Avoiding I-90 toll road

If you want to drive Interstates and avoid tolls around Chicago you can take Hwy 34 from Albia to Galesburg, IL then take I-74 to Indianapolis, I-70 to Columbus and I-71 to Cleveland. It may be a little longer but through Indianapolis should be the only heavy traffic.

I80 has a short toll section where it is essentially part of the I294 tollway. I94 east into Indiana and Michigan is not toll.

US20 parallels I94 around southern Lake Michigan. It's ok, but has a fair amount of steel mill truck traffic. It's better if you stay on I94 to Michigan City, and take IN2 east to its junction with US20, and continue straight to South Bend. This is a route that SB residents take if they want to skip the tollway. I90 may be toll, but truck traffic is lighter than on I94.

US20 then runs as a freeway quality bypass around the south side of SB and Elkhart. Last fall they were working on US20 east of Elkhart, turning it into divided 4 lane. You take side trips in this area to the various Amish tourist traps. US31 is a new divided highway south from US20 bypass to US30 and beyond.

also the ease of driving on the interstates (toll or not) as compared with the Lincoln Highway; towns, and stop lights...

While I understand the principle behind avoiding tolls, make sure you calculate the cost in extra fuel and time, if any, before you take a different route.

I'd stay on I80 through Illinois. You'll pay one toll, $2.40 towing a fiver. Then cut down to 30 on I65. The $2.40 will be well-spent to avoid 30 between Joliet and Merrillville.

Just be aware that US 30 from Joliet to the southeastern suburbs of Chicago is a VERY busy and crowded road. Lots of commercial areas, stoplights, etc. I think it would be even more of a pain to drive than the interstates - recognizing that tolls are a hassle anyway, and worse when RVing.

I would take US 20 across Indiana. Indiana has a large Amish population in the eastern 2/3's of the state lots of interesting things.

one of many brochures
http://go.lunarcow.com/publication/?i=245104#{%22issue_id%22:245104,%22page%22:0}

What I plan to do in a few weeks is to take US30 E/b from Joliet IL.
A few years ago, I drove west from Cleavland and took US 20 all the way to West Bend IN. I did not have to get on the turnpike at all in either state. Also, the scenery is much, much more interesting and I don't think I lost much, if any, time on that route.
On the toll roads, my impression is TREES AND TRUCKS! Not only that but with a MH towing, the tolls are horrible. I am taking 30 east and jogging up to Nappanee and then to Shipshiwana and then onto 20 E/B. I will get back on 80-90 just before Cleavland OH where the toll road ends.

Get off I-80 in Joliet take Hwy 30 then cut over to Hwy 6 and follow it to Hwy 2/269 (before Sandusky) and then on into Cleveland