Open your web browser and go the Google Maps website.
Click on "My Maps," which is the selection on the left side of the screen next to "Get Directions."
Click either "Get Started" if you do not have any custom maps saved, or click "Create New Map" if you already have some custom maps saved. The end result is the same for this task.
Name your map and give it a short description. This helps you identify this map in your custom map list in the future. Do not click "Done" yet. If you do click "Done" you will need to click "Edit" in order to use the distance measuring tool.
Zoom in on the area around Chicago, Illinois, keeping Lake Michigan in the view. Keep Chicago on the left side of your screen and zoom in such that you can see Bridgman, Michigan, on the right side.
Click on the line icon in the upper left corner of the map screen, which is next to a blue marker icon. Click on "Draw a line" in the drop down menu that appears.
Single click the mouse on Chicago. Do not click and hold, just a single click. Now as you move the mouse you see a broken line being drawn which also includes the distance updated by Google Maps. Double click the mouse over Bridgman and you are given the distance between these two cities across the lake rather than the driving or walking distance that Google Maps would normally provide.
