Alex Burr - hester_nec

Could be a late 30's Pontiac, going by what looks like a Pony emblem under the headlight. That's a WAG, by the way. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

There is nothing, IMHO, better than the juxtaposition of a period car and airplane in the same space!!! Those old tail-draggers are another of my loves. Just wish that museum was a tad closer to Memphis. Thanks for the Hudson photo. Isn't the amount of chrome on the dash board amazing!!!! Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Unfortunately most of the summer here in the Memphis area was in the 100 to 105 degree range, not really conducive to road travel. Not fun when the paint is melting off the car. We did go back over the old 1923-1926 U S 51 alignment between Millington and Brighton, TN and one of these days I'll write that up somewhere. Also been writing up the U S 61 alignments between Blytheville and West, Memphis, Arkansas. Been picking at both now and again so it's not a dead project yet. Safe travels everybody. Hudsonly, Alex Burr

Larry McMurty, he who wrote "Lonesome Dove", "Cadillac Jack" and other books wrote one titled "Roads - Driving America's Great Highways". The jacket on the cover is somewhat mis-leading as it shows a two-lane hiway somewhere out in the western part of the country. One would expect to read about roads such as Route 66, 50, 40, etc. But Mr. McMurty's book is about driving the interstates. In reading one is struck by the fact that he appears to fly into some big city, rent a car, and then drive hell-bent across, as he puts it in the introduction, the great interstate system - getting from one place to another 1000 miles or so away in the shortest amount of time. Frankly, I was rather exhausted after reading this book. Interestingly, in the introduction, he states he has 3000 travel books!!! He does make the comment that "travelers who felt the need to go to these often inhospitable place..........." , which should be a warning to the average "200 mile-per-day-see-the-sights" traveler. Well, Mr. McMurty is a lover of interstates - so be it. Each to his own. As for myself with the interstates becoming more and more each year the great American parking lot and major truck routes, I've returned, in the most part, to the old 2-lane highways of my youth (of 50 years ago). Unfortunately, I've noticed in some areas the trend for 18-wheelers beginning to emerge on our beloved 2-lane highways because, I suppose, they've made a randy mess of the I-states!!! Oh, well. Perhaps I will be on that great Route 66 in the sky before it becomes intolerable. 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. Safe travels. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

"Officially" a poodle!!!! Maybe you should have gone the "mixed-breed" route, Ara, and made him a "piddle"!!!!! Safe travels. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Love those Dodge 241 small block hemis. Built several 1938-1940 Dodge coupes with the 241 bolted to 4-speed Dodge 1½ ton truck trannys and adapted ¾ ton pickup rear axles to it. Sort of had to build my own - we weren't poor and we weren't rich, but Dad was of the opinion if Jr wanted a car, Jr had better figure a way to get it himself. Those things would do everything anybody could want - except stop. 1938-1940 brakes weren't really designed for a small block hemi!!!! If I did it today I'd sure put disk brakes on at least the front. Fun to drive back in the day - and raced a couple of them too. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

That's going to be quite a trip. A lot of your travel plans cover a route I took a road trip over. Drove 20 to the mid-west from the east coast, then 66 to CA, 101 north into Oregon and Washington, back to the east coast using 2, 20 and a couple other roads. But I can't help you much - I did it 50 years ago in 1953!!! I suspect some things may have changed a little - at least I'm finding that out as I read about other road trips on this forum. 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. Anyway, y'all have a great trip and we'll be looking fwd to trip reports. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Great ride!!!!! Love the slideshow format - almost like riding along in the back seat!!!!! It is a little sad, tho. My daughter and I took 66 from Carthage to Springfield on our Father-Daughter trip back in 2002, and I couldn't find anything I recognized; I've read a lot of Route 66 trip reports here on American Road and enjoyed the pictures. But I've searched in vain for something I could recognize from my trip on 66 back in 1953. It's all changed way to much and the old memory isn't all that great any more. I have the same problem with U S 40 thru Wheeling into Ohio to the Dayton area - but those trips, with the folks to visit friends and relatives, were even further back in the late 40's/early 50's. It's changed so much. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Sorry to hear of your "German Flu!!" Flying these days is stressful enough without feeling bum to boot. But you're "spirits" will soar when you are reunited with Spirit for more adventures on the open road. Y'all take care and hope this finds you recovering - if not fully recovered. We be keeping you in our thoughts and prayers - travel safely. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Denny - you ever plan a trip to New England, let me know. Tho I know you travel alone I'd love to go with you and show you some of the sights you might otherwise overlook!!!! After all, I did live in New England for over 50 years!!!! Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

My intro to computers was when I was working at the Portsmouth (NH) Navy Yard in the 1980's. We had a couple of those old WANG word processors with keyboard and screen one unit. When we went to "real"(???) computers, the first one was a 286. The powers that be wanted to see if we could put the files from the WANG onto the 286 (which quickly evolved into a 386). They brought some computer nerd in - his take was it would cost umpteen bucks and take about 3 weeks to a month, during which time we would have no access. Long story short - shortly after the nerd left I noticed the WANG had a phone jack in the back. Hmmmmmmmm. I called the main computer room, gal comes up, takes a look and says "Yeah, we can download the files to the main frame via the phone connection, got a translator program, not a problem." 2 hours later ------- I walks into the bosses office and says "Oh, by the way, I got the files transferred from the WANG to the 386 and they work fine." She looked at me like I had two heads, so I told her how it was done. Hey, nobody said it couldn't be done, and I sure as heck didn't know what the gal from the main computer room was telling me. All I know is (1) it worked and (2) it got me a $250 incentive check (less about $30 in taxes). Oh, I should have added - what does all this chat about early computers have to do with highway travel - well for one thing if we didn't have computers we wouldn't have all these great road stories and the wonderful people here on American Road!!! Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

