In August 2021, I took a road trip through Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and then back through Missouri to my home in Arkansas. Before I took this trip, I had never, ever visited Minnesota or Michigan.

I started by driving west on I-40 into Oklahoma until I got to milepost 286 approximately halfway between Warner and Webbers Falls where the Muskogee Turnpike connects with I-40. I drove all of the way to Tulsa on the Turnpike. When I got to Tulsa, I drove north on the Creek Turnpike until I reached the interchange with both US 412 and I-44 (this was the first time I have driven on the Creek Turnpike). Then I drove west on US 412–which is officially known as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Expressway–across the north side of Tulsa and continued to follow it west until it connected with the Cimarron Turnpike.

I then drove west on the Cimarron Turnpike all of the way to its junction with I-35 and then I went north on I-35 all of the way north to Emporia, Kansas where I spent the night. The next day I continued north on I-35 through Kansas City and onward north into Iowa and then into Minnesota. I kept driving north on I-35 until I got to Hinckley, Minnesota where I spent the night.

The next morning, I was planning to eat breakfast at a Hardee’s restaurant which was one block from the hotel so I walked over to the restaurant only to discover that their dining room was locked but the drive thru was open for business. So I looked at the menu sign for the drive thru to figure out what I wanted to eat and then I walked back to the hotel where my car was parked. I got in my car and drove back to the Hardee’s. I got in the drive thru and was able to order some food. Then I had to take the food back to the hotel so I could eat my breakfast in my room.

After I ate my breakfast, I got back on the road and followed I-35 all of the way to its northern end in Duluth. I continued driving north on Minnesota state highway 61 all of the way to the Canadian border. I had to turn around at the border because I did not have a passport. I drove back south on Minnesota highway 61 until I got to Duluth where I spent the night.

That evening after I ate supper, I drove across both the Bong Bridge and the Blatnik Bridge which connects Duluth with Superior, Wisconsin. The next morning, I drove across the Bong Bridge again and I followed US 2 east across northern Wisconsin and then into Upper Michigan. At Wakefield, Michigan, I left US 2 to drive on Michigan state highway 28 for most of the rest of my trip eastward across Upper Michigan.

I did stop briefly in Ishpeming to visit Da Yoopers Museum and Store in that town. If you have never heard of the musical comedy group from Upper Michigan who call themselves “Da Yoopers”, I definitely recommend that you watch some of their videos on YouTube because they are Funny.

I continued to drive east on Michigan state highway 28 until it connected with I-75. Then I turned south on I-75 so I could drive across the famous Mackinac Bridge which connects Upper and Lower Michigan. Reading about the size of this bridge did not prepare me for just how large and long it really is. Since it was a warm and sunny day when I drove across this bridge, I could see for miles and miles from the highest point of the bridge which is supposed to be one hundred fifty five feet above the water. They charge four dollars to drive across it. You can pay with cash or you can use a credit card if you have one.

After crossing the Mackinac Bridge, I drove south on I-75 all of the way to Grayling, Michigan where I spent the night. The next day, I continued to drive south on I-75 first and then on US 127 all of the way to Lansing, Michigan where I switched to I-69 to drive south into Indiana. Where I-69 connected with the Indiana Toll Road, I turned right and drove west on the Toll Road all of the way to Chicago where the Toll Road becomes the Chicago Skyway.

Where the Skyway has an interchange with the Dan Ryan Expressway, I headed south on the Expressway and then south on I-57 to head home to Arkansas. I spent the night in Effingham, Illinois and then the next day I drove south on I-57 until its junction with I-55 near Sikeston, Missouri. Then I drove south on I-55 to West Memphis and then west on I-40 to get home.

Yes I did enjoy this trip and mainly because I got to visit two states–Minnesota and Michigan–which I have never visited before. Also I got to drive across the Mackinac Bridge as well as driving on both the Indiana Toll Road and the Chicago Skyway and driving on I-35 all of the way to its northern end north of Duluth, Minnesota. I have already driven on I-35 all of the way to its southern end in Laredo, Texas. And, last but not least, I finally got to visit the Da Yoopers Store in Ishpeming, Michigan.