Bucfan

It's all right ... Headstone's used to be on the the National Road before it moved to its current location. So you're not off-topic at all. Back in the 70s, Headstone's was between 8th and 9th streets on the east side of Wabash. Probably an empty lot when you lived here, though. And I remember hanging out there playing pinball and pool in the back of the store when I was a teenager. Too much time in that place is probably what makes me see buffalo out in a field in Iowa. Oh, sorry, that was another thread ...

That would be it. Of course, as of now, they're not going to use it that way, planning to build all new-terrain. Guess that could change, though.

Can someone answer just one question about this? Why does it take Hoosiers seven years to create 20 miles of new highway? A similar situation is under way here in Terre Haute. A bypass is being built to connect U.S. 41 on the south end of town to I-70 on the east side. I don't believe that stretch of new highway is as long as the U.S. 31 project and it also won't be completed until some time in the next decade. You'd think with all of this Major Moves money, the projects could be completed sooner rather than later. Any thoughts?

Thanks for the greetings, guys. You really know how to make a new member feel welcome. Yes! Roadmaven's both a "roadie" and a "foodie." And there's nothing like sitting in Square Donuts, drinking coffee, eating donuts and watching the traffic cruise by on the National Road ... I remember you as a DJ (I'm assuming you used your real name and not an air name). "Problems" is a tactful way of putting it ... Anyway, I grew up on the south side, now live out in the southern part of the county. I worked for the Tribune-Star for more than 20 years (the office used to be just off Seventh and Wabash ... it's like I've spent half of my life looking at the National Road). Thank you, Keep the Show on the Road. I'm just hoping I get invited to hang out at the garage you guys go to on the weekends! And thanks for all of the nice comments about Redhighways. Feedback is always welcome -- good or not so good. And there should be new content up every couple of days for awhile. We just took a trip in July through Illinois, Missouri, Iowa and Wisconsin, traveling various two-laners. I just finished an article on U.S. 20 from Dubuque to Dyersville (had to make that baseball pilgrimage ...). Next up will be an article about Dyersville itself ... there's more to see there than just a baseball diamond in a corn field.

Well, I missed the celebration last night. But it was the email announcing the chat room shindig that got me to come here and register yesterday. So, I'll just mark my calendar for next year and make sure I join you for the two-year forum celebration!

Greetings! My name is Bob Orlandini. I live in Terre Haute, Indiana, the original "Crossroads of America." I guess my love of traveling by car began because of the lack of trips when I was a kid. The only "family" vacation we took when I was a kid was when I was 5. We went to Branson, Missouri, before Branson was Branson. My dad spent the week fishing, except for one day when we went to Silver Dollar City. (I took my 9-year-old son to Silver Dollar City last summer ... boy, how things have changed!) Anyway, from that 1968 vacation, fast-forward to May 1981 ... the day after I graduated high school, three buddies and I took off for St. Louis for several days, going to a Cardinals game, Six Flags, the Arch, Laclede's Landing. Later that same year a co-worker invited me to go to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl football game on New Year's Eve. I realized from those two trips just how much I enjoyed jumping in the car and going off to explore new places. Since then, I've managed to visit 36 states and have been able to find the time to get off the interstate and explore some back roads in most of them. Earlier this year, my girlfriend Susan and I decided to start documenting some of our excursions. And so Redhighways.com was born. However, both of her daughters decided to have babies this year, so most of our travels this summer have been to Effingham, Ill., and Indianapolis to see the grandkids. OK, I've already spent a couple of hours reading the posts just in this thread (thanks to the side trip to jimgrey.net ... great stuff Jim!). It's time to go explore the rest of the forums.