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knightfan26917

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Posts posted by knightfan26917

  1. ALTERNATE PLANS:

    These may be even MORE ambitious, considering the "side trip" to start it, but we'll see how this goes....

     

    If the original plan for early June does not work out, then this is my alternative itinerary.... I'll work on specific routes, etc., later. In the meantime, please let me know if you want to meet up along the way!

     

     

     

    Friday, 06/24/2011 ... Chicagoland IL - Smithville OH

    ~3p-midnite (9 hrs), lose hr, time change

    via:

    I-294 E

    I-94 E

    IN RT 49 S

    US RT 30 E

     

     

    Saturday, 06/25/2011 ... Smithville OH - Carlisle/York PA (GM/MC Nationals)

    ~6a-noon (6 hrs)

    via:

    OH RT 585

    I-76 E

     

     

    Sunday, 06/26/2011 ... Carlisle/York PA - Pontiac IL

    ~7a-7p (12 hrs), gain hr, time change

    via:

    I-76 W

    US RT 30 W

    US RT 31 S

    US 24 W

     

     

    Monday, 06/27/2011 ... Pontiac IL - Lebanon MO

    ~11a-7p

    via:

    I-55 S

    I-255 S

    I-270 W

    I-44 W

    ...VISITS=

    Route 66 Museum, Pontiac IL

    Becky's Barn, just south of Springfield IL

    Henry's Ra66it Ranch, Stanton IL

    St Louis MO

    others

     

     

    Tuesday, 06/28/2011 ... Lebanon MO - Tulsa OK

    ~9a-6p

    via:

    I-44 W

    US RT 66 (~Joplin MO to avoid tollway)

    ...VISITS=

    Gary's Gay Parita Station

    4 Women On The Route, Galena KS

    Afton Station, Afton OK

    others

     

     

    Wednesday, 06/29/2011 ... Tulsa OK - Wichita KS

    ~10a-3p

    via:

    US RT 66 W (Tulsa OK - Oklahoma City OK)

    I-35 N

    ...VISITS=

    POPS

    Edmond OK

     

     

    Thursday, 06/30/2011 ... Wichita KS - Dallas TX

    ~9a-3p (6 hrs)

    via:

    I-35 S

     

     

    Friday, 07/01/2011 ... Dallas TX - Oklahoma City OK - Amarillo TX

    ~9a-5p (8 hrs)

    via:

    I-35 N

    I-40 W

    ...VISITS=

    Oklahoma City OK (lunch)

    various along US RT 66

     

     

    Saturday, 07/02/2011 ... Amarillo TX - Denver CO

    ~9a-6p (10 hrs), gain hr, time change

    via:

    I-40 W

    I-25 N

     

     

    Sunday, 07/03/2011 ... Denver CO - Salt Lake City UT

    ~8a-5p (9 hrs)

    via:

    I-25 N

    I-80 W

     

     

    Monday, 07/04/2011 ... Salt Lake City UT - Sacramento CA

    ~8a-6p (11 hrs), gain hr, time change

    via:

    I-80 W

     

     

    Tuesday, 07/05/2011 ... Sacramento CA - Eugene OR

    ~8a-5p (9 hrs)

    via:

    I-5 N

     

     

    Wednesday, 07/06/2011 ... Eugene OR - Seattle WA

    ~10a-4p (6 hrs)

    via:

    I-5 N

    US RT 20 W

    US RT 101 N

     

     

    Thursday, 07/07/2011 ... Seattle WA - Butte MT

    ~8a-7p (10 hrs), lose hr, time change

    via:

    I-90 E

     

     

    Friday, 07/08/2011 ... Butte MT - Pierre SD

    ~7a-8p (12 hrs), lose hr, time change

    via:

    I-90 E

     

     

    Saturday, 07/09/2011 ... Pierre SD - Bismarck ND

    ~7:30a-11a (3.5 hrs), w/1.5-hr lunch stop

    via:

    US RT 83 N

     

     

    Saturday, 07/09/2011 ... Bismarck ND - St Paul MN

    ~12:30p-8:30p (8 hrs)

    via:

    I-94 E

     

     

    Sunday, 07/10/2011 ... St Paul MN - Chicagoland IL

    ~8a-4p (8 hrs)

    via:

    I-94 E

    US RT 20 E

    (or)

    I-35 S

    US RT 20 E

     

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "A long white line stretching out on the road ahead" ... Vince Gill ... 'The Radio'

  2. A couple "link gems" to share...enjoy!

     

     

    #1 ... "Car Tunes"

    http://local.aaca.org/junior/cartunes/mp3/1970.htm

     

    Do you have a favorite?

     

     

    #2 ... "Cars of Dreams"

    video:

    site:

    http://www.carsofdreams.com/

     

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |* Chicagoland Meets, 2011?

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there" ... Jerry Reed ... 'East Bound And Down'

  3. Great pics - makes great arm chair traveling from home easy!!! LOL

     

    Cool ... lol! And, thanks!

