Alex Burr - hester_nec

Noticed your www.sdrocksnroads.com url after your signature on your post. Neat site and interesting. Of course I was more interested in the highways section, tho the railroad section was neat too. I'll have to check back now and again to see what other goodies you've posted. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Well, maybe the current economy will turn that development into a ghost town. I saw on the news the other night, out near Victorville, where a bank that had taken over a development whose developer had gone bankrupt just tore down all the houses - said it was cheaper than trying to sell them. Estimated original value had been in the $500,000 to $600,000 range - current value around $100,000. Looks like the "build and they will come" days are over for now. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

That dirt section took me back to 2001 and Montana. A friend of mine, who, at the time, lived in Miles City, Montana, and I went to the Hudson car club national in Seattle. On our way home Cloyd took me up thru Great Falls and Fort Benton, finally winding up on a dirt road that took us to Ingomar. And when I say dirt (gravel) road - I'm talking 1910 version!!!!!!!!! LOL Cloyd showed me parts of Montana most tourists never see. Cloyd recently passed away, so I thank you for that shot that brought back the memory of our trip thru the back roads of Montana. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

The railroads, back in those early days of aviation, were referred to by aviators as "the iron compass." Many railroad stations had the name of the town painted on the roof, just for the aviators - usually for the planes carrying the mail. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

I certainly won't be giving it a try - nor the one sticking out over the Grand Canyon. I have a problem with heights - just seeing the Sears Tower boxes on the news last night had me grabbing for something for support!!!!!!!! Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

I did post the web site - it just didn't act like a link. "For a contrast in bridge design I have a picture on www.freewebs.com/yankeetraveller (click on 1923 alignments an scroll down to the bridge picture just after the Old Memphis Road and stop sign) of a bridge in the Brighton, TN, area on a 1923 U S 51 alignment." Alex Burr Memphis, TN

For a contrast in bridge design I have a picture on www.freewebs.com/yankeetraveller (click on 1923 alignments an scroll down to the bridge picture just after the Old Memphis Road and stop sign) of a bridge in the Brighton, TN, area on a 1923 U S 51 alignment. This bridge has no guard rails - and if you think maybe the highway department hasn't gotten around to putting guard rails, there's another a little further on that's the same way. I don't suppose there is much traffic thru there now; mostly local. Neat thing about this alignment, thothere isn't a thing out there but nice scenery is that this bridge is on a circa 1920's alignment - to get to it you have to come off the current 51 highway, to an alignment that replaced the 1920's road. So you have 3 different alignments here. Also of interest is the railroad underpass a few photo's before the bridge picture. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

jehu = could that have evolved into "yahoo"??? Interesting thought. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Dam dents????? Where I'm originally from we call 'em dam potholes!!!! Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Great trip read - tho it did take me two days to run thru the photo's. I went thru that area on my way back to the east coast, but I don't really remember much of it now - my trip was back in 1953!!!! I find that same problem with U S 40 between PA and the Dayton, OH, area and U S 66. As well as other roads I traveled over way, way back then. Guess maybe I was to anxious to see what was over the next hill to pay much attention to what we were going by. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

I've developed the habit of getting on the road around 7ish, stopping for breakfast around 9:30 - usually Burger King, if I come across one. I'm not a heavy eater for breakfast and lunch - if I get the hungeries around mid-afternoon, I usually have crackers and peanut butter handy, along with a cold drink. My heavy meal, when I'm on the road is supper - around 5. That gives it a chance to settle before I turn in around 10 or 11. I've found a couple of good chain resturants, such as Perkins, offer good meals at very reasonable (under $10) prices. I mentioned starting around 7 - a lot of times, especially in the summer, have started as early as 6:30 to get a couple hundred miles down the road before it gets really hot. I'm usually off the road by 4:30 - 99% of the motels you'll stop at haven't started filling up that early. I've shut down for the night around 8, curling up with a book or a TV show and the parking lots were mostly empty - when I got up early in the morning the lots were full. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

