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* Route 66 + Northwest Us Road Trip, 2011?


knightfan26917
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I'm ALREADY looking to my 2011 road trip.

 

While I know about 2 car shows the last weekend of June 2011 in PA (GM Nationals, Carlisle; MC Nationals, York)...and the irony of the 2 shows being so close together with many people I know attending at least 1 of the 2 shows, it does not appear (at this point) that I will be able to go, due to lack of vacation time. Instead, since I have yet to travel to the northwest section of the United States during any of my road trips, that is where I'm heading....

 

 

In early June 2011, I may have the opportunity to travel with a Route 66 friend of mine along part of US Route 66 from Chicagoland to Amarillo TX. If that works out, the POSSIBLE itinerary is....

 

Saturday, 06/04/2011 ... Chicagoland to Springfield IL

 

Sunday, 06/05/2011 ... Springfield IL to west of STL Missouri

(possible going as far as Lebanon MO)

 

Monday, 06/06/2011 ... W of STL MO to Joplin MO

 

Tuesday, 06/07/2011 ... Joplin MO to Tulsa OK

 

Wednesday, 06/08/2011 ... Tulsa OK to Clinton OK

(potential side trip up to Wichita KS while we stop in Oklahoma City OK)

 

Thursday, 06/09/2011 ... Clinton OK to Amarillo TX

 

Friday, 06/10/2011 ... stay in Amarillo TX

 

 

 

From Amarillo, then, I will head to the northwest.... Unless I opt to travel a bit farther west across the southern US, THIS is the tentative outline for the rest of my trip....

 

Saturday, 06/11/2011 ... Amarillo TX - Denver CO

~9a-6p (10 hours), gain hour per time change

via I-40 W ... I-25 N

 

Sunday, 06/12/2011 ... Denver CO - Salt Lake City UT

~8a-5p (9 hours)

via I-25 N ... I-80 W

 

Monday, 06/13/2011 ... Salt Lake City UT - Sacramento CA

~8a-6p (11 hours), gain hour per time change

via I-80 W

 

Tuesday, 06/14/2011 ... Sacramento CA - Eugene OR

~8a-5p (9 hours)

via I-5 N

 

Wednesday, 06/15/2011 ... Eugene OR - Seattle WA

~10a-4p (6 hours)

via I-5 N ... US RT 20 W ... US RT 101 N

 

Thursday, 06/16/2011 ... Seattle WA - Butte MT

~8a-7p (10 hours), lose hour per time change

via I-90 E

 

Friday, 06/17/2011 ... Butte MT - Pierre SD

~7a-8p (12 hours), lose hour per time change

via I-90 E

 

Saturday, 06/18/2011 ... Pierre SD - Bismarck ND

~7:30a-11a (3.5 hours), w/1.5-hr stop for lunch

via US RT 83 N

 

Saturday, 06/18/2011 ... Bismarck ND - St Paul MN

~12:30p-8:30p (8 hours)

via I-94 E

 

Sunday, 06/19/2011 ... St Paul MN - Chicagoland IL

~8a-4p (8 hours)

via I-94 E ... US RT 20 E

(or)

via I-35 S ... US RT 20 E

 

 

 

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

 

 

 

Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |* Chicagoland Meets, 2011?

MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"With every state line, somehow I find another part of me" ... Love And Theft ... 'Runaway'

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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

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My first thought was "ambitious". Then I looked it over again and thought "very ambitious". Then I threw it on a map and thought "holy-cow ambitious". I'm sure it's doable but it's not, except for the Route 66 bit, my kind of road trip. You'll be going through some wonderful country but you won't have an opportunity to see much of it from all those expressways. And with several 500 mile days and one of nearly 800 (Butte-Pierre) you won't have much time to do anything but drive. If your goal is to say "I've been there" then fill the back seat with Red Bull when you leave Amarillo and have at it. But, if you'd rather say "I've seen it", I think you might want to consider trimming that north west route down a scosh.

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Denny makes a most cogent point, but on the other hand, you know how you like your road trips, so I'm going to take the "You know what you like" position.

 

I can say with some confidence that I am familiar with a good deal of your route, specifically the Pacific Northwest and the route to Chicago. I took most of the Puget Sound to Chicago leg this summer. But what you are doing in 4 days, took me two weeks, so your and my experiences will differ. I'm thinking you need the most interesting highlights version, the "gems guide." But which "gems?"

