Last weekend, I set out to complete a personal milestone, in which to visit the final remaining states within the Lower 48. Over the years, during various trips, I'd slowly been accumulating different states as the opportunities presented themselves. Before last week, all that remained for me was North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas. So, I set forth from my home near Toronto, ON and headed west...
Day 1
I crossed into the US at Sarnia over the Bluewater Bridge. There was almost no westbound traffic, which shocked me for a Saturday in the Summer.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FON%2Fhwy_402-403_images%2F402_dv_2_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=bd550b3775b7ffedc5d8bdbb58ed244b8cbed695)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_402-403_images/402_dv_2_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FON%2Fhwy_402-403_images%2F402_dv_0-5_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=da6e452737e4c538763d5b3b5d65a72839651f06)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/ON/hwy_402-403_images/402_dv_0-5_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
Once into Michigan, I followed I-94 into the Detroit Metro area. I snapped various photos and videos around Detroit. I've been to Detroit numerous times, and I have a soft spot for the City and Metro area.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FMI%2FI%2F94%2FI94_MI_dv_274_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=6e33d43dabd88ea776d382344530ccfa881333c1)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/MI/I/94/I94_MI_dv_274_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
Heading west on I-696 - Michigan`s Autobahn:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FMI%2FI%2F696%2FI696_MI_dv_23-9_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=561216a0ec9172c1aaacd663816c4dae64e0e9d0)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/MI/I/696/I696_MI_dv_23-9_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FMI%2FI%2F696%2FI696_MI_dv_22_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=f67d2c1c3d951ac09c9a8ca5c25c2076c5933e8b)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/MI/I/696/I696_MI_dv_22_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FMI%2FI%2F696%2FI696_MI_dv_13-5_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=1539d0b4a3eee823a13720aadbf8189414be9442)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/MI/I/696/I696_MI_dv_13-5_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FMI%2FI%2F696%2FI696_MI_dv_2_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=9272aea69d4eb1506d66d59c1d2108de885bbc35)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/MI/I/696/I696_MI_dv_2_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FMI%2FI%2F696%2FI696_MI_dv_0-2_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=0e53a620e1e224b977be6e19d655daa050bf8b4e)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/MI/I/696/I696_MI_dv_0-2_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
Beyond the 696, I followed I-96 west towards Grand Rapids. It's definitely not as direct as I-94 is, but I'd drive I-94 fairly recently, and thought I'd do 96 again for something different:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FMI%2FI%2F96%2FI96_MI_dv_148-5_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=561fe4d54f2c4b0fd5b7ecc43aa97a99e3069b41)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/MI/I/96/I96_MI_dv_148-5_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FMI%2FI%2F96%2FI96_MI_dv_106-25_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=c5f362300770ce4a8a55cb613d69996a39d12a9a)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/MI/I/96/I96_MI_dv_106-25_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FMI%2FI%2F96%2FI96_MI_dv_91_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=cbcc41b991387d3cca3346d659c8acfa142a8401)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/MI/I/96/I96_MI_dv_91_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FMI%2FI%2F96%2FI96_MI_dv_46-25_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=30814e5d46cb5f33c214657b6192d71533ab135a)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/MI/I/96/I96_MI_dv_46-25_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
By-passing Grand Rapids to the south along M-6. Despite the fact that M-6 is still a relatively recently constructed road, the concrete pavement has deteriorated along it very quickly:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FMI%2FMI%2F6%2FM6_dv_9_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=6cfe1d019e4fccfbbeb1aae2a03d28e95d81147d)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/MI/MI/6/M6_dv_9_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FMI%2FMI%2F6%2FM6_dv_2-9_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=140cf54c8609d3a08b4023248640d96b27bc7f11)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/MI/MI/6/M6_dv_2-9_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FMI%2FMI%2F6%2FM6_dv_0-5_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=dbd5082f945997a0a5bc52fff1750587e813c94b)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/MI/MI/6/M6_dv_0-5_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
