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

Welcome - Please Introduce Yourself!


Jennifer
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I'd like to (again) welcome all of our members to the new American Road forum, whether you're brand new to us, or have been a member since the beginning.

 

I started this topic so that we might briefly introduce ourselves....I'll start!

 

Like most folks, I always enjoyed road trips as a child growing up in Connecticut, though most of mine were confined to the northeast. Pennsylvania & New York were the most popular destinations for us, though we sometimes ventured a little farther south into Virginia. I remember my dad having tons of travel brochures and postcards, and it always was intriguing to see these previews of what seemed to be such "far away" places.

 

I had wanted to take a trip on Route 66 after picking up a few 66 books in 1993, but too many obstacles stood in the way. Finally, by August 2000, I had my chance - and after that, I was totally bitten by the "travel" bug. So much so, I decided to move to the midwest (Romeoville, Illinois). Before doing so, Laurel Kane introduced me to Pat (from Indy)...one thing led to another and here we are!

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My Mom's parents took her to all 48 states by the time she finished college in '39, and by then she had even been to Alaska. I always marvelled that they had travel the roads of US before the Interstates and the PA Turnpike I grew up with, so I have lately developed a deeper desire to travel the old 2 lanes.

As a child we did the East Coast as a family from Maine to Florida (but not all in the same trip being in PA) so I enjoyed car vacations, then about 10 year (and one wife) ago I traveled a section of Route 66 in Northern Arizona, and I was hooked. Now, when we have the time, we take the two lanes from point to point, and leave the Interstates to the 18 wheeler good buddies. This group has made the trips even more fun as I have new locations to visit earmarked before we hit the road.

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My love affair with the open road started back in the late 1940's when, with my two sisters (both older - so you know that was a trip!!!! LOL) when our parents loaded us up in the family Chrysler (1937) and we made several trips to Ohio to visit friends and relatives. Things like the George Washington Bridge, we crossed, and roads like the Pennsy Turnpike, were wonders to a 10, 11, 12 year old. Back then there was something new over every hill and around every corner - not like today with nationwide franchises where everything seems to be the same.

From that I developed an itch to see what down the road a piece - 21½ years in the military (4 in the Navy, 17½ ub the Coast Guard) let me see waaaaaaayyy down the road.

Over the years I've driven thru every state east of the Mississippi and most all west as well, lacking only Wisconsin. In '53 a buddy and I celebrated our new found freedom (getting our drivers licenses) with a trip to California (lets see a pair of 15 year old's do THAT today!!!) and back on Routes 20 to the mid-west and 66 to CA up the coast on 101 and 2 and 20 back to New England.

One memorable trip occured in 1958 - I was stationed at NAAS Kingsville outside Corpus Christi, TX. One of my buddies had gotten married and his wife was in Portsmouth, NH, and about to come to Texas by bus. Long story short we had a long weekend so drove to NH with two other nitwits and back to Texas - we took 77 and 59 to Houston and 59 up to Carthage, TX, then 79 to Shrevesport, 80 east to U S 11 in MS - then north on 11 to 22 into New York and then on into New England. As I recall we made the run north in 47 hours; 43 or 44 hours coming back. There were no interstates back then, except the Penn Turnpike and the Maine Turnpike - tho construction had started in some areas. But, then there wasn't all that much traffic either.

My other interests are, of course, this wonderful computer that keeps me in touch with so many people, many I have never met. I also have a small collection of pre-1950's road maps and AAA and ALA guide books. And, of course, my love of antique cars lead me to the Hudson-Essex-Terraplane Club back in 1969.

Another good friend and I formed the New England Chapter of the Hudson club back in 1971 - and it's still going!!! We are going to host the club's 2008 National meet in MA. I'm currently the editor of our chapter newsletter, the Nor' by NorEast.

Safe travels everybody.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

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OK, here's an intro from an old Buckeye. That's pure unadulterated Buckeye since I've always lived in Ohio's southwest quarter. Heck, make that the southwest eighth, or tenth, or twelfth - never more than 40 miles from Indiana or 80 miles from Kentucky.