     

     

    Comment on the Citgo sign in Boston - that got to be a center of controversy not to long ago around that sign. Some wanted it turned off, some wanted it torn down - and all because of Hugo Chavez. From your picture I guess somebody compromised - turn it off, but leave it standing.

     

    Boston residents are, if nothing else, colorful!!! LOL

     

    Indeed, Alex!

     

    However ... a couple days ago, a friend of mine who just moved to Boston, a few blocks away from that sign, told me that it is now "half lit". He was going to snap a pic of it, but hasn't yet ... or hasn't shared it with me yet ... since I'm not exactly sure what "half lit" means...lol.

     

    If it is off permanently, that's fine ... just as long as they leave it standing! :)

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |* Chicagoland Meets, 2011?

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "Everything is temporary anyway" ... Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians ... 'Circle'

  4. I know what you mean. One could always tell that this particular exit had some years on it just by the way it was designed. 1955 state-of-the-art doesn't take long to become 2010 totally obsolete!

     

    NO kidding.

     

    Here, the intersection of US Route 20 and Shales Parkway, on the east side of Elgin IL, was originally designed years ago. It was a "regular" intersection, with a 4-way stop light. It was obviously not designed with a lot of traffic in mind ... at least, not the extent it sees today.

     

    Recently, that intersection was redesigned. While the 4-way stoplight remains, traffic turning right off Shales Parkway onto west-bound US Route 20 no longer has to stop. The right turn lane was turned into an entrance-ramp-like "exit" onto US Route 20 ... and it keeps traffic flowing SO much better than it did before, especially since, at that point, west-bound US Route 20 turns into the bypass through Elgin.

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |* Chicagoland Meets, 2011?

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "Don't you remember?" ... Starship ... 'We Built This City'

  5. Why do so many of us who love the old roads love the old rails as well?

     

    I'm not quite sure why that is ... except that, perhaps, the old rails tell similar tales that the old highways do ... one of a country growing and developing over many years, taking people here and there ... and becoming part of the history, legend and folklore....

     

     

    We live within a couple of miles of the mainline into the northwest and at night when the breeze is blowing our way the wail of a lonely train whistle is carried in the wind. I pull the blankets a little higher over my old bones, and smile inside.

     

    A few different nights out on Route 66 afforded a similar opportunity to me. It was awesome!

     

    RR#3 in the pics traverses past the end of the backyard of the property where my Monte Carlos are stored. Many a time, I've had the pleasure of listening to the train rumble by as I'm out there. Since it isn't near an intersection at the point it passes the house/garage, the whistle doesn't blow. However, listening to the train rumble on by is just as cool, imho.

     

     

    ARWigwagBell.jpg

     

    Now THAT is cool! :)

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |* Chicagoland Meets, 2011?

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "The rhythm of the rails is all they feel" ... Steve Goodman ... 'City Of New Orleans'

  6. I liked your abandoned places a lot..... not the cityscapes so much. No problem with the cityscapes....but cities just don't grab me.

     

    Cities don't capture my attention much, either. I was enthralled with Boston, though, mainly for getting to see Fenway Park in person...!

     

     

    I love the "authentic" and your abandoned places are "authentic," as I define that term. No restoration, no reconstruction, just the damn thing falling down in its tracks. The stories just seem to leap out. But repaint, replace, fix, and re-create, and it is just another 21 century image of the past that wasn't.

     

    Your first photo is a classic of the genre. And the rest speak eloquently of what was.

     

    *nods*

     

    Thank you. The more abandoned places I've seen, the more interested in them I have become. I do the same thing with junk yards ... wonder what kind of "life" the cars once had. I wonder the same thing about the abandoned buildings....

     

     

    On a different vein, we once created a classification of road photo called through "through the windshield" shots. Do we need one for "out the side window" photos? Either you were a bit tipsy or you shot the apartment houses out the side window on the fly. ;):lol:

     

    LOL!

     

    Well, I don't/can't drink, so I wasn't a bit tipsy! But, yes, some of the pics were taken out the side window as I drove by...a bit tricky to do...lol.

     

    I have a few of those "through the windshield" shots, myself. But, in the threads I posted on the other boards of which I'm a member, I called them "The Road Ahead".... I suppose I could dig out that thread and post it here, if people would like to see 'em.....

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |* Rt 66+northwestUS, 2011?

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "I am tempted to keep the car in drive and leave it all behind" ... John Mayer ... 'Why Georgia Why'

  7. Good story and points well taken. As another member of the "older" generation, I would add my accumulated wisdom to the dialog, but I'm not giving away the secrets of life for free!

     

    LOL!

     

     

    Kids these days just don't seem to take time to learn responsibility ... or even "listen to their elders". Admittedly, when I was younger, I didn't care much for either, either. BUT ... the older I get, the more intriguing the past ... as told by the old highways AND the older generations that are still alive to talk ... becomes. What you may think is irrelevant to "today's" lifestyle, may, in fact, be VERY relevant ... and help in the growth process.

