Between Rockford and Chicago, US-20 is a slow, winding, and poorly signposted alternative to the high-speed I-90 toll road. It’s a leisurely route, with few identifiable attractions except for the road itself, which cruises through small towns surrounded by farmlands and lined by fruit-and-vegetable stands. The one real draw here is a mile east of the tiny town of Union, where the sprawling Illinois Railway Museum (daily; $8; 815/923-4000) displays a great range of track-based transportation: streetcars, interurban trolleys and railroad cars, with historic engines running weekends throughout the year.
