Your 2013 Travels

[The High Plains Traveler]

It would be interesting to hear from the group concerning the road trips accomplished this year.

For me, it was the second year in a row we didn't visit states to our west. I'm jonesing for a California/West Coast trip. We did travel border to border, crossing briefly into Canada and right up to the Mexican border (I dipped my hand in the Rio Grande to seal that part of it). Using highways to describe the extent of our travels, we were on I-15 and U.S. 93 in Montana and as far east as U.S. 51 and I-39 in Illinois. (Also I-69, on its new alignment in Texas, though that isn't a useful geographic marker.) The north-south extent of our travels was I-2 and I-94, and U.S. 2 and U.S. 90.

We had three major road trips: to eastern South Dakota, Minnesota and Illinois to visit friends and family; to Montana, Idaho and Wyoming to visit the classic National Parks (Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton); and to the south Gulf coast in Texas. New Interstate/U.S. routes clinched this year were I-2 (literally in one sitting) and, some 37 years after I first drove part of it, U.S. 56.

[corco]

Decent year- entered 221 American counties, 45 Canadian county equivelants, 14 states, 3 provinces.

Didn't make as much progress on my goals to drive all of the Montana/Idaho/BC/AB/NWT highway systems as I would like- may have bitten off more than I can chew there. My desire to drive a forty mile spur to nowhere, turn around, and drive forty miles back the same way seems to have waned in recent years. I'll definitely finish up Idaho, and I'd like to do BC/NWT, but I have less desire to do Montana/Alberta than I thought I did.

Made it as far north as Lac La Biche, Alberta, as far south as Alva, Oklahoma, as far east as East St. Louis, and as far west as Spokane WA.

[agentsteel53]

I did one trip to Boston that involved flying; apart from that, the furthest east I've been this year is Union County, NM.

my largest trip of the year, however, is still upcoming.  I will attempt to clinch my last remaining counties in the lower 48.

[froggie]

Spending 6 months of the year at sea basically meant that anything outside of the I-95 corridor or up to Vermont didn't happen.  Farthest south I made it that wasn't Navy-related was Fayetteville, NC.  Farthest west is about Winston-Salem, NC.  Farthest west that was north of the Mason-Dixon line is only York, PA.

That said, I did get to travel on a couple of the Italian Autostrades, as well as the "National Road" on Crete.

[Takumi]

Only left Virginia once, when I went to Charlotte in March. Almost all of the trips I took were only secondarily focused on roads (only on the Eastern Shore trip did I do more road things than otherwise). I'm considering something this weekend, and probably doing my annual New Year's Eve trip.

[hbelkins]

Had a decent travel year quantity-wise, but not quality-wise.

Went to the Monticello, NY meet in March and left my medicine at home.

Went to the Dubuque, IA meet in May and had to deal with rain for most of the trip.

Went to the Portsmouth, NH meet in June and got sick.

Went to the Chattanooga, TN meet in July and had to deal with rain.

Went to the Wichita, KS meet in July and had disabling car trouble.

Went to a wedding in Maryland in August and had to deal with a bad case of gout.

In terms of new counties visited (and states clinched) and routes completed, it's been a good year.

I also hosted two meets that were well-attended and, in my opinion, successful events. And I overslept and missed a meet practically in my backyard, which was a bummer. (A sleep study to check for apnea or other causes of non-restorative sleep may be in order).

I'm thankful that I got to go where I did this year, because unless a big pile of money falls from the sky soon, I will not be straying very far from home in 2014.

[shadyjay]

2013 was a light travel year for me, since my vehicle gave me some issues.  It was out of commission from Jan until March and I didn't leave my county until August.  But I did get a trip in down to Saratoga Springs, NY; a trip to Maine then CT then back to VT; and my present Thanksgiving trip to CT.

