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Most Boring Drive Between Two Major Cities?

Started by webny99, July 30, 2024, 10:47:53 PM

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webny99

Quote from: vdeane on July 31, 2024, 10:14:29 PMHuh.  Personally, I find that the Buffalo-Erie section just goes on and on and on, especially west of the Seneca Nation.  It's deceptively long.  You get to Dunkirk and think you're almost done, but actually, you're only half way! 

Agreed that Dunkirk to Ripley in particular is deceptively long, but while it is pretty boring, it still seems different to me than Buffalo to Syracuse in a way that's kind of a nice change. Traffic and truck traffic in particular is noticeably lighter than it is east of Buffalo, which helps make up time or at least maintain cruise control, and I kind of like the intermittently treed median and occasional views of the hills off to the east. It's a reminder that the area is far from completely flat, even though the Thruway itself mostly is.

And maybe it's just that it has positive "road trip" vibes for me too, since Buffalo/Syracuse to Rochester is usually the slog at the beginning or end of a trip to Canada or points east, but getting to take I-90 south/west of Buffalo is somewhat of a treat for me. And though this is hard to pinpoint, having no super long straight stretches and traveling northeast/southwest vs. due east/west just makes it feel a bit more interesting too.



Quote from: vdeane on July 31, 2024, 10:14:29 PMFor Buffalo-Syracuse, I have the following landmarks (in addition to exits and service areas):
-Canton Street (cute little hamlet with flashing beacon)
-Smiley face silo/Snoopy (sadly now only barely visible due to trees, if you don't know it's there, you won't see it)
-Cow pattern silo
-Tree farm at the Onondaga/Cayuga County line

Interestingly, I recognized everything on this list except these first four items. I've never noticed the flashing beacon or either silo, and I've probably seen the tree farm but couldn't pinpoint it specifically.

My landmarks for the slog between Exits 41 and 39 are the truck parking area that means you're close to Exit 41 heading west, Montezuma (especially at night), this glimpse of some hills coming into Weedsport heading east, and more recently, the Exit 39 toll gantry.

For Rochester-Syracuse more broadly, Exits 42 and 44 are both set at the bottom of a hill such that you can see traffic spread out before you for several miles as you approach them, which is a worthy sight at night, and I would also add this doozy of a sign which I've always thought is much too far from Syracuse to do any good (who's even going to remember such a wordy message 50 miles later?), and this old steam shovel that means you're almost to Exit 42 heading east.



Quote from: vdeane on July 31, 2024, 10:14:29 PM-The swap between the Thruway and NY 33 and CSX, which is also the last hill heading west

Yep, that rock cut and pair of bridges is pretty much the only saving grace of the entire Buffalo to LeRoy stretch. It's usually where traffic loosens up a bit heading eastbound too.


webny99

Quote from: Rothman on July 31, 2024, 10:26:21 PM
Quote from: webny99 on July 31, 2024, 10:17:05 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 31, 2024, 03:49:48 PM2) Chicago to Cleveland on I-80/90

Agreed with this one overall, but it is worth noting that heading east out of Cleveland towards Erie is much more boring than heading west towards Toledo... and it's not particularly close IMO.


I don't know about that.  I think it's the opposite.

Having 6 lanes gets an automatic bump in my book, but even aside from that, the Turnpike seems to have been built mostly elevated at interchanges and crossroads, lending itself to better and more expansive views than the total snoozefest between the aptly-named Painesville and Erie.

pderocco

Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 31, 2024, 09:59:35 PM
Quote from: Henry on July 31, 2024, 09:49:32 PMAnother boring drive is Seattle to Spokane.

Snoqualmie Pass says hi.

The stretch through the mountains certainly isn't boring. One April, I encountered flurries at the top, but never does a little snow quall me.

LilianaUwU

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vdeane

Quote from: webny99 on July 31, 2024, 11:22:41 PMAnd maybe it's just that it has positive "road trip" vibes for me too, since Buffalo/Syracuse to Rochester is usually the slog at the beginning or end of a trip to Canada or points east, but getting to take I-90 south/west of Buffalo is somewhat of a treat for me. And though this is hard to pinpoint, having no super long straight stretches and traveling northeast/southwest vs. due east/west just makes it feel a bit more interesting too.
That might be another reason.  For me, the "long slog" is Albany-Rochester, but most especially Albany-Syracuse, so maybe that's it.  45-47 is a piece that I rarely drive, but still know all the landmarks because the roads crossing the Thruway are local ones I know.  47-50 isn't a stretch I saw as often growing up or even still see a ton of now, so it feels like something special (and doesn't go on, so I have less of a chance to get bored; I also memorized the roads between 48 and 48A due to school trips to Darien Lake and there being no landmarks between those two exits).  I think the Chautauqua County part of the Thruway has the issue for me of being a slightly curvier and much longer version of the Syracuse-Utica stretch that I find truly dreadful (and tend to have the misfortune of Y94 being in a 10 minute long commercial break when I hit it; iHate iHeart's long breaks, but unfortunately can't find another wide-coverage radio station for Syracuse with music I like).

Meanwhile, when I was going to college, the Rochester-Syracuse stretch was my "back in civilization" marker, and in some ways still kinda is, with the Buffalo-Syracuse stretch being more developed than the Syracuse-Albany stretch.

Quote from: webny99 on July 31, 2024, 11:22:41 PMInterestingly, I recognized everything on this list except these first four items. I've never noticed the flashing beacon or either silo, and I've probably seen the tree farm but couldn't pinpoint it specifically.
A lot of those have become less visible over the years.  The beacon seems like it's harder to catch than it used to be, and the smiley face definitely is (can't even find a good view on street view, although it's still easy to see from NY 31).  The cow barn is just to the west, and it amazes me how long it took me to discover it was there.  The tree farm is probably more notable for me, given that I remember when it was first planted and have watched it grow over the last 10-15 years.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position of NYSDOT or its affiliates.

Bobby5280

I-44 from Tulsa to St Louis is not an entertaining drive. You'll skirt by the edges of Joplin and Springfield along the way. But it's a long stretch between major destinations.

Road-tripping I-40 across Tennessee bored the hell out of me when I was a kid and college age adult. The stretch East of Memphis is monotonous as hell. The road is straight, but goes over one small hill after another and another and another and another. Nashville to Knoxville has somewhat more interesting terrain. One thing that will make the drive seem like a more compounded ordeal is combining I-40 in Tennessee with I-81 going up the West side of Virginia. Damn.

I'll chime in with agreement about Amarillo to OKC. I drive from Lawton thru Amarillo on the way to Colorado on a somewhat regular basis. Lawton to Amarillo is my least favorite leg of that road trip, but that drive seems to go by faster than driving from Amarillo to OKC. It's a straight shot on I-40. But it just feels like a long damned drive.

MikieTimT

Quote from: webny99 on July 31, 2024, 10:12:12 PM
Quote from: Henry on July 31, 2024, 09:49:32 PMAnother boring drive is Seattle to Spokane.

I don't think you're going to find much agreement on that from anyone east of the Mississippi. The eastern half may be boring, but the western half is among the more scenic interstates in the entire country.

Spokane until you get just past George, I'd agree with it being boring.  From the Columbia River gorge until Seattle through the Cascades, I'd strongly disagree.

CoreySamson

If I had to rank my personal least favorites:

5. Oklahoma City to Tulsa along I-44
It's basically boring Oklahoma on the straightest road you can imagine, but it gets a pass from the road's geometry and high speed limit. Plus, it's over pretty quickly.

4. Jackson, MS to Memphis along I-55
This drive would always get me fidgety and bored when I was a kid. It's a bit more interesting now that I've driven it in the past several years, but it's bland and there is hardly any development.

3. Little Rock to Memphis along I-40
The only saving grace that this route has is that navigating the constant congestion and truck traffic (akin to navigating the Millennium Falcon around an asteroid field) will keep you alert and awake. Otherwise, an absolute snoozefest.

2. Dallas to Houston along I-45
It's easy to forget how forgettable and boring this section actually is. Sure, the 6-laned sections are nice, and having 2 Buc-ee's on the route is a plus, but it is a long slog, particularly from Huntsville to Corsicana. Plus it forms the back stretch for my journeys from college to home, so I would say this is more of a personal dislike. But there's another stretch I hate more.

1. Corpus Christi to Houston along US 77 and US 59 (future I-69/I-69E)
I know that this is technically two routes right now, but I have to put this as my least favorite. This stretch is so gut-wrenchingly boring. It's flat, it's straight as an arrow for the most part, and the only views are of the same Texas scrubland, farmland, and windmills. The nail in the coffin is that the coastal alternative to the route, TX 35, is much less boring.
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7/8

Quote from: Bobby5280 on August 01, 2024, 01:33:19 PMI-44 from Tulsa to St Louis is not an entertaining drive. You'll skirt by the edges of Joplin and Springfield along the way. But it's a long stretch between major destinations.

Huh, I drove I-44 from St. Louis to Springfield 9 years ago and I felt like it was one of the best Midwest interstates. Lots of up and down, felt like a roller coaster! (relatively speaking :D)

I-76 in Eastern Colorado was tough for me as it was already day three of a road trip working our way west toward Denver. To see the welcome sign for Colorado with the landscape still being empty and barren was a tough pill to swallow. :-D I-70 in Eastern CO/Western KS might be even worse, but I've never been on it.

JayhawkCO

Quote from: 7/8 on August 01, 2024, 03:11:51 PMI-76 in Eastern Colorado was tough for me as it was already day three of a road trip working our way west toward Denver. To see the welcome sign for Colorado with the landscape still being empty and barren was a tough pill to swallow. :-D I-70 in Eastern CO/Western KS might be even worse, but I've never been on it.

I-76 is definitely better than I-70. It's relatively hilly up by Sterling whereas I-70 is pretty bland and flat the whole way to Denver. That said, I-76 comes in to the Denver metro through arguably the least attractive side of town.

Rothman

Quote from: webny99 on July 31, 2024, 11:33:37 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 31, 2024, 10:26:21 PM
Quote from: webny99 on July 31, 2024, 10:17:05 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 31, 2024, 03:49:48 PM2) Chicago to Cleveland on I-80/90

Agreed with this one overall, but it is worth noting that heading east out of Cleveland towards Erie is much more boring than heading west towards Toledo... and it's not particularly close IMO.


I don't know about that.  I think it's the opposite.

Having 6 lanes gets an automatic bump in my book, but even aside from that, the Turnpike seems to have been built mostly elevated at interchanges and crossroads, lending itself to better and more expansive views than the total snoozefest between the aptly-named Painesville and Erie.
Quote from: webny99 on July 31, 2024, 11:33:37 PM
Quote from: Rothman on July 31, 2024, 10:26:21 PM
Quote from: webny99 on July 31, 2024, 10:17:05 PM
Quote from: JayhawkCO on July 31, 2024, 03:49:48 PM2) Chicago to Cleveland on I-80/90

Agreed with this one overall, but it is worth noting that heading east out of Cleveland towards Erie is much more boring than heading west towards Toledo... and it's not particularly close IMO.


I don't know about that.  I think it's the opposite.

Having 6 lanes gets an automatic bump in my book, but even aside from that, the Turnpike seems to have been built mostly elevated at interchanges and crossroads, lending itself to better and more expansive views than the total snoozefest between the aptly-named Painesville and Erie.

Eastern terrain > western terrain.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Road Hog

Little Rock to Memphis ain't great but if you pick your spots, such as Sundays, it's a little better with the trucks and you can do it in under two hours. Little Rock to Texarkana has trucks but is nowhere near as bad any day of the week.

ilpt4u

Can't believe Des Moines-Denver hasn't been mentioned. Nebraska I-80 is a  :sleep:  :sleep:  :sleep: fest

JayhawkCO

Quote from: ilpt4u on August 02, 2024, 01:05:30 AMCan't believe Des Moines-Denver hasn't been mentioned. Nebraska I-80 is a  :sleep:  :sleep:  :sleep: fest

As far as crossing the plains, it's maybe 4th worst? I-70, I-40, and I-94 are more boring.

Bruce

Oklahoma City to Dallas was rather dull when I drove it a few months ago.
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CapeCodder

St. Louis-Chicago: Corn gets boring to look at after a few miles. The Macoupin County-Springfield  stretch is tedious.

St. Louis-Memphis: Apart from the spooky stretch of I-55 in NE Arkansas, there's really nothing on 55 to make the drive interesting.

NWI_Irish96

Lincoln-Cheyenne and Topeka-Denver both get interesting on the west end as you can see mountains, but it's an awful lot of boring to get there.

South Bend-Toledo has nothing of interest.

Been a long time since I did Nashville-Memphis but I remember that being very boring.
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Rothman

I found I-80 in Nebraska much more tolerable at night.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Road Hog

Quote from: Bruce on August 02, 2024, 02:29:13 AMOklahoma City to Dallas was rather dull when I drove it a few months ago.
The nice thing is it gets over with pretty quick. I typically get from Gainesville to Norman in an hour and a half, and traffic isn't normally a factor unless there's construction. And the Arbuckles are fairly scenic.

webny99

Quote from: vdeane on August 01, 2024, 12:54:41 PM47-50 isn't a stretch I saw as often growing up or even still see a ton of now, so it feels like something special (and doesn't go on, so I have less of a chance to get bored;

Meanwhile, 47-50 is by far most frequented stretch of the Thruway (46-47 is second, and 44-45 is third before even getting to anything east of 44). On the 47-50 stretch I pretty much know exactly where I am and how far I am from the next exit/service area at all times - and I agree it does seem like a very short stretch relative to Rochester/Syracuse.



Quote from: vdeane on August 01, 2024, 12:54:41 PMA lot of those have become less visible over the years.  The beacon seems like it's harder to catch than it used to be, and the smiley face definitely is (can't even find a good view on street view, although it's still easy to see from NY 31).  The cow barn is just to the west, and it amazes me how long it took me to discover it was there.  The tree farm is probably more notable for me, given that I remember when it was first planted and have watched it grow over the last 10-15 years.

Thanks for sharing. I'll have to remember to look for these (at least the cow barn and tree farm) next time I head east.

ZLoth

Quote from: Bruce on August 02, 2024, 02:29:13 AMOklahoma City to Dallas was rather dull when I drove it a few months ago.

I assume you are talking about I-35 here. It's still better than I-44 from Wichita Falls to Oklahoma City.
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Bobby5280

Quote from: CoreySamsonIt's basically boring Oklahoma on the straightest road you can imagine, but it gets a pass from the road's geometry and high speed limit. Plus, it's over pretty quickly.

The old 2x2 laned portion of the Turner Turnpike is indeed pretty boring looking. It's narrow and lined by trees a good part of the way. Add to that the immense amount of trucks. Actually it just seems more stressful than boring.

On the other hand, the newer portion OTA widened to 3x3 lanes is really pretty nice. It will take them several more years to widen I-44 to 3x3 lanes between OKC and Tulsa. The Access Oklahoma project is going to add a few more exits along the way. The Turner Turnpike will probably be the best turnpike in the state once all the work is finished.

Quote from: 7/8Huh, I drove I-44 from St. Louis to Springfield 9 years ago and I felt like it was one of the best Midwest interstates. Lots of up and down, felt like a roller coaster! (relatively speaking :D)

The problem is the road goes on and on like that for so long. Springfield and Joplin both are smaller cities. I-44 brushes the edge of both. Tulsa is signed on I-44 as a control city in St Louis. It's a relatively short drive between OKC and Tulsa, but a much longer drive from Tulsa to St Louis.

Quote from: BruceOklahoma City to Dallas was rather dull when I drove it a few months ago.

The Oklahoma portion of I-35 is indeed pretty dull. But that changes at WinStar and the Red River going Southward into Texas.

Quote from: ZLothI assume you are talking about I-35 here. It's still better than I-44 from Wichita Falls to Oklahoma City.

I actually prefer the scenery along I-44 from WFTX to OKC compared to I-35 going up to OKC. I-44 has more wide open territory. The Wichita Mountains are unobstructed a good part of the way. The OTA finally completed overhauls of the Walters, Chickasha and Newcastle toll plazas. No more slowing down to 15-20mph even when in a PikePass lane.

Scott5114

Quote from: pderocco on July 30, 2024, 11:58:48 PMI drove Oklahoma City to Amarillo last year, and it was worse than boring, it was rather ugly, between the oil fields and the windmills.

The Oklahoma portion isn't that bad, since there are at least some decent-sized towns along the way to add some interest, and the geography is more varied. But I agree that I-40 across the Texas panhandle has got to be one of the least attractive segments of the Interstate System. In addition to the uninspiring scenery (although the level-straight horizon is interesting for a few minutes if you haven't seen it before) it generally also smells a great deal.

I don't find windmills to be ugly, myself. Oil fields are, though, since they usually tear up the land and don't really do anything to improve the appearance of the operation.
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TheHighwayMan3561

As the cornfields give way to more rolling hills and wildflowers going westward I start to enjoy it more. I don't really remember anything about 70 through Kansas or 94 through ND outside of the badlands areas, but I do have a weird soft spot for 80 west of North Platte.
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thspfc

Quote from: Flint1979 on July 31, 2024, 10:59:44 PM
Quote from: thspfc on July 31, 2024, 08:38:52 PM
Quote from: TheHighwayMan3561 on July 31, 2024, 05:50:43 PMChicago-Minneapolis is pretty dull. You stay well clear of any of the cities along the way, a few hills here and there through Wisconsin, then nothing but flat south of Madison.
Chicago-St. Louis is much worse.
That drive is horrid. I drove that last about 10 years ago and when I finally made it to Chicago I was pleased.
My first time going to STL I was surprised at just how rural central Illinois is. Between Rockford and Bloomington I almost never had cell service. It's weirdly creepy to see a piece of Earth that has been completely taken over by humans (read: cornfields), except no human activity is in sight besides the other cars on the road.



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