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Cincinnati by way of ADHS B-C-D-E-G-L-N-O-Q

Started by sbeaver44, July 30, 2021, 12:25:27 AM

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sbeaver44

Starting Friday 16th in Harrisburg, PA.   Down 81 to Exit 264 in Virginia.  Drove US 11 (and apparently Business US 11 in Staunton) down to Troutville/Exit 150 where I spent the night.   Upon reaching the Love's at Exit 213, I realized my error and went back up 81 to US 250 into Staunton, looping around US 11 Truck to US 11 Actual so as not to leave a gap.

Sat 17th

Filled up in Hollins, took South 81 to Wytheville.   I forgot that 81 is actually kind of pretty between Roanoke and Christiansburg.  Anyway, stopped in Wytheville, then went back out of town on the last section of US 21, which was not signed in town.   I tried to go I-77 North but there was some sort of accident, so I took the exit immediately after the 81 split, and circled back to US 21.   This time, I took US 52, and had a fun drive up Big Walker Mtn to the top.   Parked at the summit and paid the $8 to go up in the rickety old tower, which had some awesome views.   

Came down US 52 to VA 42, to try my hand at the back way into Burkes Garden on VA 623.   Certainly an adventure but made it into the stunningly beautiful valley.   Exited the valley on paved 623 to VA 61, to US 19/460 Business.   Took 460 to Princeton and stopped there.

Went North on the WV Turnpike.   Weather was threatening, and sure enough at the top of Flat Top it rained, but then was silent once 77 came back to normal elevation.   Went around Beckley using 64 to the E Beckley Bypass, then up 19/16 to Corridor L.   Annoyingly, I had left the non-US 19 portion unfinished from 14 years prior.  Went South on the turnpike and paid my 75 cents with EZPass (PA issued)

Stopped at Tamarack but didn't buy anything, walked over to Beckley Plaza.  Kept South to the WV 16 exit, and took it back into Beckley to the E Beckley bypass.   WV 16 east of the Turnpike is a weird little quasi-expressway.  I didn't want to leave any unfinished sections of the turnpike in Beckley, so I wrapped around back to the WV 16 exit via I-64.

The point of now going the opposite way on WV 16 was to access the Coalfields Expy, but the entire segment of WV 16 between WV 121 and the Turnpike was heavy, heavy rain.   Fortunately once on WV 121, the sky cleared up, leaving some awesome steamlike appearances to the mountains along the highway.   Took the Mullens Connector, as required, to WV 54 and then back onto WV 16 the whole way to Welch.

Before Welch, popped into the FCI McDowell Access Road.  I didn't feel comfortable stopping nor approaching the gate, but my point was to finally glance at the "future"  interchange site of Coalfields x King Coal Highway.

Stopped in Welch just to walk around for a few minutes and see the town and the river.

Resumed WV 16 over to WV/VA 83.  Stopped at the infamous Grundy Town Center Walmart.   Looking at the Grundy area, I had been very curious about the empty street grid over by SR 604 southwest of town.  I think this is for the built-but-mostly-unoccupied Southern Gap Business Park.   There were some new construction houses in the distance, but the fog was so thick and it was nearing 10pm now, that I couldn't see more than a car length in front of me, and I was going like 15 max through vacant roundabouts and side streets.

Took 604 over to VA 80, onto the new Corridor Q/TO US 460/KY 3174 section.  Absolutely no traffic my direction, 2 cars the other.   Resumed KY 80 until the KY 195 turnoff, took that to get on the other KY 3174 section, which had a few cars but not more than 5.  I really like that KY lights the interchanges, which allowed me to get a good look at nighttime rock cuts.

Took US 23 up to KY 114 in Prestonsburg and stayed there for the night.

Sun 18

Took 23 back to Pikeville, so I could ascend the Pikeville Cut-Through overlook.  Worth it.   Backtrack on US 23 and then continue up to KY 645.   Take KY 645 out-and-back to the dead end past KY 40.   Resume 23 North to Ashland, and park at the train station for a few minutes.

Resume US 23, but with three modifications.  First, fill in the stupid little gap I didn't know 5 years ago – KY 67 apparently goes JUST north of US 23, although I don't know why.   Then, take the KY 10/OH 253 bridge to complete Corr B in KY, leaving just Ohio.   If I hadn't been dead set on finishing US 23 in KY I could have just used US 52 then...

The third venture off 23 was to get a picture of the "AmShack"  train station at South Portsmouth-South Shore KY.

Finally into Ohio, reached US 52.  Took US 52 over to the beginning of OH 823, but used the Wheelersburg exit to turn around so I could hit the actual beginning of North 823 from West 52.

Two notes here: 1) the light timing in Portsmouth and New Boston on 52 is abysmal and enraging and 2) OH 823 is an awesome road

Unfortunately, I was not impressed with Corridor C/US 23 after OH 823.  Too many lights and two lane sections.  But after a jaunt around 270, I was at my friends house, and then we went and had dinner in Dublin.

Stayed in New Albany for the night.

Mon 19
After clinching I-670, including the western junction with 70 AND the US 33 ramp, went back into downtown Columbus.   Got on a bike share, and pedaled up and down the Scioto, crossing the river twice.  Then, left the city by using 70 to 675 to 75.  There was heavy traffic on the awful Spence bridge, which is tarped right now, so I used the Clay Wade Bailey bridge instead, to get to my hotel in Covington.

Took a little breather, then hopped on an electric "Red Bike"  Cincy bikeshare over the KY 17 bridge.  Got very good CF 2nd row seats for $46 to watch Mets-Reds.   By the end of the 2nd, the Mets committed 4 errors, and trailed 7-3.   The Mets won 15-11 in 11 innings.  The teams combined for several lead changes as well as 34 hits.  Absolutely the wildest baseball game I have been to.  Several of the home runs were within 50 feet of my seat.