     

    Too bad more people don't "get that" at an early age..... Sometimes, understanding this is driven by the realization that life is way too short ... something I learned at a very early age.

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "Don't let your life pass you by" ... Sarah McLachlan ... 'I Will Remember You'

  8. ...continued...

     

     

    CITYSKAPES

     

    ...Boston MA, unlit CITGO sign, Fenway Park, 08/08/2010:

    10RT173_MA_0808_FenwayParkNeon.jpg

     

    ...Boston MA, late night, 08/08/2010:

    10RT176_MA_0808_FenwayParkHouseOFblues.jpg

     

    ...Elgin IL, western edge:

    MISCcity1.jpg

     

    ...Elgin IL, western edge:

    MISCcity3.jpg

     

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |* Chicagoland Meets, 2011?

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "Sometimes life's so bitter sweet" ... Carrie Underwood ... 'Starts With Goodbye'

  9. ABANDONED PLACES

     

    ...Glenrio TX, Route 66, 09/11/2009:

    0414_091109d07_TXglnr_atExit1.jpg

     

    ...New Mexico, Route 66, 09/11/2009, motor home on the left side is west-bound on I-40:

    0420_091109d07_NM_abandonedbldg.jpg

     

    ...Joseph City AZ, Route 66, 09/13/2009:

    0582_091309d09_AZjcity_EllaFrontier.jpg

     

    ...Newberry Springs CA, Route 66, 09/15/2009:

    0884_091509d11_CAnwbrysprngs_WBstation.jpg

     

    ...Hampshire IL, Big Timber Rd:

    10RT437e_IL_0822_OldHouse.jpg

     

    ...Illinois, Burlington Rd, SE of the IL RT 47 intersection:

    MISCabandoned1.jpg

     

     

     

    BARNS

     

    ...W of Rochelle IL, Lincoln Highway, 09/05/2009:

    0010_090509d01_ILwrch_Caddybarn.jpg

     

    ...W of Hampshire IL:

    MISCfarm1.jpg

     

    ...Plato Center IL:

    MISCfarm2.jpg

     

    ...W of Plato Center IL:

    MISCfarm3.jpg

     

    ...W of Burlington IL:

    MISCfarm4.jpg

     

    ...Plato Center IL:

    MISCfarm6.jpg

     

    ...W of Burlington IL w/POW-MIA sign on barn:

    MISCfarm7.jpg

     

     

    ...continued...

  10. #1 = Route 66 Mother Road Museum, Barstow CA, 09/16/2009:

    0931_091609d12_CAbrstw_66MRMtracks.jpg

     

     

     

    #2 = through Hampshire & Pingree Grove IL to Elgin IL (alongside the Fox River)

     

    2A, Walker Rd crossing W of Hampshire IL...

     

    ...looking W:

    MISCtrainWalkerWlooking.jpg

     

    ...looking E:

    MISCtrainWalkerElooking.jpg

     

     

    2B, State St crossing in Hampshire IL...

     

    ...looking W:

    MISCtrainHampshireWlooking.jpg

     

    ...looking E:

    MISCtrainHampshireElooking.jpg

     

     

     

    #3 = through Burlington & Plato Center IL to S Elgin IL (after crossing Hopps & Randall Rds)

     

    3A, Base Line Rd crossing W of Burlington IL, just W of the Moose Range Rd crossing...

     

    ...looking W:

    MISCtrainBaseLineWlooking.jpg

     

    ...looking E, barely see the Moose Range Rd crossing:

    MISCtrainBaseLineElookingATmr.jpg

     

     

    3B, Moose Range Rd crossing W of Burlington IL, just E of the Base Line Rd crossing...

     

    ...looking W, barely see the Base Line Rd crossing:

    10RT440e_IL_0822_RRw.jpg

     

    ...looking E:

    MISCtrainMooseRangeElooking.jpg

     

     

    3C, Burlington Rd crossing in Burlington IL...

     

    ...looking W:

    MISCtrainBurlingtonWlooking.jpg

     

    ...looking E:

    MISCtrainBurlingtonElooking.jpg

     

     

    3D, Bowes Rd crossing at Nesler Rd between Plato Center & S Elgin IL...

     

    ...looking W:

    MISCtrainBowesWlooking.jpg

     

    ...looking E:

    MISCtrainBowesElooking.jpg

     

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |* Rt 66+northwestUS, 2011?

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "Time is forever but love is a fire" ... Crystal Gayle ... 'Sound Of Goodbye'

  11. OK, that is the "side trips on I-90" version, Seattle to Butte, with lots saved for future trips. If this stuff helps, let me know, and I'll do eastward.

