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Going off-route on your travels

Started by Mike_OH, January 21, 2014, 04:55:02 PM

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Mike_OH

When you travel to a specific place, do you ever get off of the standard route just a little bit, just for the hell of it?  I live in Cincinnati and once a year, I drive to Myrtle Beach, SC, where my mom lives.  Frequent off-route drives I take along the way include I-275 to I-40 in Downtown Knoxville, I-240/I-40 in Asheville, NC, I-385/I-85 in Greenville, SC, I-85/I-85 Bus in Sparanburg, and either I-26/I-77 around Columbia, or I-126/SC 177 through Downtown Columbia.  If my mom ever drives with me she goes nuts when I take any of these.


hotdogPi

Does this count following an old alignment of a route?
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

US71

Quote from: Mike_OH on January 21, 2014, 04:55:02 PM
When you travel to a specific place, do you ever get off of the standard route just a little bit, just for the hell of it?  I live in Cincinnati and once a year, I drive to Myrtle Beach, SC, where my mom lives.  Frequent off-route drives I take along the way include I-275 to I-40 in Downtown Knoxville, I-240/I-40 in Asheville, NC, I-385/I-85 in Greenville, SC, I-85/I-85 Bus in Sparanburg, and either I-26/I-77 around Columbia, or I-126/SC 177 through Downtown Columbia.  If my mom ever drives with me she goes nuts when I take any of these.

Often. I've been to Pennsacola, FL 3 times: once via US 90, once via US 98, once via I-10... not counting all the creative detours ;)

I go to Hattiesburg, MS every Spring...rarely the same way twice, though after about 7 years, I have to get really creative ;)
Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Takumi

When I go to Hampton Roads and back I rarely take the same route unless I'm not driving. When I went there last month I took US 460 down (the most direct way) but I went out of the way to Williamsburg via VA 143 on the way back.
Quote from: Rothman on July 15, 2021, 07:52:59 AM
Olive Garden must be stopped.  I must stop them.

Don't @ me. Seriously.

Alps

I find this thread insulting. I don't travel unless there's an off-route.

corco

I do my very best to  unless I'm in a huge time crunch. Often, I'll time the trip so that I either leave before sunrise and hit a new route as the sun is coming up or extend the trip into the night so I hit familiar territory as the sun goes down. New territory always gets daylight.

Out here though where there are mountains and roads are scarce...it's tough sometimes. There's no reasonable way to get from here to my parents house in McCall, Idaho without using the same route.

TCN7JM

I think there are about three or four different ways to get from here to western North Dakota in just about the same amount of time, so I usually try to just pick one of 'em at random whenever I head that direction.
You don't realize how convenient gridded cities are until you move somewhere the roads are a mess.

Counties

US 41

On my way to Canada, I ended up in Mexico.   :-D

Traveling back from Mobile to Terre Haute I ended up taking US 45 though Mississippi and Tennessee, rather than taking I-65 through Alabama.

I also took US 41 south of Macon, GA to Tifton, GA; instead of using I-75.

In Chattanooga I went on US 41, because I wanted to go through the Bachman Tubes.
Visited States and Provinces:
USA (48)= All of Lower 48
Canada (5)= NB, NS, ON, PEI, QC
Mexico (9)= BCN, BCS, CHIH, COAH, DGO, NL, SON, SIN, TAM

1995hoo

Quote from: Mike_OH on January 21, 2014, 04:55:02 PM
When you travel to a specific place, do you ever get off of the standard route just a little bit, just for the hell of it?  I live in Cincinnati and once a year, I drive to Myrtle Beach, SC, where my mom lives.  Frequent off-route drives I take along the way include I-275 to I-40 in Downtown Knoxville, I-240/I-40 in Asheville, NC, I-385/I-85 in Greenville, SC, I-85/I-85 Bus in Sparanburg, and either I-26/I-77 around Columbia, or I-126/SC 177 through Downtown Columbia.  If my mom ever drives with me she goes nuts when I take any of these.

Of course, as long as it's not insanely far out of the way (up to 100 miles, no big deal, but much more than that is too far). I keep trying to find new routes south to Florida but the stretch through Georgia has me stymied so far. I think this summer I may just say "screw it" and head west towards Augusta and Macon.

If I were going from Cincinnati to Myrtle Beach I'd find a way to make the time to go via Breaks Interstate Park.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

hbelkins

Quote from: Mike_OH on January 21, 2014, 04:55:02 PM
When you travel to a specific place, do you ever get off of the standard route just a little bit, just for the hell of it?

Of course.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

formulanone

#10
Quote from: Mike_OH on January 21, 2014, 04:55:02 PM
When you travel to a specific place, do you ever get off of the standard route just a little bit, just for the hell of it?

If I'm collecting counties, then "off-route" means I skipped one or two for the sake of arriving on time.  :-/

But for a trip between home and a destination I've traveled to multiple times? Oh yes, I make every excuse to try a new road, even if it loops back to the one I don't really want to take.

US71

Quote from: 1 on January 21, 2014, 05:02:31 PM
Does this count following an old alignment of a route?
I do that a LOT!
Like Alice I Try To Believe Three Impossible Things Before Breakfast

froggie

As a general rule, unless there's a time crunch or a strong desire to get to my destination via the fastest means possible, I'll go "off-route".  For my Vermont trips, usually not on the way up, but usually yes on the way back, especially now that I've altered my trips to have more than one day on the return trip (12.5 hours straight-shot one-way without traffic was getting tiring).

