US Highway 41

Highway 41 also extends through Kentucky. Entering the Commonwealth just south of Evansville, it extends southward through Henderson, Madisonville, and Hopkinsville. In Kentucky, it is paralleled by the Pennyrile Parkway. There is also an Alternate 41 in Kentucky. The bridge across the Ohio River is often struck by barges forcing many closings of the highway. The highway also passes through Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida.

Highway 41 was once the major route from the Midsouth to Florida; however, the rise of the Interstate Highway has diminished this role. Eventually, the stretch between Evansville, Indiana and Henderson, Kentucky will be superseded by Interstate 69.

Going from Chicago north, Highway 41 gets more interesting. It heads up through the more Ghetto areas of Milwaukee, then cuts into eastern Wisconsin, around Lake Winnebago, through Fond Du Lac, Oshkosh, Appleton and the Fox Cities, Wrightstown, West De Pere, and Green Bay. The Lombardi Drive exit will take you straight to Lambeau Field (home of the Green Bay Packers). Still further north, 41 skrits up the Green Bay coast and into the Upper Penninsula of Michigan. I think it goes up to Michigan Tech in Houghton, but I'm not really sure about that.

At its northmost, not only does it pass Michigan Technological University, it actually runs through campus. With Wadsworth and McNair (dorm halls in both cases) on one side, and the rest of campus spanning between US-41 (where it is called College Ave) and the Portage Canal. It is also the main street for downtown Houghton, crosses the canal via the Portage Canal Lift Bridge to Hancock. From there it heads up the middle of the Keewenaw Penisula, passing through Calumet and a handfull of small towns. It ends past Copper Harbor in what amounts to a cul-de-sac in Ft. Wilkins State Park. From there is an easy walk to Michigan's northmost tip, where you can enjoy a scenic view of Lake Superior. It is a good place to take a picnic, but expect some wind. In the summer, the drive from Houghton to Copper Harbor takes about 50 minutes, providing you don't hit a bear or anything.

It takes a little longer, but I also suggest driving Michigan State Highway 206 north from Hancock to see the northwestern edge of the Keewenaw, especially in the fall.