Someone recently called from a cellular to ask how to get to Ann Arbor
from I-75.  He hadn't intended to get on I-75.  There was some kind of
detour.  Anyway, I answered that unless you're in Toledo or Flint, you
should get off I-75 as soon as you can and go west.  I-75 does not go
toward or away from Ann Arbor.  North of Toledo, I've only ever used 75
for short hops.

That got me to thinking about other nearby interstates I don't drive on. 
I-69 also does not serve the Ann Arbor area very well between Marshall and
Flint.  But there's one even closer that I've never used. I can't remember
ever having driven on I-275 south of I-94. 

What's the closest patch of highway to your home you haven't explored? 

54 responses total.

(wow. I've managed to hit everything in the Ann Arbor area, as well as 
continuing on those roads for significant distances, which is pribly
emblematic of my love of driving. I would have to look at a map closely
before knowing.)

(I'd have to say that my most recent conquest within Washtenaw County is
US-12 west of Saline. I drove that for the first time two and a half
years ago to visit a friend in Greencastle, IN.)

Explore interstates?  They're all alike.  Seen one, seen 'em all.

College Station (Texas) was cleverly located so that all nearby freeways
were useless.  No matter what direction you were going, you had to go at
least 200 miles on two-lane roads before you reached a freeway that was
going your way.  On some trips, I did 600 miles before encountering a useful
freeway.

Ann Arbor is kind of conveniently placed at a freeway hub.  Not all places
are like that.

Funny thing though, I got to like the two-lane roads much better.  Sure,
freeways are easier and faster to drive, but two-laners are more fun and
have more character.  They offer you more scenary, and a richer variety of
ways to get more thoroughly lost.

I didn't answer the question.  Sorry.  I can't.  I don't know the roads I've
never driven on very well.  I'm actually pretty vague about the ones I have
driven on.

By the way, if you look at a freeway map of the US, there is one city that
more than any other seems to have lots of freeways pointing straight at it.
There seem to be freeways going from there pretty much straight to every other
part of the country.

I-69 between Flint and Port Huron (though I had been on State 21 there).

The Jeffreys...Always passing them...

I've been on a lot of freeways, but I probably haven't gone from Detroit
straight north ever.

For me, it would be I-96 between I-275 and US 23, and I-275, definitely South
of I-94, and maybe even South of I-96.  Although I'd ridden on it with other
people driving, I drove I-94 from the Airport into Detroit for the first time
myself a little over a month ago, when combining dropping my grandpa off at
the airport and going to a client's office in Detroit.  I'm a big fan of
M-14/I-96 for getting from Ann Arbor to Detroit.

I think I've been on every mile of freeway in southeast Michigan at least
once. 

I know i can list about 50 streets here in Alpena that i still haven't been
on!

I've been all over Northern Michingan..I've been on all the interstate near
here. er Michigan.

Dhu Varren Road between Whitmore Lake Road and Nixon Road.  Would like to try
hiking it sometime, though, when the weather improves.  Any constructive
comments on this idea?

Until a few months ago, I'd never been on 14 heading west between exists 3
(main street) and exit 1 (I-94).  Never had a need to, before. Now, I do it
twice a week.

I have tried them all....And the quickest route from I-75 to Ann-Arbor would
be : if closer to Toledo....Going to the Monroe exit for M-50..M-50 will
take you right through too US-23 and then of course 23 N to A2....If you are
closer to Detroit on 75 you wuold take 275N to I-94W and then of course right
into A2

Re 2: I agree, I prefer two-lane roads between cities if I have time.  I
prefer freeways when I'm in a hurry and for going through cities.  The first
time I drove from Michigan to Florida, I spent three days on the road and
avoided I-75 almost the entire time.  Getting there was more than half the
fun!

Re 3: Did you mean we were supposed to guess which city you have in mind?
I was going to guess Washington, DC.  The original excuse for building the
Interstates was "to keep military traffic off our main streets" (or
something like that).  They didn't realize that the Interstates would
become our main streets.  Anyhow, the Pentagon is very well served by
Interstates.  But there is noplace east to go from Washington, so it would
have to be an inland city.  How about Cincinati? 

Re 7: I would have been able to say that I had only used 275 to get from
14 to 696 and never on 96 between 696 and 23 except for that one time when
I picked up my parents at Metro and took them to the cousins in Lansing.