 

And those distances sort of describe my childhood travel range, too. Before high school, a long family road trip was, at most, a fifty mile outing to visit relatives in Dayton. Once, in the crowded back seat of an uncle's sedan, I did get a few miles over the Pennsylvania line. But maybe Dad really was waiting for me to possess a driver's license because once that happened there were drives to Detroit, Columbus, Indianapolis, and, just once, all the way to Washington, DC. I was seventeen when we did that DC trip and got to drive quite a bit. Eastbound, we picked up some of the PA Turnpike. The return route involved some of US-50 through VA and WV. From the turnpike section about all I remember is a tunnel or two, From the drive home I remember, wiggly roads, some pretty scenery, and stopping at tiny roadside businesses for gas and sodas. I think that one trip was enough to figure out that I liked wiggly and pretty and tiny better than fast and straight. I also learned that my Dad really did like road trips. There just wasn't any time or money for them earlier. Time and money are always going to be limiting factors and that trip demonstrated that going and coming by different paths was a sensible way to get the most out of both.

 

So four decades later, what I learned on that family trip to DC still influences my travel. When I can, I'll double my pleasure by following different routes there and back. When necessary, I'll make use of an expressway to speed me to where something more enjoyable can begin. I will also leverage vacation days and dollars by using them to extend company paid business trips. And I still keep my eyes peeled for wiggly, pretty, and tiny.

 

To round things out, I'm in my mid-fifties (59.4 :D ), have successfully completed two marriages, and loosed three offspring into the world. One son is seeing the world as a member of the U.S. Navy and the other is seeing it by Eurorail, hitch hiking, and tagging along with friends. Only the daughter opted to live in Ohio. I work as a computer programmer for a small company but, with retirement not all that far away, I'm looking into that hitching and tagging stuff.

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:D Hello, I finally read my emails and discovered American Road has been moved. WoW...very, very nice digs!!

 

I am a newbie and hope to post from time to time, I enjoy road trips with my 2 dogs & hope that I can plan a trip with them soon as a little vacation. Any ideas are quite welcomed!

 

:)

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I'm Matt Smallwood. I'm a little younger than some of the members, at 41, but I've learned so much about two lanes on this forum and the National Road forum......especially from Frank and Alex. You guys are wellsprings of knowledge.

 

I live near the eastern end of US 40 and the National Rd., in Wilmington, DE. Have since I was a child. And my parents hail from the western end, in and near the town of Effingham, IL. So, I've driven the I-70 and US 40 corridor probably a hundred times......about half of them with my parents. Dad wasn't a big fan of flying so we NEVER flew to Illinois to visit relatives on vacation. Geez, we even got visit the Dakotas, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska on one trip.

 

That's probably why I'm a big fan of the road trip and American roads in general. Though no one in my family is. My brother and sister would rather fly to any local over 100 miles away. Not me.....on last count, I've driven through or visited 43 of the 48 continental states.

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My name is Cristy and I too am a born and breed Buckeye. I grew up a half block from the National Road and was always intrigued with its history. I grew up just east of Columbus where there are still many mile markers for the National Road so I always had a constant reminder of the road and its importance in history. Like many of you, I grew up with family vacations and road trips and am old (?) enough to remember traveling many roads before the interstates. That was my introduction to road trips and as we grow up we tend to get nostolgic. As a kid, I was pretty lucky and traveled most of the country with the exception of the pacific northwest and new england. As an adult, I finally made it to new england and feel in love with Maine and US 1. Now a days I tend to focus on classic two lane roads and following historical trails (Santa Fe trail etc). My partner and I met over our love of road trips and try to go out almost every weekend even if its just looking for covered bridges or picking an unknown road and seeing where it takes us.

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  • 2 months later...

Hi-This is Rock from Amarillo, Texas. Our family vacations were taken in the car headed west from Minnesota. No surprise that I am an avid roadster. I've lived in many parts of the west, and have traveled extensively throughout. A big fan of natural hot springs, I've had some interesting adventures seeking a remote soak. The west has provided many opportunities for off the beaten path travel of all sorts.