 

It will help a lot if we know your interests. For example, I like history and roadside artifacts. An abandoned schoolhouse from the teens of the last century, or a remnant of an old service station make me smile. On the other extreme I have friends who drive the interstates, and she holds the wheel at times while he photographs the memorable sights passing by on the driver's side. If they make less than 600 miles a day, they pick up the pace, while I struggle to make 150 - 200. We both enjoy the road......so what lights your fire?

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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Have a day off work today, so stopping in briefly this morning. I should've noted originally that I generally have time to visit the different boards/groups of which I'm a member once every couple weeks or so. I will always check in as I have time, and hope to meet many of you along the way....

 

 

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.

 

OH cool ... sounds like a great trip! But, without A/C ... yikes! Have any pics anywhere of that trip, or that MC, by chance?

 

 

My first thought was "ambitious". Then I looked it over again and thought "very ambitious". Then I threw it on a map and thought "holy-cow ambitious". I'm sure it's doable but it's not, except for the Route 66 bit, my kind of road trip. You'll be going through some wonderful country but you won't have an opportunity to see much of it from all those expressways. And with several 500 mile days and one of nearly 800 (Butte-Pierre) you won't have much time to do anything but drive. If your goal is to say "I've been there" then fill the back seat with Red Bull when you leave Amarillo and have at it. But, if you'd rather say "I've seen it", I think you might want to consider trimming that north west route down a scosh.

 

As Dave noted, you make a good point. However ... one thing you noted that I should clarify (and will clarify as I visit my other boards/groups) is that I HAVE "seen" those areas ... with my parents and sister on family road trips in 1985 and 1991. Back then, we did a lot of stopping ... and visiting ... and a heck of a lot of sightseeing. For me, this 2011 trip is about going to those areas "solo" and, more importantly, seeing friends and family every evening along the way. Make sense?

 

My 2009 Route 66 trip was an "oddity" for me ... in that I did a LOT of sightseeing and stopping along the way. Up to that point, my road trips were a way to meet people ... and not do a lot of sightseeing. Yet, now, that has changed. Even with my August 2010 road trip, I did a little sightseeing along US Route 6, etc.

 

In the 2011 trip, the sightseeing part will be, once again, along US Route 66, through the eyes (hopefully) of a friend with whom I will be traveling along that section of the trip. The rest of the trip, for the most part, will be driving and seeing people. Next time I visit here, I'll mention the National Parks that I may stop to see along the way, if "drive time" and "people time" permit....

 

I suppose I should also mention that much of my enjoyment with road trips is the driving part. I simply LOVE to drive, but I strongly dislike traffic...!

 

 

 

I can say with some confidence that I am familiar with a good deal of your route, specifically the Pacific Northwest and the route to Chicago. I took most of the Puget Sound to Chicago leg this summer. But what you are doing in 4 days, took me two weeks, so your and my experiences will differ. I'm thinking you need the most interesting highlights version, the "gems guide." But which "gems?"

 

It will help a lot if we know your interests. For example, I like history and roadside artifacts. An abandoned schoolhouse from the teens of the last century, or a remnant of an old service station make me smile. On the other extreme I have friends who drive the interstates, and she holds the wheel at times while he photographs the memorable sights passing by on the driver's side. If they make less than 600 miles a day, they pick up the pace, while I struggle to make 150 - 200. We both enjoy the road......so what lights your fire?

 

Heh ... and, in that last question, is the problem. TOO many things light my fire.

 

First and foremost, I love meeting people. My road trips started as a way to meet people...plain and simple. While I was in Nashville TN in, I believe, March 2001, a friend of mine from Arkansas was killed in an automobile crash during a heavy rain storm. He was one of those that I had known for YEARS via different groups/online boards and had always said that "one day" we'd meet. Well, that never happened. So, I decided to take action to MAKE meetings happen ... and thus, I started my road trips. I've met quite a number of people over the last few years and have discovered, in each case, that we have more in common than an interest in a car or heart issues. It is a VERY small world. Heh, in one case, I found out a friend from a message board was taught by my grandfather "back in the day":

http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/1106/DSC07591r8_jpg.html'>http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/1106/DSC07591r8_jpg.html

 

Second ... similar to you, I enjoy history, roadside artifacts, and following the "web of life", in terms of how things evolved and who knows who and what intersects with what, etc. This was never more evident than during my 2009 Route 66 trip.

