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Celebrating our two-lane highways of yesteryear…And the joys of driving them today!

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Guest egyptianzipper@aol.com

In a message dated 2/21/06 11:05:20 PM Eastern Standard Time,

 

roustabout@starband.net writes:

 

I'm a bit surprised no one had mentioned "Ramblin' Man" by the Allman

 

Brothers. With a line like "I was born in the back seat of a

 

Greyhound bus rollin' down Highway 41", it's a natural:)

 

====================================================================

 

There was another song with a line that went, "I was born in a theater, in

 

Bluefield, West Virginia." It was sung by a woman. Anyone know the artist and

 

title? This is of interest to me since I live about 40 miles east (via US 460)

 

of Bluefield.

 

 

 

Tom Hoffman

 

Pearisburg VA

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Guest egyptianzipper@aol.com

In a message dated 2/22/06 12:30:02 PM Eastern Standard Time,

 

wkmpellucid@mac.com writes:

 

One of the endearing items I have heard over and over on local radio

 

stations is the remote broadcast. Frequently, it is an opening of a

 

new business. I have looked them up several times while driving. They

 

are a wonderful demonstration of rural, small town America.

 

====================================================================

 

I strongly disagree. In a remote broadcast, all they do is TALK TALK TALK. No

 

music to speak of.

 

 

 

Tom Hoffman

 

Pearisburg VA

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Guest W. Keith McManus

That's the whole point...connecting with the culture I'm passing

 

through. Not interested in being isolated in my car with music from

 

"outerspace".

 

 

 

I'm a documentary photographer/filmmaker, being connected to people

 

is what it is all about.

 

 

 

 

 

On Feb 25, 2006, at 5:33 PM, egyptianzipper@aol.com wrote:

 

 

 

> In a message dated 2/22/06 12:30:02 PM Eastern Standard Time,

 

> wkmpellucid@mac.com writes:

 

> One of the endearing items I have heard over and over on local radio

 

> stations is the remote broadcast. Frequently, it is an opening of a

 

> new business. I have looked them up several times while driving. They

 

> are a wonderful demonstration of rural, small town America.

 

> ====================================================================

 

> I strongly disagree. In a remote broadcast, all they do is TALK

 

> TALK TALK. No

 

> music to speak of.

 

>

 

> Tom Hoffman

 

> Pearisburg VA

 

>

 

 

 

W. Keith McManus

 

-documentary filmmaker

 

-complete location DVCPRO package

 

http://www.keithmcmanus.com

 

724.317.9843 (Verizon cell)

 

 

 

"Dans les champs de l'observation le hasard ne favorise que les

 

esprits prepares"

 

 

 

-Louis Pasteur 1822 - 1895

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Guest Jennifer

Is this the song?

 

 

 

http://lyricsplayground.com/alpha/songs/r/...nrollbaby.shtml

 

 

 

Jennifer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

>

 

====================================================================

 

> There was another song with a line that went, "I was born in a

 

theater, in

 

> Bluefield, West Virginia." It was sung by a woman. Anyone know the

 

artist and

 

> title? This is of interest to me since I live about 40 miles east

 

(via US 460)

 

> of Bluefield.

 

>

 

> Tom Hoffman

 

> Pearisburg VA

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Guest rudkip@sbcglobal.net>

Hello:

 

 

 

It is only March, but its never too early to start planning for the ROUTE 66

 

ASSOCIATION OF MISSOURI MOTOR TOUR, September 8, 9 and 10. Below is the lowdown

 

on the tour courtesy of Tonya Pike. PLEASE NOTE (if you have received a flyer)

 

that the number to call to make reservations for rooms at Meramec Caverns on the

 

flyer is incorrect; the correct number to make reservations for Meramec Caverns

 

is set forth below. Hope to see you all on the tour! Kip Welborn, cochair,

 

motor tour committee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's a Birthday Party Motor Tour!

 

 

 

 

 

By Tonya Pike

 

 

 

 

 

Join the Route 66 Association of Missouri as we celebrate "80 years on Route 66"

 

with our 17th Annual Motor Tour, September 8th, 9th, and 10th, 2006. This year's

 

tour will be an east-to-west run, starting in Litchfield, Illinois and ending in

 

St. Robert, Missouri.

 

 

 

The festivities will kick off on Friday, September 8th, with registration at the

 

Comfort Inn in Litchfield, Illinois. The motel, which is located at 1010 E.