South of Grand Rapids I followed I-196 back to I-94. Pavement along much of I-196 had also seen better days.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FMI%2FI%2F196%2FI196_MI_dv_44-1_south_Jun17.jpg&hash=19096841b1f49c856e4e36d0545eeb15f3917a6c)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/MI/I/196/I196_MI_dv_44-1_south_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FMI%2FI%2F196%2FI196_MI_dv_3-5_south_Jun17.jpg&hash=93e9cbea4172918aa8b69949ee013a56769317dc)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/MI/I/196/I196_MI_dv_3-5_south_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FMI%2FI%2F196%2FI196_MI_dv_0-1_south_Jun17.jpg&hash=5d179971a5bf1fba0a87f570cc3a488bd67c8915)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/MI/I/196/I196_MI_dv_0-1_south_Jun17_24x16.jpg
Back on I-94 in Michigan. I've always really liked these style of arched girder bridges:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FMI%2FI%2F94%2FI94_MI_dv_31-3_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=900cc7c3a4982ad3e59184d78ab5c0725b7705a1)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/MI/I/94/I94_MI_dv_31-3_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
Into Indiana... much of I-94 through Indiana was under construction:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FIN%2FI%2F94%2FI94_IN_dv_16-25_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=e8affc04bd56bd07225cad268e3ba8d70d95bdf6)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/IN/I/94/I94_IN_dv_16-25_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FIN%2FI%2F80%2FI80_IN_dv_0-05_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=d5f186d37ac981a43de67737a0df2e77bf2f0eec)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/IN/I/80/I80_IN_dv_0-05_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
Into Illinois:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FIL%2FI%2F80%2FI80_IL_dv_160_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=3c9bda3ab5b98ea24fe763f9e775bf5a200f3c90)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/IL/I/80/I80_IL_dv_160_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FIL%2FI%2F94%2FI94_IL_dv_69-5_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=cf01879ac2e32fbf92a99eed039311a996476220)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/IL/I/94/I94_IL_dv_69-5_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FIL%2FI%2F94%2FI94_IL_dv_61_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=4d693b878af81f1477cc1e30f398067178eaa75e)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/IL/I/94/I94_IL_dv_61_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FIL%2FI%2F94%2FI94_IL_dv_59-25_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=2739ad13a0a2ac69c62850bbf0f183a7c49ac6b8)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/IL/I/94/I94_IL_dv_59-25_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FIL%2FI%2F94%2FI94_IL_dv_59-1_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=dc6d08624a2b94f02787a6303c0866048c5efb52)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/IL/I/94/I94_IL_dv_59-1_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FIL%2FI%2F94%2FI94_IL_dv_54-4_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=2c4cb22238a1b7b3bb566de9482cfc19dcc79b1b)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/IL/I/94/I94_IL_dv_54-4_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FIL%2FI%2F94%2FI94_IL_dv_53-75_west_Jun17.jpg&hash=ca967671d5b2bca2989234e6086eadbb77d61bd0)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/IL/I/94/I94_IL_dv_53-75_west_Jun17_24x16.jpg
Approaching Downtown Chigago on US-41, Lake Shore Drive.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.asphaltplanet.ca%2FIL%2FUS%2F41%2FUS41_IL_dv_LSD-niceview_north_Jun17.jpg&hash=bbb9e1c0d2c3cc3f2f100d5c851623aaba9430b2)
http://www.asphaltplanet.ca/IL/US/41/US41_IL_dv_LSD-niceview_north_Jun17_24x16.jpg
After Chicago, I drove into the night for a few hours following I-90 westerly to Rockford and spending the night chez car in the Wisconsin welcome area along I-90/39. I got into new territory finally beyond Chicago, as I've never done I-90 west of the city. As I understand it the Tollway was just widened. It looked great, particularly under the LED lighting. In retrospect, I kinda wish I had filmed it, but I didn't know it was going to look that good.
Tomorrow I'll continue my write up into Wisconsin, Minnesota, and finally the new states of the Dakotas and Iowa.
How many Canadian provinces have you visited?
9. I am missing Newfoundland. (And the territories, but I have limited desire to go the territories).