 

Third ... I love old cars, I don't care what they are. While I certainly enjoy seeing the "master pieces" (or "trailer queens"), I also love seeing the "in progress" ones or even just the old car with rust and dents that is driven for daily use.

 

Fourth ... as I mentioned, I love to simply drive. I can spend all day long just driving!

 

...and those four are just a start....! :)

 

 

 

 

Here are links to my documented road trips, if you're interested....

 

 

West, October 2004:

http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/0410/0410.html

 

 

East, August 2005:

http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/0508/0508.html

 

 

West, October 2006:

http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/1106/1106.html

 

 

Southeast, November 2007:

http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/200711/200711.html

 

 

East, August 2008:

http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/200808/2008rt.html

 

 

Southwest, September 2009:

 

09/05/09, Day 1, DeKalb IL (LH) to Pontiac IL (Rt 66) to Springfield IL, 43 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY1#slideshow/5427141662526110530

 

09/06/09, Day 2, Springfield IL to St Louis MO, 68 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY2#slideshow/5427153871443919250

 

09/07/09, Day 3, Stanton MO to Joplin MO, 62 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY3#slideshow/5427439268824317586

 

09/08/09, Day 4, Joplin MO to Tulsa OK, 77 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY4#slideshow/5427862154662426722

 

09/09/09, Day 5, Tulsa OK to Clinton OK, 53 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY5#slideshow/5428251162202783314

 

09/10/09, Day 6, Clinton OK to Amarillo TX, 80 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY6#slideshow/5428260359643080226

 

09/11/09, Day 7, Amarillo TX to Moriarty NM, 81 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY7#slideshow/5428654625398731538

 

09/12/09, Day 8, Moriarty NM to Holbrook AZ, 102 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY8#slideshow/5428980552494890642

 

09/13/09, Day 9, Holbrook AZ to Williams AZ, 72 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY9#slideshow/5429002721353620370

 

09/14/09, Day 10, Williams AZ to Kingman AZ, 116 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY10#slideshow/5429395440355434498

 

09/15/09, Day 11, Kingman AZ to Barstow CA, 137 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY11#slideshow/5430380559414678786

 

09/16/09, Day 12, Barstow CA to Rialto/San Bernardino CA, 98 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY12#slideshow/5431220758934833330

 

09/17/09, Day 13, Rialto/San Bernardino CA to Albuquerque NM, 36 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY13#slideshow/5431255586450476482

 

09/18/09, Day 14, Albuquerque NM (Rt 66) to Kearney NE (LH), 5 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY14#slideshow/5431261135177047330

 

09/19/09, Day 15, Kearney NE (LH) to Elgin IL, 29 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY15#slideshow/5431272549764120818

 

 

South, November 2009:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/DriveSouthTNAL112709112909#slideshow/5431282615925577026'>http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/DriveSouthTNAL112709112909#slideshow/5431282615925577026

 

 

Northeast, August 2010:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/DriveSouthTNAL112709112909#slideshow/5431282615925577026

 

 

 

 

Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |

MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"I love to hear the steel belts hummin' on the asphalt" ... Steve Earle ... 'Guitar Town'

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Knight...

 

Very useful description of your interests!

 

My National Parks Highway drive this summer took me along almost your entire route between Seattle and Chicago. Outbound (eastward) I went via Spokane, Butte, Glendive, Bismarck, Fargo, St Paul, and Madison. Westbound, I went via Pierre, The Badlands, Mt Rushmore, Sheridan, etc. One way or the other it looks like I traveled almost all of your route, with the exception of Pierre - Bismarck and Madison - Chicago.

 

I am going to assume that you are the perfect candidate for the short side trip I have advocated for the modern road tripper. You are making miles, and time is an important factor, but you would like enjoy the roadside you can't see from the interstate. That means you would enjoy "detours" that kept you headed in the right direction, but that allowed you to savor our heritage, and meet people, "real" people.

 

Let me focus first on the Seattle - Chicago leg, because it is the freshest in my mind. Between Seattle and Spokane you will be forced to stay on the interstate because there is no way you can make Butte if you were to take the road via Waterville and Davenport. Too bad, but lets make the best of it.

 

Pull off in Cle Elum at the first off ramp. Get gas if you need it, and drop in at Pats Treasures antique shop on the north side of the street. She was once a newspaper reporter in Cle Elum and knows stuff. She has written stories about early automobilists and crossings of the Cascades when the roads was a trail. Across the street, look for the old and much faded Signal Oil sign on the side of the building.

 

Go all the way through town, and pick up the interstate about a mile beyond downtown. You could go straight ahead and follow the old road toward Ellensburg along the Yakama River, and pass through Thorpe, after crossing a nice steel truss bridge and a pioneer grain mill....but it will take too much time.

 

Back on the interstate you won't have time to pass through downtown Ellensburg with its old buildings and service stations, but you may want to take a break by the time you get to Vantage. If you do, drive through the tourist services on to the Ginkgo Petrified Forest park site. Lots of petrified wood, a nice view of the Columbia River from on high, a view of the old road where it now goes under the waters of the Columbia instead of across the old bridge, some salvaged petroglphys, a small museum etc.

 

Back on the Freeway don't slow down until you are through Spokane and past Coeur d'Alene. Don't get me wrong, because I love those places and could describe days of great things to do, but as a practical matter, you are only half way to Butte. Past Coeur d'Alene you should pull off to at least look at the spectacular Catalo Mission. You probably won't spare the time to go inside for a real feeling of what one of these Indian missions was like 150+ years ago, but I highly recommend it if your schedule permits.

 

If you were a fan of the old Yellowstone Trail, or the Mullan Road, I would make several suggestions, but stops require time. I think a drive through downtown Wallace is a must do. It is near the top of examples of prosperous mining towns, with fancy old brick buildings, stuffed bears, elk, and such in store windows, and lots of ambiance. You may recognize it as the filming site for Volcano.

 

One place you might find interesting is at the Savenac Historic Tree Nursery at Haugan, MT

where an amazing old Yellowstone Trail Bridge is preserved in a state of gradual decay. As something of an old road pro, I can say that this bridge, still in its original setting and context, is as close as it gets to what the road and bridges on the old auto trails looked like. Some the National Road gang my disagree, but this one is as good as it gets....in my opinion.

 

Strangely enough, the hosts at the park were volunteers from Europe, the Netherlands as I recall! They won't be there next year, but it is sort of a kick that someone from overseas is the pro on our heritage.....the same often goes for Route 66.

 

Like Spokane and Coeur d'Alene, I could cite half a dozen sights in and near Missoula, but you don't really have the time.

 

If it were me, I'd turn off the interstate at Drummond (drive through and enjoy the old motel sign and quaint downtown) and get to Butte via Philipsburg. It is a terrific old mining town, and has charm galore. Then you can pass through Anacortes, and on into Butte. At Butte at least drive downtown and visit the Broadway garage, an unpretentious monument to early auto service. At least walk up and look inside. In your mind's eye remove the Hertz sign what remains is the quintessential auto garage of the 1920's - 30's. fantastic old hotels and signs of interest abound within blocks.

 

OK, that is the "side trips on I-90" version, Seattle to Butte, with lots saved for future trips. If this stuff helps, let me know, and I'll do eastward. And BTW, if you want photos and details look under Yellowstone Trail and National Parks Highway on this forum.

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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If I hadn't previously e-chatted with Cort elsewhere on the web, I probably would have been more subtle in my response. Plus, had I known of the emphasis on visiting old friends, which I truly understand and appreciate, I might not have made that response at all. I'd looked though many of the pictures of past trips but had not realized that last year's 66/LH trip was something of an anomaly in terms of sightseeing. I may not agree with your travel plans but I will defend to the point of mild inconvenience your right to pursue them.

 

In reference to the original questions, "Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?", my thoughts and comments stand; My suggestions are rubbish.

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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

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I am going to hang with Knight. I hope he will hang with us. I'd like to add hundreds like him to our group. He is the mainstream.......not that we aren't happy where we are, maybe too happy.

 

I would guess for every one person who will drive between Seattle and Chicago (his route) on the Yellowstone Trail or the National Parks Highway, there are a 10,000, maybe 100,000, who will take the interstates. If we want to share and build a love for the two lane roads, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where to prospect.

 

Knight knows his mind and where his passions lie. All I would hope to do is add a little to his pleasures and memories. My thought is that there are many segments of the old two lane roads that are easily reached as you motor along the freeway. They take you the direction you are going, and usually through a more interesting landscape, closer up and more personal. And they add little to the travel time or distance. I will prove this if he shows an interest.

 

Both the Yellowstone Trail and the National Parks Highway compliment his interstate route. He doesn't have to travel either for hundreds of miles to enjoy segments of each, and visit fascinating people and sites along the way. I'll try to prove that if he is game.

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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  • 3 weeks later...
OK, that is the "side trips on I-90" version, Seattle to Butte, with lots saved for future trips. If this stuff helps, let me know, and I'll do eastward.

 

YES ... that helps ... more than you may realize. Thank you! :)

 

 

 

If I hadn't previously e-chatted with Cort elsewhere on the web, I probably would have been more subtle in my response. Plus, had I known of the emphasis on visiting old friends, which I truly understand and appreciate, I might not have made that response at all. I'd looked though many of the pictures of past trips but had not realized that last year's 66/LH trip was something of an anomaly in terms of sightseeing. I may not agree with your travel plans but I will defend to the point of mild inconvenience your right to pursue them.

 

In reference to the original questions, "Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?", my thoughts and comments stand; My suggestions are rubbish.

 

Denny ... I disagree; I do not think your suggestions are rubbish. I think just the opposite ... they are in harmony with my feelings about road trips ... because, thinking about it, this upcoming 2011 road trip is also an anomaly of sorts ... in that it is, as you pointed out, highly ambitious in "drive time" terms vs. "social/relaxing/taking it in" terms....

 

I would love to "slow it down" a bit and enjoy a road trip like I did along Route 66 in 2009, or even portions of my 2008 trip to the northeast. However ... I only have 10 vacation days with which to work, and since the northwest section of the US is the only area/region (well, excluding Alaska and Hawaii) of the US to which I have not traveled "solo", I really want to make that trip work this year, for several reasons, including the fact that life is way too short. I've learned that lesson the hard way in various ways, so I want to make the trip while I still can....

 

While I have considered the possibility of dropping the Route 66 section of this trip, I'm not too keen on that, given how much I enjoyed that 2009 trip. True, I will not see all the sites I did then, but I will see some highlights and, more importantly, see the people that I want to see again. In terms of the northwest, then, the ambitiousness of the trip is driven by my desire to DRIVE ... and my desire to meet up with people with whom I've spoken for years on various groups/message boards and to see some family, if possible.

 

 

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.

 

The greater Chicagoland area also has its share of old highways, both US and state, that I've enjoyed exploring the last few years, as I've driven my cars. And, I hope to continue that over the next few years as well.

 

As I mentioned above, my limited vacation time is driving the necessity to utilize mostly interstates this trip. While I know this is not ideal, it is the path I must take, if I want to see some people in the northwest US. Prior to 2009, most of my road trips were via interstate. Those previous trips, however, did not cover as much real estate as my 2011 trip will, and thus, I had less "drive time" ... and more time to relax and visit, etc. Then, my September 2009 road trip along Route 66 really opened my eyes to the pleasures of the old highways that I had only had a taste of here in Illinois. Following that, my 2010 trip to the northeast included jaunts along, among others, US Route 6. So, I know what I will be missing, in terms of taking the old highways. But, if I'm granted enough time in this life, I will return to various areas across the United States to take in more each time.....at least, that's the plan. ;)

 

 

 

I am going to hang with Knight. I hope he will hang with us. I'd like to add hundreds like him to our group. He is the mainstream.......not that we aren't happy where we are, maybe too happy.

 

I would guess for every one person who will drive between Seattle and Chicago (his route) on the Yellowstone Trail or the National Parks Highway, there are a 10,000, maybe 100,000, who will take the interstates. If we want to share and build a love for the two lane roads, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where to prospect.

 

Knight knows his mind and where his passions lie. All I would hope to do is add a little to his pleasures and memories. My thought is that there are many segments of the old two lane roads that are easily reached as you motor along the freeway. They take you the direction you are going, and usually through a more interesting landscape, closer up and more personal. And they add little to the travel time or distance. I will prove this if he shows an interest.

 

Both the Yellowstone Trail and the National Parks Highway compliment his interstate route. He doesn't have to travel either for hundreds of miles to enjoy segments of each, and visit fascinating people and sites along the way. I'll try to prove that if he is game.

 

Dave,

 

Your description of taking the easily-reached sections of 2-lane roads along the interstates is about what I did with OH RT 2 and US RT 6 during my 2010 trip to the northeast US, as evidenced by the pics I took that trip ... so ... I AM GAME!