 

Columbian Boulevard N. in Litchfield, has a block of rooms reserved which will

 

be available for a discounted rate of $60.00 per night. Call (217)324-9260 to

 

make your reservations, and be sure to mention you are with the Route 66

 

Association of Missouri Motor Tour to get the discounted rate. For those

 

arriving early, there will be some optional activities for the evening as well

 

as the normal roadie gathering in the registration area.

 

 

 

Tour registration will resume at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 9th, and the

 

actual Motor Tour will depart the motel promptly at 8 a.m. There will be a poker

 

run, with hands costing $5 each, for tour participants to play as they travel

 

the route on Saturday, and poker hands will be available for purchase at

 

registration and before the Motor Tour leaves the motel Saturday morning. There

 

will be recommended stops along the tour route, but participants are encouraged

 

to make the tour at their own pace and select their own stops. Recommended stops

 

and other planned activities will be detailed in the Motor Tour Agenda Folder,

 

given out at the time of registration. All participants are, however, encouraged

 

to be at the Chain of Rocks Bridge, on the Illinois side promptly by 11:45 a.

 

m., so that the Motor Tour can drive, caravan-style, across the bridge from the

 

east (Illinois side) to the west (Missouri side).

 

 

 

Saturday night the Motor Tour will stay at Meramec Caverns at Staunton,

 

Missouri. All 32 rooms available at the Meramec Caverns Motel have been reserved

 

for the Motor Tour and will be held until August 15. Room rates will be $43.25

 

and $62.24, depending on the number of occupants and availability. Phone

 

(573)468-3166 or 1-800-676-6105 for reservations, and again, be sure to mention

 

you are with the Route 66 Association of Missouri Motor Tour to receive the

 

special rates. Other accommodations are available in nearby Sullivan and St.

 

Clair, Missouri. The Saturday evening meal will be an informal event, catered by

 

the Meramec Caverns Restaurant, and will be held in the restaurant in the park

 

headquarters.

 

 

 

Sunday's activities begin with a nondenominational worship service at 7:30 a.m.

 

on the Cave's park grounds. The Motor Tour will then proceed to Rolla, Missouri

 

promptly at 8:00 a.m. From Rolla, participants will travel on their own to the

 

Country Kitchen in St. Robert, Missouri, which will be the tour's final

 

destination. The Country Kitchen is located at 379 Highway Z (old 66, behind

 

McDonald's). Tour participants can purchase lunch there, and enjoy their

 

excellent buffet.

 

 

 

Final details, including times, planned activities, and directions, will be

 

detailed in the Motor Tour Agenda Folder, given to participants at registration.

 

 

 

For more information contact: Kip Welborn, (314)776-7385, rudkip@sbcglobal.net

 

or Jane Dippel, (314)843-7132, vestaon66@cs.com or the Route 66 Association of

 

Missouri's web site, www.missouri66.org .

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Thanks for the tip. I just programmed my EyeTV to grab that.

 

 

 

... Chris

 

"Condiment PC Gourmet"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--- In AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com, Lulupic66@... wrote:

 

>

 

> IThis was sent to me from anther list and I thought I would pass it along,

 

> Lulu

 

>

 

>

 

> > Tune in Tuesday!

 

> > World's Largest Catsup Bottle to be featured on "Taste of America"

 

> >

 

> >

 

> > Collinsville's world-famous Brooks catsup bottle water tower will be

 

> > featured on the Travel Channel program "Taste of America with Mark DeCarlo"

 

this

 

> > Tuesday, March 28.

 

> >

 

> >

 

> > The episode entitled "Catsup, Mustard, Relish" will focus (obviously) on

 

> > condiments and will premier at 7:30 p.m. (Central Time Zone). It will air

 

again

 

> > Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. and also on Saturday, April 1, at 4:30 p.m. Check your

 

> > local listings to be sure.

 

> >

 

> >

 

> > "Taste of America" host Mark DeCarlo visited Collinsville with a camera crew

 

> > last July during the annual World's Largest Catsup Bottle Summerfest

 

> > Birthday Party.

 

> >

 

> >

 

> > For more information log on to www.catsupbottle.com and

 

> > www.catsupbottlesummerfest.com.

 

> >

 

> >

 

> > # # #

 

> >

 

> >

 

> > P.S. The Catsup Bottle Summerfest for this year will be Sunday, July 9.