I've taken a couple nice cruises, back when the wife and I were still married. One was on the NORWAY to the Caribbean, the other was out of Hononlulu - both were very nice and fun. I especially enjoyed the NORWAY - when we were introduced to the Captain, I presented ourselves as Petty Officer Alexander & Frances Burr, US Coast Guard Retired. Got us a free bottle of champaign from the captains stores!!! Nicest thing about these cruises (for me) was not having to go to getting underway stations (as I had to in the Coast Guard) when we left port. I mentioned to one of the officers that I had been an Engineer in the Coast Guard - that got me a private guided tour, not only of the bridge, but the engineering spaces that are normally off-limits to passengers. Another bennie for 20+ years of military service. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Uh, fellows - Ara has been posting here on the forum for a long time!!!!! He's been posting under Lifelong Journey on the Road since at least April 2008. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Advice for youngins --- hmmm. Just keep on breathing and watch out for jealous husbands. Best way to greet each day, at my age, is to wake up. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Bet that thing would be a trick and a half to drive!!!! Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Neat travel story. I have traveled 70 in Tennessee a time or two, but usually between Nashville and Memphis. Last fall I went down to Texas a couple times and used 79 between Memphis and Round Rock, TX. I will confess that coming back after the 2nd trip I did pick up the I-state from Texarkana back thru Little Rock and on to Memphis - but only because the weather was abominable with very, very heavy rains and I get nervous driving on 2-lanes when I can't see the road ahead all that well. I say I took 79, but rather than drop all the way south to Shrevesport, I took 82 between McNeil and Texarkana, and then 59 south to Marshall and stayed overnight there. Then on south on TX 43 and picked up 79 again in Henderson. Nice little jaunt. I've been working on alignments here in the Memphis area - have traced most all of 51 between Memphis and Dyersburg and 61 between Blythville and Clarksdale. (back to 1926 on both alignments). Still digging out 61 between Memphis and Walls, MS. Have safe travels - nice to hear from you and to see your road report. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

This trip Denny's taking is a bit of nostalgia for me. His report on U S 50 - I'm familiar having traveled 50 on my way from my sisters home in Charleston, WV, to Curtis Bay, MD (outside Baltimore) to rejoin the Coast Guard cutter I was stationed on at the time - back in 1974. He wrote about not seeing to much wildlife along Skyline Drive - I drove that section from Front Royal to U S 211 and saw plenty of wildlife, but few cars and people. The trick was to leave Front Royal at 6 in the morning (no people, no cars, no fees as no one was at the gate - just all kinds of wildlife browsing beside, on in the middle of, the road). This was in 1976 when I was on my way to Egland AFB outside Fort Walton Beach, FL to attend a 3 week school on the HU/SA-16 Gruman Albatross aircraft the Coast Guard (HU-16) and Air Force (SA-16) used for search and rescue operations at the time. Denny's writings are such that he's managed to bring me back to those trips and see his travels as I saw them, more or less. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

May your journey continue to be safe on your trip to Germany. Ara. I know Spirit will be anxiously awaiting your return - tho he will travel with you in your thoughts and heart. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

You just had to know I'd toss this in - the gang from the Hudson car club had a blast over there a few years back. Had a pretty good turnout too. Enjoyed the pics, too. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

They do a pretty good job of obliterating old road alignments here in the Memphis area. Trying to follow old 61 from Memphis to Walls, MS, - (as they say in New York "for-ged-about'it" It's obvious down Florida Avenue to Kansas - then the I-240 tears up the area. On the south side of 240 you have to know where you are going, but it is there. Once you get back on Old Horn Lake road 61 goes under the railroad yards (obvious because of the underpass construction), then past some commercial outfits, finally wandering into a housing development and coming to dead end. Between there and Walls there are faint traces now and again, using Google Earth, but nothing definite. Of course it is within the realm of possibility that some of that part of the alignment was washed out by Ole Missy at one time or another - there are several oxbows in the area separate from the main river course. What the heck - it ads to the excitement and mystery. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

What I find most interesting, when they rebuilt sections of the old road, like this Route 6 alignment, they simply went in a straight line and cut off the original alignments. Unlike the interstates that were so big they buried so many old alignments, especially in the east (primarily New England). Sure would be nice to have topo's and aerial maps for all states. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Great write-up and even better pictures. You could put others in the Gallery section in an album. I'm wondering about that little building you didn't know what it was. For some reason "post office" comes to my mind. That's my guess and I'm sticking to it. Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Not what you're looking for, I don't think - but I found this gem doing a search for Gentry: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/trails.cfm#p08 Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

Sharp eyes, Dave - the globes ARE facing the wrong way. Check out some old gas stations at this site: http://www.ohiobarns.com/othersites/gas/gas.html Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN

YMCA camp on Ossippee Lake in Waterboro, Maine, about 30 miles from where I used to live, the summer of 1947 - I was 9 years old. First time away from home, I was scared to death. But when I got home I wanted to go next year. Sadly it was not to be - the camp, and most everything else in the area, burned in the great fires of 1947. I remember we did drive up there and it was so sad to see the rusting springs from the bunks, the burned buildings. But I got a surprise in 1948 - Mom and Dad signed me up for the YMCA summer camp on Lake Cobbosseecontee up near Winthrop, Maine, and I had a great time. I still remember the YMCA camp motto - God First, the other fellow 2nd, I'm 3rd. Lord, is that even politically correct in our world today???? I went again in 1949 and 1950, but that was the last time I went to summer camp until I went to Marine boot camp at Paris Island in the summer of '55 - I think the YMCA motto got turned around a little. Like it was the Drill Instructor first - but, on the other hand, the DI WAS God and you'd better never foget it!!!!!! Hudsonly, Alex Burr Memphis, TN