August 26, 2010 · 8:50 pm

Trapped by the “Illinois Tollway Unattended Toll Plaza” experiment on I-88

So we’re driving late at night on I-88 through Illinois en route to Chicago and we pull up to yet another tollbooth with our money in hand, $1.90, all ready to dutifully pay – and instead no one is in the booth and we’re greeted by a little flyer that tells us to pay online or by mail.

So we go on vacation for ten days, come home and I pull out the little flyer and find out that we have now committed a VIOLATION because we have not paid our toll within seven days. This hardly seems fair.  Is it really OUR fault that the Illinois DOT has decided to save money by closing this one tollbooth from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. – which is often when we manage to arrive in Chicago after a long after-work drive from Iowa?

Okay, we could have paid it within 7 days but we were away from home and computers and checkbooks – which is what a VACATION is all about !!  What really irks me is that it appears from the wording that even if you DO pay after 7 days this still counts as a VIOLATION. And after three VIOLATIONS within 24 months you’re in deep do-do. So there’s really no incentive to pay after 7 days because you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Why not give people a wee bit more time to pay – or just increase by increments the fee if it arrives after 7 days?

When I finally found someone to talk to about this at the Illinois Tollway office, she told me I was okay if I just paid by mail – i can’t pay online after 7 days.  So I’ve just sent in my check. But the wording below suggests otherwise.

Here’s the online info.


MISTAKES HAPPEN
You have 7 Days to Make Your Payment


  • The Illinois Tollway grants a 7-day grace period to pay your unpaid toll.

If you DO NOT have an I-PASS
Making a payment can be done online or through the mail. Choose one of graphics below to learn more.

If you live outside the United States you must pay an unpaid toll by mail.
pay online image

pay by mail image

 Have the required information available
  • Name of registered vehicle owner
  • Plate State/Number/Type (specialty plates must be identified)
  • Unpaid Toll: Location/Plaza/Date/Time

Use our Toll Calculator to determine the total cost of your tolls.

In the event of unknown plazas or direction, toll calculations will be based on the maximum charge (per toll) on our system for your vehicle category.

Maximum charge per toll:

  • Passenger Car (2 axle) – $2.00
  • Small Truck (2-axle) – $3.00
  • Medium Truck (3-4-axle) – $4.50
  • Large Truck (5 axle) – $8.00


Missed the 7-day Grace Period?

  • The unpaid toll has now become a violation.
  • Violation notices are issued when 3 or more unpaid toll/violations are recorded over a 24-month period. Fines will be assessed.
  • Payment after the 7-day grace period does not remove that toll from violation status.

Failure to pay tolls can result in fines and possible suspension of your license plate and/or your driver’s license.


Pay by Mail

In order to avoid the incident from being recorded as a toll violation, the mailed in toll payment envelope must:

  • Have all the required information filled out completely
  • Be delivered or mailed to the Tollway within 7 calendar days of the unpaid toll.

It is recommended you pay by check because your cancelled check is your receipt.

You can mail your payment with unpaid toll information to:

Illinois Tollway
2700 Ogden Avenue
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Attn: Cash Handling Division

What is the Illinois Tollway Unattended Toll Plaza Pilot Program?
The Illinois Tollway has launched a pilot program designed to improve efficiencies and reduce costs at
mainline toll plazas when traffic volumes are low. At the Pilot locations, Open Road Tolling lanes will be
operational 24/7, however all manned toll booths will be unattended between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. and
only the far right cash lane will be open to allow cash‐paying drivers to pick up a toll payment form.
Cash‐paying customers will be given the option to pay online or mail in toll payments within the 7‐day
grace period.
Where will this pilot be conducted?
The Illinois Tollway has selected two toll plazas – the Spring Creek Toll Plaza (PL 99) on the Veterans
Memorial Tollway (I‐355) and the Dixon Toll Plaza (PL 69) on the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I‐88).
Manned toll collection lanes will be unattended during the overnight hours of 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. when
traffic volumes are the lowest.
When does the pilot program begin and how long will it be in place?
As of February 16, 2010, the Unattended Toll Plaza Pilot Program is effective at the selected plazas. The
Pilot Program will be evaluated over the next three months.
Why not reopen the cash baskets at the Toll Plazas?
Exact change baskets were eliminated from mainline toll plazas when

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August 25, 2010 · 11:59 pm

One more Northern Michigan tip

A woman who runs a chocolate shop in Empire, Mi. recommended another website for renting places in that area – vrbo.com (which stands for “vacation rentals by owner” – she says it cuts out the middle-man/woman fee. worth a try although i was happy w/our visitupnorth.com rental.

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August 24, 2010 · 3:52 pm

When we next return to Glen Arbor, Mi.

At the end of most vacations, I always have a list of things I wish I’d done and hope to do next time (like the time I went to Spain and skipped Grenada – although I did get to Seville. Someday.)

So here’s my list for the Glen Arbor area:

1) canoe or kayak on the Crystal River. Our tubing on the Platte was a bit of a bust – too slow and sleepy. The Crystal River looks fun – narrower and more winding and mysterious. And we’ll skip the tubes next time.

2) visit the Old Mission Peninsula, especially the general store in an old  wigwam.

3) visit Traverse City – we didn’t even get close to the place.

4) check out the towns of Maple City and Cedar something or other. (uh oh, I’m already forgetting names.)

5) do more hiking on the dunes and the other ride with the ranger on Point Oneida.

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August 22, 2010 · 12:57 am

Leaving northern Michigan

A huge storm knocked out the internet access at our cottage on Big Glen Lake so I’m running behind in my blogging. Yesterday we took a very short hike at Empire Bluff for another spectacular view of the lakeshore and dunes, then checked out Esch road Beach – a relatively remote beach known for nude bathers (although we saw none.)

Later D and I rode our bikes from the cottage to Glen Arbor and then to Glen Haven which has a little maritime museum and a couple of old restored buildings, plus a lovely beach. We stopped at Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor for a drink and some free samples of dried cherries in various forms. Kitschy place but fun and generous spirit. Bumped into Ranger Ryan – who we’d gone on a bike tour with the day before – and he seemed a bit taken aback that we spotted him in civilian gear. Also stopped at Becky Thatcher’s Jewelry design which has gorgeous jewelry made with local stones – including Petoskey stones, which I failed to find on my own, and a pretty blue/green stone from Leland that I”m told is not technically a stone.

The huge storm rolled in around dinner time and fortunately we’d already decided NOT to cook out. We went to Art’s Tavern, the local hang out in Glen Arbor which was jammed packed but we managed to cram into a booth after a half hour wait and had the best cheeseburgers of our trip (they made mine rare!). More tomorrow. we’re safely in Chicago now although D is still searching for a parking spot.

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August 20, 2010 · 1:31 pm

Riding with the Ranger – Empire, Mi.

One of the best things we’ve done here cost no money – yesterday we loaded our bikes onto our car and drove about 15 minutes south to an old school house south of Empire where we met up with a young forest ranger – Ranger Ryan – and 9 other people for a bike ride and ranger talk. Beautiful morning and lovely terrain. We rode on gravel and sand roads (a mountain bike would have been handy but not essential) through deep woods, wide open meadows with the occasional perfect white farm-house and red barns and outbuildings, to the sandy shores of Lake Michigan (near a nude beach, we were told). we stopped occasionally for a talk by Ryan about the invasive species in the ecosystem (not good) and the local lore (pretty darned good) about a ghost town and hard drinking lumber boss with a great baritone.

Outside Empire we stopped at the Grocer’s daughter – a fancy hand-made chocolate shop started by a Danish woman who was indeed a grocer’s daughter in Denmark. Good price chocolates. Then back to our favorite farm stand just north of Empire and then home to Brook haven where we met up with the kids who had done some kayaking on the lake and eaten at the Foothills Cafe nearby (good). Returned to Empire beach where the waves were much calmer and had dinner at the cottage, followed by ice cream (still not Mooners but delicious and good scoops) at the Pine Cone in Glen Arbor. waiting now for the weather to clear

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August 19, 2010 · 1:42 pm

up a river w/out a paddle – platte river

Last time we tubed in Boulder Colorado it was terrifying and the water was freezing. This time, tubing in the Platte River near Honor, Mi, it was boring and the water was warm. I’d love something in between. We debated tubing vs. canoeing beforehand and the Platte River vs.Crystal River and ended up on a three hour very very slow float (it was supposed to be two hours) along a pretty narrow river that leads into Lake Michigan that was full of canoers, tubers, and kakakers. There was even one guy swimming or snorkeling, since he wore a face mask. Oh well. I do remember tubing on the Delaware River in Pennsylvania Years ago and it was a lot of fun – speedy but no sharp rocks and swirling gullies like in Boulder.

We had a picnic on windy Empire, Mi. beach – which also has a small inland lake South Bar Lake. We again chose Lake Michigan, where the beach was busier than north bar Lake but a sandy not rocky bottom and great waves and warm water. fun. Onto Laker Shakes, a gourmet market near Burdickville along Big Glen Lake that specializes in yes, milk shakes. I had some Hudsonville (michigan brand) double chocolate almond on a cone – the scoopers around here do not skimp on the scoops. This is the second ice cream stand we’ve visited in the area where the scoops are really more like three scoops. My mother would be pleased.

We had friends over for a cookout – very good homemade brats from IGA Anderson in Glen Arbor; fresh produce (tomatoes, corn, herbs, from a farm stand just north of Empire; smores at a fire we built with our neighbors on the beach. Nice.

