Interstate 75 Road Trip to Detroit! (September 2021)

[InterstateFan621]

 An Interstate 75 Road trip to Detroit!
Hello guys! I have taken a road trip to Detroit in September 2021. This is actually the first road trip I have taken that goes more than 2 states! This experience lead me to liking roads in the future. It is also the time when I first started taking road sign pictures!

I have taken this road trip because my friend and I wanted to see a museum up in Detroit. The road trip was 12 hours long and I went through several states, which include Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, and then finally Michigan.

I started from Central Georgia at around 5 in the morning. It was about 2 miles on US 41 until I hit the ramp for Interstate 75 northbound. I went through northern Georgia and continued into Atlanta. In Atlanta, however, things took a turn. There was a horrible car crash coming up our way and the GPS repeatedly told us that "Interstate 75 is closed, taking a different route.", and then giving us directions to the Perimeter, Interstate 285. We thought that the GPS was messing up, so we did not listen to it. However, we have finally noticed all of the police cars and the fire trucks. It looked pretty bad and the traffic looked like it was stopped. It was a bad decision to not take Interstate 285. Stupid us. We took the next exit IMMEDIATELY after seeing everything. We took a detour on this route (I cannot remember) , and then finally hit Interstate 75 again. We looked at it again and it looked TERRIBLE. I felt very bad for those who crashed and the ones stuck in traffic in 6 in the morning. We passed it and continued on the journey. It was very clear after that and not that much cars was around. Then, around 8am, we passed the Tennessee border. We stopped at the welcome center to rest and eat snacks. We hit the road again, went through Chattanooga traffic (the interchange of Interstate 75 and Interstate 24). It was pretty at Tennessee, we saw mountains and pretty hilly plains.  Interstate 75 and Interstate 40 merged together and we followed the merged Interstate highway through Knoxville. Interstate 75 broke off of I-40 after that. We saw a few more stuff until we hit the Kentucky border. The welcome center there was really cool and it had horse statues out in the front of the building. We went through Kentucky and saw pretty hills. I love Kentucky. I love horses as well. Then, we stopped at the Big Boy restaurant at Lexington, KY.  The food was absolutely delicious. We went through the final parts of Kentucky and went through some traffic going into Cincinnati. We took the bridge over there, and it was still under construction, and it was very creepy.  We crossed the border of Ohio and stopped at a rest area 20 miles north of Cincinnati. It is weird that Ohio does not have a welcome center on I-75. The ride in Ohio was full of corn fields. A lot of corn. Those bridges looked nice, though. Finally, we hit the Michigan welcome center. We rested and continued on our way. We reached Detroit a short time after, at around 6pm-ish? It was a very fun time.

We did stuff at the place and around Detroit. The trip back was mostly the same (The traffic in Atlanta was gone then). It was a very fun time, and like I said, led me into loving interstate highways and other highways, and some month later I found myself on the AARoads forum.

Anyway, I hope you guys liked this and you are welcome to leave any comments! 

[SkyPesos]

It is weird that Ohio does not have a welcome center on I-75.

Though not officially signed as a welcome center, the one on NB I-75 at MM 27 is one of the few rest areas in the state that are categorized as a "Tourist Info Center" on the OhioDOT site (marked in a diamond shape), which is sort of like a welcome center. Note how all of the tourist info centers are near state borders.

[wanderer2575]

It is weird that Ohio does not have a welcome center on I-75.

Similarly, the first rest area/tourist info center on southbound I-75 after entering from Michigan is 30 miles farther along, past Toledo and Bowling Green.

[InterstateFan621]

It is weird that Ohio does not have a welcome center on I-75.

Though not officially signed as a welcome center, the one on NB I-75 at MM 27 is one of the few rest areas in the state that are categorized as a "Tourist Info Center" on the OhioDOT site (marked in a diamond shape), which is sort of like a welcome center. Note how all of the tourist info centers are near state borders.

Yeah we went into the exact rest area. We considered that as the Ohio Welcome center and had a rest there.