     

    YES ... that helps ... more than you may realize. Thank you! :)

     

     

     

    If I hadn't previously e-chatted with Cort elsewhere on the web, I probably would have been more subtle in my response. Plus, had I known of the emphasis on visiting old friends, which I truly understand and appreciate, I might not have made that response at all. I'd looked though many of the pictures of past trips but had not realized that last year's 66/LH trip was something of an anomaly in terms of sightseeing. I may not agree with your travel plans but I will defend to the point of mild inconvenience your right to pursue them.

     

    In reference to the original questions, "Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?", my thoughts and comments stand; My suggestions are rubbish.

     

    Denny ... I disagree; I do not think your suggestions are rubbish. I think just the opposite ... they are in harmony with my feelings about road trips ... because, thinking about it, this upcoming 2011 road trip is also an anomaly of sorts ... in that it is, as you pointed out, highly ambitious in "drive time" terms vs. "social/relaxing/taking it in" terms....

     

    I would love to "slow it down" a bit and enjoy a road trip like I did along Route 66 in 2009, or even portions of my 2008 trip to the northeast. However ... I only have 10 vacation days with which to work, and since the northwest section of the US is the only area/region (well, excluding Alaska and Hawaii) of the US to which I have not traveled "solo", I really want to make that trip work this year, for several reasons, including the fact that life is way too short. I've learned that lesson the hard way in various ways, so I want to make the trip while I still can....

     

    While I have considered the possibility of dropping the Route 66 section of this trip, I'm not too keen on that, given how much I enjoyed that 2009 trip. True, I will not see all the sites I did then, but I will see some highlights and, more importantly, see the people that I want to see again. In terms of the northwest, then, the ambitiousness of the trip is driven by my desire to DRIVE ... and my desire to meet up with people with whom I've spoken for years on various groups/message boards and to see some family, if possible.

     

     

    So Knight, enjoy your trip. Most of us "old road" roadies probably wouldn't because we've found so much of interest along the old highways. That's one thing I love now that I live in Memphis. There are so many old highways (there's, what, seven running thru Memphis - 51, 61, 64, 70, 72, 78 and 79) that one has a cornucopia of old roads to choose from. In the vernacular of the buyer "So many roads, so little money and time!!!). Having lived in New England (Maine) most of my life and I can tell you 2-lane travel is for the birds - to much crammed into to small a space. You drive the old roads in New England you had better be a lover of traffic lights.

     

    The greater Chicagoland area also has its share of old highways, both US and state, that I've enjoyed exploring the last few years, as I've driven my cars. And, I hope to continue that over the next few years as well.

     

    As I mentioned above, my limited vacation time is driving the necessity to utilize mostly interstates this trip. While I know this is not ideal, it is the path I must take, if I want to see some people in the northwest US. Prior to 2009, most of my road trips were via interstate. Those previous trips, however, did not cover as much real estate as my 2011 trip will, and thus, I had less "drive time" ... and more time to relax and visit, etc. Then, my September 2009 road trip along Route 66 really opened my eyes to the pleasures of the old highways that I had only had a taste of here in Illinois. Following that, my 2010 trip to the northeast included jaunts along, among others, US Route 6. So, I know what I will be missing, in terms of taking the old highways. But, if I'm granted enough time in this life, I will return to various areas across the United States to take in more each time.....at least, that's the plan. ;)

     

     

     

    I am going to hang with Knight. I hope he will hang with us. I'd like to add hundreds like him to our group. He is the mainstream.......not that we aren't happy where we are, maybe too happy.

     

    I would guess for every one person who will drive between Seattle and Chicago (his route) on the Yellowstone Trail or the National Parks Highway, there are a 10,000, maybe 100,000, who will take the interstates. If we want to share and build a love for the two lane roads, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where to prospect.

     

    Knight knows his mind and where his passions lie. All I would hope to do is add a little to his pleasures and memories. My thought is that there are many segments of the old two lane roads that are easily reached as you motor along the freeway. They take you the direction you are going, and usually through a more interesting landscape, closer up and more personal. And they add little to the travel time or distance. I will prove this if he shows an interest.

     

    Both the Yellowstone Trail and the National Parks Highway compliment his interstate route. He doesn't have to travel either for hundreds of miles to enjoy segments of each, and visit fascinating people and sites along the way. I'll try to prove that if he is game.

     

    Dave,

     

    Your description of taking the easily-reached sections of 2-lane roads along the interstates is about what I did with OH RT 2 and US RT 6 during my 2010 trip to the northeast US, as evidenced by the pics I took that trip ... so ... I AM GAME!

     

    I'm definitely going to hang around here, as long as ya'll will let me. Though, I'm not sure I'd consider myself mainstream.... I enjoy the interstates and the 2-lanes about equally, I'd say, more so the old highways following my 2009 Route 66 trip. On my way home from CA, as I passed Seligman AZ as I flew by on I-40, I wanted to literally YELL at all the other drivers, telling them what they were missing. I, of course, knew what I was missing, but I wondered how many other people racing past on I-40 knew ... or, for that matter, even cared to know what they were missing.