 

I am a graphic designer, and have worked with travel and tourism concerns in small, rural communities throughout the west. Lots of dinosaurs and cowboys in my portfolio. We moved to Amarillo this summer, where there are new opportunities for exploring the local highways and small towns. Hey, I can visit Ol' 66 whenever I want!

 

Rock

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Hi-This is Rock from Amarillo, Texas. Our family vacations were taken in the car headed west from Minnesota. No surprise that I am an avid roadster. I've lived in many parts of the west, and have traveled extensively throughout. A big fan of natural hot springs, I've had some interesting adventures seeking a remote soak. The west has provided many opportunities for off the beaten path travel of all sorts.

 

I am a graphic designer, and have worked with travel and tourism concerns in small, rural communities throughout the west. Lots of dinosaurs and cowboys in my portfolio. We moved to Amarillo this summer, where there are new opportunities for exploring the local highways and small towns. Hey, I can visit Ol' 66 whenever I want!

 

Rock

 

 

I haven't had a chance to get back to you re: your e-mail. LOT'S going on this past week . . . too long a story.

 

It was very nice to hear from you. I looked at the map you did, nice work. Please e-mail me when you have some time.

Thanks!

Becky Repp

becky@americanroadmagazine.com

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I haven't had a chance to get back to you re: your e-mail. LOT'S going on this past week . . . too long a story.

 

It was very nice to hear from you. I looked at the map you did, nice work. Please e-mail me when you have some time.

Thanks!

Becky Repp

becky@americanroadmagazine.com

 

 

My roadie nickname is Bliss (read BL-I55 street sign as "Bliss" after liquid refreshment with friends in Springfield, IL) and my better half, Mary Sue, and I are still hooked on two laners. We both lived in IL on U.S. 36 when we were kids going to school and burning the tires off of everything that ran. Even lived in the same neighborhood but never dated until she cast a longing eye at my customized '52 Ford Vickie during the summer following her high school graduation. We started cruisin' together and are still cruisin' together 46 years later. Ain't retirement grand?

 

Our favorite highway is route 66 (I was born in Chicago and lived in Dwight for a while) and we have traveled the entire route. We also like U.S. 40, especially across IL and IN, and have traveled U.S. 50 from KS to about half way across OH. Other cool roads of choice include U.S. 61 (AR to WI - or is it WS?), U.S. 67, and numerous MO state and county highways. We are members of the route 66 associations of IL and MO.

 

Current wheels are a beautiful '77 Monte Carlo, a work-in-progress '79 Vette, and an '04 supercharged Monte Carlo. We are Chevy fans through and through! Both of our sons bought new Harley Streetbobs this year and love the flat black paint as well as the famed Harley varoom. Our only grandchild, Nick, is nearly 16 and has a driving permit. He's already taken me for a spin in our old Vette and I ended up promising it to him after we finish playing with it.

 

An economics prof challenged his class 45 years ago to discover the true meaning of the phrase, "What the world needs is a good five-cent cigar." I've often thought of this and thought I had the answer several times only to decide that the definitive choice is a personal decision where one size does not fit all. My good five-cent cigar is cruisin' a two-lane highway with Mary Sue in a Chevrolet....Bliss

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  • 4 months later...

Hello all, my name is Gus. I am going on 36, married, with a 2-y.o. daughter. I’ve lived in Chicago or the near suburbs all my life. Here’s the part of that life maybe some of you might want to read about…

 

I first learned the joys of traveling on the road at a young age. Some of my very earliest memories are of riding in my parents’ 1965 Cadillac Sedan DeVille (now there’s a road trip car, big enough to land an airplane on the roof and seat 7- for dinner!), with no real place to go. Just meandering around Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, or Iowa. Now, my parents emigrated to the U.S. in 1971 from Colombia, South America, and I was the first of my family born here. I don’t know if they did much pleasure travel in Colombia, but they must have picked it up somewhere, because that’s what we did almost every weekend for many years during my childhood. Hence my deep wanderlust.

