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When they fix the roads I will shut up. But they won't because the government only cares about being corrupt and creating trashy political diversions.

There is more dope in this state than anywhere I have lived. Employers are wise to have CPR training due to junkies overdosing and creating OSHA problems when they die on site. The place is full of junkies.

Michigan has the worst roads, the most corrupt car insurance, and the most dope addicts.

In New Jersey they closed the Pulaski Skyway for rehabilitation because it was deemed unsafe. I only wish I could drive on roads in as good condition as the worst road in New Jersey.

Drive as fast as you want, but don't expect any sympathy from me when your car is totaled on an unsafe Michigan highway.

The governor is a total jerk.

I think everybody coming to this state to see the Packard plant or whatever should be informed of the risks.

Thanks for both the encouragement and the warnings....I can take both and profit from them. About seven years ago we took a family GMC long bed pickup to retrieve a boat from North Bay, Ontario and return it to Georgia. The Henry Ford II portion of I-94 and the empty boat trailer made it an interesting ride on those tilted concrete slabs. The return trip, heavy with boat, was even worse and the truck's CD player has not worked since. I suppose we got off easy but that truck has lived to see another 150,000 miles with no other apparent damage. That particular Corvette has had a few bad road and pothole experiences in Illinois and Missouri, and hit an unmarked road "uneven surface" at 75 mph on Tennessee I-24 two weeks ago that shocked me that no rims were dented, so Michigan is not alone on having some bad roads and bridges that need attention. Crumbling infrastructure is not a favorite topic in an election, no matter where you go.

But I know that Michigan is the prime state to see the automotive sights I'd find most fascinating. Or more, on the way, in Ohio or Indiana on the return. My current plan would be to leave within the next few weeks for a trip that includes Citizen Packard on the way to Detroit, a few days of safe sightseeing around Detroit, including the PPG and the HFM/Greenfield Village, then off to Gilmore and back down through Auburn, Indiana. All of this is contingent on the health of a 93 year old father-in-law in failing health. If permitted, I'm looking forward to the challenges. Southwest Airlines just announced some attractive ATL-DTW airfares, so I might even make Tim happy by doing some of this in a heavily insured rental car.

Thanks for both the encouragement and the warnings....I can take both and profit from them. About seven years ago we took a family GMC long bed pickup to retrieve a boat from North Bay, Ontario and return it to Georgia. The Henry Ford II portion of I-94 and the empty boat trailer made it an interesting ride on those tilted concrete slabs. The return trip, heavy with boat, was even worse and the truck's CD player has not worked since. I suppose we got off easy but that truck has lived to see another 150,000 miles with no other apparent damage. That particular Corvette has had a few bad road and pothole experiences in Illinois and Missouri, and hit an unmarked road "uneven surface" at 75 mph on Tennessee I-24 two weeks ago that shocked me that no rims were dented, so Michigan is not alone on having some bad roads and bridges that need attention. Crumbling infrastructure is not a favorite topic in an election, no matter where you go.

But I know that Michigan is the prime state to see the automotive sights I'd find most fascinating. Or more, on the way, in Ohio or Indiana on the return. My current plan would be to leave within the next few weeks for a trip that includes Citizen Packard on the way to Detroit, a few days of safe sightseeing around Detroit, including the PPG and the HFM/Greenfield Village, then off to Gilmore and back down through Auburn, Indiana. All of this is contingent on the health of a 93 year old father-in-law in failing health. If permitted, I'm looking forward to the challenges. Southwest Airlines just announced some attractive ATL-DTW airfares, so I might even make Tim happy by doing some of this in a heavily insured rental car.

I don't really want to get into this, I just don't know enough about Michigan and its roads. But I must say that driving out to Michigan from New Jerey in 2013 for the Packard National plus two visits to the Gilmore in Hickory Corners, I found the Michigan roads to be satisfactory. And I'm expecting that they'll be just fine in Traverse City for next year's National meet.