Major roads travelled in 2013:

I-87 Northway, Saragota Springs NY to NY 74
I-89 from Concord NH to Burlington VT
I-91 from Meriden CT to White River Jct VT
I-95 from East Lyme CT to Warwick RI
I-95 from I-295 to I-495S in Mass
I-95 from I-495N in Mass to Kittery ME
Conn Tpke from Westbrook to Plainfield CT
Everett Tpke from Nashua to Concord NH
Maine Tpke from Kittery to Wells ME
Mass Pike from I-395/I-290 to I-495
Spaulding Tpke from Portsmouth to Dover NH
I-189 in VT, entire (that took a while, hahaha)
I-393 in NH, entire
I-295 in RI, entire
I-395 in CT/MA, entire
I-495 from I-95S to Lowell MA

I also got some rail mileage this summer, including
Amtrak - Downeaster - Wells to Brunswick, ME and return
Amtrak - Vermonter - Waterbury, VT to New York-Penn Sta and return

[leroys73]

First one was solo in April by motorcycle from Dallas to Newton, KS then by way of US 50 to Cincinnati.  On the return stopped at Moonshine, IL for a motorcycle rally.

In May a motorcycle trip to southern Louisiana and a ride along the coast with a buddy.

The end of June and first part of July a family car trip to Detroit area (family reunion) and a fun trip along the southern coast of Lake Superior across the UP to Duluth, returning home via I-35.  My 8 year old granddaughter had a blast.

August saw me make a 6 day solo motorcycle trip and completing another Iron Butt Association Saddle Sore 1000 (1000 mi under 24hrs) to Northern MN, over to Rugby, ND (Geographical Center of North America), up into Saskatchewan and Manitoba stopping at the International Peace park before returning home. The entire trip was good.  The best part was when on a whim I went to Itasca MN State Park (headwaters of the Mississippi River).  Ended up camping two nights there. This trip I added 2 new provinces to my list of 50 states and 9 provinces plus 21 countries I have driven in.     

In September another trip to the Detroit area for my wife's class reunion the down to Cincinnati to see my cousin recovering from heart surgery.  Also in September a motorcycle trip with a buddy to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge near my former home in Lawton, OK.

During mid October a buddy and I went to Big Bend National Park for the Ride 4 Trails motorcycle rally.  This is the second time I went.  That part of Texas is very interesting to me.  We also rode the loop in the Davis Mountains.

My Yuma trip has been delayed.  Nothing planned for December unless a quick trip to Oklahoma to see friends. I am trying to fill up 2014 though.     

[vdeane]

For me it's pretty much just local clinching trips, visiting family, and roadmeets.  Right now it's hard to imagine much for next year; I have a lot of trips I'd like to do, but being unemployed and unsure of where I'll be next year really doesn't help there.

[akotchi]

Not much auto travel this year . . . Virginia Beach in the summer to visit my father.  Went down by Eastern Shore (Del 1, U.S. 113, U.S. 13, etc.); went back by I-64, U.S. 17, U.S. 301.

Work-related travel throughout New Jersey -- not too exciting, as I have riden these routes many times.

Early November was a cruise to Jamaica and Cayman Islands (which included short bus trips -- on the left side of the road and through many a rotary, especially in Grand Cayman), but that involved flying to Miami.  Tour of Miami included part of route on U.S. 41 East (signed that way) through Little Havana.  Lunch on South Beach (earlier tour) was nice . . .

[hotdogPi]

Ithaca NY

Franconia Notch State Park

Atlanta (by train, but there was driving within Atlanta)

Maybe Philadelphia coming up

[Alps]

* Maryland route-clinching
* Virginia routes to and from Raleigh (tailgate party and hockey game)
* Huntington WV meet
* Minnesota to Washington (US 2), up to Northwest Territories, back down to Calgary/Edmonton and across to Thunder Bay
* Sandusky OH - US 250, Cedar Point
* hosted Brick/Wall Meet in NJ
* flew to western Michigan, explored US 131 and 31 etc., ate great ballpark food
* explored NYC by foot and bike a few times
* clinched more Maine routes over Labor Day
* TomTom meet in Lebanon NH
* Pikeville KY meet
* Oh, yeah, New Zealand and Australia

[froggie]

Amtrak - Vermonter - Waterbury, VT to New York-Penn Sta and return

How long did this trip take, and was it before or after the completed improvements in Vermont?