 

Once I got my license in 1987 at age 16, I was lucky enough to get a little car of my own, and I immediately set out to explore the suburbs around Chicago. My biggest early thrill back then was having wandered "all the way" out to Elgin, IL- a whopping 30 miles from home! And then, when I graduated college in 1995, I bought a new Pontiac Grand Prix GTP, which turned out to have very long legs indeed, to the tune of 250,000 miles worth of unforgettable road adventures to date- 3 days after I bought the car, I drove to the Badlands of South Dakota, mostly just because they were there, almost 2000 miles round-trip. I hope to share some of those travels here, and pics as well. I’ve seen 27 states in this car, including a 7-day marathon drive to San Francisco and back to Chicago in 1997, Michigan’s upper Peninsula, civil war battlefields in Mississippi, noodly backroads in Tenessee and Kentucky, the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, and all points in between. The 2-lane roads, of course, are my favorite way to see all these places, but the interstates have been good to me, letting me reach far-off places in short order- hence my name, “Reacher Man”.

 

I was lucky enough to meet a woman in 1998 who shares my passion for road tripping, and we were married in 2001. While we were still dating, she lived in central Illinois, and I had the pleasure of driving down Route 66 every weekend to see her. Now we try to see the country with our little daughter Sofia- 7 days after she was born we drove with her to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to buy a car. If she doesn’t end up a wanderer like us I’ll have to wonder about the whole concept of heredity!

 

Sorry for going on so long, but it’s nice to have an audience like this. Looking forward to sharing my stories and pics, and yours as well. We’re planning a Route 66 trip this Spring thru IL, MO, and maybe AR, so I’ll def. be seeking your advice on that!

 

Joy, peace, and axle grease... :D

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  • 2 months later...

HI All,

Iam the Midnightcaller I got that name because I used to call this BBS at Midnight when I came home from work.

 

I live in the Lake Stevens,WA area and Iam into treasure hunting,and a ham radio operator.

I also like getting into my car and going on any road I can find. One of my trips Iam planning is driving from Washington to Maine, then down the East Coast to Florida. then get on to rute 66 and come back home.

I would like to do this trip on blue's highways and avoid the freeways you can see more than on a freeway. one goal in life is to see all 50 states and Canada..

 

How many people are from Washington

How many people are ham radio operators?

how many people are into metel detecting and treasure hunting?

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Hello everybody! I'm Jim, a lifelong Hoosier currently holed up in Indianapolis. From my Northwestside home, I can hear the cars running at the Speedway, but I'm happily just north of all the race-day traffic.

 

I'm not sure how I came to love the road. My parents were no help -- Dad hated to drive, so we seldom went anywhere. My first job after I got my driver's license was driving for a courier service, shuttling papers small items all over northern Indiana and southern Michigan. To the extent it didn't make me late, I experimented with the two-lane roads that wound around the area. And when I went to college, I would do anything to get off the mind-numbing US 31-to-I-465-to-I-70 route from my hometown of South Bend to engineering school in Terre Haute. I found that the two-lane roads that cut through the countryside didn't take very much longer and could be a lot more enjoyable. And then I began to notice the signs on some highways that said, "Old Route xx." I tried following some of those and found greater peace, quiet, and beauty along the way. I became hooked.

 

I got serious last year when I decided I wanted to start exploring Indiana's highways. My first serious road trip was along US 40 from Downtown Indianapolis to the Illinois border. I plotted out all the old alignments I could find and, last July, a friend and I drove every segment. The most exciting part of the trip came just west of Plainfield when we found a short, non-driveable abandoned segment that the earth was trying to reclaim.

 

Since then I've been driving around Indiana whenever I can get away and the weather is favorable. My favorite trip was last Labor Day weekend when I toured some of the twisties between Brown County and the Ohio River. A few weeks ago I drove State Road 37's original alignment to Bloomington, which included a long abandoned segment and a really pretty winding segment the last 15 miles before Bloomington. And just this past Memorial Day, I drove US 36 from its original terminus at old US 40 in Indianaopolis all the way to Rockville. I found several segments of the road's original alignment, including two with covered bridges, one that was dirt/gravel, and one that is interrupted by a lake the Army Corps of Engineers built 60 years ago -- the road goes in one side and comes out the other.