 

I'm definitely going to hang around here, as long as ya'll will let me. Though, I'm not sure I'd consider myself mainstream.... I enjoy the interstates and the 2-lanes about equally, I'd say, more so the old highways following my 2009 Route 66 trip. On my way home from CA, as I passed Seligman AZ as I flew by on I-40, I wanted to literally YELL at all the other drivers, telling them what they were missing. I, of course, knew what I was missing, but I wondered how many other people racing past on I-40 knew ... or, for that matter, even cared to know what they were missing.

 

Problem is ... most don't care ... and may never care, which is sad, in my opinion. The United States has a unique history that is best seen through the old highways ... and those that don't even attempt to see that history miss out on a great chunk of their heritage. I readily admit that I, in my younger days, did not care much at all. But, the more I have researched, read, and experienced the old highways, the more I've become obsessed with them ... and the history that they tell of people, places and events. So, it disheartens me to know that I will not be able to travel many old highways along the northwest US, but at the same time, I know that I will be driving and seeing people.

 

My passions are too many and conflict with each other ... sometimes way too much. The best I can do is try to balance them ... and let things happen as they may after that.

 

:)

 

 

 

Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |* Chicagoland Meets, 2011?

MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"It's like trying to catch a falling star" ... The Heights ... 'How Do You Talk To An Angel?'

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  • 4 weeks later...

ALTERNATE PLANS:

These may be even MORE ambitious, considering the "side trip" to start it, but we'll see how this goes....

 

If the original plan for early June does not work out, then this is my alternative itinerary.... I'll work on specific routes, etc., later. In the meantime, please let me know if you want to meet up along the way!

 

 

 

Friday, 06/24/2011 ... Chicagoland IL - Smithville OH

~3p-midnite (9 hrs), lose hr, time change

via:

I-294 E

I-94 E

IN RT 49 S

US RT 30 E

 

 

Saturday, 06/25/2011 ... Smithville OH - Carlisle/York PA (GM/MC Nationals)

~6a-noon (6 hrs)

via:

OH RT 585

I-76 E

 

 

Sunday, 06/26/2011 ... Carlisle/York PA - Pontiac IL

~7a-7p (12 hrs), gain hr, time change

via:

I-76 W

US RT 30 W

US RT 31 S

US 24 W

 

 

Monday, 06/27/2011 ... Pontiac IL - Lebanon MO

~11a-7p

via:

I-55 S

I-255 S

I-270 W

I-44 W

...VISITS=

Route 66 Museum, Pontiac IL

Becky's Barn, just south of Springfield IL

Henry's Ra66it Ranch, Stanton IL

St Louis MO

others

 

 

Tuesday, 06/28/2011 ... Lebanon MO - Tulsa OK

~9a-6p

via:

I-44 W

US RT 66 (~Joplin MO to avoid tollway)

...VISITS=

Gary's Gay Parita Station

4 Women On The Route, Galena KS

Afton Station, Afton OK

others

 

 

Wednesday, 06/29/2011 ... Tulsa OK - Wichita KS

~10a-3p

via:

US RT 66 W (Tulsa OK - Oklahoma City OK)

I-35 N

...VISITS=

POPS

Edmond OK

 

 

Thursday, 06/30/2011 ... Wichita KS - Dallas TX

~9a-3p (6 hrs)

via:

I-35 S

 

 

Friday, 07/01/2011 ... Dallas TX - Oklahoma City OK - Amarillo TX

~9a-5p (8 hrs)

via:

I-35 N

I-40 W

...VISITS=

Oklahoma City OK (lunch)

various along US RT 66

 

 

Saturday, 07/02/2011 ... Amarillo TX - Denver CO

~9a-6p (10 hrs), gain hr, time change

via:

I-40 W

I-25 N

 

 

Sunday, 07/03/2011 ... Denver CO - Salt Lake City UT

~8a-5p (9 hrs)

via:

I-25 N

I-80 W

 

 

Monday, 07/04/2011 ... Salt Lake City UT - Sacramento CA

~8a-6p (11 hrs), gain hr, time change

via:

I-80 W

 

 

Tuesday, 07/05/2011 ... Sacramento CA - Eugene OR

~8a-5p (9 hrs)

via:

I-5 N

 

 

Wednesday, 07/06/2011 ... Eugene OR - Seattle WA

~10a-4p (6 hrs)

via:

I-5 N

US RT 20 W

US RT 101 N

 

 

Thursday, 07/07/2011 ... Seattle WA - Butte MT

~8a-7p (10 hrs), lose hr, time change

via:

I-90 E

 

 

Friday, 07/08/2011 ... Butte MT - Pierre SD

~7a-8p (12 hrs), lose hr, time change

via:

I-90 E

 

 

Saturday, 07/09/2011 ... Pierre SD - Bismarck ND

~7:30a-11a (3.5 hrs), w/1.5-hr lunch stop

via:

US RT 83 N

 

 

Saturday, 07/09/2011 ... Bismarck ND - St Paul MN

~12:30p-8:30p (8 hrs)

via:

I-94 E

 

 

Sunday, 07/10/2011 ... St Paul MN - Chicagoland IL

~8a-4p (8 hrs)

via:

I-94 E

US RT 20 E

(or)

I-35 S

US RT 20 E

 

 

 

 

Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |

MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"A long white line stretching out on the road ahead" ... Vince Gill ... 'The Radio'

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  • 3 weeks later...

Knight,

 

I see that you're doing some summertime desert driving. I'm not sure how flexible your road trip timing is, but I have an idea. I have some fantastic memories of doing some summertime desert driving in the pre-dawn morning (specifically the Great Salt Lake Desert and points west...which you WILL be driving). It's really amazing to roll the windows down and smell the cool desert air blowing through your car. The sun will rise at 6:01am that day, so get on the road by 5am at the latest. I know that's not so easy for most folks, but doing strange things like that really add something special to a road trip that involves a lot of interstate driving.

 

Have an amazing journey!

Andrew Van Winkle

roadtripwise.com

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Knight,

 

I see that you're doing some summertime desert driving. I'm not sure how flexible your road trip timing is, but I have an idea. I have some fantastic memories of doing some summertime desert driving in the pre-dawn morning (specifically the Great Salt Lake Desert and points west...which you WILL be driving). It's really amazing to roll the windows down and smell the cool desert air blowing through your car. The sun will rise at 6:01am that day, so get on the road by 5am at the latest. I know that's not so easy for most folks, but doing strange things like that really add something special to a road trip that involves a lot of interstate driving.

 

Have an amazing journey!

Andrew Van Winkle

roadtripwise.com

 

Andrew,

 

A nice suggestion! And even with it at your back (headed west, the rosy red of a rising sun casts a wondrous glow across the landscape.

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Ooo...I like that idea, Andrew ... thank you!

 

I will have to see how that will work with the schedule, once I get it a bit more "set in stone". When I was on Route 66 in 2009, it was in September, when it was a little cooler. This time, the mid-summer schedule in 2011 is preferred, since the focus of the trip will be the northwest US ... don't want it to be TOO cold when I'm up that way ;).

 

I sure appreciate your suggestion. :)

 

 

 

Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |

MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"Somebody snitched on me" ... Barry Gordon ... 'Nuttin' For Christmas'

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Speaking of the northwest...I am hoping that your transition from US RT 101 N to I-90 E involves a ride on the Kingston ferry. Look on the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula and you'll see Kingston (right across Puget Sound from Lynnwood). The 101 loops around the peninsula anyway so it would not be hard to do. Once you get off the ferry in Seattle, it's just a short ride to I-90.

 

On this particular route, as you ride across the water toward Seattle, you get a spectacular view of Mount Ranier rising above the city. And I'm sure you'll get to meet some great people while you're on the boat.

 

Andrew Van Winkle

roadtripwise.com

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Andrew,

 

I appreciate that additional tip. Someone else had mentioned that to me as well...so I do have it down for consideration. I'm thrilled to get "duplicate" suggestions like this ... because that means more people agree on certain routes, stops, etc. So, thank you!

 

 

Becky,

 

That goes for you, too! The Milk Bottle was mentioned by another friend of mine who lives in that area. So ... I hope to get there, too!

 

 

*sighs*

 

So very much to see and do throughout this country ... that it is frustrating to NOT be able to simply road trip 24/7/365....

 

 

 

 

Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |

** RadioShow.CDshowcase.HOLIDAY | Friday | 12.24.2010 | 12:30p-4:30p.CENTRAL = www.WRMN1410.com **

"You can say there's no such thing as Santa" ... Elmo'N'Patsy ... 'Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer'

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