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

Winners Announced In The Hypotenuse Trail Goodies Give Away


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The following Hypotenuse Trail aficionados opted into the big goodie give away. You are listed in the order of your standing in the race for the goodies.

 

Alex Burr

Chris Rowland

ChadSDPhoto

 

So here’s the deal. To get your fair share of the goodies, send me by personal message the following:

 

1. Your first, second, and third choice of goodie..

2. Where you want the goodie sent.

 

Alex is certain to get his first choice, and the other goodie winners will, in the order above, get from the remaining goodies the highest on their list. You are bound to get one of your choices! If this isn’t clear, don’t worry…the Chief Trail Blazer’s decision is final, and by definition correct!

 

You have until May 15 to send me your choices.

 

I know that each of you will treasure your trophy, so if it should ever happen that I visit you in your home or office, be sure you have it prominently displayed!

 

And BTW, I am obligated to report the market value of these gifts to the IRS, so please send me your social security number, bank routing number, and your credit card number, including the last three numbers on the back. It may also be useful if you would send me your exact billing address and your mother’s maiden name and the name of your favorite pet. You know how picky the IRS can be! B):rolleyes::o:lol:

 

Here are the goodies…again

 

 

1. An authentic electrical connection found on the pump island of the 1927 Lincoln Highway service station at Sutherland, Nebraska.

 

2. The official Nebraska Highway Patrol speeding warning issued to the Hypotenuse Trail Blazer as he struggled along his route.

 

3. An Official Everglades National Park guide distributed at the entrance. Save this item for 30 years and sell it on Ebay to supplement your retirement. An Official Ft. Laramie guide handed the Trail Blazer inside Park headquarters. Again…keep Ebay in mind. The Official National Park guide for the Vicksburg National Military Park. You know how hot civil war items are on Ebay, so keep this and turn a buck in your old age.

 

4. West Palm Beach is the home of the excessively wealthy, also known as the filthy rich. This writing instrument is embossed with West Palm Beach right on the barrel, and has a green removable cap which also serves as a pocket clip. Keep Ebay in mind.

 

5. A scoop of sand and seashells picked up on the Gulf Coast. If you don’t see a trip to this area in your near future, spread this on a paper towel and wiggle your toes in the white sands of Florida. No value on Ebay.

 

(Note that I combined the National Park guides, so that is one sweet goodie package.)

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave

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  • 2 weeks later...

Dave,

 

I received the wonderful Palm Beach Lakes Inn pen in the mail yesterday. Thanks so much, it will go into the hallowed collection of pens in the round container next to my phone to be used each time I get a phone call.

 

Hope the memories of the Hypotenuse Trail inaugural excursion will stick with you as well.

 

Have fun on the road, :D

 

Chad

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Dave,

 

Brochures arrived yesterday - now I hate you!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You got me all fired up to make at least a "local" road trip down to Vicksburg and gas is $3.75 a gallon!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL ROF LLAM :P

 

Actually, thanks. Those are nice, very informative. If, and when I get to, at least, Vicksburg, I'll know exactly where to go and what to look for.

 

Safe travels.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

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Dave,

 

Brochures arrived yesterday - now I hate you!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You got me all fired up to make at least a "local" road trip down to Vicksburg and gas is $3.75 a gallon!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL ROF LLAM :P

 

Actually, thanks. Those are nice, very informative. If, and when I get to, at least, Vicksburg, I'll know exactly where to go and what to look for.

 

Safe travels.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

 

Alex,

 

Alex

 

I was impressed with the Vicksburg National Military Park, but I wouldn’t go before I had fully read up on the details of the siege. I regretted that it had been 15 or 20 years since I studied the battle, and so I had forgotten all but the very general details. As a consequence I didn’t comprehend the many descriptive markers. If I knew the details, it would have been a thrill to stand in those places.

 

Of course Vicksburg itself is fascinating, so even though I was ignorant, I enjoyed the visit. The only disappointment was the old bridge, because right up until the last minute I thought it was open. I even made a couple of circles thinking I had simply missed the turn off. No such luck.

 

I backtracked on the old two lane road once on the other side of the interstate bridge so that I could claim semi virginity, and the pay off was a sign marking a section of Grant’s canal. So the whole area is rich in history.