     

    Problem is ... most don't care ... and may never care, which is sad, in my opinion. The United States has a unique history that is best seen through the old highways ... and those that don't even attempt to see that history miss out on a great chunk of their heritage. I readily admit that I, in my younger days, did not care much at all. But, the more I have researched, read, and experienced the old highways, the more I've become obsessed with them ... and the history that they tell of people, places and events. So, it disheartens me to know that I will not be able to travel many old highways along the northwest US, but at the same time, I know that I will be driving and seeing people.

     

    My passions are too many and conflict with each other ... sometimes way too much. The best I can do is try to balance them ... and let things happen as they may after that.

     

    :)

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |* Chicagoland Meets, 2011?

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "It's like trying to catch a falling star" ... The Heights ... 'How Do You Talk To An Angel?'

  12. Steve ... that's a great pic!

     

     

    So far this year, my favorite drive was on a stretch of US 6 in Iowa between DesMoines and the Nebraska state line. There wasn't allot of traffic and the interstate wasn't visible for a good stretch.

     

    That's the best stretch of ANY roadway ... not much traffic!

     

    :)

     

     

    Second best was a trip along the Columbia River to Hood River this last week (end of summer?)

     

    That is a gorgeous area! I remember seeing that on a family vacation a back in the 1990s.

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |* Rt 66+northwestUS, 2011?

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "Here today, forgot tomorrow" ... Duran Duran ... 'Ordinary World'

  13. My first drive was in my dad's 1978 Chevy van. Manual steering, manual brakes. I drove it around a parking lot. Not very exciting!

     

    Heh ... by the time I was driving with a permit, my parents had an '82 Chevette ... manual brakes and steering ... that was the car I had to drive, if I wanted to drive. I didn't like it at first, but I got used to it.

     

     

    And, reading the other experience just reinforces my belief that I should've been born a decade or two earlier.... Older cars are my passion ... and, at times, I wish I had been able to experience driving some of the older cars that people reminiscent about these days....

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |* Chicagoland Meets, 2011?

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "Push the pedal down watch the world around fly by us" ... Mat Kearney ... 'Nothing Left To Lose'

  14. Thanks, Dave!

     

    I really wanted to add a stop to America On Wheels during my road trip this past August, but I just did not have time. Unfortunately, I can't go everywhere I want because I don't have enough vacation time. But, boy, if I did ... I'd be on the road 24/7/365 ... and then I'd have PLENTY of time to stop and see places and meet people! :)

     

    I will let you know next time I come through that area and will try to make a stop at America On Wheels. It'd be great to meet you, and I know I'd enjoy that personal tour!

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "All the places I have yet to go" ... Luce ... 'Good Day'

  15. Have a day off work today, so stopping in briefly this morning. I should've noted originally that I generally have time to visit the different boards/groups of which I'm a member once every couple weeks or so. I will always check in as I have time, and hope to meet many of you along the way....

     

     

    Cool on the Monte's - I had an '86 back in 2000-2003. Drove it from Maine out to Miles City, Montana in 2001 on the way to Seattle, WA. Took a few old highways, like U S 12 across South Dakota (stayed overnight in Aberdeen - what a desolate place that is/was). Only real problem I had was this was in July and the Monte had no AC. It do get warm in South Dakota in July.

     

    OH cool ... sounds like a great trip! But, without A/C ... yikes! Have any pics anywhere of that trip, or that MC, by chance?

     

     

    My first thought was "ambitious". Then I looked it over again and thought "very ambitious". Then I threw it on a map and thought "holy-cow ambitious". I'm sure it's doable but it's not, except for the Route 66 bit, my kind of road trip. You'll be going through some wonderful country but you won't have an opportunity to see much of it from all those expressways. And with several 500 mile days and one of nearly 800 (Butte-Pierre) you won't have much time to do anything but drive. If your goal is to say "I've been there" then fill the back seat with Red Bull when you leave Amarillo and have at it. But, if you'd rather say "I've seen it", I think you might want to consider trimming that north west route down a scosh.

     

    As Dave noted, you make a good point. However ... one thing you noted that I should clarify (and will clarify as I visit my other boards/groups) is that I HAVE "seen" those areas ... with my parents and sister on family road trips in 1985 and 1991. Back then, we did a lot of stopping ... and visiting ... and a heck of a lot of sightseeing. For me, this 2011 trip is about going to those areas "solo" and, more importantly, seeing friends and family every evening along the way. Make sense?

     

    My 2009 Route 66 trip was an "oddity" for me ... in that I did a LOT of sightseeing and stopping along the way. Up to that point, my road trips were a way to meet people ... and not do a lot of sightseeing. Yet, now, that has changed. Even with my August 2010 road trip, I did a little sightseeing along US Route 6, etc.