[dgolub]

Here were by trips (all day trips):
* NYC to Bridgewater, NJ
* NYC to Philadelphia, PA
* NYC to Scranton, PA
* NYC to Danbury, CT (by train)
* NYC to Brick, NJ
* Port Washington, NY to Sag Harbor, NY
* NYC to Milton, NY
* NYC to Poughkeepsie, NY
* NYC to Princeton, NJ (by train)
* NYC to New Canaan, CT (by train)

[shadyjay]

Amtrak - Vermonter - Waterbury, VT to New York-Penn Sta and return

How long did this trip take, and was it before or after the completed improvements in Vermont?

It was following the completion of improvements in VT.  I left Waterbury shortly before 10am and got to NYP at around 6:30pm.  A long ride, yes, but it beats driving, dealing with traffic and tolls, etc.  I'm really looking forward to the trip getting almost an hour quicker by the Massachusetts reroute (to the line that parallels I-91).  Hopefully that'll take place next fall.

The improvements to the line in VT have yielded a 30 minute time savings.  The GPS on my phone confirmed the new speeds (up to 79 mph) for many miles between the MA/VT border and White River Jct.  The new welded rail makes for a very smooth and comfortable ride.

[KEVIN_224]

I'm having my worst travel year since 1993. With all trips starting from New Britain, CT to:

2/1 - Springfield, MA [for an AHL hockey game]
2/6 - Manhattan [to get out of the house and beat the approaching blizzard of 2/8 and 2/9]
2/18 - Albany, NY [for a President's Day afternoon hockey game]
6/18 - Lakewood, NJ [South Atlantic League Baseball All-Star Game]
9/18 - Allentown, PA [Gildan Triple A Baseball Championship]
9/25 - Central Islip, NY [Atlantic League Baseball Championship playoff game]

Another AHL hockey game may be in the works in Albany, NY for this coming Saturday.

In comparison, my best single travel year (by far) was 2010: 17 of my 18 states lifetime (missing only Virginia and Washington DC). That year had plane trips to Chicago - Midway, Columbus (OH), the Raleigh/Durham area, Nashville and Indianapolis.

[AsphaltPlanet]

2013 has been a great travel year for me

- In January I went on a ski trip to Mont-Tremblant, Quebec
- In March and April I flew to Phoenix and visited the Grand Canyon and southern Utah
- In June, I went to Montreal and Ottawa for a few days
- In August, I went to Cleveland and Cincinatti
- In October and November I went to LA and saw the California coast
- And in December, I am flying to Peru to hike the Inca trail

[roadman65]

I was supposed to go from New Orleans (Houma) to Vandalia, IL, but that got scrapped.  However I did get to do roads around NO area.  I did a trip from New Orleans to Baton Rouge on I-10 WB with plenty of photos and some up already on flickr.  I did LA 1 from Baton Rouge to Thibidoux and got some of I-310 and some local streets in NO.

Then I did some small trips around here in Florida with Alex and Flaroads these past few months.

Hopefully 2014 will be a much better year for me and that I get to see more places.

[OracleUsr]

I made one big trip and will be making another at year's end:

Flew to Detroit (first time outside an airport in Michigan).  Drove the shore of Lake Huron, then travelled the Upper Peninsula from St. Ignace to Copper Harbor and back to Detroit.  Made it to the terminus of the following highways:

US 41
US 31
US 131
I-75
I-94
I-69

Crossed but did not actually get on the highways at their termini:  US 141, I-96


The week of January 1st (will depart in 2013), I will be riding out to Norman, OK, with a couple of friends to visit another friend at the University of Oklahoma.


Next year, as I will be getting married, I am looking to travel to British Columbia.  I only have a week to spare for the honeymoon, so the trip I'd REALLY like to take I don't have time to do (Canadian Rockies/Banff National Park and the Alaskan Highway).  Hopefully my wife will go with me at a later time for a trip like that.

[Zeffy]

Hmm... like most other years, this is a boring travel year for me...

July: Trip to Brooklyn, NY then Queens, NY via I-287->NJ/NY 440->Belt Pkwy (I think)
Aug: Trip to Howell, NJ via I-195 / US 9
Sep: Trip to New Hope, PA via US 202, then down I-95 to Philadelphia, PA
Oct: Trip to Trenton, NJ and surrounding areas
Dec: Possible trip to Manhattan, NY

However, on my own, I did get to drive on [not fully clinched yet]: NJ 27, NJ 57, NJ 18, NJ 156 (apparently a dangerous road), US 22, US 46, US 1, US 9, US 130, I-95, I-78, I-287, I-80, I-295, and I-195. Hopefully if I get the time I can go squeeze in the remaining Interstates in NJ (I-76, I-676, I-280) and of course go on the NJTP / GSP / ACX.

