This poor guide sign has been cut into three pieces – and one is missing. But still, this is the only ACSC diamond I have ever seen which mentions “Arizona State Highway” and, even more spectacularly, the Grand Canyon! Certainly unique.

After Roy’s, we explore many roads – not all of which go to any particular place.

Well, what do we have here? Oh, just the only known surviving cateyed sign in California! This stop sign dates to between 1934 and 1942, and is the first cateyed sign anyone’s seen since the mid-1990s. A miracle that it would survive… and it does!

A nice early 1980s wood interstate shield from Arizona.

A porcelain interstate marker. California, 1970, intended to be affixed to a green guide sign.

A 1920s or 1930s Oklahoma state route marker.

Route 66 before it was route 66. Foothill Boulevard in Pasadena became US-66 in 1926. This sign dates to 1916 or so, and traces the route between San Bernardino and Los Angeles.

Rectangular guide signs with an inverse-text line at the top, like this 1937-1940 example, are quite a difficult find. I know of just this one, and one other.

This guide sign from the Death Valley Area dates to 1929-1934.

This Northern California guide sign dates to 1913-14, and is from the first run of the yellow diamonds. No distances, just destinations, marks it as a very early sign. It was posted on what would become US Route 101 in 1926.

Leaving Roy’s. Don’t ask why this gantry has green banners and arrow. I blame the city of Fontana.

If you catch it at the right angle, the new style of reflective sheeting shows why it is called Prismatic High Intensity.

Not at Roy’s, but a remarkable California route marker from 1934.

Day two of our travels – sunrise over the hills just east of Bakersfield. Old route 155 gives us this view.

Hills and high clouds off highway 155.

This isn’t an old white guide sign … but the post it is on dates back to the time when it did hold an example of the previous standard.

We find this 1930s bridge on an old 198 alignment south of Hanford.

The way to San Jose, under the high cirrus clouds.

This road connects Coalinga to state highway 25. It was built in the late 1940s.

Did I mention the high clouds? Also, we catch California in the last of its green season. In a month, this will all be dry.

We also get the last of wildflower season.

Uh oh, the road is flooded. It’s about 6 inches deep – will my low-clearance rental car make it? (Hint: it does.)

I do not know what kind of flowers these are, but they are across the river we just successfully forded.

We have made it to highway 25.

Why did the super fancy spotted chickens cross the road? Well, they didn’t; at least not while I was photographing them.

This 1957 guide sign is still in the wild.

As is this historic marker, also 1957. You can probably figure out approximately where it is.

An abandoned two-lane concrete alignment of US-101.

This experiment in retroreflective signage dates to about 1966. As you can see, it wasn’t a very successful experiment.

This 1960 sign on By-Pass 101 (“By-Pass” designation having been covered up since 1964) is the last known porcelain outline US shield green sign in California. I remember when I first moved to the Bay Area there were about 6 signs like this in this general vicinity – this is the only one which has survived some major construction projects. Apparently, California has the money to replace old signs. Go figure.

An oddity: green signs are not supposed to have the state name on the route markers.

The rarely seen 21×18 style of interstate shield.

And how about this brilliant emerald green porcelain guide sign? it is a City of San Jose installation, and dates to 1960, when the intersection of The Alameda (old US-101, now highway 82) with nearby highway 17 (now interstate 880) was built.

Just a shot straight into the sun with weird angles that I thought came out well.

This sign dates to 1960. Note the pattern of rivets around the 82 shield: yep, at one point the sign had a US-101 shield instead! Until 1964, this downtown route was US-101, and the freeway was By-Pass US-101.

And now, some photos from the third day of my trip. Why yes, that is a white porcelain CSAA guide sign half-buried in the shrubbery! The sign is from approximately 1948, when this road was built.

What other treasures does this particular intersection reveal? Here’s a CSAA nine-spot end-of-road reflector!

The intersection that keeps on giving! Three 1948-vintage signs to be found here.

A few miles up the road, we come across one more CSAA porcelain white sign.

This sign is notable for inexplicably featuring the wide US route shield for a route number that clearly does not demand it.

Would anyone like to tell me what this sign says? The pair dates to between 1964 and 1973, and therefore it would likely have, under the US-50 shield … another US-50 shield? And under the I-80 … another I-80? Highly confusing; why would they replace signs with themselves. But those are the logical routes that passed through this junction – US-50 heading south, and I-80 (which is now Business I-80, or “to I-80″ as the case may be) heading west. The question remains: why the late-90s patches? (And also, what was under Fresno? Oakland?)