I have never been on the West Virginia turnpike to Charleston...but one day
I will...when I have the money for the toll!

I've been on I-275 south of I-94.  I was going to Pittsburgh, & 275
seemed like just as good a way to go as US-23.  I don't know if it
actually is -- I've always meant to check the map & see...

Not sure about distance, but I'd bet anything the 275 route is bumpier!
They should turn it into a tourist attraction, "see the world's only
20-mile-long pot hole!"

You got that right Ajax....I went up to Garden City the other night by way
of 275 and I am surprised that all of my tires are still inflated...

(Re 14: Yes, I was thinking Washington DC.  I had no idea of the historic
 reason, but it really looks like the whole national freeway system layout
 was heavily influenced by someone in Washington.  Aliens in their UFOs
 ought to be able to deduce our capital city just by looking at the freeways.)

Isn't just about any government program heavily influenced by someone in
Washington?

  Locally, I'm not very familiar with much of anything north of Mt. Pleasant.
Nationally, the Interstates I know best are I-70, I-80, I-40, I-44, I-10, I-5,
I-65, I-75, I-30, and I-35.

E-Gads!  If I pull out a map (and locate those 40s and 30s), I could probably
learn some about your history/migration....

Isn't I-44 in Va. Bch, Va.?

Michigan Avenue. It's 3-5 miles away, but I just never have the TIME.

   Re #22: Probably not, Leeron. Those are the Interstates I took most often
when I was a trucker (oh yeah, I forgot both I-94 and I-96). So if you pull
out a map, you'll be able to see where I did most of my trucking. ;)

   Re #23: The highway I'm thinking of as I-44 goes through Missouri and
Oklahoma. Maybe I've got the number wrong, I have no available US atlas right
now, and it's been almost 5 years since I was out that way.

See?  I was right.  Already learned that you were a trucker, even without
pulling out any maps!   (:

route 66

the road to Hell & Back ...no, wait. I've taken too many trips
on that one .... ummm, the road to Hell, MI & Back ... that's the
one i haven't been on....

The road to Hell, MI (well, one of them, anyway) is Darwin Road. ;)

 Is that coincidence? I think not ;)

Hell apparrently was named by Germans, for the German word meaning bright.
I'm assuming Darwin was probably a local farmer.  Still, it's a cool result.

Curiously enough, the road out of Hell is also Darwin.

really? I woulda thought it was Niwrad ...

Re #2: A2 is indeed pretty conveniently placed for interstates, but the way
the connection between M-14 & I-94 works is pretty awkward.  Makes getting
to NB 23 much more painful than it should be, from many parts of town.

A friend of mine works near the Ann Arbor-Saline Road exit and lives near
Brighton.  He says that 94-E to 23-N takes too long.  It's quicker for him
to drive all the way to the end of Saline Road, and then up Main Street to
get on 14-E to 23-N.  I wonder how much it would cost to build ramps from the
end of 14-W to 94-E and from 94-W to the begining of 14-E.

My preferred way of handling that is 94 to Jackson Rd., to Maple, to 14.  It
doesn't involve going all that far on non-freeways, although it is a bit
inconvenient.

Reading about all these different routes is a trip!  I guess I know the area
fairly well, have decided I want my ashes sprinkled at the cloverleaf of 23
and 94 when I die, having tgraveled on that insterexion since 1968, what seems
daily.  
re. from 75 to 23, in Toledo, follow the ssigns.  But for an int3resting
route; take 75 to Monroe exit, take 50 through town, at Rainsinville Rd. turn
right, take north Custer west, to where it eventually turns to PlN pLANK road,
until you get to Milan and 23 north.  
We live in an area of interesting terrain, and to travel all the roads is a
lot of fun.  I have been driving around in the area for a long time and still
can get lost without too much trouble.  Once in awhile there is a surprising
turn, making it more than worth the trip.  One fun route is to follow North
Territorial as far west as it goes.  

Yes, I have taken N. Territorial as far as it goes.  I had plenty of time to
get to Grand Rapids.  It went really far west.  

  US 27 from Lansing to Florida. I'd like to do that one of these days.

- Backtalk version 1.3.30 - Copyright 1996-2006, Jan Wolter and Steve Weiss