 

I write about my road adventures on my Web site. Unfortunately, because of a snafu with my hosting company, it is down at the moment. I expect they'll realize that I did, indeed, pay to re-register the domain and will put it back up this week. When they do, I'll pass the URL along. But meanwhile, I have a few pictures of my State Road 37 trip on my blog: http://jimgrey.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/th...to-bloomington/.

 

Glad to be here!

 

Peace,

jim

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Hello everybody! I'm Jim, a lifelong Hoosier currently holed up in Indianapolis. From my Northwestside home, I can hear the cars running at the Speedway, but I'm happily just north of all the race-day traffic.

 

I'm not sure how I came to love the road....

 

I write about my road adventures on my Web site. Unfortunately, because of a snafu with my hosting company, it is down at the moment. I expect they'll realize that I did, indeed, pay to re-register the domain and will put it back up this week. When they do, I'll pass the URL along. But meanwhile, I have a few pictures of my State Road 37 trip on my blog: http://jimgrey.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/th...to-bloomington/.

 

Glad to be here!

 

Peace,

jim

 

Wow, Jim. your blog is, as my son would say, "Awesome."

 

I look foward to knowing when your hosting company gets squared away so we can see more

 

And thanks for a great post. I look forward to more!

 

Welcome aboard!

 

Keep the Show on the Road

Edited by Keep the Show on the Road!
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Greetings Jim, and :welcome:

 

It appears we traverse some of the same roads on a daily basis and hear the same "sweet music" of 33 of the fastest cars in the world every May, as we reside in Speedway.

 

I'm really looking forward to getting home tonight to read more of your blog from your SR 37 quest. We took much of those same alignments a few weeks back on our way to Cave City, KY for a little American Road forum gathering and cruise. Not only were those old 37 alignments fascinating for, well, being old SR 37 alignments, but more importantly because those old alignments were once 37's predecessor, the Dixie HIghway.

 

We hope you stick around and contribute. We've got a wide array of "road geeks" on here from all over the country (and a few from around the world), with many of them stationed here in the midwest. Feel free to post some of your road pics in our gallery as well. I'll touch base with you on that 36 alignment through Indy soon!

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Thanks for the welcome, guys! Nice to be here.

 

I grew up four blocks from one of the branches of the Dixie Highway, or Dixieway as we called it in South Bend. My favorite route between Indy and South Bend is, of course, the Dixie Highway route.

 

My hosting company fixed the domain registration problem; my site is back among the living. To see detailed writeups, with photos, of my road trips, go to www.jimgrey.net and click the "Roads This Exit" graphic.

 

I'm eager to write up my US 36 trip from last week. I still can't believe that a dirt/gravel road is signed as "Old 36 Rd" out in Parke County.

 

Peace,

jim

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HI All,

I am the Midnightcaller...

I don't think we have a lot of members from Washington but I know we have a few. And I know I've seen some members mention HAM radio though I couldn't tell you who. As for metal detecting, you could be the first or maybe they're just hiding. I'm in Ohio, with radio skills pretty much limited to FM (with some occasional AM for ball games), and my one or two outings with a detector were basically flops.

 

Welcome aboard.

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Hello everybody! I'm Jim, a lifelong Hoosier...

Greeting from a neighbor. That's an excellent website you've got going. I just did a fairly quick pass (although I got hooked and still spent more time than intended;-) and know I'll spend some more time there. US-36 is on my "To Do" list and I'll be looking over your comments on the old alignments (some requiring SCUBA gear) you found.

 

Do you still believe Clapton was singing about Terre Haute?

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HI All,

Iam the Midnightcaller I got that name because I used to call this BBS at Midnight when I came home from work.

 

I live in the Lake Stevens,WA area and Iam into treasure hunting,and a ham radio operator.

I also like getting into my car and going on any road I can find. One of my trips Iam planning is driving from Washington to Maine, then down the East Coast to Florida. then get on to rute 66 and come back home.

I would like to do this trip on blue's highways and avoid the freeways you can see more than on a freeway. one goal in life is to see all 50 states and Canada..

 

How many people are from Washington

How many people are ham radio operators?

how many people are into metel detecting and treasure hunting?

 

I know of a couple of us from the state of Washington who post here. I live in Olympia. I lived for a while ten years ago in Snohomish, so I know the Lake Stevens area a little.