Nothing to see here, just someone’s private collection of some rare and unusual California signs.

Some more signs out of a private collection. This pair, dating to 1961, once stood in Janesville, Wisconsin.

and that’s all, folks!

Started out the day being greeted by this VMS with the message "I-80 EB Closed at Mississippi River". Had to turn around and trudge southward along the real I-74 eastbound, which was equally under construction for an ARRA based resurfacing project. A routine inspection revealed damage to a faulty floor beam and currently only one lane of westbound traffic is permitted to use the bridge due to repairs. Work began on April 5, 2010 on a $10.3-million project. Construction on the October 27, 1966-opened span will shift to the westbound lanes by early July, with on eastbound lane restored at that time.

A new set of Clearview signs were added to the 2008-replaced Lincoln Road overpass. Signs over the westbound lanes were added during the evening of May 5 as we drove under.

Clearview signs were also added to Interstate 180 north at Interstate 80. The freeway spur remains vastly devoid of traffic.

Interstate 80 traffic is squeezed down to one lane per direction as crews completely replace the westbound spans over East Bureau and Brush Creeks (between Exits 61 and the La Salle County line).

Turned north onto Interstate 39 & U.S. 51, which surprisingly had more traffic then we anticipated.

Joining U.S. 20 eastbound on Interstate 39 & U.S. 51 north. U.S. 51 utilizes the Northwest Tollway with Interstates 39 & 90 east of the split with U.S. 20.

Virtually all signage along the Interstate 39-90 & U.S. 51 triplex in Rockford was replaced. Guide signs utilize Clearview font, and a few U.S. 51 shields do as well.

Hart Road eastbound sees a diamond interchange with Interstate 43 (Exit 2). The at-grade intersections of both off-ramps are in the process of being converted to roundabouts.

Wisconsin typically uses uni-signs on a black panel for shield assemblies of various types. Junction shields for Interstate 39 and Wisconsin 81 join the end sign for Interstate 43 in this particular group. Even after the many years since Interstate 39 was extended north into Wisconsin, there is still no mention of it on the Exit 1A/B guide signs for Interstate 90.

Southbound at the eastbound split of Interstate 90 from Interstate 39 at Rockford. A two-lane flyover was added to replace a loop ramp that brings Interstate 39 & U.S. 51 north onto the Northwest Tollway.

Interstate 90 (Northwest Tollway) retains some button copy signage leading east from Rockford toward Chicago. A state-named Interstate 290 shield resides on this mileage sign found just east of the split with Interstate 39.

A 17 mile exit less stretch culminates at the U.S. 20 trumpet interchange north of Hampshire. Exits along the Illinois Tollway system remain number less at this time.

Older button copy signs posted along the Northwest Tollway omit the state name from the route markers and include no control points. A number of suburban exits line the stretch between Elgin and Schaumburg.

The Illinois Tollway system typically uses state-based or suburbs-based control points for its Interstate highways. Occassionally though, Interstate 294 north will use Milwaukee as the destination of choice.

Interstate 90 (Kennedy Expressway) splits with a set of express lanes ahead of the merge with Interstate 94 (Edens Expressway) east. The express lanes are reversible and line the median of the north-south portion of the Kennedy.

The Interstates 90 & 94 (Kennedy Expressway) express lanes periodically see slip ramps to and from the general travel lanes. The express lanes feature less entry and exit points, and thus few slowdowns due to merging traffic.

Continuing along the Interstates 90 & 94 express lanes leads drivers to the Kennedy Expressway inbound at Ohio Street. The express lanes default onto the Ohio Street freeway spur east while returning traffic to the mainline joins ahead of junction Interstate 290 (Eisenhower Expressway).

Trudging through the Congress interchange along Interstates 90 & 94 east. The ramp to Congress Parkway eastbound is presently closed as IlDOT reconstructs the Congress Parkway bridge over the South Branch of the Chicago River. This work coincides with work to rebuild the Congress Parkway interchange with Lower Wacker Drive.

Information overload on this set of signs along Interstate 55 (Stevenson Expressway) northbound for McCormick Place.

A pair of begin shields usher in the start of Interstate 55 south from U.S. 41 (Lake Shore Drive) in Chicago. We head south to Lincoln.

