What's the first road you remember traveling on?

[MNHighwayMan]

During my very formative early years, my family lived a couple blocks off MN-120 (Century Ave), and I will always distinctly remember the many times I rode over that sudden dip that exists just after you cross Stillwater Rd/Blvd going northbound (picture is taken looking south). It's going to be an emotional time (well, kinda ) when the MN-120 signs finally come down, not just because I'm going to really, really want one, but also because that road is a part of my childhood.

I can relate. I would give body parts to have an M-21 sign (all my non-roadgeek friends here in NC would be scratching their heads wondering what the M over the 21 stands for).

I'd give my left limbs and my firstborn to acquire a MN-293 sign. Although I lived near MN-120 for a few (albeit important) years, during my teenage years my house was actually on MN-293 (Dellwood St). I moved out of Cambridge shortly before the signs came down and never got a chance to try to get one. I imagine that they have all since been destroyed (there weren't many—it was ~1.5 miles long). I really should've done what stupid teenagers do and steal one, but I never had enough lack of character (or perhaps put another way, I never had the balls) to do that.

[CtrlAltDel]

When I was little, every year my family and I would travel to my grandparents' house in Florida from Chicago for Easter. We would get up at about 4:30 in the morning (which I didn't like even then), and hit the road until 5 pm or so, making it just shy of Atlanta, where we would spend the night in a motel. The next day, we would get up a little bit later and make the rest of the distance.

There are a lot of little things I remember about these trips, tracing the routes on the atlas (65-24-75), my sister throwing up at least once each day, stopping at the Nickajack rest area on I-24, the signs for Rock City, and so on, but what I remember most is the big green signs, especially the ones at the beginning of the trip, which I now know were on I-294, since they were lit up (because we left before it was light out). Most trips I took as a boy were not on the interstate, so seeing them was a reminder that these trips were something different than normal trips across town.

[slorydn1]

When I was little, every year my family and I would travel to my grandparents' house in Florida from Chicago for Easter. We would get up at about 4:30 in the morning (which I didn't like even then), and hit the road until 5 pm or so, making it just shy of Atlanta, where we would spend the night in a motel. The next day, we would get up a little bit later and make the rest of the distance.

There are a lot of little things I remember about these trips, tracing the routes on the atlas (65-24-75), my sister throwing up at least once each day, stopping at the Nickajack rest area on I-24, the signs for Rock City, and so on, but what I remember most is the big green signs, especially the ones at the beginning of the trip, which I now know were on I-294, since they were lit up (because we left before it was light out). Most trips I took as a boy were not on the interstate, so seeing them was a reminder that these trips were something different than normal trips across town.

My little brother and I would make a game of counting the number of "See Ruby Falls" or "See Rock City" signs between southern Indiana on I-65 and the western end of Chattanooga on I-24.


At one point in the mid 1980's there were more than a hundred of these, but by the late 80's they began to thin out.

[plain]

The Garden State Pkwy & New Jersey Turnpike

[bmorrill]

As best I can recall, the Munich-Augsburg Autobahn in the early 50s.

[US71]

US 66

SM-G930V

[triplemultiplex]

My oldest road memory is from mid 80's.  I recall us waiting to turn left in Winchester, WI (Winnebago Co) where WI 110 and WI 150 used to meet right in town.  This was before all the freeways were built and before WI 110 was moved to the two-lane 'bypass' of Winchester that predated the freeway by about 15 years (the part that is now the NB US 45 carriageway.)
It was night and there were thunderstorms in the area, so as young as I was, I was probably a little spooked by that.  As we approached the junction, there were those rumble strips indicating you were approaching a stop sign.  Ordinarily a source of entertainment for my brothers and I as we would react to the noise as if someone farted; as kids are want to do.  But that night, the rumble strip farts only added to the apprehension about traveling at night with lightning in the distance and the car slowly rolling up to an ominous flashing red light (the one atop the STOP sign).  Very memorable.

[Roadgeekteen]

As best I can recall, the Munich-Augsburg Autobahn in the early 50s.

That's when you know someone is old.

[dzlsabe]

The Skyway in 1962? The steel mills were crankin on the south side, lots of fire and the air was barely breathable, but dad had to go to Phil Schmidts in Hammond for steaks. Our window was right next to RRs, so trains going right by were amazing.

[Roadgeekteen]

The Skyway in 1962? The steel mills were crankin on the south side, lots of fire and the air was barely breathable, but dad had to go to Phil Schmidts in Hammond for steaks. Our window was right next to RRs, so trains going right by were amazing.