 

We need more active members from Washington as I am holding out against the rest of the country practically by myself. :D Welcome!!

 

I haven’t had much to do with ham radio for many years and back then it was with a friend who was a ham.

 

I have often thought it would be fun to get a metal detector and scout out a few places. We were along the Yellowstone Trail (now US 2) between Waterville and Coulee City (in Moses Coulee) a few weeks ago on an abandoned alignment and I wondered if I could find some mementos of its earlier years. One of my 1920 maps showed the site of a long forgotten hotel in the Coulee itself, and I thought it would be interesting to do a little “treasure hunting” We located the probably site, but a metal detector might have found something to confirm it.

 

Not to lead the topic astray, but any advice or luck finding anything significant along an old road? Is there a compact metal detector? As it is I have my laptop, GPS, maps, cameras and dog (and sometimes my wife!).

 

I remember another time when it would have been fun. Frenchman’s was a well known stop (Hotel, service station) on the Lincoln Highway back in the 1920’s, but the site today is just a few bent pipes. It would have been kind of interesting to find a 1920’s coin on the site. But alas, I wasn’t equipped, so all I could identify was what looked like a broken arm off a vintage shock absorber.

 

If you are taking a cross country trip, can you post a running account for us to follow? The thread would be fun and we could track your progress. Besides you will get more advice than you can possible use on what to see and where to stop.

 

Incidentally, I have a detailed 1912 atlas of snohomish County that might be useful in treasuer hunting. It's not for sale, but if you have a specific area that you would like more on, perhaps I cpould copy some for you.

 

Let’s Keep the Show on the Road!

Edited by Keep the Show on the Road!
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Thanks for the welcome, guys! Nice to be here.

 

I grew up four blocks from one of the branches of the Dixie Highway, or Dixieway as we called it in South Bend. My favorite route between Indy and South Bend is, of course, the Dixie Highway route.

 

My hosting company fixed the domain registration problem; my site is back among the living. To see detailed writeups, with photos, of my road trips, go to www.jimgrey.net and click the "Roads This Exit" graphic.

 

I'm eager to write up my US 36 trip from last week. I still can't believe that a dirt/gravel road is signed as "Old 36 Rd" out in Parke County.

 

Peace,

jim

 

Jim,

 

Your ears must be ringing. We were talking about your site in glowing terms this evening on a chat. Those write ups and pictures define the genre!

 

Incidentally, I like your map comparisons in the first post. Being a map guy myself, you made an interesting use of maps from different periods. I'm going to take a look at a 1920's map of the same area and see what it holds of interest.

 

Maybe throw in a couple of links (highlight the link and click the tree icon to have the image display in line) to a photo or two of yours in your next post so viewers are encouraged to stop and take a closer look at your work.

 

You are helping Keep the Show on the Road!

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HI All,

Iam the Midnightcaller I got that name because I used to call this BBS at Midnight when I came home from work.

 

I live in the Lake Stevens,WA area and Iam into treasure hunting,and a ham radio operator.

I also like getting into my car and going on any road I can find. One of my trips Iam planning is driving from Washington to Maine, then down the East Coast to Florida. then get on to rute 66 and come back home.

I would like to do this trip on blue's highways and avoid the freeways you can see more than on a freeway. one goal in life is to see all 50 states and Canada..

 

How many people are from Washington

How many people are ham radio operators?

how many people are into metel detecting and treasure hunting?

 

 

Hi Midnightcaller and welcome aboard!

 

I'm not into any of the above, but definitely into taking the two land roads (naturally!!). I am looking forward to hearing your road stories...you're in the right place to share your stories and advice and get advice if needed!

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Thanks, guys for the nice welcome! I'm glad you enjoy my site. I like putting it together almost as much as I like taking the road trips. I like to write -- I was a technology writer in a former life. And these trips are a chance to improve my photography skills.

