I have about 13 days to make it their and back, looking for best routes to take, best farm roads, or highways to take.

I'd like to avoid Chicago, and Iowa.

 

I don't have any suggestions. I'd just like to say that it sounds like a great trip. Have a good time and stay safe.

 

From SE MN I would follow the Mississippi down into Illinois to around Savanah and catch IL 52 and follow that across down to Mendota. Jump on I-80 over to Marseilles and check out the middle east conflict memorial. From there I would work over to hwy 1 on the east side of Illinois and follow that down to Robinson where you take IL 33 east and down along the Wabash River and cross into Indiana at Vincennes. There's a neat national park at Vincennes right on the river. From Vincennes US 41 to Evansville and into Kentucky and onto the Pennyrile parkway. Follow that to Hopkinsville and I-24. Slab time on I-24 to Nashville and onto I-65 into Alabama and run that to Montgomery. (I-65 is nice traveling) At Montgomery you get onto 231 and run that down into Florida west of Talahassee. I-10 east for a bit past Talahassee and then south onto 19 and 27 and follow 27 all the way down through Florida to northwest of Miami where you get 997 to bypass Miami down into Homestead and onto the overseas highway 1. I would avoid I-95 near Miami and all costs. I've been on most of these roads in the past couple years.

 

If you do the above trip I would detour at Nashville and go over to Smoky Mountain National Park, maybe ride some of the fun roads around there, and then take 441 south into Florida. It's a nice ride. Once in Florida you could either ride the gulf coast roads or the Atlantic coast roads on south. 13 days gives you some time to get there.

 

Thanks! So avoid I-95 like the plague then? Thanks.

I think I'll try the route you gave me getting out of MN, I've ridden down the river, but after that, all those roads will be new to me.

 

Going across Illinois is flat and farm lands and it doesn't make much of a difference which way you go. I looked and that and saw that it angled southeast towards I-39 and I-80. I really like the section of 33 south of Robinson. The parkway through Kentucky is nice.

The suggestion by Hx3 to do the smokey mountains is also good advice and takes you a bit further east. Perhaps go down one way and back the other. Lots of great riding in Kentucky and Tennessee. The ride south of Talahassee is like a four lane parkway in sections that is pretty nice. 27 gets a little congested from Ocala down south of Lake Wales but it is four or 6 lanes most of the way.

I-95 is a dangerous highway and traffic gets snarled at the south end of it getting onto Hwy 1. The overseas highway is a nice ride but somewhat slow. Lots to see in key West, fun town. Good Luck!

 

I-95 in Florida is ok down to about West Palm.......i suggest jumping over to the turnpike at Ft Pierce......you can run 95 all the way down but, as the above poster said it can get crazy around Miami......i do run it, but try to avoid the am or pm rush....

the overseas hwy is better done in the am going in either direction.......the people that can do weekend trips to the Keys usually drive down on friday after work......and return around check-out time on sunday morning........the overseas hwy will be more crowded at these times.....

from the Florida state line on 95 to Keywest is about 10-11 hours.....depending on your stops and traffic......

 

It is VERY HOT/HUMID down here right now... If I were you, my trek would be E/NE... In any event, if YOU do choose to go to KW, my recommendation is to stay in the middle of the State and BE PREPARED for HEAT/afternoon mega-rain-thunder-storms...

 

You can jump off 95 at Ft Pierce and go 70 to 98 South around the Lake to hy 27 to Homestead. You'll like the ride and stay out of all the bad traffic on 95 from West Palm south. Good luck and enjoy the ride.

 

Just did the trip from KY a few months ago, but trailered to St. Pete due to weather concerns. Trip was nice, and knocked it off the bucket list. The Keys were a lot different than expected. Enjoyed riding back roads in Florida. Avoid 95 and most all interstates in FL.