     

    In the 2011 trip, the sightseeing part will be, once again, along US Route 66, through the eyes (hopefully) of a friend with whom I will be traveling along that section of the trip. The rest of the trip, for the most part, will be driving and seeing people. Next time I visit here, I'll mention the National Parks that I may stop to see along the way, if "drive time" and "people time" permit....

     

    I suppose I should also mention that much of my enjoyment with road trips is the driving part. I simply LOVE to drive, but I strongly dislike traffic...!

     

     

     

    I can say with some confidence that I am familiar with a good deal of your route, specifically the Pacific Northwest and the route to Chicago. I took most of the Puget Sound to Chicago leg this summer. But what you are doing in 4 days, took me two weeks, so your and my experiences will differ. I'm thinking you need the most interesting highlights version, the "gems guide." But which "gems?"

     

    It will help a lot if we know your interests. For example, I like history and roadside artifacts. An abandoned schoolhouse from the teens of the last century, or a remnant of an old service station make me smile. On the other extreme I have friends who drive the interstates, and she holds the wheel at times while he photographs the memorable sights passing by on the driver's side. If they make less than 600 miles a day, they pick up the pace, while I struggle to make 150 - 200. We both enjoy the road......so what lights your fire?

     

    Heh ... and, in that last question, is the problem. TOO many things light my fire.

     

    First and foremost, I love meeting people. My road trips started as a way to meet people...plain and simple. While I was in Nashville TN in, I believe, March 2001, a friend of mine from Arkansas was killed in an automobile crash during a heavy rain storm. He was one of those that I had known for YEARS via different groups/online boards and had always said that "one day" we'd meet. Well, that never happened. So, I decided to take action to MAKE meetings happen ... and thus, I started my road trips. I've met quite a number of people over the last few years and have discovered, in each case, that we have more in common than an interest in a car or heart issues. It is a VERY small world. Heh, in one case, I found out a friend from a message board was taught by my grandfather "back in the day":

    http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/1106/DSC07591r8_jpg.html'>http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/1106/DSC07591r8_jpg.html

     

    Second ... similar to you, I enjoy history, roadside artifacts, and following the "web of life", in terms of how things evolved and who knows who and what intersects with what, etc. This was never more evident than during my 2009 Route 66 trip.

     

    Third ... I love old cars, I don't care what they are. While I certainly enjoy seeing the "master pieces" (or "trailer queens"), I also love seeing the "in progress" ones or even just the old car with rust and dents that is driven for daily use.

     

    Fourth ... as I mentioned, I love to simply drive. I can spend all day long just driving!

     

    ...and those four are just a start....! :)

     

     

     

     

    Here are links to my documented road trips, if you're interested....

     

     

    West, October 2004:

    http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/0410/0410.html

     

     

    East, August 2005:

    http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/0508/0508.html

     

     

    West, October 2006:

    http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/1106/1106.html

     

     

    Southeast, November 2007:

    http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/200711/200711.html

     

     

    East, August 2008:

    http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/200808/2008rt.html

     

     

    Southwest, September 2009:

     

    09/05/09, Day 1, DeKalb IL (LH) to Pontiac IL (Rt 66) to Springfield IL, 43 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY1#slideshow/5427141662526110530

     

    09/06/09, Day 2, Springfield IL to St Louis MO, 68 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY2#slideshow/5427153871443919250

     

    09/07/09, Day 3, Stanton MO to Joplin MO, 62 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY3#slideshow/5427439268824317586

     

    09/08/09, Day 4, Joplin MO to Tulsa OK, 77 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY4#slideshow/5427862154662426722

     

    09/09/09, Day 5, Tulsa OK to Clinton OK, 53 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY5#slideshow/5428251162202783314

     

    09/10/09, Day 6, Clinton OK to Amarillo TX, 80 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY6#slideshow/5428260359643080226

     

    09/11/09, Day 7, Amarillo TX to Moriarty NM, 81 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY7#slideshow/5428654625398731538

     

    09/12/09, Day 8, Moriarty NM to Holbrook AZ, 102 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY8#slideshow/5428980552494890642

     

    09/13/09, Day 9, Holbrook AZ to Williams AZ, 72 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY9#slideshow/5429002721353620370

     

    09/14/09, Day 10, Williams AZ to Kingman AZ, 116 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY10#slideshow/5429395440355434498

     

    09/15/09, Day 11, Kingman AZ to Barstow CA, 137 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY11#slideshow/5430380559414678786

     

    09/16/09, Day 12, Barstow CA to Rialto/San Bernardino CA, 98 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY12#slideshow/5431220758934833330

     

    09/17/09, Day 13, Rialto/San Bernardino CA to Albuquerque NM, 36 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY13#slideshow/5431255586450476482

     

    09/18/09, Day 14, Albuquerque NM (Rt 66) to Kearney NE (LH), 5 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY14#slideshow/5431261135177047330