One of our Hudson car club members, Sarah Young, has, among other things on her Hudson Jet web site, a long list of Hudson dealerships from over the years. It's not so much the fact that she has this listing, but many are accompanied by pictures of the buildings - and I thought maybe some of our American Road group might enjoy seeing some of these old buildings along the old highways - and if you are planning a road trip it will give you something to look for along the way. The site is @ http://www.hudsonjet.net/ - click on the dealership links. And if you know of any that you've come across, drop me an email @ hudsontech@hetclub.org - I'll pass them along to Sarah and to Sheldon Rody, who is currently upgrading a book of Hudson dealers world wide. Thanks - and enjoy. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Definitely include Mt Rushmore in your list - and while you're there try to take in the Crazy Horse Memorial as well. A drive up thru the Needles is awesome - my daughter (quite a bit older than your daughter) and I took a bus tour from Rapid City that went to Rushmore, the Needles, Custer and Crazy Horse. I've not driven it, so cannot tell you what it's like - but U S 14 crosses Minnesota/South Dakota from south of Minneapolis to Rapid City. You could follow 14 all the way into Idaho and pick up 20 in Idaho Falls. Or follow U S 16 over to Newcastle, WY, then south on 85 to Cheyenne and pick up U S 30 west from there. Just a few suggestions. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Sorry to hear about the accident - but glad everybody is ok. As I grow older I find myself having to concentrate much more on my driving than I did when I was younger. The other day, in fact, I ran a red light here in Memphis - fortunately the cross-street was a little used street and, tho there was a car waiting for green, he didn't move as I sailed merrily thru the intersection. So I got lucky. Here's wishing you "safe" miles of travel. OF course now the kids have a story to tell - about the day Dad was a dummy and ran a red light. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Interesting. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

And suddenly he awoke one morning to realize he'd reached "THAT" age. Now he knew why he had been getting all those letters from AARP for so long. He knew something was up when the pretty young things at the cash registers everywhere would smile and say "Senior Citizens Discount, sir??" Ah, hell, Denny - look at it this way - you just turned "26". In my case I enjoy this older age - I have fun remembering the fun things I used to do back in my 20's. Every morning, I remember, when I try to get out of bed!!! A friend of mine said it best - If we had known we were going to live this long, we wouldn't have done the things we did in our 20's!!!! Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

I'll take the 36 Hudson convert - no surpise there. I think that was restored by Park Waldrop - last I heard, if that's the same car, it sold at auction for something like $90,000. Hudson's are appreciating in value - at a recent Amelia Island auction a 1954 Hudson Italia sold for $275,000 - I missed it by, oh, $274,500. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Back around 1966 or 1967 I was headed east from Illinois back to my ship in Maryland and I stopped to visit my sister in Charleston, WV. Headed east from her place I wound up going north on 119 to 50, then east on 50. I remember one place where the sign showed a left turn and right after that sign was another that said right turn - they weren't kidding. A 90º left followed immediately by a 90º right - and then it went almost straight down hill. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Interesting that they consider an interstate the most dangerous - tho considering that most folks returning to LA from Vegas are probably flying higher than the car would contribute much to accidents. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

I noticed in one of the photo's mention that it cost $264,000 to build way back when and would cost $20 million today - and it probably wouldn't stand for near 100 years, like the old one. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Sort of looks to me like the remains of a two room motel?? and the larger building looks like a service station. Clear the bushes away from the front............... Love the rest room. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Sort of looks to me like the remains of a two room motel?? and the larger building looks like a service station. Clear the bushes away from the front............... Love the rest room. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Reading over your Michigan Road post this morning - in the St. Joseph section you wrote: "I think that this ceased to be a highway when US 31 was expanded to four lanes in northern Indiana. It's not clear to me why Quinn Trail was left behind; it seems like it would have been possible to expand this road to four lanes." If you look at the map you posted with that showing the alignment Quinn Trail/US 31 the answer seems obvious - Quinn Trail curves, 31 doesn't. They simply straightened the right of way to by-pass the curve of Quinn Trail. As nature abhors a vacuum, highway engineers abhor curves!!!! "To follow the Michigan Road, turn left onto Western Ave. and then immediately right onto Michigan St., where you are greeted with this scene. As someone who grew up with that awful pedestrian mall, it is very gratifying to see all the cars here. This early 1950s postcard is from about the same place." I wonder where all those Studebakers came from!!!! I love seeing all those beautiful Victorian homes. They have a very graceful look about them. Tomorrow I'll get to the next leg of your trip. I'm catching up with you. LOL Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Even if that new subscription doesn't materialize, something good came out of your post. Well, at least I think it's good. I finally got around to looking up the answer to a question I've had from time to time and learned the the Speedway Prez is the grandson of daredevil Joie Chitwood who appeared at many midwest fairgrounds when I was a kid. I knew it could't be the same guy but never knew just what the relationship was. I remember Joey Chitwood's show coming thru New England back in the, what, 1950's. He must have performed somewhere in Maine because I (vaguely) remember seeing posters for the "Joey Chitwood Auto Thrill Show" - or some such back then. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

I've visited the Armstrong (as in Neil, and we all know who he is) Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta - a most interesting place. Tho I found it a little difficult to find even tho it is just off I-75 exit 111. That's why I missed it when I turned off the interstate. I missed the signs while I was dodging traffic. But for all that it is a very interesting musuem and well worth the stop. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN