roadhound

Sweet! Nothing finer than driving through the desert, trailing a cloud of dust, on a freshly graded road. When I saw the Goodyear Cutoff in '07 it surprised me that the road was graded. I was expecting to see it much like your photo shows it. I wondered for a long time why it had been graded and the only conclusion I could draw was that it was being used by someone for something and the details were classified.

Dale, I am really enjoying the chronicle of your journey across Utah & Nevada on the Lincoln. It reminds me of a similar journey I took a few years ago with my son and father. I did notice that the Goodyear Cutoff was a bit better maintained back then. Goodyear Cutoff, 2007

All I can think of to say is "Why?" http://www.rgj.com/article/20110105/NEWS/101050379/1321/news/Vandals-cut-down-Shoe-Tree http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/932

Steve C, Thanks for posting that image, clears up a lot of things in my mind. If you are correct about the school and the church then I think I know the building you are talking about. It was a few blocks away from the apartment that I had when I was living in Tracy back in the mid 80's. Next time I pass through I will have to check it out. Roadhound

I always thought of Interstate 40 as being the alternate to Route 66. I hope they get the funding to keep that section of road open and safe. Last November when I drove the stretch between Ludlow and Essex I did notice that there were load limit signs very prominently displayed before each bridge. I don't recall what the load limit was for a multi-axled trailer but it didn't seem like a very large number. Roadhound

With the shafts of light coming from above all you need is a choir of angels to know that you have reached the promised land. Rick

I'm with you Denny. The days when I would take on a 1500 calorie gut buster are long gone. That, and the nearest cardiac care was an hour away in Port Angeles. After my son finished the burger he muttered something about parental responsibility and asked why we let him order what he did. Even if you don't order the Smitty Burger it is still worth a stop.

Dave, Yes, my son takes after my wife and my daughter's genes favor me. Strange thing how genetics works. We spent the better part of three days on the Olympic Peninsula and it still wasn't enough for me. So many stops we had to bypass in the name of time but isn't that always the case? We went through Port Angeles and spent one night at Sol Duc Hot Springs. The weather was perfect and family really enjoyed the hot spring pools. If you plan on going that direction I would recommend bringing your own meals. We ate at the lodge's restaurant and it totalled out to over $25 a plate. The next night was at the Khalaloch Lodge. Like Sol Duc the accomodations at Khalaloch was a central lodge with surrounding cabins. There are no rooms in the lodge building itself. During the 3 days in the area we hiked through the Hoh and Quinault rainforests, took a walk on Ruby Beach, spent some time in 3 of the 4 lodges in the park, and stopped at the lighthouses at Cape Dissappointment before crossing the Columbia into Astoria. A few pics that I have had time to work. Marymere Falls Sol Duc Falls Rainforest Roadhound

Fat Smitty's on Hwy 101 on the Olympic Peninsula was mentioned in another posting and was recommended as a place to stop if you were in the area. Last month we journeyed through the area and were fortunate to be passing through the intersection of WA 20 and US 101 at just about lunch time. The food was your typical diner food (burgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese, freedom fries, etc.). I didn't attempt the Smitty Burger but my son did. I did have their blackberry shake with freshly picked blackberries...delicious. The inside of the diner is plastered with $1 bills with various notes written on them from diners that have passed through. There is also quite a bit of Marine Corps Semper Fi both inside and outside the diner. Even the wood carving of the chef in front of the diner has the Marine Corps emblem on his.

Originally I wasn't sure if I was going to get there from Victoria or the Mainland but it sounds like one would not be forgiven if they passed up a Smitty Burger, so I guess we'll come from the mainland and take the ferry to Port Townsend. If you had plans to stay at the Sol Duc Hot Springs Lodge on the same night as us you had better already have your reservation. I just snagged the last of the accomodations. I also made reservations at the Kalaloch Lodge. Keep, we will show the appropriate respect as I am sure there is a bronze plaque on the door of the honeymoon suite commemorating the event. Thanks to everyone for the road trip intel. Altogether we plan on spending the better part of 3 days in the area and as usual everyone's help on this forum is a great assett to me in making sure we make the most of it. Roadhound

Thanks for the report sit properly. Very timely as I am just starting to gather information for a trip through there this summer. The plan so far is to start at Port Angeles, explore what we can of Olympic National Park without backpacking, then head south on the west side towards Oregon. Any advice on lodging? Must see sites? Roadhound

I think your close on your estimate for when Great America opened. If I recall I was in 7th grade which would put it in the 1976 timeframe. My parents took us down there twice during the first summer that it was opened and we thought it was the greatest. It had roller coasters like Magic Mountain and you didn't have to hassle with a ticket for each ride unlike Disneyland and Santa Cruz. When it opened it was called Marriots Great America but sometime in the last 30 years it was sold to Six Flags and the Marriots was dropped. Six Flags also owns Marine World which used to be in San Carlos (?) but is now in Vallejo. Marine World has a unique mixture of animal shows, waterski shows, plus roller coasters. Does an amusement part that opened in the 70's qualify as an "Old" amusement park? Roadhound

Its been 4 or 5 years since I was last there but I do recall that the arcade still had some of the old games in addition to pinball and newer video games. I don't remember any girlie card dispensers but they did have a card dispenser with airplane photos from the 50's. My son thought that those were cool (and so did I!). The merry go around is probably the same as it was back then although it probably has been refurbished once or twice. There are still brass rings that you can grab and then you try to throw them into a clowns mouth as you go by. The rollercoaster is still there but the cars now have a lap bar that keeps you from flying out. I couldn't imagine riding it without a belt let alone trying to stand up and ride it. They also have a few other roller coasters and rides that weren't there 50 years ago but I bet there is enough left to satisfy your thirst for nostalgia.