Interstate 55 is fairly industrial in nature, angling southwest to a partial interchange with Interstate 294 (Tri-State Tollway). Access to Interstate 294 south requires one to take U.S. 12-20-45 south.

Interstate 55 reduces from six to four overall lanes between Interstate 80 and U.S. 6 (Exit 248).

Illinois 129 departs from the left-hand side of Interstate 55 south via Exit 238. The state route follows historic U.S. 66 through Braidwood.

Business Loop Interstate 55 follows a 1950s-built alignment of Historic U.S. 66 around the city of Bloomington. Motorists can find pretty much any business they desire along the north-south stretch of the commercial arterial.

We arrive at the south end of Interstate 155 outside Lincoln, where we drove last December, and thus clinch the entire 964.25-mile route.

Driving along Business Loop I-55 (Historic U.S. 66) in Lincoln, we spotted this wooden cutout along southbound. It appears to be a custom hand-painted replica.

Two-digit width Interstate 155 trailblazer posted along Illinoi 10 west & 121 north. Interstate 155 replaced IL-121 leading north to Morton.

Oddly shaped cirrus clouds north of Illinois 10 near Burton View. A frontal system moved in later this day and dropped 1″ of rain in many areas.

Approaching the Scott W. Lucas Memorial Bridge of U.S. 136 west across the Illinois River.

Westbound U.S. 136 after its split with U.S. 24 at Duncan Mills.

Spurred southward through the dilipated town of Vermont and discovered two old gas station signs at the town square. The stations are long gone, but both signs remain in good condition.

U.S. 67 follows a 65-mph expressway north from Good Hope to a brief merge with U.S. 34 around Monmouth.

Sources:

• "Eastbound lane of-80 bridge closed to traffic." Quad-City Times, May 12, 2009.
• "I-80 eastbound closes today at Mississippi River." Quad-City Times, April 5, 2010.

U.S. 30 joins U.S. 61′s freeway briefly at DeWitt, Iowa. The exit numbering of the U.S. 61 interchanges shifts to U.S. 30′s mileage along their shared alignment.

U.S. 61 varies between a four-lane freeway and four-lane expressway between Interstate 80 and its merge with U.S. 151 near Dubuque Regional Airport. U.S. 151 merges with the divided highway at a trumpet interchange.

U.S. 52 enters Dubuque from the southeast and joins U.S. 61 & 151 from Bellevue Road.

U.S. 52, 61 & 151 upgrade to a brief freeway on the approach to downtown Dubuque. Interchanges connect the trio with Grandview Avenue and Locust Street. Locust Street provides a connection to U.S. 20, which passes over U.S. 52-61-151 along the Julien Dubuque Bridge.

U.S. 52-61-151 see traffic lights with Jones Street and the Locust Street/U.S. 20 connector before upgrading to another freeway leading northeast from downtown Dubuque to Wisconsin. The freeway elevates onto a viaduct from 4th Street and splits with U.S. 52 at 11th Street west before spanning the Mississippi on the arched Dubuque-Wisconsin Bridge.

Spanning the Mississippi River along U.S. 61 & 151 north. The Dubuque-Wisconsin Bridge opened to traffic in 1982 and is the second longest arch bridge across the Mississippi (the first is the Interstate 255 Jefferson Barracks Bridge).

Looking south at the frozen Mississippi River from the Dubuque-Wisconsin Bridge. The Mississippi River was frozen southward toward Clinton.

Wisconsin typically uses a uni-sign type configuration when signing overlapped routes. This particular assembly lies along the northbound freeway of U.S. 61-151 & Wisconsin 35.

U.S. 20 briefly sees its own freeway through parts of Dubuque. The freeway sinks toward the Mississippi River, intersecting Locust Street at-grade, before crossing the Mississippi River.

Crossing the Mississippi River on the narrow Julien Dubuque Bridge of U.S. 20. The steel-arch truss bridge opened in 1943.

A rock cut along Wisconsin 11 after its intersection with Rock Cut Road.

Snow covered trees shroud the landscape of U.S. 20 east on its ascent from the historic town of Galena.

A scenic lookout area resides along the westbound side of U.S. 20 east of Galena.

Descending along Illinois 84 south after its split with U.S. 20.

Straddling the Mississippi River along Illinois 84 south near the Savanna-Sabula Bridge of U.S. 52. Illinois 84 travels between a railroad line and Mississippi Palisades State Park.

