I 35 out of Texas all the way to Minnesota or if you want to go towards iilinois you can by pass chi toen via Rockford into wisconsin to I 94 t0 St. Paul Mn
Hope I don't get in trouble for this, but it is a real biker place in Illinois.
If you ride up the Great River Road in Illinois, make sure you stop at Poopy's in Savannah. Neat biker bar/tattoo/restaurant place. Live music on the weekends.