Not trying to change your opinions about Michigan politics, especially Detroit! I don't care for Detroit either. And I've driven the Pulaski Skyway, too, when I lived in North Jersey. Maybe I will damage my car on my next trip to Detroit, although I keep my eyes peeled as best I can. And if you drive Detroit, you know 75-80 is the flow of traffic if there are no back-ups.

But you can drive around without inevitable and imminent destruction to your vehicle assured, which is what you portray.

As an aside, at least the Michigan voters realized the last convoluted highway proposal had too many hands in the till to be the way to fix things.
No politician in sight is willing to put a significant direct funding option on the table.

Leeedy, thanks for your post on 10/6 - I found it quite emotive and informative. As someone from the other side of the planet I only have a few mental pictures of the Packard plants / proving grounds etc but have a keen desire to get to the States one day and go visit these sites.

Here in Australia we have the same issue, with much of our heritage being destroyed or not cared for sufficiently well. I look back on what we have lost by way of heritage buildings etc. For example, at one stage we had the largest department store on the planet - a company called Anthony Hordern & Co. - which was enormous back in the early 1900's right through to mid-century. See Anthony Hordern background
and Photo
It took up a couple of city blocks and was famous with a motto of: "We sell EVERYTHING". And they did! Their store building was gracious and beautiful, but they eventually went bust / were bought out and in the 1970's (IIRC) the massive enterprise was demolished, leaving a huge hole that went a city block, right smack bang in the middle of the city! It was called "World Square" but re-named by the cynics as "The Hole', and not much was built thereupon for many years, it was just a big hole for maybe 20 years?

In terms of loss to the community, it possibly evokes the same feelings amongst Sydney-siders that the loss of the Packard plant evokes in you guys now.

I lived in Michigan for a while and most roads are OK, but I know what Tim is talking about to a certain degree. There are some roads around Detroit that are not the best. I bottomed out my rental in the parking lot of Meijer right outside of Grand Rapids, the pothole could of swallowed a Geo Metro. I flew into Detroit during a snowstorm at midnight a little over a year ago. I drove from Detroit after midnight to Toledo, OH and there was 6-10 inches of snow on the ground and I did see 1 snowplow. I guess there was not enough money to have more plows going.

I know six people who have had their cars seriously damaged as a direct result of the dilapidated and unsafe Michigan roadways. Two of them were totaled. How many people do you know who had similar experiences in, say, Ohio, Indiana, or New Jersey?

Hmmm........and "two of them were totaled."

Well, all I know is that the original poster is driving a Corvette from Atlanta and will probably be passing through Kentucky to get to Michigan. And we all know about the wicked potholes they have in Kentucky and the appetite those potholes have for Corvettes.

But not to worry, my neighbor's cousin's, wife's, brother-in-law has a photo he sent to me showing what is causing the pot hole problem.

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Coincidently, I was driving with our Corvette club to do some volunteer work at the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky when I encountered that one bad stretch of Interstate pavement. The good news was that my car escaped damage and the NCM sinkhole has been completely repaired. See YouTube for some fascinating time lapse videos of the repair. More good news is that the sinkhole has doubled the number of visitors and by springtime, a new section will be opened so that you can have a more interesting tactile experience while seeing some of the unrepairable cars that were destroyed.

I am determined to make the trip before long, probably in my Corvette. But I will also do my best that it will be done in daylight, and never follow another vehicle too close to avoid surprises. Every state seems to be having problems with highway infrastructure. We are driving to SW Florida every month, so we see what's not up to par in both GA and FL. So far, cast off truck tire treads have been the only projectiles we have had damaging our cars.

Frankly, considering the places I want to see on my way up to MI and over to Gilmore, and then back, a car seems the only practical way to do it. I will do my best to do it carefully so that I can live and report on the experiences to all who will feign some interest. My memories of visiting the old GM headquarters building, the Tech Center, and the ACD Museum in 1992 remain sharp and vivid enough to try again, this time with a Packard focus.