"Had?" "Was?" It's still there Dave unless these latest storms have washed it away. Even the arcade is still there. You can take the train into the Santa Cruz Mountains although it is a diesel now and doesn't go all the way to San Jose. Roadhound

Most awesome find dude! At least that gives you a place to start looking. Ironically, I was just doing some searches on historic Livermore to see if I could pin down a location. That area has grown so much that anything that was close to downtown is likely long gone, but who knows. Rick

The website shows a surviving building in Berkeley that I will have to search out as well as a location in Livermore. I wonder how many buildings, towers, or both have survived? Rick

A few weeks ago I went to the annual luncheon of the Society for Aviation History and happened to be sitting at a table with a gentlemen who was an expert on the navigation beacons and the network of them built during the 20's and 30's. We got into a long discussion on the subject and I asked him if he knew anything about the Richfield navigation beacons. He was able to provide me with more information than I could remember. It turns out the Richfield beacons were built for the private pilot in contrast to the federal beacons built for airline and military navigation. The beacons went from the Mexican border north to the Canadian border and were spaced approximately every 50 miles. They weren't necessarily the shortest route by air but rather followed the roads from town to town. South of San Francisco there was an inland and coastal route (99 & 101) and north was strictly inland following 99. The rotating beacon was 8,000,000 candle power but they might also have a fixed beacon of equal power pointing towards the airport. This website has more info on the subject: http://oldbeacon.com/beacon/richfield_beacon_airway.htm Roadhound

Beautiful photo Dave! I have never been to Glacier. Both of my attempts were blocked by mother nature. First time by an early snowstorm and the second by a large forest fire on the east side of the park. Unfortunately it is a long drive to get there or I would have made more attempts. I'm glad the weather held out for you long enough to snap the shutter. Roadhound

I really enjoyed the trip report Denny, especially the parts in my neck of the woods here in California. It's always interesting to see your home turf through the eyes of someone else. I do have to nit pick on one thing. On day 19 you posted a link to a photo that you took in San Francisco and identified it as a "fighter." Actually the plane you got a picture of was a World War II trainer knows as a T-6 Texan (the Navy called it an SNJ). The owner of the plane is Jim Thomas and the plane is based in Livermore, CA. That plane will be racing in a few weeks at the Reno Air Races in the T-6 class. With speed in the low 200's the T-6 class is much slower than the Unlimiteds, which are World War II era fighters and capable of speeds anywhere between 350-500 mph.

I've only driven that stretch of 395 once or twice. Comparing it with today's map they sure have done a lot to straighten it out in the last 90 years. Roadhound

I don't think you're to far off topic since you could pull to the side of the road and watch the Reno Air Races from 395. US 395 is the Air Race Highway.

Dave, Another word of advice that you offered up to me once was not to forget to take pictures of your traveling companions. I have to constantly remind myself of that every time I travel. We all know that the journey is often more important than the destination and who you travel with and meet along the way are most important of all. I have many regrets of road trips where I got so wrapped up in capturing the scenery passing by that I forgot all about those that were there with me.

Thanks Dave, I'm relatively certain that the road shown on the mapt between Verdi and Truckee is the original route of the Lincoln. Brian Butko's "Lincoln Highway Companion" shows the original road to follow Henness Pass Road west out of Verdi and then Dog Valley Rd. into Truckee. With the exception of the two reservoirs that have been built since then it looks like the route is still in place. BTW, page 27 and 48 in Brian's latest Lincoln book are worth a close look. Roadhound

Dave, Is it possible to post the other part of the map? I am particularly interested in the route west of Verdi and where it ends up. Chris, Thanks for posting that article. Another old road added to my list of "must drives." Rick

I didn't think that my posting would evoke so many memories from you old timers. Sounds like traveling and staying in 50 cents per night lodging was quite the adventure. I'm glad I missed it. I do remember back in the late 60\early 70's time frame while traveling with my parents that it was a common practice to check the room before agreeing to take it for the night. Being the oldest son, all of 7 or 8 years at the time, I would go with my dad to see what was available and check out the room. There were more than a few that he passed on. Some of them I thought we should have stayed in as a 7 year old can easily be swayed by the 25 cent vibrating bed or the large neon pirate along the streetfront. I'm sure I was a lot of help in the decision making process. Nowadays when I travel with the family I stick with known commodities where it's not necessary to check the room first and the prospects of surprises in the room are few. I did look in the windows of the unit in Lithia Park and it did look "cozy." There were no furnishings in it and I didn't notice what type of bathing facilities it had. It did have a red linoleum floor. Of course, being restored, I'm sure it looked as pristine as they could make it and nothing like it would of after being in use for 15 or 20 years.