 

> > Sponsors, committee members, and volunteers are always needed - give us a

 

call

 

> > and get involved! (618) 345-5598

 

> >

 

> >

 

> >

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

>

 

>

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Guest jim conkle

Morning folks,

 

 

 

I am passing this on for Harry. They have planned a GREAT trip and we want

 

to welcome and assist them where needed. I am meeting with Harry and his son

 

for breakfast tomorrow and we will be going over in more detail their plans.

 

It would be great if we can get them to change their dates to coincide with

 

our event in Albuquerque June 22 to 25. I am sure they would be the hit of

 

the event.

 

 

 

Check out their web site for the dates and cars that they are bringing for

 

the trip. I am sure that Harry would love to hear from all of you. I will

 

post again after our meeting with an up date.

 

 

 

Thanks

 

 

 

Jim Conkle

 

 

 

 

 

-----Original Message-----

 

From: Harry Kjensli [mailto:hkjensli@online.no]

 

Sent: Friday, March 24, 2006 1:55 AM

 

To: Harry Kjensli

 

Subject: CRUISE66 from Norway!

 

 

 

 

 

Dear President!

 

 

 

Please find attached information about CRUISE66, an Norwegian adventure

 

taking place on Route 66 in June 2006.

 

 

 

You can read more about CRUISE66 on our web site below.

 

 

 

Hope you find our adventure interesting to promote against your members. We

 

will appreciate if you would like to write about CRUISE66

 

 

 

in your Route66 newsletter/magazine. Please feel free to use the attached

 

letter and materials from our website

 

 

 

Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any question. Hope to see you and

 

other members in June.

 

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

 

Harry Kjenslic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

www.cruise66.com www.cruise66.com/caddy

 

 

 

president@cruise66.com

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Guest Gabriel

Hello Road experts and connoisseurs,

 

 

 

Is there any suggestions for Must see places and unique things to see

 

for this route. ----> Houston to Kansas City (We will travel a few

 

hours out of the way .... or more if worth it)

 

this will be a 2 day or 3(or 4) day trip if the sites are compelling

 

enough (depending on how long I keep his interest)

 

 

 

**We will leave Houston Wednesday March 29th approximately. (not much

 

time :)

 

 

 

My brother will fly up to Houston (from Costa Rica) and meet me there.

 

But I would like to show him a planned route with

 

scenic points for him to agree with Monday or Tuesday via the Internet.

 

(That would be nice, but not a necessary addition) Does streets and

 

trips have an output option to send interactive info to someone who

 

does not have the Program for collaboration?

 

 

 

My brother and I live apart and this will be an important chance to do

 

some interactive things together and have some fun. (I'm 36 and he his

 

34) We are young and active and enjoy history, unique strange things

 

and I enjoy anything about Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

 

 

You're fellow Road explorer,

 

 

 

Gabriel

 

p.s. I have Microsoft Streets and Trips 2005 that I'm trying to figure

 

out.

 

Is the 2006 version that much better as far as the scenic points

 

database ?

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Guest jim conkle

Rich,

 

 

 

I am unable to log on to the site.

 

 

 

Jim Conkle

 

-----Original Message-----

 

From: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

 

[mailto:AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com]On Behalf Of Rich Rheingold

 

Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2006 5:03 PM

 

To: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

 

Subject: [AMERICAN_ROAD] US route 20

 

 

 

 

 

Just wanted to tell everyone that we have updated our web site.

 

www.usroute20.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visit our homepage at: http://www.mockturtlepress.com

 

 

 

To subscribe to AMERICAN ROAD magazine, PHONE TOLL-FREE 1-877-285-5434

 

WITH YOUR ORDER TODAY!

 

Or send payment to: Mock Turtle Press, PO Box 46519, Mt. Clemens, MI 48046

 

SUBSCRIPTION RATES:

 

1 year (4 issues) for $16.95

 

(save $3.85 off the newsstand price!)

 

2 years (8 issues) for $29.95

 

(save $11.65 off the newsstand price!)

 

 

 

 

 

For questions about the list, contact: AMERICAN_ROAD-owner@yahoogroups.com

 

 

 

To SUBSCRIBE to this group, send an email to:

 

AMERICAN_ROAD-subscribe@yahoogroups.comTo POST a message via e-mail, send it

 

to: AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

--

 

YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS

 

 

 

a.. Visit your group "AMERICAN_ROAD" on the web.

 

 

 

b.. To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:

 

AMERICAN_ROAD-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

 

 

 

c.. Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of

 

Service.

 

 

 

 

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

--

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Guest Cristy

Yes it is beautiful...and boring...and not widely populated. I had to

 

wait on the side of the highway for almost three hours for a tow truck

 

to come from a little "hamlet" 20 miles away!

 

 

 

Cristy

 

 

 

--- In AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com, Alex Burr <hester_nec@...> wrote:

 

>

 

> I-80 thru PA, west of Bloomsburg, is booooooooring!!!

 

>

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Guest Jim Ross

Hey Everybody,

 

 

 

Good news from Oklahoma City. A consortium of business people have bought the

 

historic Tower Theater and adjacent properties on NW 23rd St. on OKC's historic

 

alignment and have applied for restoration grants through the Park Service and

 

other sources. "The Uptown Development Group" is eager to become part of the

 

Route 66 community and it looks as though they are dead serious about bringing

 

recognition to this stretch of 66 in OKC, something that has been sorely needed.

 

They are also asking for letters of support (emails will do) to include with

 

their grant applications, if any of you are so inclined. I sent one today. Check

 

out their web site and very cool gallery of historic photos at:

 

http://www.okctower.com/index.asp

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Jim R.

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Cartographic Wizardry

 

These online maps help preserve the architecture of Los Angeles, . . .

 

 

 

". . with personal toasters on every table, inexpensive coffee and real

 

dairy cream. Fans of Googie architecture considered the Westwood

 

location a fine example of the futuristic style, . . ."

 

 

 

Explore The Blvd. -

 

http://www.curatingthecity.org/

 

 

 

______________________________________________

 

 

 

I found this bit in Bernie Wagenblast's Transport Newsletter. Is Bernie

 

in this group?

 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transport-communications

 

Good egg, good web-buddy, great newsletter!

 

 

 

... Chris

 

NJ Exit 7-A

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Guest Mike Frankovich

There used to be three Ships. The original was in

 

Culver City at Washington and Overland. The other two

 

came later and one was in Westwood on Wilshire and the

 

other was in Beverly Hills on Olympic and La Cienega.

 

 

 

I used to eat at the Culver City Ships pretty

 

regularly. I did eat at the Beverly Hills location a

 

few times. The Westwood location was torn down in the

 

mid eighties, so sadly I never got to eat there. The

 

food was very good and resonably priced. I used to

 

make rye toast with the toasters on the table while

 

waiting for my food. I remember one time the toaster

 

shot the toast across the room. Everybody started

 

laughing.

 

 

 

The Culver City location is now a Starbucks, talk

 

about a dagger to the heart. The Beverly Hills

 

location has been torn down and now a BMW repair place

 

sits in its former location. There now sits a highrise

 

office tower where the Westwood Ships used to be. The

 

trademark Ships sign stould at the corner of Olympic

 

and La Cienega until recently. I noticed it was gone

 

last week while making a pickup in that neighborhood.

 

 

 

I dont know why Ships closed. A rumor was that the

 

family of the founder did not want to take it over.

 

Its really sad. Everytime I drive by the old Ships I

 

get a craving for rye toast.

 

 

 

Mike Frankovich

 

 

 

--- Chris <chris@experiencenascar.com> wrote:

 

 

 

> Cartographic Wizardry

 

> These online maps help preserve the architecture of

 

> Los Angeles, . . .

 

>

 

> ". . with personal toasters on every table,

 

> inexpensive coffee and real

 

> dairy cream. Fans of Googie architecture considered

 

> the Westwood

 

> location a fine example of the futuristic style, . .

 

> ."

 

>

 

> Explore The Blvd. -

 

> http://www.curatingthecity.org/

 

>

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Guest Valli Hoski

Camp Dearborn - what a childhood memory!

 

It was a private park, accessible only to residents of the city of Dearborn

 

(Michigan) and their guests. It eventually opened to more of the public.

 

 

 

A farm outside Milford is all in the news this week, looking for another

 

memoribilia of Michigan history - Jas. Hoffa. But that's another story ...

 

 

 

Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Valli

 

 

 

AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com wrote:

 

>Message 2

 

>From: "Forrest Bone" tincantourists@yahoo.com

 

>Date: Wed May 24, 2006 5:29pm(PDT)

 

>Subject: Tin Can Tourists Ninth Annual Gathering Pictures

 

>

 

>The link is to the pictures of last weekends 9th Annual Gathering of the Tin

 

>Can Tourists at Camp Dearborn, Milford, Michigan

 

>

 

>http://www.tincantourists.com/photopost/sh...=577&page=5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---------------------------------

 

Do you Yahoo!?