[sammi]

I technically don't do roadtrips, because I can't drive yet...

March: Niagara Falls, ON/NY (320 km round trip + going around), clinched ON-405 and Robert Moses State Pkwy (does it have a number?).
August: Newmarket, ON (65 km round trip, really not that far), almost clinched ON-404, except for the one block north of Mulock Drive. >.>

And regular trips from my place to Finch subway station, courtesy of my dad.
Other than that, most of this year's transportation was done by public transit. I just love the subway.

December: we'll be staying with my dad's cousin in Lockport, IL (850 km one way), and if all goes to plan, I'll be spending my entire winter break there, except for the last weekend (January 4-5). That should also count as my first roadtrip next year.

For next year...

[Dr Frankenstein]

January: Detroit, MI for the Auto Show. Slept a night in Gatineau (getting a parking ticket in the process), then picked up a friend and headed down ON 416, ON 401, stopped at YYZ for stretching and some plane spotting. Clinched 427, the Gardiner Expy and the Don Valley Parkway beause, well, we could, then continued on QEW, 403 and back on 401 near Woodstock, until the end. Stayed in Windsor. (Oh, I clinched I-375. yay?) On the way back, we drove through downtown Toronto yet again and headed up ON 35 to ON 7, all the way to Ottawa. I then went back home on old 17.

February: Sainte-Irène and Saint-Donat, QC for skiing. Flat on Sunday, nice gas station attendant in Sainte-Luce helped us fix our tire. A-30, A-20, QC 132, A-20, QC 132, local roads, QC 298 (clinch)

May: New York, NY by train, on Amtrak's "Adirondack," arguably one the most scenic train routes in North America.

June: Portsmouth, NH meet. Stayed in Magog, QC on Friday, then drove down A-55, I-91, I-93 (finishing my clinch), NH 101,  I-95. After the meet and after-meet, went up I-95 and stayed in Portland, ME. On Sunday, went back home via I-295, I-95, NB 95, TCH to A-30 to home. Arrived home after 14 hours of driving while Bob Seger's "Turn The Page" played on the radio, and questioning my sanity for taking such a ridiculous detour.

July: Brick/Wall, NJ meet. Brought my friend Jessica with me, promising her a trip to the Jersey Shore and because she likes to see new places. Came down on Friday after work via I-87, I-787, I-90, TSP, Saw Mill River Parkway, NY 9A through Manhattan (no toll for me on the Henry Hudson Br), then I-78 via Canal Street and down the Turnpike to East Windsor where we stayed (much cheaper than the Shore). The day after the meet, we went to the beach. It rained and the water was frigid. The same night we went to NYC, and got lost in subway service changes and canceled SI ferry departures. Got to the hotel at 4 AM. The trip back was via NJTP, PIP, Bear Mountain, eventually reaching the TSP again.

August: Myrtle Beach, SC for vacation with a good friend and one of his friends (a genuine asshole). A-30, A-20, ON 401, ON 137 across the Thousand Islands Bridges to I-81 straight through to Pennsylvania. Then we got on I-476 (Penn Tpk NE Ext) followed by US 222. Stopped at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg, then went back on 222 into Maryland for a near clinch (my friend accidentally went through Reading instead). US 1 across the Susquehanna, then I-95, I-895, I-695, MD/DC/I-295 right into DC traffic on 495. Managed to save some time in the HOV lanes, but they were also fairly clogged and I wish there was more enforcement. With the Northeast Megalopolis behind us, the rest of the trip on I-95 was uneventful. Stopped at South of the Border on 301/501 in SC, had a taco, facepalmed at how tacky the whole thing is, and continued on US 501 until our destination. The trip back was on US 17, I-140, I-40 and back on I-95. Went around Richmond via I-295, finishing the clinch, then got stuck in traffic in DC. Again. Had enough of this and escaped by means of unsigned I-595 (clinch) and went all the way up to Delaware on US 301. 295, NJTP (hi Rob!), then GSP all the way into NY. Took I-287 across the infamous Tappan Zee and back down to I-95 (effectively circumventing NYC) through Connecticut, and back up in Canada via I-91. Stayed in Magog for the remaining two days of vacation.

