THSCC Forums

Whats the best route to get to Michigan from NC? Thru W Va and up thru Ohio or thru DC and across Pa and Ohio?

My girlfriend is from Northern Michigan (Kalkaska) and went to Western in Kalamazoo. We are headed up there for Turkey Day. Kalamazoo is our first destination.

Personally, Im voting the W Va route, anytime you can avoid DC, I think your ahead.

_________________
02 Focus SVT
STF 9

Yikes, don't go through DC.

My tipical trip to MI is to take 77 through VA, W Va and Ohio to Cleveland, get on 80/90 west (ohio turnpike) and then head north on the road most appropriate for you into michigan (probably I-75).

Are you going all the way to Kalkaska? If so, take warm clothes, it's cold and nasty up there.

First off, you don't want to take I-75 through Detroit, stay on the Ohio Turnpike to the west side of Toledo and get on I-475 north (to Sylvania). That will merge with US-23. Follow 23 through Ann Arbor, and now you have a choice.

A) Stay on 23 and merge onto I-75 in flint. Take I-75 to Kalkaska.

or

B) Exit 23 in Brighton and take I-96 west to I-127 north (East Lansing). I-127 is a straighter shot to Kalkaska, actually merging with I-75 way up north.

Whitney might be able to update you on more recent contruction or other routes?

Michigan cops like to sit on overpasses with laser guns, so watch out for that.

If you are into outdoors stuff then plan a stop at the Cabela's store in Dundee MI (it's on US-23 about 30 minutes into Michigan).

If you take the I-127 route, you will pass through Mt. Pleasant where you can stop at the Indian Casino to lose a little money.

Scott

Sorry, reading comprehension > Scott

You mentioned you were ehaded to K-zoo first.

I'd still take the same way to teh Ohio Turnpike and stay on that all the way to Indiana. It's a wash between waiting for 131 north to K-zoo, or taking I-96 north then I-94 west into K-zoo.

From K-zoo to Kalkaska is just a long drive on US-131 north.

unfortunately, there are no straight shots to where you want to go.

Scott

Based on my experiences with DC traffic, don't go through DC to "anywhere" including DC.

_________________
Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

Mostly what Scott said with a few comments and additions:

I-40 to Winston Salem (don't bother with I-40 business into W-S although some trip computers will tell you to. I-40 is 2 miles south and much less congested).

Right on 52 north which is AKA I-74. Take that to I-77 just south of the VA border.

Merge onto I-77 south. This takes you through some nice mountain twisties in VA. 77 combines with I-64 west (south?) for 5-10 miles somewhere in VA. Then continues into WV and into OH.

Here's where I may differ a little, probably because I usually stop at my parents' outside of Columbus, but I bet it's close on the maps -

I take I-70 west to Columbus, to I-270 around Columbus, then to I-71 north for 5-10 miles, then cut across Hwy 36 to Delaware where I pick up US 23.

Again, I bet it's a wash as far as mileage, and except for a few stoplights 23 is a nice rural drive to I-75, compared to the OH turnpike (80/90) which can be a cluster. So take US 23 to I-75 north.

From there I'm not sure the best way to K'zoo. In Toledo I would follow the signs to US 23 north (I-475) which takes you to Ann Arbor (say Hi to my old college town!), where you can pick up I-94 to K'zoo. That avoids the $$$ Ohio turnpike and looks to be a wash in mileage.

I typically make it to Columbus in 7 hr (500 mi) and Detroit (+250 mi) in 10-10.5 hours, so add a bit for your destination.

Hey, I'm not using my Garmin nav system this weekend, so I'd be happy to loan it to you if you're interested. You can just plug in your destination and follow the commands - you'll get there about as fast as possible despite "our" directions here

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

Out of curiosity I just plugged it into my Nav PC software and it described my recommendation exactly except for the one change I'd recommend - to take I-71 north of I-270 and do the jog on hwy 36 to avoid US-23 for the first 10 miles off the beltline which is a cluster.

_________________
Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

Thanks Scott and Mike, I knew I was going the right way, but my girlfriend kept mentioning the DC route. YUCK!!!

Yes we are going all the way to Kalkaska, at least we dont have to go to her brothers, he lives in Sault St Marie!!! This is gonna be an interesting experience, I have never seen snow in November, EVER!!

We do plan to go the one of the Indian Casinos to try to fund my racing ventrues for next year, I will buy a lotto ticket for the bus fund too!

Thanks!

_________________
02 Focus SVT
STF 9