 

I don’t know what I can say about gas prices that is at all optimistic. I spent within 10 cents of $3.49 all the way along the Hypotenuse, until I got to Washington….where it was $3.89. I was cured of any idea that I might buy an RV and see the USA. Friends with a gasoline rig that gets 6MPG are flying to Hawaii cheaper than driving it on a vacation.

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave

 

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Alex,

 

Alex

 

I was impressed with the Vicksburg National Military Park, but I wouldn’t go before I had fully read up on the details of the siege. I regretted that it had been 15 or 20 years since I studied the battle, and so I had forgotten all but the very general details. As a consequence I didn’t comprehend the many descriptive markers. If I knew the details, it would have been a thrill to stand in those places.

 

Of course Vicksburg itself is fascinating, so even though I was ignorant, I enjoyed the visit. The only disappointment was the old bridge, because right up until the last minute I thought it was open. I even made a couple of circles thinking I had simply missed the turn off. No such luck.

 

I backtracked on the old two lane road once on the other side of the interstate bridge so that I could claim semi virginity, and the pay off was a sign marking a section of Grant’s canal. So the whole area is rich in history.

 

I don’t know what I can say about gas prices that is at all optimistic. I spent within 10 cents of $3.49 all the way along the Hypotenuse, until I got to Washington….where it was $3.89. I was cured of any idea that I might buy an RV and see the USA. Friends with a gasoline rig that gets 6MPG are flying to Hawaii cheaper than driving it on a vacation.

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave

 

I was out on my errands this morning (Friday is errand day - the rest of the week the car "rests"). As I told the cashier at the grocery store "I'm spending the kids inheritance on gas and groceries!!!"

Ain't it the truth.

 

I really do want to tour the Vicksburg Battlefield. Have been to Shilo, but it was in January, so just a tad cool to get out and wander among the monuments.

 

Having been over the old U S 80 bridge many years ago, I am, in a sense glad that is one they bypassed. It was extremely narrow and a danger, especially from trucks or other large vehicles going the other way. White knuckle time, like the Cairo bridges. which are still in use today, and still just as narrow.

 

Safe Travels.

 

Hudsonly,

Alex Burr

Memphis, TN

Edited by Alex Burr - hester_nec
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2. The official Nebraska Highway Patrol speeding warning issued to the Hypotenuse Trail Blazer as he struggled along his route.

Thanks for the authentic speeding warning! I have been using it as a bookmark as I read through "The National Road" (edited by Karl Raitz).

 

Chris

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Thanks for the authentic speeding warning! I have been using it as a bookmark as I read through "The National Road" (edited by Karl Raitz).

 

Chris

 

Chris,

 

I really don’t want to be at all disrespectful regarding a speeding warning, but I’m glad it is being put to a good use!

 

The fact is I deserved a ticket, so getting a warning was lucky. A couple of days ago I looked at my GPS readings just before, and just after, the officer spotted me. It is kind of “interesting” to note how quickly I brought my speed down to the speed limit. I was going faster than I thought, and I have the “evidence” to convict myself!

 

Changing the subject….I have been posting Hypotenuse Trail photos on Flickr, using a free program that batch transfers my GPS reading to the photos’ EXIF, thus allowing me to easily geotag the photos. When I upload them on Flickr they are automatically placed on a map. I don’t have to position them manually

 

If anyone not doing this already wants the details, let me know.

 

If you want to look at the “in process” results, I think you can go to:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12492664@N04/map/

 

I am working my way north from the tip of Florida, but the images on Flickr are currently sorted in the other direction, so you will need to start at the end and work backwards if you want to follow along. I'll try to fix that later. Let me know if it works!

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave

 

 

 

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I've started looking at the photos. I could spend hours in there! Glad you figured out how to automate the geotagging. jim

 

Jim,

 

Yah, I have to confess, even though I took the pictures, viewing them where they were taken adds a measure of “reality” that they lack by themselves. And they were not always taken where I remembered. I am adding titles and comments as time permits.

 

With any luck, I’ll have another batch up today. I’m leaving in many random thru the windshield shots, just because they show the terrain and flora (not much fauna)

 

Keep the Show on the Road!

 

Dave

 

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