Late August: Organized the impromptu but lengthy Upper/Middle St. Lawrence River Mini Meet, spanning from Howick to Shawinigan. Five geeks in attendance from three countries. Clinched A-30, A-955, A-31 and A-640, notably.

September: Lebanon, NH meet. QC 205 to 219 to 202, A-15 to the border, I-87, US 11 to US 2 to Burlington. I skipped US 2 & 7 through Colchester, Winooski and Burlington as I would do it in November, so I-89 to I-189 to US 7 all the way to Rutland, then clinched Business US 4, then US 4 to Lebanon. Drove US 5 'til the top on the way back and stayed in Magog again.

November: Burlington, VT meet. U.S. 7 from the top down to I-189. Now I'm only missing what's south of Bennington. After the meet, I went to Hanover, NH, then drove up to Woodsville, NH to hang out with Rob. US 302 and US 2 on the way back, until Richmond where I hopped back on I-89 to get home via QC 133, A-35 and QC 104.

[Alex]

January weekend trip to Chattanooga
February weekend trip to NOLA
April week long trip to the Quad Cities via Nashville on the way up and Memphis on the way down, with a daytrip to Ottumwa,  Des Moines and Ames
Late July drive to Delaware with a daytrip to DC
August drive back to FL, finishing off portions of I-74 to clinch all NC Interstates
Rest of the year just peninsular FL day trips and nothing more.

Not many new counties and Interstate mileage this year.

Possible trip to SC brewing for December...

[jeffandnicole]

Did 2 long road trips:

1st was to see Phillies games in Milwaukee, Minneapolis & Denver in June (visited several breweries along the way as well).  Drove 4,256 miles thru 17 states in 11 days, involving NJ, PA, OH, IN, IL, WI, MN, SD, NE, WY, CO, KS, MO, KY, WV, MD, & DE.

2nd was in November - drove NJ to Florida for a few days, stopped in Savannah for a wedding, then returning home.  2,003 miles in 7 days. Highlight turned out to be something unexpected...the rocket with 29 satellites blasting off from Wallops Island, VA.  We happened to be on US 13, and were only 5 miles away when it shot up.  You could hear the roar from the launchpad about 25 seconds after blast off.

[1995hoo]

Didn't get many trips this year. Our most frequent drive is out to a winery near Linden, Virginia. We belong to their wine club and we pick up the wine instead of having it shipped. Problem now is I can't find any interesting route home that we haven't already used unless I go way too far out of the way.

In July for our anniversary we went up to the Omni Bedford Springs in Pennsylvania, which is where we spent a few days after we got married. Drove up through the West Virginia Panhandle so as to go over the Oldtown Low Water Toll Bridge. For the trip home we went out to Fallingwater via the Pennsylvania Turnpike and then came back via US-219 and the then-entire eastern portion of Corridor H.

Day trip to Charlottesville for football in October (we committed to it in August....could have done without it....crappy season).

Just returned this morning from a trip to Viera, Florida, for Thanksgiving. Drove down: I-495 -> I-66 -> US-29 to Greensboro -> US-220 south to Rockingham -> US-1 and US-52 to Florence -> I-95 to near Savannah Airport (overnight stop), then continuing to Jacksonville -> around east side of I-295 -> I-95 rest of way to Exit 195. For the trip home we took the Auto Train; to get there, we just take the Bee Line to FL-417 up to Sanford and on this trip we didn't have time to explore via another route. The Auto Train arrived in Virginia 90 minutes early this morning, so we were home by 9:25 (the train isn't scheduled to arrive until 9:30, so we expected to be home around 11:30). I have to remind myself to check the trip odometer to see what the total mileage was (including local driving around Melbourne, Viera, and Cocoa).

Regarding rockets, there was supposed to be a SpaceX launch on Thanksgiving evening and we'd have been able to see it easily from our nephew's house, but they aborted the launch with less than a minute left on the countdown. Too bad.

Upcoming, we have a trip to Hershey to see a Bears game during the NHL's Olympic break. No travel planned over Christmas–my parents are local and we'll go see them.