[Flint1979]

Well if you put a welcome center in Cincinnati you'd be putting it right downtown and in Toledo there really isn't much room for one either at least that's why I can see that there isn't one. Like Skypesos mentioned though there is one at MM 27. The one on I-75 in Michigan is about 10 miles into the state and after you've passed 4 exits. I'm pretty familiar with the Detroit area.

[InterstateFan621]

Yeah. When I went through North on i-75 I went to that welcome center, and it was like around 10 miles into the state.

[Flint1979]

Yeah. When I went through North on i-75 I went to that welcome center, and it was like around 10 miles into the state.

The one on US-23 is about 7-8 miles into the state too. I've been to both before. There is a Welcome Center in the middle of the state on US-127 in Clare too which is a somewhat odd place for one.

[GaryV]

There's also a Welcome Center just east of Marquette on US-41 / M-28.

[Flint1979]

There's also a Welcome Center just east of Marquette on US-41 / M-28.

Right. The one that's right on Lake Superior. Now that one is odd because it's not even on a freeway and nowhere near a state line. The one in Clare I'm trying to make some sense out of it but it's kind of the crossroads between Up North and the lower part of the state and on two US highways (10 and 127).

[tdindy88]

There's also a Welcome Center just east of Marquette on US-41 / M-28.

Right. The one that's right on Lake Superior. Now that one is odd because it's not even on a freeway and nowhere near a state line. The one in Clare I'm trying to make some sense out of it but it's kind of the crossroads between Up North and the lower part of the state and on two US highways (10 and 127).

I visited the one in Marquette back in September 2020, of course the welcome center part was closed due to you-know-what. Effectively it was just another rest area like the one along the Seney Stretch of M-28.

I've also been to the one in Clare and it was again a fancy rest area, only that welcome center was open since it wasn't 2020. I think it's just a place to get some travel brochures for those heading Up North. It's also accessed from both directions so for southbound travelers as well.

There's also two welcome centers around the Mackinac area, one south of Mackinaw City and one just north of the Mackinac Bridge. I don't think I can understand why two are needed so close to each other?

[Flint1979]

There's also a Welcome Center just east of Marquette on US-41 / M-28.

Right. The one that's right on Lake Superior. Now that one is odd because it's not even on a freeway and nowhere near a state line. The one in Clare I'm trying to make some sense out of it but it's kind of the crossroads between Up North and the lower part of the state and on two US highways (10 and 127).

I visited the one in Marquette back in September 2020, of course the welcome center part was closed due to you-know-what. Effectively it was just another rest area like the one along the Seney Stretch of M-28.

I've also been to the one in Clare and it was again a fancy rest area, only that welcome center was open since it wasn't 2020. I think it's just a place to get some travel brochures for those heading Up North. It's also accessed from both directions so for southbound travelers as well.

There's also two welcome centers around the Mackinac area, one south of Mackinaw City and one just north of the Mackinac Bridge. I don't think I can understand why two are needed so close to each other?

I've been to it too probably a few months before you were there when I was county clinching the rest of the U.P. in June 2020. They are called roadside parks but are the same as a rest area really except the one on the Seney Stretch is called a rest area. That's all welcome center's are though are rest areas with a little more travel information than a typical rest area. And yes it's in the median so it's accessed in both directions.

One is to welcome you to the Upper Peninsula and the other is to welcome you to the Lower Peninsula. It seems like the one on Seney Stretch should be about 10 miles or so more west of where it is, it's only about 4 miles from the east end of the stretch. It seems like it should be more in the middle so you can take a break. I've been to the visitors center under the Mackinac Bridge and to the welcome center on the U.P. side too.

[GaryV]

Rest areas have indoor facilities; generally the roadside parks do not. There are also scenic turnouts which may or may not have any facilities. Rest areas are mostly on freeways, but as mentioned some are not. There are 2 more along US-2 between St. Ignace and Escanaba.

The Seney rest area is about halfway between the one on US-2 near Naubinway and the welcome center in Marquette, for those who are traveling from the Bridge to Marquette and points west and north.