 

Get on board. You're invited to try the new Yahoo! Mail Beta.

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Guest Jan and Charlie

Hi, I was wondering if anyone knew where camp Joy was located in Kadoka South

 

Dakota? That was years ago when they had that. My husband's Aunt Beverly,

 

Grandparents owned

 

it and ran it. To my understanding they had a gas station and cabins there.

 

Thank You, Jan

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Guest rudkip@sbcglobal.net>

Accord to the attached article, the superslab will be 50 this Thursday...here's

 

a little ditty about it from the Post Dispatch and the "furious "debate about

 

what WAS the first interstate project...I still say one thing: UGLY! Tsingtao,

 

KIp

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Guest Alex Burr

Yeah, and a lot of it looks like (and drives like)

 

it's 100 years old.

 

 

 

Hudsonly,

 

Alex B

 

 

 

 

 

--- rudkip@sbcglobal.net wrote:

 

 

 

> Accord to the attached article, the superslab will

 

> be 50 this Thursday...here's a little ditty about it

 

> from the Post Dispatch and the "furious "debate

 

> about what WAS the first interstate project...I

 

> still say one thing: UGLY! Tsingtao, KIp

 

>

 

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

 

> removed]

 

>

 

>

 

 

 

 

 

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems,

 

but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.

 

 

 

__________________________________________________

 

Do You Yahoo!?

 

Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around

 

http://mail.yahoo.com

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Guest rudkip@sbcglobal.net>

here's the article if it didnt come through...Tsingtao Kip

 

 

 

Missouri's among 3 states claiming interstate highway system's birthplace

 

By Shane Graber

 

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH

 

06/24/2006

 

 

 

The boldest engineering idea conceived in modern times was born in a

 

Washington hospital room 50 years ago this week.

 

 

 

No ceremony. No smile for the cameras.

 

 

 

The odd and unfortunate circumstances are certain. So is the landmark

 

anniversary. Beyond that, details get murky, even though an Interstate 70

 

sign in St. Charles insists: "Nations First Interstate Started Here."

 

 

 

It's not the grammar people question. It's the message. Is Missouri home to

 

the very first interstate project?

 

 

 

Advertisement

 

 

 

 

 

On June 29, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill creating the

 

interstate system, a 41,000-mile highway network reaching every nook and

 

most crannies in the continental U.S.

 

 

 

During the president's tenure, this idea was his baby. But when it was time

 

to sign the bill, Ike was in Walter Reed Army Medical Center recovering from

 

an intestinal ailment.

 

 

 

Still, the interstate system was born, and the race for the historic first

 

project began. Problem is, it's not entirely clear who won. Missouri, Kansas

 

and Pennsylvania all make cases.

 

 

 

"That is a subject of debate," the American Association of State Highway and

 

Transportation Officials' Shane Artim said. "I don't think anyone will come

 

to blows over this matter."

 

 

 

Missouri showed 'em

 

 

 

S. W. O'Brien saw it firsthand. INTERACTIVE QUIZ

 

Take our highway quiz

 

 

 

A district engineer for the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads, O'Brien worked in a

 

Jefferson City office in 1956.

 

 

 

On Aug. 2 he watched the Missouri State Highway Commission award two

 

contracts worth $1.1 million for 14 miles of pavement on U.S. 66 in Laclede

 

County. The project would become part of Interstate 44.

 

 

 

O'Brien immediately called Washington headquarters. It was the first

 

contract signed for work under the interstate act.

 

 

 

Another first stemmed from the meeting. Commissioners approved work on U.S.

 

40 - now I-70, or the Mark Twain Expressway - in St. Louis, and for another

 

section of U.S. 40 in St. Charles County.

 

 

 

Work started on the St. Charles section on Aug. 13, the first time ground

 

was broken on an interstate project. That's the inspiration for the current

 

sign I-70 motorists see today.

 

 

 

Kansas' claim

 

 

 

But on Nov. 14 of that year, Kansas opened eight rural miles of U.S. 40 -

 

also part of what is now I-70 - west of Topeka. There they planted a sign

 

proclaiming it the first completed interstate project under the act.

 

 

 

"They're saying they started it first; we're saying we finished it first,"

 

said Stan Whitley, spokesman for the Kansas Department of Transportation. "I

 

don't think any one of us are losers. We're just proud that something like

 

that could happen in the Heartland of America."

 

 

 

He did add "we do have claim to having the father of the interstate

 

system.."

 

 

 

Ike was a native Kansan.

 

 

 

And Pennsylvania...

 

 

 

Carl DeFebo, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, said the

 

Keystone State was an inspiration, and should count for something.

 

 

 

The 160 miles of turnpike between Pittsburgh and Carlisle was the first

 

four-lane highway with no cross traffic or red lights.

 

 

 

"It was definitely an inspiration - if not a scale model - for the design

 

philosophy for the country's interstate. It was definitely a predecessor and

 

a forerunner."

 

 

 

But here's another thing: Official interstate designation for the turnpike

 

didn't come until the early 1960s, DeFebo acknowledged. So, an inspiration

 

to the interstate system? Very probably. Any kind of official first? Not so

 

much.

 

 

 

The winner is...

 

 

 

Dan McNichol of Boston is celebrating the interstate's birthday by driving

 

his 1951 Hudson across the country along the same route Ike took in 1919. He

 

wrote a book called, "The Roads That Built America: The Incredible Story of

 

the U.S. Interstate System."

 

 

 

McNichol says he knows who can claim bragging rights.

 

 

 

"You guys can. That's the truth. If you look at where the earth was broken,

 

it's right there in St. Louis."

 

 

 

Thomas Gubbels, a MoDOT historian in Jefferson City, sort of agrees.

 

 

 

"Since I'm a Missourian, I'm going to argue for Missouri," he said. "I'm

 

going to argue for the first highway that was let."

 

 

 

Same state, different reason. "Arguing over which state is first isn't as

 

important as the fact that interstates benefited everyone: all Missourians,

 

all Kansans, everyone throughout the country," he said.

 

 

 

Statistics 1956 vs. today (or as close as we can get)

 

Annual Vehicle Miles: 627,843,000 / 2,890,450 (2004)

 

Federal Gas Tax: 3 cents / 18.4 cents

 

Registered Vehicles: 65,148,277 / 237,242,616 (2004)

 

Registered Trucks: 10,678,612 / 100,016,691 (2004)

 

Research by Steve Bolhafner.

 

 

 

HISTORY

 

 

 

President Dwight D. Eisenhower learned the hard way about the need for an

 

interstate system.

 

 

 

The real hard way.

 

 

 

In 1919, Eisenhower, a lieutenant colonel in the Army, schlepped an

 

81-vehicle military convoy 3,251 miles from Washington to San Francisco.

 

 

 

The convoy covered 58 miles a day at about 6 mph. Today, that 62-day trip

 

would take about 43 hours. We could travel more ground in an hour than it

 

took Ike to cover in a day.

 

 

 

Eisenhower did some more road traveling during World War II. He used

 

Germany's state-of-the-art autobahn system to move U.S. troops through

 

Germany.

 

 

 

With all the drive-time under his belt, Eisenhower made a coast-to-coast

 

highway system a priority during his years in office. He named Gen. Lucius

 

Clay to work with a federal Interagency committee and the Bureau of Public

 

Roads to figure out the best system and a way to pay for it.

 

 

 

The Clay Committee report, "A 10-Year National Highway Program," suggested

 

the project be paid for with bonds. Congress nixed the approach, and the

 

president's plan died in July 1955.

 

 

 

Eisenhower, though, was as driven as a Honda on the New Jersey turnpike. He

 

campaigned for interstates the following year. Only this time, it included

 

the addition of urban interstates and a new tax-based financing plan with

 

the federal government picking up most of the construction costs. Congress

 

went for it.

 

 

 

They sent the president the Federal-Aid Highway Act, which he signed June

 

29, 1956.

 

 

 

MYTHS

 

 

 

The interstate was designed so that every fifth mile was straight and flat.

 

That way, military planes could use it as a landing strip.

 

 

 

In 1944, Congress briefly considered including money for emergency landing

 

strips in the Federal Highway-Aid Act. The proposed landing strips, though,

 

would have been built alongside the highways - not on them. The interstates

 

would have handled access to these landing strips. The proposal was quickly

 

dropped.

 

 

 

President Eisenhower supported the Interstate System because he wanted a way

 

of evacuating cities if the United States was attacked by an atomic bomb.

 

 

 

Eisenhower's support was based largely on economic development and safety.

 

Still, the system can evacuate people fast and efficiently.

 

 

 

Interstates are intended to serve only traffic going from state to state.

 

 

 

Nope. In fact, many routes, including beltways and spurs, are located

 

entirely in one state.

