DUE WX DETERIORATION PLT FLIES LOW AND ENTERS ATA'S AND CTL ZONE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative

RETURNING FROM TENNESSEE VFR THE WX STARTED CLOSING IN SIGNIFICANTLY 50 MI S OF CHICAGO. ALTHOUGH IFR CAPABLE AND COMPETENT; RATHER THAN DEAL WITH THE CHICAGO TCA AND APCH CTL; WHICH I FEARED WOULD EITHER VECTOR ME OUT OVER THE LAKE OR WAY W (AND IN EITHER EVENT INCREASE MY ALT SUCH THAT I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO 'SEE' THE NUMEROUS SURROUNDING RAIN CELLS); I OPTED TO NAV DOWN LOW VFR IN ADMITTEDLY MARGINAL CONDITIONS. I UNEVENTFULLY SKIRTED A LINE OF CELLS BY DIVERTING EASTERLY TOWARDS S BEND; N IN CLR AIR TOWARDS MICHIGAN CITY; AND THEN BACK W TO GYY (GARY). FROM THIS POINT I ELECTED TO FLY THE LAKESHORE UP TO KENOSHA AND IS THE SEGMENT OF FLT IN WHICH; IN RETROSPECT; I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE ASKED APCH TO ASSIST ME TO KENOSHA ON AN IFR CLRNC. WHEN I RADIOED MEIGS FOR A FLY THROUGH THEIR ATA THEY RESPONDED THAT THEY WERE IFR. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR A SPECIAL VFR; BUT DIDN'T; SO I ENCROACHED UPON THEIR ATA. FROM MEIGS TO KENOSHA I WAS COMPELLED TO FLY AT 1000 FT MSL ( 420 FT ABOVE THE LAKE) DUE TO LOW CEILINGS AND INTERMITTENT HVY RAIN. VISIBILITY NEVER GOT BELOW 1 MI; AND I STAYED ABOUT 1/2 MI OFF SHORE. I ALSO SUSPECT THAT I ENCROACHED UPON UGN ARPT'S ATA (DIDN'T THINK TO CALL THEM -- TOO BUSY VISUALLY NAVING). ONCE ABEAM CITY OF KENOSHA I NAVIGATED DIRECTED TO ARPT. LORAN WAS INVALUABLE. NEXT TIME I'D GET AN IFR CLRNC AND DO IT RIGHT.