Walked back to the hotel over the KY 17 bridge.

Tue 20

Repeated the electric bike, this time into Cincy downtown.  Explored the city, then late afternoon came back to hotel.   Took KY 8 to KY 9 (I LOVE KY 9) to Cold Spring Meijer.   Circled around US 27 to the 275 beltway, into Ohio at Ohio 32.   Stopped there – I was looking for a Reds Castellanos jersey or shirt, but no one had one.   Resumed 275 the whole way to I-74 West, which I took into Indiana, and then immediately used the first exit back into Ohio, clinching I-74 in Ohio.   Stopped at a Dunhams and a Frisch's in Harrison.

Went 74 into the city, and then up 75 to OH 562, across to i-71, to 275, to OH 32, to US 50, to Mount Adams to get great views of Cincy with the sun lowering in the sky.

Used 471 to US 27 back out to Cold Spring, still hunting the elusive Castellanos paraphernalia.   Took KY 9 back to Newport, and parked at the garage.   Now night, walked over the US 27 bridge, then hopped on the light rail and explored downtown at night a little.  Reverse all of that, walked the US 27 bridge, got in my car back to my hotel.


Wed 21
This day was the big one – 705 miles

Immediately start on I-75 S to I-64 E.  Gas up in Winchester and one-shot the Bert T Combs Mountain Pawkway, which becomes US 460, then KY 114.   Pass my hotel from Sat night, and go back to Pikeville on 23.   Take US 119/Corr G out of Pikeville to Williamson, then Charleston.  Decide I can do everything! and take US 60 the whole way from Downtown Charleston out to Hawks Nest, then US 60 to US 19 to the New River Gorge Bridge.  Realize that the Thurmond and Prince Amtrak stations are somewhat nearby, drive to each and get photos.  Return to Beckley via WV 41.

Hop on the WV Turnpike North.   I REALLY like the Beckley to Charleston section, it's pretty.  Coming into Charleston at sunset is awesome.   Hey look, Charleston again.


Continue up 77 to Parkersburg, loop around US 50 into OH and OH 32 back to WV 618 and US 50.   Gas up.  At this point it's 11 pm and I have to do Corridor D across rural WV...which absolutely tested the limits of my driving in one day.   Mercifully get to I-79 and a short hop to the hotel in Fairmont.


Thu 22
Return home...sort of
I-79 to I-68.   Exit at US 219 to see the new bypass/219 Business, return to I-68.   Stop in Frostburg, then do Md 36 to WV 46.   The point here is to capture US 220 in MD, but I had only been on the sections on or north of I-68 before.   Take 220 to Business 220 to Bedford.   Take US 30 to Breezewood, get on PA Turnpike home.


BONUS DRIVING - pick up wife and kid – we're in a wedding in Long Island!  Leave home around 5:30, yes, still Thu 22.   Take the Turnpike to US 222 to I-78.   Traffic is looking good and my kid stayed awake...so we go Holland Tunnel to West Side Highway right by the WTC.   Now, NORMALLY I'd take the Brooklyn/Battery and despite Google showing open and green –- ramp coned off.   So we make the best of it and go FDR Drive to QMT, LIE to Northern Pwky to Sunken Meadow Pkwy, to Kings Park

On Fri 23/Sat 24, pretty much the same, Kings Park to Freeport, Sunken Meadow to Northern to Meadowbrook to NY 27 and back

Sun 25
ACTUAL return home
Northern Parkway.   Usually I'd do Throgs Neck, GWB, and then 80 to 287...but 25 minute or more jam on Cross Bronx.  Google says at the cost of under 10 minutes (LOL) I can go 278 to Manhattan Bridge to Holland and pay no tolls.   Well, the Holland was backed up into Manhattan, and the light cycles did not help.   FINALLY get through and go Pulaski to I-78, get back to Harrisburg around 8 pm.

So, 3100 miles, 2900 of it me driving, 2396 of that me driving alone.


sbeaver44

Yes this was one of my patented diatribes

For visualization I can merge all the daily GPX files I acquired using OsmAnd and paste it here

I do also have dashcam for about 98% of this, apparently something got unplugged halfway back the tougher way into Burkes Garden and I didn't realize it until I was leaving there...guess I'll have to go back, oh no, how awful

hbelkins

Nice trip, lots of mileage in my neck of the woods (you came within 20 miles of me on the Mountain Parkway) and in my familiar haunts.

When you drove the Mountain Parkway, had they opened the westbound lanes for travel yet east of Exit 57? They had been running two-way traffic in the eastbound lanes, but the westbound lanes recently opened and both lanes of westbound traffic were shunted onto that alignment. They were keeping eastbound one lane to allow for final paving.

For many years, it was raining in Beckley every time I was there. I always figured it had something to do with the elevation.


Government would be tolerable if not for politicians and bureaucrats.

sbeaver44

Quote from: hbelkins on July 31, 2021, 09:59:38 PM
Nice trip, lots of mileage in my neck of the woods (you came within 20 miles of me on the Mountain Parkway) and in my familiar haunts.

When you drove the Mountain Parkway, had they opened the westbound lanes for travel yet east of Exit 57? They had been running two-way traffic in the eastbound lanes, but the westbound lanes recently opened and both lanes of westbound traffic were shunted onto that alignment. They were keeping eastbound one lane to allow for final paving.

For many years, it was raining in Beckley every time I was there. I always figured it had something to do with the elevation.
I'll have to check the dashcam



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