I-75 stretches 2875km, linking Canada to the beaches of Miami. Photo / Simon & Susan Veness
If you’ve already done Route 66 (or perhaps you’re waiting for the highway’s centennial next year), it’s worth considering the lesser-known Route 75 instead, writes Simon & Susan Veness
What starts with frozen lakes and ends with sun-kissed beaches?
It’s the best road trip you’ve never heard of, and it’s the modern successor to Route 66. Welcome to I-75, a 2875km slice of the USA where the transition from one end to the other couldn’t be more profound.
America’s vast highway system dates back to 1923, but most of it was only built after World War II, with the final sections added as recently as 1992, so it’s no wonder I-75 hasn’t reached pop culture territory yet, with 66 hogging the spotlight.
READ MORE: A month by month guide to road tripping across the US
But we prefer to get our kicks on 75, even if it doesn’t rhyme. Not only does it include Detroit, Cincinnati, Atlanta and Miami, it showcases a wealth of Civil War history, Native American heritage, railroad culture and the scenic Appalachian Mountains, not to mention the story of flight and the Secret City that helped win WWII.
Let’s start at the beginning, though, and unveil this mammoth journey in six sections:
Sault Ste. Marie is the nexus of past and present, as well as Michigan’s northern border with Canada. The state’s oldest city, founded in 1668, it has been the Industrial Revolution’s poster child since 1855, when first the Canal and then the mighty Soo Locks were built to accommodate the massive iron ore freighters sailing the Great Lakes along one of the world’s busiest waterways. The Locks remain an engineering marvel, but, in winter, are largely frozen by temperatures reaching -15C.
It affords a fascinating starting point for I-75, enhanced by thick pine forest that surrounds the highway south through Michigan’s rustic Upper Peninsula, crossing the 8km Mackinac Bridge connecting it to the lower part of the state. The world’s longest suspension bridge in 1957, the Mighty Mac remains an awesome link between former frontier town St Ignace and colonial Mackinaw City, gateway to the must-see Victorian holiday hideaway of Mackinac Island.
From here, it is 465km to Detroit, the state’s principal city and a study in urban regeneration. An economic powerhouse in the first half of the 1900s, Motor City slumped into decay, becoming the Murder Capital of the USA in the 1970s. However, an extensive revitalisation programme has breathed new life into this fallen giant, making it a vibrant destination, characterised by modern skyscrapers, public parks, art galleries and a trendy food scene.
It’s barely 100km from Detroit to Ohio’s northern outpost, Toledo, but the transition is attention-grabbing. The landscape flattens to a broad plateau of farms and small towns, studded with the occasional wind turbine. Which makes it startling when you reach the former 18th century French trading post of Wapakoneta to discover it’s the birthplace of Neil Alden Armstrong. Yes, that Neil Armstrong, hence the must-see Armstrong Air & Space Museum and the legacy of humanity’s greatest accomplishment to date.
Next up is Dayton, home of the Wright brothers and everything that led to manned flight. The Dayton Aviation Trail unveils the full history of Wilbur and Orville through 11 museums, historic signposts and memorials, concluding with the ultimate excitement of the Wright B Flyer, the world’s first production aeroplane in 1910, with a flying reproduction of the historic aircraft.
I-75 then reaches Cincinnati, a sports mecca for baseball fans with an eye-catching location alongside the Ohio River, where scenic sunset riverboat cruises are the order of the day. From here, the route crosses the river via the iconic double-decker Brent Spence Bridge, beginning a steady upward climb into Kentucky.
After the plains of Ohio, Kentucky is a rural revelation, encompassing rolling hills, pretty lakes, deep forests and picturesque by-roads that take in Lexington, the Horse Capital of the World, boasting race courses and rich equestrian heritage; Richmond, with its Daniel Boone homage at Fort Boonesborough State Park; and Corbin, birthplace of the original Kentucky Fried Chicken.
Our must-see stop, though, is tiny Renfro Valley. Established in 1939, Kentucky’s Country Music Capital is not so much a place as an experience, boasting the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame and Renfro Valley Entertainment Center, with shops, cafes, live music and essential Old Barn theatre, from where the Sunday Gatherin’ radio show is still produced live each weekend.
Here begins I-75’s climb into the Appalachians, featuring jaw-dropping vista after jaw-dropping vista, culminating in the superb panorama of Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, from where the breathtaking view includes Virginia and Tennessee as well as Kentucky. It’s a timeless landscape based on 480 million years of erosion and, in the autumn, it’s utterly magnificent.
From 2,000m of elevation, the highway winds down into the Tennessee Valley and four more highlights heading south. Rustic Norris offers the Museum of Appalachia and a window onto the mountain folk of the region, who carved out a hard-scrabble existence without modern conveniences until recent times. This “living village” boasts a staggering 250,000 artefacts, along with fascinating hand-written explanations of the period and people.
Equally illuminating is Cleveland’s Red Clay State Park, which tells the tragic story of the Cherokee and enforced marches on the “Trail of Tears” from 1830-50, part of the government’s cruel relocation policy. In between Norris and Cleveland lies another stunning tale of recent history. Oak Ridge was officially America’s “Secret City” from 1942-45, a hush-hush operation essential to the Manhattan Project – and the development of the atomic bomb.
History fans will also be beguiled by the majestic heyday of America’s mighty railroad in Chattanooga, where the Chattanooga Choo-Choo (the former grand central station, now a hotel) is a living relic of its early 1900s past. The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum adds further lustre to the Golden Age of rail travel.
As Tennessee merges into its southern neighbour, Civil War heritage becomes paramount, initially through the battlefield sites of Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge and Chickamauga and then Ringgold Gap, Allatoona Pass and Tunnel Hill before reaching Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park outside Atlanta. The city then offers the Atlanta History Center, complete with the 1885 marvel of the Cyclorama, a mind-blowing circular painting of the bloody Battle of Atlanta, which left the city in ruins.
In all, Georgia boasts more than 200 Civil War locations, but none are more evocative and poignant than Andersonville, the former Confederate prisoner-of-war camp where nearly 13,000 men died because of the inhumane conditions. The site includes Andersonville National Cemetery and Camp Sumter Military Prison, plus the National POW Museum, with its heart-rending Memorial Courtyard and sculptures.
Leaving the Civil War behind, Florida brings I-75 back to level ground – at barely 46m above sea level. Newcomers will be amazed at the vast areas of open space, lakes, marshes and extensive conifer forests, while stopping at Ocala brings the added natural bonus of Silver Springs, with its signature glass-bottom boat rides over the crystal clear waters.
Reaching Tampa, the highway changes again to a more urban vibe as it slides by the beachfront beauty of the Gulf Coast. Wonderful seaside resorts pass by with dizzying regularity – Bradenton, Sarasota, Venice, Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Naples, each home to glorious beaches and fabulous foodie offerings.
I-75 has one last trick up its sleeve, though, turning due east and traversing Alligator Alley through the Florida Everglades, where a side-trip to the superb Ah-Tah-Tiki Museum (from Exit 49) is highly advisable for the full story of the (unconquered) Seminole tribe, as well as the chance to see ‘gators in the wild.
Finally, the end of I-75 arrives in the Miami suburb of Hialeah, just a short jog from more Florida beach bliss – and with frigid Sault Ste Marie just a distant memory.
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