike. As good as roads as you are going to get. </p>
<p>Sorry to hear about your sister, such a mess this time of year. </p>
<p>My S flys every week. If you fly in, he takes a bus over to that side of town. He says it’s the easiest way to get from the airport to NE Indiana. I can get the info from him if that is something you are interested in and happen to decide to fly.</p>
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<p>Of course, But the question is do you want to drive 116 miles along the Lake Erie shore (Cleveland to Toledo via the I-80 route) or 309 miles along the Lake Erie shore (Buffalo-Toledo via I-90). In addition to which the I-90 route gives you another 150 miles of possible lake effect snow from Lake Ontario between Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo, all known for heavy lake effect snowfall.</p>
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<p>Hoping for good weather for you! Just FYI, we had a really nice lunch at Lucrezia Caf</p>
<p>Well, it turns out that I am flying–alone–after all. Sigh. But thanks for your advice. I may put it to use in the future! :)</p>
<p>I live in PA and have elderly parents in Chicago (and a son in CT). I drive I-80 to Chicago every month or two, including this last weekend. I’ve gotten pulled over for speeding two of my last three trips (I know, I know) in Indiana. Amazingly I didn’t get a ticket either time, just warnings.
My mother would say “Even rats learn from experience.” ;)</p>
<p>Consolation – when I ask Google Maps about how to get to the Chicago area it gives me routes <em>called</em> I-80 or I-90. The I-90 route is actually 84 to 17 and across the southern tier on 17 rebadged as I-86 picking up I-90 well west of Buffalo. </p>
<p>From the Ridgefield Starbucks … it’s just about an hour across 84 to 17. I have done that route westward many many times as far as Binghamton and never really hit traffic. Weather, yes, but traffic no. I am NOT a fan of dropping down into Jersey to get 80. If I felt 80 overall was my best option, I might do 84 to 81 south to 80 west.</p>