Q: Hey, I'm seriously thinking about driving to Chicago from Toronto, to meet up with my girl friend (She moved there at the beginning of the summer). I finished high school last year, and I'm thinking about driving down to Chicago to visit her for the week-end. I just turned 18. I've been studying the road maps now, so that when October comes, I'll be ready. I was thinking about taking the 403 down to Sarnia/Port Huron, and from there taking I-69 to I-94 to Chicago. In an honest opinion, am I taking on something too big here? Or is it a reasonable challenge for an 18 year old to take on?
A: No, it's not an impossible drive for an 18 yr old... but you need to take the correct highways. From Toronto, you either take the 401 west to London where you pick up the 402 to Sarnia... OR From Toronto, you take the 403 west to Woodstock, where you merge onto the 401 westbound to London where you pick up the 402 to Sarnia. And yes, from there you'd hop onto the I69 and take that down to the I94 (avoiding Detroit) and follow the I94 west to Chicago. Just make sure you know exactly where you need to exit and go when you reach Chicago... and be prepared for lots and lots of traffic. If you think Toronto is bad, you ain't seen nothing yet ! Give yourself lots of time. You're looking at about a 10 hr trip Toronto - Chicago... including border crossing... but not including traffic. And watch the cops in Michigan. They have zero-tolerance for speeding.