     

    09/19/09, Day 15, Kearney NE (LH) to Elgin IL, 29 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY15#slideshow/5431272549764120818

     

     

    South, November 2009:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/DriveSouthTNAL112709112909#slideshow/5431282615925577026'>http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/DriveSouthTNAL112709112909#slideshow/5431282615925577026

     

     

    Northeast, August 2010:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/DriveSouthTNAL112709112909#slideshow/5431282615925577026

     

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "I love to hear the steel belts hummin' on the asphalt" ... Steve Earle ... 'Guitar Town'

  16. Thank you, Jim and Denny!

     

    Have the day off work today, so decided to stop in for a brief time this morning. I should've noted before that I generally have time to visit the boards once every 2 weeks or so, but I will visit here as often as possible!

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |* Chicagoland Meets, 2011?

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "Where do you begin?" ... Dolly Parton ... 'Starting Over Again'

  17. I'm ALREADY looking to my 2011 road trip.

     

    While I know about 2 car shows the last weekend of June 2011 in PA (GM Nationals, Carlisle; MC Nationals, York)...and the irony of the 2 shows being so close together with many people I know attending at least 1 of the 2 shows, it does not appear (at this point) that I will be able to go, due to lack of vacation time. Instead, since I have yet to travel to the northwest section of the United States during any of my road trips, that is where I'm heading....

     

     

    In early June 2011, I may have the opportunity to travel with a Route 66 friend of mine along part of US Route 66 from Chicagoland to Amarillo TX. If that works out, the POSSIBLE itinerary is....

     

    Saturday, 06/04/2011 ... Chicagoland to Springfield IL

     

    Sunday, 06/05/2011 ... Springfield IL to west of STL Missouri

    (possible going as far as Lebanon MO)

     

    Monday, 06/06/2011 ... W of STL MO to Joplin MO

     

    Tuesday, 06/07/2011 ... Joplin MO to Tulsa OK

     

    Wednesday, 06/08/2011 ... Tulsa OK to Clinton OK

    (potential side trip up to Wichita KS while we stop in Oklahoma City OK)

     

    Thursday, 06/09/2011 ... Clinton OK to Amarillo TX

     

    Friday, 06/10/2011 ... stay in Amarillo TX

     

     

     

    From Amarillo, then, I will head to the northwest.... Unless I opt to travel a bit farther west across the southern US, THIS is the tentative outline for the rest of my trip....

     

    Saturday, 06/11/2011 ... Amarillo TX - Denver CO

    ~9a-6p (10 hours), gain hour per time change

    via I-40 W ... I-25 N

     

    Sunday, 06/12/2011 ... Denver CO - Salt Lake City UT

    ~8a-5p (9 hours)

    via I-25 N ... I-80 W

     

    Monday, 06/13/2011 ... Salt Lake City UT - Sacramento CA

    ~8a-6p (11 hours), gain hour per time change

    via I-80 W

     

    Tuesday, 06/14/2011 ... Sacramento CA - Eugene OR

    ~8a-5p (9 hours)

    via I-5 N

     

    Wednesday, 06/15/2011 ... Eugene OR - Seattle WA

    ~10a-4p (6 hours)

    via I-5 N ... US RT 20 W ... US RT 101 N

     

    Thursday, 06/16/2011 ... Seattle WA - Butte MT

    ~8a-7p (10 hours), lose hour per time change

    via I-90 E

     

    Friday, 06/17/2011 ... Butte MT - Pierre SD

    ~7a-8p (12 hours), lose hour per time change

    via I-90 E

     

    Saturday, 06/18/2011 ... Pierre SD - Bismarck ND

    ~7:30a-11a (3.5 hours), w/1.5-hr stop for lunch

    via US RT 83 N

     

    Saturday, 06/18/2011 ... Bismarck ND - St Paul MN

    ~12:30p-8:30p (8 hours)

    via I-94 E

     

    Sunday, 06/19/2011 ... St Paul MN - Chicagoland IL

    ~8a-4p (8 hours)

    via I-94 E ... US RT 20 E

    (or)

    via I-35 S ... US RT 20 E

     

     

     

    Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |* Chicagoland Meets, 2011?

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "With every state line, somehow I find another part of me" ... Love And Theft ... 'Runaway'

  18. Query:

    From this past summer (or farther back), what experience(s) on what road(s) will stick with you?

     

     

    For me....

     

    IL Route 47 (which crosses US Route 20, the Lincoln Highway, and US Route 66)...:

    Every time I travel this road, whether up here west of Elgin IL while driving my Monte Carlos in the summer months or heading south towards US Route 24 or I-74 en route to TN, I'm reminded of my return home from my November 2007 road trip and how icy the road was. I remember a couple sections, including one south of the RR tracks in Elburn IL, where I thought sure I was going to slide off the road or into oncoming traffic ... but, luckily, I never did.