How would the air be barely breathable if you were in the car?

[US71]

As best I can recall, the Munich-Augsburg Autobahn in the early 50s.

That's when you know someone is old.

You''l be old, too, someday.

[7/8]

I'm surprised people feel confident in saying what road is the first they remember driving on. I would assume the street I lived on would be a good guess, but for all I know, it could be from a road trip or something. I can't keep track of the chronological order of my early memories

[Roadgeekteen]

I'm surprised people feel confident in saying what road is the first they remember driving on. I would assume the street I lived on would be a good guess, but for all I know, it could be from a road trip or something. I can't keep track of the chronological order of my early memories

I don't really know, I just took a guess.

[roadgeek01]

Probably the little alleyway behind my house. 

[intelati49]

US 60 in Neosho, MO

Either that or the boulevard (Business 60)...

Not sure.

[US71]

I'm surprised people feel confident in saying what road is the first they remember driving on. I would assume the street I lived on would be a good guess, but for all I know, it could be from a road trip or something. I can't keep track of the chronological order of my early memories

Well that's why it says first road you remember . I'm sure they first highway I traveled on was US 6, but I have no memory since I was only a few days old

[7/8]

I'm surprised people feel confident in saying what road is the first they remember driving on. I would assume the street I lived on would be a good guess, but for all I know, it could be from a road trip or something. I can't keep track of the chronological order of my early memories

Well that's why it says first road you remember . I'm sure they first highway I traveled on was US 6, but I have no memory since I was only a few days old

I understand that. I just find it hard to keep track of the order of my memories. For example, I remember driving around Brampton, and some of my family road trips, but it's hard for me to identify which of these memories would be the earliest. I'm just impressed by how specific some the answers have been.

[Beltway]

For me it is great plain avenue in Needham center.

Not sure about the first road, but the first freeway was the Chicago Skyway, this was before we moved from the Chicago area to Florida in 1959, so the Skyway was brand new having opened in 1958.  I would have been 5 years old.   

I also remember my mother driving to the end of the skyway and going off onto streets in a huge construction area in Indiana.

[Roadgeekteen]

For me it is great plain avenue in Needham center.

Not sure about the first road, but the first freeway was the Chicago Skyway, this was before we moved from the Chicago area to Florida in 1959, so the Skyway was brand new having opened in 1958.  I would have been 5 years old.   

I also remember my mother driving to the end of the skyway and going off onto streets in a huge construction area in Indiana.

Everyone is so old here.

[Beltway]

For me it is great plain avenue in Needham center.

Not sure about the first road, but the first freeway was the Chicago Skyway, this was before we moved from the Chicago area to Florida in 1959, so the Skyway was brand new having opened in 1958.  I would have been 5 years old.   

I also remember my mother driving to the end of the skyway and going off onto streets in a huge construction area in Indiana.

Everyone is so old here.

There are a number of teenagers in the roads online forums.

[catsynth]

Tyndall Avenue in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, going back and forth between my grandparents and my family's home at the time.

[JJBers]

CT 14 is where I lived my whole life at this point and my first road I can remember going on, even though I mostly likely first went on CT 2 after I was born.

[leroys73]

Ohio State Route 74 later renamed Ohio State Route 32.
US 50 would be the first US route.
First interstate would be I-44 before it was I-44, Turner Turnpike and Will Rogers Turnpike in Oklahoma.

[CapeCodder]

My oldest road memory is from Dec. 1990. We went up to Wakefield to see my grandfather. I remember us getting lunch at Henry's Sandwich Shop on Steamboat Wharf in Nantucket. We took the boat to Hyannis (I barfed on the boat), and sauntered through downtown. Next was the Mid Cape to the Canal Road, and then up 25 to the 495/195 junction. We stopped to get a Christmas tree in Fairhaven along Huttleston Ave (US6), then we went up 195 to 495 and went to Edaville Railroad to see the lights. I was awake the whole time much to my mother's chagrin. I recall us going up 495 to 24 to 93 and we took that all the way to 128 and exited off the highway at the MA 129 rotary on the Reading Line. My father hates, HATES 128, as those going the speed limit get shit on (you have to go at least 5-10 above to make it anywhere on that road.)

When was 25 taken off of 495? IIRC, wasn't 25 signed all the way to 24 in Raynham?

[CtrlAltDel]

I'm surprised people feel confident in saying what road is the first they remember driving on.

The first road I drove on after I got my driver's license is the street in my town that has the same name as myself. I know this because my father drove me there immediately after I got it, and I drove down the street for a couple of blocks and then home.