Additional welcome centers are in Menominee, Ironwood and Iron Mountain (not on freeways). There are some near freeways in Sault Ste. Marie, Port Huron and Detroit, but you have to exit and use the surface street to get there - the same is true for the afore-mentioned center in Mackinaw City. Coming from Indiana there are welcome centers on I-94 (near the border) and I-69 (a few miles from the border).

[JREwing78]

It seems like the one on Seney Stretch should be about 10 miles or so more west of where it is, it's only about 4 miles from the east end of the stretch. It seems like it should be more in the middle so you can take a break. I've been to the visitors center under the Mackinac Bridge and to the welcome center on the U.P. side too.

As GaryV pointed out, it's less about being in the middle of the Seney stretch and more as a central location between Marquette, the Soo, and St. Ignace. As a formerly frequent traveler on that stretch, Seney becoming a full-fledged Rest Stop was very welcome.

It's just west of M-77, so you've gotten all of the Marquette-bound folks on M-28 by that point, and the EBD folks just before they split off to the Soo or St. Ignace. That ensured sufficient users to justify the Rest Stop upgrade. It's close enough to Seney that they could get electrical run to it, and ensure they could reasonably provide cleaning staff to maintain it. Also as GaryV pointed out, it's a logical distance from the Rest Stop on US-2 near Naubinway.

As if this wasn't enough of an off-topic, I always thought the US-41/141/M-28 junction was a logical place for a Rest Stop. It looks like the SW quadrant of the intersection formerly hosted a gas station, but that's been gone for decades. It's far enough from other facilities (besides the truck stop in Covington) that it would make sense.

[doglover44]

I love I-75 its one of my favorite interstates

[Flint1979]

I love I-75 its one of my favorite interstates

I find it to be boring for the most part and a pain in the ass.

[InterstateFan621]

Interstate 75 is my home interstate, and I love it, but I understand and I respect your opinion.

[InterstateFan621]

I love I-75 its one of my favorite interstates

I love it too lol

[Flint1979]

The only thing that I-75 does for me is goes through my hometown other than that I'm not a big fan of it. I actually like I-96 better than I do I-75.

[snowc]

It is weird that Ohio does not have a welcome center on I-75.

Though not officially signed as a welcome center, the one on NB I-75 at MM 27 is one of the few rest areas in the state that are categorized as a "Tourist Info Center" on the OhioDOT site (marked in a diamond shape), which is sort of like a welcome center. Note how all of the tourist info centers are near state borders.

WV doesnt have a Welcome Center on I81 NB, and neither does MD! 

[SkyPesos]

The only thing that I-75 does for me is goes through my hometown other than that I'm not a big fan of it. I actually like I-96 better than I do I-75.

Of all the 2di that goes through a metro area I had lived in (44/55/64/70 in St Louis, 71/74/75 in Cincinnati, 70/71 in Columbus and 65 in Lafayette IN), I-70 is by far my favorite. Plenty of quirks that make it unique, like the park and ride east end and Breezewood, the western Colorado drive (which I haven't been on yet, but wish to in the future), and that it's the most recent successor of US 40 and the National Road, which are my favorite US route and my favorite of the historical auto trails. And the variety of cities/metro areas it passes through, including Denver, KC, St Louis, Indy, Columbus and DC/Baltimore.

[snowc]

The only thing that I-75 does for me is goes through my hometown other than that I'm not a big fan of it. I actually like I-96 better than I do I-75.

Of all the 2di that goes through a metro area I had lived in (44/55/64/70 in St Louis, 71/74/75 in Cincinnati, 70/71 in Columbus and 65 in Lafayette IN), I-70 is by far my favorite. Plenty of quirks that make it unique, like the park and ride east end and Breezewood, the western Colorado drive (which I haven't been on yet, but wish to in the future), and that it's the most recent successor of the National Road, which is probably my favorite of the historical auto trails. And the variety of cities/metro areas it passes through, including Denver, KC, St Louis, Indy, Columbus and DC/Baltimore.

I've been to Breezewood.