     

    Moose Range Rd (northwest of Burlington IL)...:

    The day before the final MidSummer Chitown Gathering, the Chicago area had record rainfalls. Now, each time I travel this road, I will associate it with those record rainfalls and scenes like this, heading north:

    04_Chitown3_07242010_DriveMooseRangeRd.jpg

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "The years go by and time just seems to fly, but the memories remain" ... Daughtry ... 'September'

  19. Simple questions:

    When/Where was the first time you drove?

    What did you drive?

     

     

    For me:

    August 1988, Holsopple PA

    1979 Blazer (2-tone red/white)

     

    While I was visiting my Aunt Thelma and Uncle Glen for a couple weeks, my Uncle Glen (who died 10 years later, the day the loan for my 1976 Monte Carlo was approved) took me with to do some errands. On the way back, instead of pulling into their driveway, he turned into the grassy field across the street, parked the Blazer and asked me if I wanted to drive. Naturally, I did. After that, my parents allowed me to move their '81 MC SC (now mine) out of the garage whenever we took that car.

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |* Rt 66+northwestUS, 2011?

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "I've always seen myself as a hopeless romantic" ... Gary Morris & Crystal Gayle ... 'Another World'

  20. Hello everybody,

     

    I'm Cort from northeast IL, near Chicago, and it is cool to be a member of a message board/group that welcomes discussion of ALL roads. I LOVE road trips. If I could road trip 24/7/365, I would.

     

    My personal road trips (I've road tripped MANY years with my parents and sister when my sister and I were younger) started in 2002 to meet people. I have gone on at least one "major" road trip each year, depending on how vacation time allowed. My 2009 journey across US Route 66 increased my interest and fascination with the "blue highways", and one day, I hope to be able to travel many of the other "old roads", such as the Lincoln Highway, US Route 20 (which runs right through my home town), Natchez Trace, the Dixie Highway, US Route 6, etc.

     

     

    If you're interested, pics of my road trips....

     

     

    West, October 2004:

    http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/0410/0410.html'>http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/0410/0410.html

     

     

    East, August 2005:

    http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/0508/0508.html

     

     

    West, October 2006:

    http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/1106/1106.html

     

     

    Southeast, November 2007:

    http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/200711/200711.html

     

     

    East, August 2008:

    http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/200808/2008rt.html

     

     

    Southwest, September 2009:

     

    09/05/09, Day 1, DeKalb IL (LH) to Pontiac IL (Rt 66) to Springfield IL, 43 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY1#slideshow/5427141662526110530

     

    09/06/09, Day 2, Springfield IL to St Louis MO, 68 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY2#slideshow/5427153871443919250

     

    09/07/09, Day 3, Stanton MO to Joplin MO, 62 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY3#slideshow/5427439268824317586

     

    09/08/09, Day 4, Joplin MO to Tulsa OK, 77 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY4#slideshow/5427862154662426722

     

    09/09/09, Day 5, Tulsa OK to Clinton OK, 53 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY5#slideshow/5428251162202783314

     

    09/10/09, Day 6, Clinton OK to Amarillo TX, 80 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY6#slideshow/5428260359643080226

     

    09/11/09, Day 7, Amarillo TX to Moriarty NM, 81 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY7#slideshow/5428654625398731538

     

    09/12/09, Day 8, Moriarty NM to Holbrook AZ, 102 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY8#slideshow/5428980552494890642

     

    09/13/09, Day 9, Holbrook AZ to Williams AZ, 72 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY9#slideshow/5429002721353620370

     

    09/14/09, Day 10, Williams AZ to Kingman AZ, 116 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY10#slideshow/5429395440355434498

     

    09/15/09, Day 11, Kingman AZ to Barstow CA, 137 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY11#slideshow/5430380559414678786

     

    09/16/09, Day 12, Barstow CA to Rialto/San Bernardino CA, 98 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY12#slideshow/5431220758934833330

     

    09/17/09, Day 13, Rialto/San Bernardino CA to Albuquerque NM, 36 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY13#slideshow/5431255586450476482

     

    09/18/09, Day 14, Albuquerque NM (Rt 66) to Kearney NE (LH), 5 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY14#slideshow/5431261135177047330

     

    09/19/09, Day 15, Kearney NE (LH) to Elgin IL, 29 pics:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY15#slideshow/5431272549764120818

     

     

    South, November 2009:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/DriveSouthTNAL112709112909#slideshow/5431282615925577026'>http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/DriveSouthTNAL112709112909#slideshow/5431282615925577026

     

     

    Northeast, August 2010:

    http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/DriveSouthTNAL112709112909#slideshow/5431282615925577026

     

     

     

     

    Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |* Rt 66+northwestUS, 2011?

    MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

    "Just like driving on an open highway never knowing what we're gonna find" ... Lady Antebellum ... 'Our Kind Of Love'

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