 

 

 

THE NUMBERING SYSTEM:

 

 

 

Interstates are numbered according to the following rules:

 

 

 

North-south routes have odd numbers - such as Interstate 55 - with the

 

numbers growing larger the further east you go.

 

 

 

East-west routes have even numbers - Interstate 70, Interstate 44 - with the

 

numbers growing larger the further north you go.

 

 

 

Three-digit interstates, such as Interstate 170, are routes that branch off

 

major, long-distance routes. The last two numbers indicate the parent route.

 

In the case of I-170, I-70 is the mother road.

 

 

 

The first digit of the three-digit interstate signifies the road's function.

 

An odd digit means the road runs directly through a city. An even digit

 

beginning, like Interstate 270, means the road loops around a metropolitan

 

area.

 

 

 

There are two exceptions. California's 2-mile-long Interstate 238 doesn't

 

have a parent interstate because Interstate 38 doesn't exist anywhere.

 

 

 

Interstate 99 in Pennsylvania was assigned a high two-digit number even

 

though it is not a major highway and is farther west than other interstates

 

with lower numbers. The governor there signed it into law.

 

 

 

THE SIGN

 

 

 

Missouri has a stake in the history of the interstate sign, too. In 1957,

 

states submitted their designs that the American Association of State

 

Highway Officials narrowed to four finalists. Full-size versions of the

 

signs were erected on a road test site in Illinois. The participants saw the

 

signs in daylight, dark, rain and shine.

 

 

 

The wining selection was based on a combination of designs submitted by

 

Missouri and Texas. Richard Oliver, of Texas, came up with a black-and-white

 

version of the current shield. Missouri's version had the word interstate on

 

the top portion.

 

 

 

A fresh coat of red, white and blue paint was slapped on, and the interstate

 

shield was born.

 

 

 

THINGS YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT INTERSTATES BUT DIDN'T CARE ENOUGH TO

 

ASK

 

 

 

The official name of the interstate system is the Dwight D. Eisenhower

 

National System of Interstate and Defense Highways.

 

 

 

On November 14, 1963, President John F. Kennedy dedicated the Northeastern

 

Expressway (Interstate 95) in Maryland, which opened to traffic at 12:01

 

a.m. the next day. It was his last public-works dedication before his

 

assassination eight days later. The highway was changed to the John F.

 

Kennedy Memorial Highway. On November 22, 1964, 49 motorists received a rose

 

as they passed through the Kennedy Highway toll plaza. The late president

 

would have been 49 that year.

 

 

 

Over the next 15 years, China is planning to build its own highway system

 

almost as long as the interstates.

 

 

 

In the 1970s, the Federal Highway Administration considered converting

 

highway signs, such as speed limit postings, to metric units. After the

 

proposal was made public, the agency received more than 5,000 comments.

 

About 98 percent were against the proposal. The idea was dropped.

 

 

 

The only time motorists can stop along an interstate and dig up native

 

wildflowers is if a scheduled construction project will endanger the plant.

 

Still, you have to get permission from the state transportation department.

 

Every other condition is illegal and/or unsafe.

 

 

 

While several states have buildings constructed over interstates, St. Louis'

 

I-64 (Highway 40) might be the only one where people can use radar guns to

 

measure traffic speed, courtesy of the St. Louis Science Center. Motorists

 

driving under the corridor also can see atmospheric conditions.

 

 

 

Because U.S. 50 passes through Missouri, Interstate 50 does not exist. It

 

would have most likely also passed through Missouri, and national standards

 

discourage interstates and U.S. highways with the same number to exist in

 

the same state.

 

 

 

In addition to taking environmental concerns into account, some interstates

 

are built with curves to eliminate boredom while driving.

 

 

 

Despite being called interstates, highways don't need to cross state lines

 

to be designated as such. Interstate 45, for instance, is completely within

 

Texas. It runs from Dallas to Galveston

 

 

 

Sources: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials,

 

Federal Highway Administration, the American Road & Transportation Builders

 

Association, the Missouri Department of Transportation, the Illinois

 

Department of Transportation, Newhouse News Service, Snopes.com

 

 

 

sgraber@post-dispatch.com 314-340-8207

 

 

 

----- Original Message -----

 

From: <rudkip@sbcglobal.net>

 

To: <>; <ushwys@yahoogroups.com>;

 

<AMERICAN_ROAD@yahoogroups.com>

 

Sent: Sunday, June 25, 2006 8:53 AM

 

Subject: [AMERICAN_ROAD] Happy Birthday, superslab!

