I woke up in South Dakota and headed back north on US83 to US18 east to US183 and finally back on the interstate.
I stopped at the scenic overlook of the Missouri River and continued to head east on I-90.
I stopped for lunch in Sioux Falls and then crossed into Minnesota.
I continued for 12 miles until I reached US75. I took this south towards Iowa.
Now, as US75 reaches Iowa, it bends to the east and stays right along the north of the line and after about awhile, then heads south.
As I was reaching the halfway part of this east-west break in the highway, they have the "Iowa" sign. I pulled over infront of it and took the photo, and then did a U from side-to-side to get back headed north. I knew Iowa wasn't on the otherside of that sign until I headed south, and I knew I hadn't driven into Iowa. I couldn't even fake it by crossing the sign.
So, as I was driving back, there's a dirt road that runs continually along the border where US75 curves north. I ended up missing that, but took the other 'entrance' of it from US75 heading south. I then doglegged to the right, and made a left on another dirt road that now put me south of the east-west stateline road.
So, Iowa becomes the first and only state on my travel that I entered through on a dirt road.
Back on I-90, I made my first real blunder decision-wise. Because I knew I had to enter Michigan, I wasn't sure by which way I wanted to. So, I got the idea to head north through the Upper Peninsula, and then down across the bridge connecting from the Upper to Lower parts of Michigan.
So, I took MN60 northeast towards Mankato. As I was driving, I encountered a little bit of snow, but the wind wasn't bad.
It was as I was looking on the map in Wisconsin and Michigan that I saw how much non-interstate driving I would do to go from Minneapolis/St. Paul over to Green Bay and through the entire Upper Peninsula.
So, rather than heading north on US169 to Minneapolis, I took US14 east down towards Rochester. I got back on I-90, and spent almost two hours more of my time on that blunder. But, I was approaching Wisconsin.
Wisconsin was another state that I had to enter by bridge, so this was at the visitor's center.
I continued on I-90 until it merged with I-94 down to Madison. I then followed I-90/I-39 south while I-94 headed east to Milwaukee. Along the way, I stopped for food at a truck stop and took a photo of my driving companion, a stuffed Buffalo I bought for my wife.
I also took a photo of my temp guage, phone, gloves, flashlight, etc. 18.5°
But, after a little more driving and some slick roads, I was in Illinois.
I continued on I-90 down past Rockford to the Chicago suburbs. Along the way I got to see the brand new Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, IL. I did not get a good photo as my windows were coated with road grime, water, and ice.
I continued the trip down along the southside until I was on I-80 a few miles from Indiana at a service plaza. That was where I called it a night.
Day 10