AsphaltPlanet

I almost always go off-route as well, unless I am really pressed for time.  I like driving old roads that parallel new freeways, unless of course the old road is encumbered by traffic signals.
AsphaltPlanet.ca  Youtube -- Opinions expressed reflect the viewpoints of others.

SSOWorld

Quote from: Steve on January 21, 2014, 07:19:07 PM
I find this thread insulting. I don't travel unless there's an off-route.
Truth

Many a time I will take the car out for a spin.  Destinations are optional.  If there is one - I do make sure the route there has as much untraveled route as I can find out of it. Even when time - or money (depending on who pays for the trip as well) are tight - there is some lee-way.  I took I-70/I-15 to California from my home and I-40 and I-35 back last year.  About the same time frame.  The last few times I've been to Chicago have been via back roads - Milwaukee too.
Scott O.

Not all who wander are lost...
Ah, the open skies, wind at my back, warm sun on my... wait, where the hell am I?!
As a matter of fact, I do own the road.
Raise your what?

Wisconsin - out-multiplexing your state since 1918.

Duke87

Like most people here, I tend to favor roads I haven't taken before over roads I've already taken as much as time and practicality allow.

I do, however, have an uncanny habit of limiting myself to roads that are mapped on CHM... since I can't take "official" credit for clinching the road if it's not. I'm perfectly willing to venture onto county or local roads, though if A) it's necessary for optimal clinching of state highways, B) I've already clinched the parallel state highways in the area, or C) there's something specific on the side road that I know I want to see.
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

hotdogPi

Quote from: Duke87 on January 23, 2014, 09:17:24 PM
I do, however, have an uncanny habit of limiting myself to roads that are mapped on CHM... since I can't take "official" credit for clinching the road if it's not.

What about Vermont state highways?
Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

vdeane

Quote from: Duke87 on January 23, 2014, 09:17:24 PM
Like most people here, I tend to favor roads I haven't taken before over roads I've already taken as much as time and practicality allow.

I do, however, have an uncanny habit of limiting myself to roads that are mapped on CHM... since I can't take "official" credit for clinching the road if it's not. I'm perfectly willing to venture onto county or local roads, though if A) it's necessary for optimal clinching of state highways, B) I've already clinched the parallel state highways in the area, or C) there's something specific on the side road that I know I want to see.
Ditto.  Sometimes I'll develop a desire to see a local road, but not usually, but only if there's something remarkable about it or it's close to home anyways.

Quote from: 1 on January 23, 2014, 09:19:42 PM
What about Vermont state highways?
Personally I treat all primary state highways as if they were on CHM since presumably they will be added eventually.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

froggie

QuotePersonally I treat all primary state highways as if they were on CHM since presumably they will be added eventually.

This is the eventual plan, yes...

AsphaltPlanet

This is kind of an aside,

but for the first time ever, on my last CHM update, I have now driven more miles of interstate highway than I have driven King's Highway's in Ontario (and I have yet to update a whole bunch of miles in Ohio that I have driven).  As a Canadian, this seems a little uncomfortable to me :)
AsphaltPlanet.ca  Youtube -- Opinions expressed reflect the viewpoints of others.

oscar

Quote from: froggie on January 24, 2014, 10:19:46 AM
QuotePersonally I treat all primary state highways as if they were on CHM since presumably they will be added eventually.

This is the eventual plan, yes...

And accordingly when I travel state/provincial routes not yet in CHM, I'll log them in a draft entries file, using my best guess on what the waypoint labels will be, so when a new system is ready to go I can double-check my draft entries then add them to my main list file.  But I haven't gone back to log (or guess) my past travels for all states.  The state routes in California, for example, will be a real mess for me since I grew up there and did a lot more traveling than record-keeping when I lived there.

CHM has several new state route systems in various stages of active development.  It's too soon to predict which will be first to go live, or when. 
my Hot Springs and Highways pages, with links to my roads sites:
http://www.alaskaroads.com/home.html

Duke87

Quote from: oscar on January 24, 2014, 08:41:00 PM
And accordingly when I travel state/provincial routes not yet in CHM, I'll log them in a draft entries file, using my best guess on what the waypoint labels will be, so when a new system is ready to go I can double-check my draft entries then add them to my main list file.

This is basically what I do, except it's all in one file, so every segment on a system not yet live is a line in my error log. Because of this I actually try to avoid clinching too many state highways for states that are not yet online, lest the error log grow too behemoth-ly.

Currently, the vast majority of my error log lines come from Quebec, Vermont, and Florida.
If you always take the same road, you will never see anything new.

CNGL-Leudimin

Now you mention the CHM, I haven't updated my logs since... last year? (BTW, that's why I'm here with a combined username instead of a "single" one)

I also like to go somewhere via one route and return via another route.
Supporter of the construction of several running gags, including I-366 with a speed limit of 85 mph (137 km/h) and the Hypotenuse.

Please note that I may mention "invalid" FM channels, i.e. ending in an even number or down to 87.5. These are valid in Europe.

ZLoth

On my road trip last year, my route was I-5 from Sacramento, CA to Port Angeles, WA, then US-101/CA-1 back along the coast. The I-5 route was for speed, the US-101 route was scenic. It was an enjoyable trip down the coast.
I'm an Engineer. That means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?", because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy. I solve practical problems and call them "paychecks".

US81

I intensely dislike taking the same route and look for any variety that I can reasonably introduce into the itinerary. I haven't yet gone from Houston to Dallas by way of El Paso (or Boston or Seattle) but have fun imagining such a trip.  Driving known or suspected old alignments is a bonus. 



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