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

The Coming Road Trip Season


mobilene
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I'm already starting to dream about the coming road trip season, but this year I will be doing less than in years past as some personal responsibilities have backed up on me and will need my attention over the spring and summer.

 

I plan to finally drive the National Road across Ohio, and Lord willing and the creek don't rise I'll do it over Memorial Day weekend. Gonna take the dog and stay in dog-friendly hotels along the way. Denny's already given me a tip on one.

 

I'm also thinking about exploring the Dixie Highway in Indiana. I've already done some of it -- my US 31 and Michigan Road trips covered the Northern Connector, and my SR 37 Indy-Bloomington trip covered some of it in southern Indiana. But there's still the US 136 alignment that enters from Illinois, and 37 south of Blgtn / US 150 portion still bears discovery. I'll do as much of that as I have time for.

 

So what about you? What trips are you dreaming up for this season?

 

jim

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I'm planning a road trip either on the way to Oklahoma City in July for our annual Hudson car club National meet. Or on the way back. Planning on driving at least from Oklahoma City to Fort Smith, AR, on U S 62, U S 266 and U S 64. I've already driven 64 from Alma to Conway, AR - might follow it back from Conway to Left Memphis, but we shall see.

 

It might be time to take this route again - the last time was in 1956!!!!! By bus. I had just spent 4 months at a Navy prep school in Norman, OK, and a bunch of us were transferred to the Naval Air Station Training Department in Millington, TN, for further instruction on various specialties - thus the bus. I'm not really sure exactly which roads we took, but I do know 64 between Webers Falls, OK and somewhere around Little Rock - because that was pretty much the only way you could go back then. Between Norman and Webers Falls I have no idea, but it was probably north to OKC and then 62 east to pick-up 64 somewhere in eastern OK.

 

It'll be a nice drive anyway, even tho, like my several trips across U S 40 in Ohio after 50 years I know it will be all new to me. Memory fades and the changes are radical.

 

Anyway, safe driving to all. Enjoy the coming summer.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

Edited by Alex Burr - hester_nec
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Good to hear you guys are dreaming about spring and summer drives. I guess great minds run in the same circles!

 

I want to follow the Monumental Highway, and redo the National Parks Highway. What I haven't decided is the route back from each.

 

The NPH will take me from the Puget Sound to Chicago, and the Monumental Highway leaves me near Zion NP.

 

I'm thinking I may follow the Yellowstone Trail back from Chicago. I have now followed all of it in the west at one time or another, but not in South Dakota or further east.

 

Competing with that choice is a trip following the route of my great grandfather on his return from the Civil War. He was a cavalryman and rode his horse home 500 miles from Leavenworth, Kansas where he was mustered out, citing in his diary all the stops he made.

 

I'm looking forward to your road reports!

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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If you travel from Seattle area to Chicago, be sure to stop in historic Wallace, Idaho - it's loaded with cool places like the Oasis Bordello Museum, Sierra Silver mine (tours) Railroad Museum, Mining Museum and more. Here's a nice little video for ya!

 

 

 

Good to hear you guys are dreaming about spring and summer drives. I guess great minds run in the same circles!

 

I want to follow the Monumental Highway, and redo the National Parks Highway. What I haven't decided is the route back from each.

 

The NPH will take me from the Puget Sound to Chicago, and the Monumental Highway leaves me near Zion NP.

 

I'm thinking I may follow the Yellowstone Trail back from Chicago. I have now followed all of it in the west at one time or another, but not in South Dakota or further east.

 

Competing with that choice is a trip following the route of my great grandfather on his return from the Civil War. He was a cavalryman and rode his horse home 500 miles from Leavenworth, Kansas where he was mustered out, citing in his diary all the stops he made.

 

I'm looking forward to your road reports!

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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These sound like some fine itineraries! Looking forward to the trip reports.

 

Reports...AND pictures, of course. ;)

 

 

My main road trip is the end of June into July, which I'll post about separately since I have the long itinerary set. BUT ... I'm also thinking of some smaller weekend trips this year, depending on time available. I really want to make it to Nashville/Jackson/Big Sandy TN because I didn't get a chance last year ... and it's been a couple years now since I've been to my favorite area of the country. We'll see how the year goes....

 

 

 

Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic | * meet_10.15.11_Volo.IL *

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

"You have to try again" __ Janie Fricke __ 'You Don't Know Love'

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  • 1 month later...

I've made hotel reservations in Ohio (in Cambridge and in west Columbus) for my Memorial Day National Road trip across that state. Unfortunately, the weather forecast is calling for rain across much of the state that weekend. I vastly prefer to road-trip in the sunshine, though gray skies and even an occasional shower don't bother me too much. But if any day of it is going to be a washout, I'm going to cancel and hope that the weather works out over Labor Day weekend. So send good vibes for tolerable weather! jim

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I've made hotel reservations in Ohio (in Cambridge and in west Columbus) for my Memorial Day National Road trip across that state. Unfortunately, the weather forecast is calling for rain across much of the state that weekend. I vastly prefer to road-trip in the sunshine, though gray skies and even an occasional shower don't bother me too much. But if any day of it is going to be a washout, I'm going to cancel and hope that the weather works out over Labor Day weekend. So send good vibes for tolerable weather! jim

 

Jim,

 

Since the weather you get passes over here a few days before, I'll do my best to clear the skies as they pass.

 

We look forward to your report!!

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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...I'll do my best to clear the skies as they pass...

...and I'll make every effort to hold up anything that gets past Dave at the state line.

 

I'm at a bit of a disadvantage as to your original request since I recently sold my "good Vibe" :D but give a shout if there's anything else I can do to help.

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Your good vibes sent my way seem to have worked, as the rain chances have all disappeared for the holiday weekend! The trip's a go. I'll be heading out Friday after work and zipping down the superslab (I-70) to Cambridge, OH, where I've reserved a room for two nights. Saturday morning I'll drive to Bridgeport (just across from Wheeling) and then start my westward trek. Kind of nervous about returning to the scene of my accident! I plan to spend Saturday and Sunday getting to the west side of Columbus (where I've reserved another room), and Monday getting back to the Indiana line. There's a lot more to see in eastern OH than western, and so I'm weighting my trip that way. Besides, western OH is easily day-trippable later if I want to revisit it. I may have to go back to one of Denny's old trip reports to see if I can dig up info on the bits of the old road left behind in the reroutings north of Dayton. (Am I remembering that right?) Maybe I'll have time to go see that.

 

So I washed the dog the other day, because a smelly dog is not fun on a three-day car trip. And I charged up my camera batteries. And I've made my usual route document showing every place I plan to stop. All I need now is to gas up the car and hit the highway!

 

jim

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Your good vibes sent my way seem to have worked, as the rain chances have all disappeared for the holiday weekend! The trip's a go. I'll be heading out Friday after work and zipping down the superslab (I-70) to Cambridge, OH, where I've reserved a room for two nights. Saturday morning I'll drive to Bridgeport (just across from Wheeling) and then start my westward trek. Kind of nervous about returning to the scene of my accident! I plan to spend Saturday and Sunday getting to the west side of Columbus (where I've reserved another room), and Monday getting back to the Indiana line. There's a lot more to see in eastern OH than western, and so I'm weighting my trip that way. Besides, western OH is easily day-trippable later if I want to revisit it. I may have to go back to one of Denny's old trip reports to see if I can dig up info on the bits of the old road left behind in the reroutings north of Dayton. (Am I remembering that right?) Maybe I'll have time to go see that.

 

So I washed the dog the other day, because a smelly dog is not fun on a three-day car trip. And I charged up my camera batteries. And I've made my usual route document showing every place I plan to stop. All I need now is to gas up the car and hit the highway!

 

jim

 

Jim,

 

Glad to see that my weather dance worked! Trouble is, it brought the rain here!

 

Have a great and safe trip!

 

Dave

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

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Regarding "...bits of the old road..." north of Dayton, you're probably thinking of Patty Road in Englewood Park and the remnants of Tadmor in Taylorsville Park. Getting to Tadmor involves a mile plus walk on a paved path. You'll drive over a small bridge on old stone abutments on Patty Road but you will want to park and walk to the bridge to really see it. It's on a one way loop and you need to stop before reaching the bridge as there is no place to park beyond it. My online chatter about these bits is here and here.

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That's right, Denny. I've printed out your trip reports for my itinerary and we'll see how it goes that day (I'm covering all of western OH on Monday, a lot more miles than I normally do).

 

I'm all packed; I'm leaving Indy at 4 pm.

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