 

I've just gotten into the maps aspect of this hobby, but mostly for practical reasons: I want to see where roads used to go, especially through cities. My 1957 and 1976 maps of Indianapolis cleared up a lot of mysteries for me, but paradoxically raised a few more questions, such as "just how many alignments through town did SR 37 have, anyway?" Speaking of maps, I found a nice little cache of Indiana road maps online, from j1917 to 1928. Here's the URL: http://www.libraries.iub.edu/index.php?pageId=2978. Indiana's highway system exploded during these years, going from five roads to pretty much the system we have today.

 

Oh, and believe me, I've been tempted to go swimming in Raccoon Lake to see if I can see road underwater. I work with a woman whose parents live more or less out that way, and they say that when the Army lowers the lake's level every winter you can see more of the road. And yes, I am inclined to think that "Crossroads" was about Terre Haute. The guy who wrote the song, Robert Johnson, was known to visit Terre Haute. And a line from the song, "Goin' down to Rosedale..." is a fit, because there's a Rosedale just north of Terre Haute, a few miles east of US 41.

 

Peace,

jim

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Jim,

 

Your work is entertaining and informative! I guess intelligence and competence count! I have been following old alignments for 25 years and you as a relative newbie have already eclipsed my “talent!” You did a splendid job on your write ups so I know you are a serious aficionado. Keep em coming!

 

I have a collection that is pretty good with at least a few thousand maps and guides I use to track old roads and roadside artifacts and architecture. It is mostly western US but not to the exclusion of other areas. I also have developed a nose for the old alignments that comes out of lots of experience, but which I think might be described usefully for others.

 

I have thought from time to time that I would offer some “insights” about finding and following the old alignments and understanding what to look for in recognizing the old roads. You have the talent and knowledge, and I may have a bit more experience (maybe not) so perhaps we could combine our “advantages” to the benefit of others on the forum.

 

And other folks here who will photograph an old concrete highway gutter or follow the old road through the sagebrush may want to add their knowledge. Then you, as both knowledgeable in the subject and skilled in the communication arts, might pull it all together into an organized and lucid whole for all of us to enjoy.

 

What say ye?

 

If you are interested, I’ll start a new thread to invite members to share their insights.

 

Keep the Show on the Road

 

 

Peace,

jim

Edited by Keep the Show on the Road!
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I have thought from time to time that I would offer some “insights” about finding and following the old alignments and understanding what to look for in recognizing the old roads. <...> And other folks here who will photograph an old concrete highway gutter or follow the old road through the sagebrush may want to add their knowledge. Then you, as both knowledgeable in the subject and skilled in the communication arts, might pull it all together into an organized and lucid whole for all of us to enjoy.

 

I think you and I are of like mind. I have been thinking about writing a guide for my site, based on what I've learned, about finding and following old alignments. I also wanted to tell the clues I've learned about finding abandoned segments. (My favorite clue is to follow the utility poles; they frequently follow a road's former path.)

 

If we, as a group, can pool our collective knowledge, I'll put it on my (unfortunately fairly large) to-do list to write it up. We can, of course, keep it here, but I'd also like to put it on my site, with attributions as contributors desire.

 

Peace,

jim

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I think you and I are of like mind. I have been thinking about writing a guide for my site, based on what I've learned, about finding and following old alignments. I also wanted to tell the clues I've learned about finding abandoned segments. (My favorite clue is to follow the utility poles; they frequently follow a road's former path.)

 

If we, as a group, can pool our collective knowledge, I'll put it on my (unfortunately fairly large) to-do list to write it up. We can, of course, keep it here, but I'd also like to put it on my site, with attributions as contributors desire.

 

Peace,

jim

 

Right, the telephone poles didn't move when the road did!

 

This could be fun, and I want to get these things on paper before my memory goes!

 

I also want to make some suggestions on where to find or acquire maps and the like. And how do you find out where the old road went if you don't have a map.

 

I don't see why you couldn't replicate the stuff on your website, but you might check our Rules. Sometimes forums claim the copyright on anything posted on the site. I don't think this one does, but it wouldn't hurt to check the rules.

 

I want to include finding the old road treasures as well. By treasures I mean the evident and not so evident artifacts like the old buildings and other remnants of highways past.

 

There isn’t a clear place to start this thread, so I guess I will post under General Discussion. Pat or Jennifer may move it if they have a better category.

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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