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Down south and back in 5 days

Started by SSOWorld, March 03, 2013, 09:02:55 AM

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SSOWorld

Here is a collection of photos from a road trip I took mid February.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ssoworld/collections/72157632836921299/

I got a head start Wednesday (2/13) going into Illinois about 60 miles south of the Quad Cities, but there were no photos taken because it was all after dark so this day does not count.

From there, I took US 67 through Illinois into Missouri and took a few shots of the "ho-hum" Clark Bridge, After that I took MO Route 367 to I-70 into St Louis, where I did a very short detour into the Memorial Park and got some shots of the Arch along with the Eads bridge and some "combo" interstate signs that St Louis is known for in our world.  I left St Louis via I-55 and took the route all the way to Memphis and did a brief tour of Tennessee's largest city, capturing part of I-40 and I-240 along with the riverfront.  I then headed south into Mississippi - making it 3/4 the way down the state though I ran out of daylight well before reaching Jackson.

Day 2 got me into Louisiana and fascinated with the very long bridges and interchange pretzels of New Orleans that are necessary to traverse the swampland of the delta region.  I took the time to drive pretty every mile of Interstate circling Lake Pontchartrain (clinching I-12) along with the Causeway (watching N.O. and it's structures grow from the horizon).  I took a breather and walked around the French Quarter for a bit well before nightfall - though that was at the cost of not being able to see the I-10 bridge over the Atchaflaya swamp (during nightfall).  I got I-110 north of Baton Rouge though.  After this portion - I only need I-55 between Joliet and Bloomington to clinch it.  Not so fascinating are the southern end of US 51 and US 61 - both of which I live or used to live near and have (at one point on US 61) gotten the northern end way earlier.

Day 3 was the first of two I-49 days.  The lone stretches of 75-mph in Louisiana was first.  Then I circled then split Shreveport and continued North on US 71 and AR 549 to Texarkana to loop that city.  I shifted over to US 259 and drove through Texas on a second state to have 70 MPH 2 lane roads (the first being Montana) into Oklahoma and through the Kiamichi Mountain on US 259 and eventually on to US 59.  This is the first time I've been in Oklahoma since they replaced the circle/elongated circle shield with the cleavers - though they still have signs yet to be replaced.  From there I took I-540 (both of them ;) ) around Fort Smith and through Razorback country (a very scenic drive on the latter - though I should get back there and take US-71 as well). before continuing into Missouri to begin the other I-49 - stopping short of Joplin just after nightfall.

Day 4 - I finished the newer I-49 up to Kansas City before heading into Kansas on I-435 to take I-35 into the Alphabet loop.  I got plenty of shots of the loop before heading further north on I-29 to Omaha and catching the bi-level West Dodge Expressway and I-480.  I finshed I-29 to Sioux City and eventually Sioux Falls, then took US 75 back down to Sioux City.  Someone please tell me when IowaDOT will be replacing the text I-129 with actual shields, please!

Day 5 - nothing special - just doing a small loop through a couple Nebraska and South Dakota counties before heading home via US-20.  Catching photos on my camcorder as my digital camera was full and I had forgotten the adapter for its storage card.

No weather issues throughout the trip - except taunting everyone back at home with the warm weather :sombrero:

Just as a note:  The photo collection does not include the I-10 Twin-spans.  That does not mean I didn't capture anything of it.  I have a video capture of I-510 from north of the ninth ward and the twin-spans that I will be time-lapsing and beautifying.  It is my first tri-pod mounted camera attempt and I had to keep eyes on the road to prevent the tripod from tipping. (didn't have it well tied down)
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.


Molandfreak

Nice, that's a lot of driving :sombrero: Looks like a great trip!
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on December 05, 2023, 08:24:57 PM
AASHTO attributes 28.5% of highway inventory shrink to bad road fan social media posts.

Grzrd

Quote from: Grzrd on February 06, 2013, 02:31:32 PM
New overhead guide signs are being installed in the near future on ... the northbound and southbound lanes of Highway 245 between South State Line Avenue and Highway 549.
(above quote from Texarkana; (Future I-49, I-69 Spur) thread)
Quote from: SSOWorld on March 03, 2013, 09:02:55 AM
Here is a collection of photos from a road trip I took mid February.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ssoworld/collections/72157632836921299/
Day 3 ... I circled then split Shreveport and continued North on US 71 and AR 549 to Texarkana to loop that city.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ssoworld/8503179295/in/set-72157632843154283

Great pictures! Thank you for sharing. Do you (or anyone else) happen to know if the above AR 245 WB signage is the recently installed sign?

SSOWorld

I don't know myself if that was really recently installed
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.

okroads

Quote from: Grzrd on March 09, 2013, 10:51:22 PM
Quote from: Grzrd on February 06, 2013, 02:31:32 PM
New overhead guide signs are being installed in the near future on ... the northbound and southbound lanes of Highway 245 between South State Line Avenue and Highway 549.
(above quote from Texarkana; (Future I-49, I-69 Spur) thread)
Quote from: SSOWorld on March 03, 2013, 09:02:55 AM
Here is a collection of photos from a road trip I took mid February.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ssoworld/collections/72157632836921299/
Day 3 ... I circled then split Shreveport and continued North on US 71 and AR 549 to Texarkana to loop that city.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ssoworld/8503179295/in/set-72157632843154283

Great pictures! Thank you for sharing. Do you (or anyone else) happen to know if the above AR 245 WB signage is the recently installed sign?

This signage has been there since at least January 2009...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/okroads/3160478319/

Grzrd

^^ Thanks. It will be interesting to see what AHTD has put on the new signage.  IIRC bad weather postponed installation of the new signs and they may have been installed after SSOWorld's road trip.



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