 

 

 

 

 

> Accord to the attached article, the superslab will be 50 this

 

Thursday...here's a little ditty about it from the Post Dispatch and the

 

"furious "debate about what WAS the first interstate project...I still say

 

one thing: UGLY! Tsingtao, KIp

 

>

 

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WITH YOUR ORDER TODAY!

 

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Guest Dave Reese

I have posted a brief photo essay of my trip over Easter to Salt Lake City

 

and Jackson Hole. Brian Atkinson on this list gave me some guidelines to go

 

from Utah to Jackson via US 89 scenic byway, but the weather on our travel

 

day was potential blizzard conditions in higher elevations, so we did not

 

take the scenic route that day. Time kept us from getting to a number of

 

places on US 89 this trip, but his advice provided our meal plans which made

 

our day much better than if we were on our own. We really want to return

 

when Yellowstone is completely opened as most roads were still closed, and

 

we could not continue from Grand Teton National Park to Yellowstone while we

 

were there. I hope you enjoy the photos at

 

http://www.geocities.com/brooklandsspeedway and then click on the moose

 

photo to go to the vacation photos.

 

Dave Reese

 

Allentown PA

 

Home of Brooklands Speedway and Cherrington Park

 

http://www.geocities.com/brooklandsspeedway

 

http://www.summerharmony.com

 

 

 

Today in Auto History:

 

6.25.1956

 

The last 1956 Packard was produced, marking the end of production at

 

Packard's Connor Avenue plant in Detroit, Michigan. Packard would continue

 

to manufacture cars in South Bend, Indiana, until 1958, but for those

 

familiar with Packard the last 1956 is considered the last true Packard car.

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Guest Pat B.

Hi all...We just returned from a fine weekend in the city of

 

Litchfield, IL for the 3rd Annual Cruisin' to Litchfield Route 66 Car

 

Festival. The weather Saturday was probably the best of the three

 

years they've had that show. We met up with fellow group members the

 

Welborns, the "Bliss'", as well as a few other Route 66 folks on

 

hand.

 

 

 

Even though the car count for the show was half of what it was last

 

year, there was still a good number of Litchfield citizens strolling

 

66 and viewing the cars. I think just about everyone on hand had

 

dinner at the Ariston Cafe Saturday night. We skipped the car show's

 

movie at the Sky View Drive-In Theater (Two Lane Blacktop) and

 

instead went to the local cinema and saw "Cars" for a second time.

 

For those of you who haven't seen it, I would encourage you to do so.

 

You don't have to be a Route 66 fan to appreciate it. The Pixar folks

 

did a superb job getting the message across regarding the impact of

 

the interstates and bypassing small town America. I really wish they

 

would've shown it at the drive-in Saturday night!

 

 

 

Upon leaving this morning, we cruised up 66 and had breakfast at the

 

newly re-opened Art's Restaurant in Farmersville. The restaurant and

 

the motel have both been re-opened and seem to be doing very well.

 

Both are owned by a gentleman named Barry Limbachia, but he leases

 

the restaurant to another gentleman while Barry runs the motel. As

 

some of you may know, both had been closed for a few years and was

 

one of those places most roadies would probably pass on for a night

 

when it was open. However, he's got the place in excellent shape and

 

is very motivated to get the word out. He kept the original name

 

of "Art's" because he didn't want to tamper with the history of the

 

place. He also has plans for the old "Art's" sign

 

(http://tinyurl.com/gylbx) that's rusting away out front. He showed

 

us one of the rooms and it was clean and very well maintained.

 

Looking forward to a night's stop there.

 

 

 

For the rest of our trip home, we meandered through east-central

 

Illinois before picking up US 40 in Terre Haute for the rest of the

 

trip home.

 

 

 

Pat B.

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Guest Jennifer

He also has plans for the old "Art's" sign

 

> (http://tinyurl.com/gylbx) that's rusting away out front.

 

 

 

Quick clarification:

 

 

 

To see the above photo, you have to copy and paste the URL above into

 

your browser's address box. That will take you directly to the JPG

 

file, rather than our home page.

 

 

 

Jennifer

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Heading to Wisconsin in late July early Aug on a motorcycle trip. I live in NE

 

and am needing

 

some interesting and scenic suggestions for roads, places etc...Would need to

 

either start or

 

end in Hudson, WI....(son lives there..one night of free food and lodging...lol)

 

email me if you

 

like...gwltd85@yahoo.com

 

 

 

Terry

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