Traveling west across the Mississippi on U.S. 52 over the Savanna-Sabula Bridge. A bridge plate attached to the beginning of the span installed in 1932 reads "Short Route Cedar Rapids – Chicago".

A short truss bridge carries U.S. 52 drivers over the waterway linking the Mississippi River with adjacent Town Lake. Sabula constitutes a small town on an island bound by the river, Town Lake, Israel Day Lake, and Sabula Lakes. U.S. 52 turns west from Broad Street onto Sycamore Street from a causeway over Sabula Slough onto a second causeway between North and Middle Lakes of the Sabula Lakes system.

U.S. 67′s north end shield posted at the U.S. 52 merge/split with Iowa 64 west of Sabula. U.S. 67 continued northwest with U.S. 52 to Dubuque between 1934 and 1967.

Iowa 136 becomes Illinois 136 as it crosses the Mississippi River via the Lyons-Fulton Bridge between Lyons, Iowa and Fulton, Illinois. This steel truss bridge opened to traffic in 1975.

U.S. 30 enters Clinton, Iowa from East Clinton, Illinois along the Gateway Bridge. This suspension bridge opened to traffic in 1956 and was rebuilt in 1999.

U.S. 30 and 67 combine for a short distance between downtown Clinton and north of Camanche. The intersection where the two split doubles as an entrance to a big box retail center. U.S. 67 utilizes a two-lane controlled-access type bypass of Camanche west of town.

U.S. 67 enters the riverside town of Princeton. The US route parallels the Davenport, Rock Island & North Western Railroad. through both Princeton and nearby Le Claire.

It was a dark and snowy night…

Don’t eat the orange snow. Distant municipal lights provide the mushroom-cloud effect. I took this picture by the side of US-45 in Michigan.

The US-41 bridge in Houghton, Michigan.

Oh, nothing to see here, just the last embossed cutout US shield in the wild. Both that and the M-203 date back to the 1930s, and have definitely been repainted several times.

The oldest shield in Wisconsin, complete with old-style CITY banner. This one, and one just like it further down the same road, date back to about 1958.

Sunrise on the third day, along US-51 in Wisconsin.

Somewhere over the midwest.

State-named shields in Minnesota are getting harder and harder to find.

Passing by the airport on our way out of town.

Wisconsin is not known for paying much attention to shield shape. This one is correctly identified as US-8, yet it appears in the triangle-and-rounded-rectangle state route outline. The “US” dates the sign to the 1970s.

Just several intersections away is this 1962-spec US-8 shield! Good old Barron County, which figures that if the sign was good enough for Kennedy, it’s good enough for you and me.

This is what a correct 1970s US-8 shield looks like.

This one? Not so much.

You guessed it – we’ve reached US-45.

Leave it to the moose to get it right.

The very last county road before the Michigan state line features this very old county route marker, made to a 1950s standard.

The very first reassurance marker features Michigan’s custom font.

We’re in nimrod country.

Snow-covered trees in the high beams.

Another view of the bridge in Houghton.

Grain elevator at sunrise.

Highway 41 heading into the sun.

Well, so much for getting drunk while getting clean.

An old embossed county marker still stands here.

Close-up of the old shield.

We’re back in Wisconsin now, and find this oddly-fonted assembly.

A somewhat older US-141 shield.

State-named I-43 shields float around, but aren’t all that easy to find. This assembly dates back to 1987.

I have no idea who is responsible for this one.

Here we go again mixing up state and US routes.

Somewhere just south of Green Bay.

This gantry is on the road coming off the US-10 ferry at Manitowoc.

Heading into sunset on US-10.

What’s hidden in that tree?

This classic shield is in Sheboygan.

Can’t all be winners.

Here is why we can’t find a state-named I-39 shield in Wisconsin: all the old trailblazers predate the number! Only I-90 trailblazers exist buried in towns.

What does Wisconsin seem to do a lot?

The other old US-14 shield.

Apparently, squirrels come in black outside of Washington, DC.

Squirrels, guide signs …

The state route shields with “WIS” date back to between 1962 and, officially 1982, though new ones still pop up on occasion.

Outline shield and inverse shield on the same gantry.

The only older style US-10 shield I found.

Two blocks over, we get this one.

The rustic route system follows everything from state highways down to goat paths.

One last state-named shield before the airport.

That’s all, folks!