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August 18, 2010 · 1:33 pm

Sleeping Bear – Doing the Dunes

The breeze  died down yesterday morning and we were left with sunshine and a slight wind so perfect day to explore Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes National Park. We started at the Dune Climb – a wide wall of sand bordered by brush. At the top we kept climbing on narrow sandy trails until we got to a spot with a spectacular view of thepale turquise  waters of Little and Big Glen Lakes to the east and the dark navy blue waters of Lake Michigan to the west..

onto Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive (great name) just south – a seven-mile one way loop along the coast where we stopped for a picnic on Picnic Mountain and for another spectacular view – this time atop a high sand dune that dropped steeply into the lake. Lots of other tourists but not oppressive.

Thanks to my willingness to ask park rangers questions, we found a gorgeous beach that was somewhat hidden off a dirt road just south of the drive. North Bar Lake is more like a gentle little pond, separated from Lake Michigan by a tiny strip of sand. Perfect for families with little kids. My teens opted for the wild beach of lake Michigan where we body surfed in the big waves and hunted for petosky stones. no luck yet. water was remarkably warm – again.

Forgot to mention that we began the day at the Glen Arbor Farmers market which was small but good. Some good crafts too – made out of the raw materials of my youth. petosky stones and birch bark. Got good blueberries, tomatoes and corn.

we met my friend polly and her twins at Joe’s Friendly Tavern in Empire, which lived up to its name. Good burgers, fried smelt, sweet potato fries, oberon beer. like the town of Empire a lot. Then onto the Cherry Bowl, a drive in movie theater near the town of Honor. Chilly but lot of fun – real step back in time. kids were intrigued.

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August 16, 2010 · 10:33 pm

leelanau pennisula

It was very blustery and chilly this morning with intimidating white caps on our sweet Big Glen Lake so it was a good day to explore the Leelanau Peninsula just east of Glen Arbor.

We started with Suttons Bay, which was a pretty place albeit a bit touristy. Tried to visit Tandem Cider for some hard cider but it was closed. Dropped by the Black Star winery to try some cheese and found we had to pay $1 for a tiny plastic container of about seven 1/4-inch size cubes of racellette. Not impressed. They could learn a thing or two from the cheese places in Oregon – including Rogue River creamery near Medford which are far more generous with the samples, friendlier and a result we bought cheese from them!

We drove on M22 north to yes, Northport, a slightly more real-feeling town, and just north to the lighthouse – which looked more like a house with an observation tower atop. For five of us, it was too expensive to go in at $4 per person plus the $8 to get into the park where the lighthouse sits but we walked around the rocky point where the waves were ferocious.

Onto Leland – at a good light whitefish sandwich at The Bluebird, walked around Fishtown, the collection of old fishing shanties that now have some shops including Carlsons where i got more smoked whitefish and a tile place with UP-themed tiles (yes, i bought one.)

Also bought a warm cherry and raspberry pie at Covered Wagon Market bakery en route to Suttons Bay- smells good and better taste great for price $13.99. They know a “fudgie” (the name my friend who has a summer house here calls tourists…although we haven’t gone to a fudge shop yet) when they see one.

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August 15, 2010 · 3:08 pm

Glen Arbor, Mi. – Yes

greetings from our own little temporary slice of paradise.  Our two-room cottage just south of Glen Arbor at grey, aqua and dark blue bands of Big Glen Lake framed by birch trees. It’s breezy and sunny with white caps and I want to stay here forever. The rental agency has lived up to my expectations. Everything is as it should be and more at Brookhaven #4 – the place is clean, clearful, nicely decorated. The staff of visit up north were bright and cheerful on a sunday morning no less.

we ate dinner at a great place last night, trattoria funistrada, which served delicious pasta dishes in a cozy old house just south of where we are on big glen lake (maple city and burdickville are technically the town names). On the drive up we stopped in a little hamlet of Fennville for late breakfast at the blue Goose Cafe, which appeared to be the local hangout. Nothing fancy but good homemade food served by a plucky waitress. we’d been sent there by a guidebook to go to another restaurant down the street but it turned out to be more upscale and expensive, especially for five of us.

Woke up this morning to detroit bagels (the best) brought by my dad and his wife Barbara – and superb smoked whitefish from Carlson’s in Leeland and fresh blueberries and peaches bought at one of the many fruit stands near South Haven. Life is good.

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August 13, 2010 · 8:19 pm

and away we go…to northern michigan

With two hours to go before we roll out of town into the great unknown (not that great – just a cottage in northern Michigan that I choose from a vacation rental agency’s website)  my cell phone rings. I miss the call because I’m several rooms away but there’s a voicemail message. On comes the chipper voice of a woman who works at the vacation rental agency. She just wants to make sure we got this and that piece of information, to let us know the agency’s toll-free number, that they’re open seven days a week and we should call if we need anything.  I like that – and it’s good to hear as we start driving 11 hours to a cottage I don’t know much about other than a one-paragraph description and some photos on a website.  Hope it’s a good sign.

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