Much of the original alignment of the legendary Mother Road, which carried cars from Chicago to California, has been designated as part of the Route 66 Trail and is just a small part of the thousands of miles of bike routes in Illinois.

Whether you are planning an epic bike tour of the state or just want a leisurely ride with family, Illinois is home to a route that will meet the needs of any bicyclist. This excellent map, put together by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, shows the breadth of the state’s bicycling infrastructure.

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Illinois continues to be one of the top destinations in the United States for international visitors. In 2012, Illinois had more than 2 million visitors, which ranked 6th in the country. Chicago had 1.4 million visitors.

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Need to get there from here? You probably can if you live in Illinois. Chicago is home to O’Hare, which recently reclaimed its place as busiest airport in the world. Between O’Hare and Midway, you can catch a direct flight to 62 international cities and 156 domestic destinations.

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