2024 Road Trip Plans

[pderocco]

The main thing I found interesting about I-17 is how the terrain and countryside changed as we descended from Flagstaff to Phoenix. The northern part of the road felt a lot like driving on I-87 in Upstate New York in terms of the types of trees and the overall look of the area, but as we descended southbound it turned to desert. "Desert," in turn, didn't look anything like my mental image of what a desert was, which I think came mostly from TV and movies where you see this endless expanse of sand.

Looping back to this now that we just returned from this trip: Totally agreed (and then some!) with your assessment of I-17. We did it opposite of you ascending northbound, but it really was impressive how the scenery was constantly changing every 10-20 miles. Tons of cacti at first, which abruptly stopped around 3000' or so, and then suddenly dense pine trees along with a distant view of snow-capped Humphreys Peak around 6000' or so. Really nice touch by ADOT to place the elevation signs every 1000' of altitude as well.

I recall spending the night at the Grand Canyon about 30 years ago, waking up in a snowstorm, and driving to Flagstaff and then down I-17 at about 20mph, seeing dozens of cars that had slid off the road. Finally, after a few hours, we came down off the plateau, out from under the worst of the weather, stopped at a rest area and exchanged war stories with the other drivers, then drove at full speed under beautiful dramatic clouds down to Phoenix and beyond.

As to those signs every 1000', they do that in lots of states. Not Florida, though, for some reason...

[webny99]

As to those signs every 1000', they do that in lots of states. Not Florida, though, for some reason...

Climbing Florida's highest point would at least get you 1/3 of the way to 1000 feet... LOL.

[D-Dey65]

Well, my Plant City-Polk County excursion is history. I didn't get too much from Polk County besides getting rained on, which also happened in Lake County. So, I cancelled my Ocala National Forest extension of the trip, and started heading home in Tavares.

I did capture some fairly interesting stuff on I-75 and I-275 in Pasco and Northern Hillsborough Counties though.


Looks like the trip to ONF is going to have to wait until after the excursion to Williston on my next trip.

[pderocco]

As to those signs every 1000', they do that in lots of states. Not Florida, though, for some reason...

Climbing Florida's highest point would at least get you 1/3 of the way to 1000 feet... LOL.

Yeah, their highest point is probably some Miami hi-rise penthouse.

[Hunty2022]

I've got a trip planned to Greensboro, NC on the 25th. Chances of me going are about 80%.

[D-Dey65]

As to those signs every 1000', they do that in lots of states. Not Florida, though, for some reason...

Climbing Florida's highest point would at least get you 1/3 of the way to 1000 feet... LOL.

Yeah, their highest point is probably some Miami hi-rise penthouse.

Well, they have high point signs on some roads in Florida. They may not be 1000 feet, but that doesn't mean they aren't there.

[Hunty2022]

I'm also planning a possibly multi-day trip to York, PA and/or near it for the middle of July. This trip would be my first time in Pennsylvania, and I'd get plenty of new counties in VA/MD.

[Quillz]

Just did a rather extensive 1k circular route around CA and NV! First day was a really long drive through the Transverse Ranges, the "old school" Central Valley, and then the Sierra Nevada. Got to Sherman Pass late at night, had a beautiful night sky. Overnighted in Bishop.

Next day, took US-6 to CA-120 to visit Panama Crater and Mono Lake. Always like this area and the weather wasn't bad. Still a good amount of snow on the Sierra peaks, but everything around the 4-7k elevation had melted. Lee Vining Creek is flowing really well, probably a lot of snowmelt.

Today, finally did the Westgard Pass drive which I had wanted to do for a long time. It's a beautiful drive, especially when you ascend out of Deep Springs Valley and traverse the lesser known Gilbert Pass. The descent into the Fish Lake Valley and then Nevada is pretty fast and pretty. Drove through Nevada a little bit, went to Beatty and then finally came back home via CA-190 in Death Valley. It was already about 106 F when I got past Daylight Pass.

Rough map of where I was (although I forgot to highlight US-6 and CA-120):

• CA-27 to CA-118
• CA-118 to CA-126
• CA-126 to US-101
• US-101 to CA-33
• CA-33 to CA-58
• CA-58 to "old" CA-178 (Rosedale Highway)
• CA-178 to CA-155
• CA-155 to Sierra Way to Sherman Pass Road to Nine Mile Canyon Road to US-395
• US-395 to US-6
• US-6 to CA-120
• US-395 to CA-168 (Westgard Pass)
• CA-168 to CA-266 to NV-266
• NV-266 to US-95
• US-95 to NV-373 (Daylight Pass)
• Daylight Pass to CA-190
• CA-190 through Death Valley back to US-395
• US-395 to CA-14 to I-5 to CA-118 to CA-27 and then home.

[Hunty2022]

I've got a trip planned to Greensboro, NC on the 25th. Chances of me going are about 80%.

I should've said this on Saturday, but this trip has been postponed to Saturday, June 15th, and the chances of me going are down to ~30%.

I do have a general idea of what my (major) trips for these summer months could look like:

Roanoke, VA (next week, day TBD)
Greensboro, NC (6/15)
Somewhere in WV (mid-June, most likely happening over NC)
Virginia Beach, VA (multiple day-trips during summer)
Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg,TN (7/15-18)
York, PA (mid-July, only if TN gets relocated or cancelled)

[Quillz]

Have a tentative trip planned to the Lassen area followed by the redwood area. This is the same trip I did last year, but plan to modify it in a few ways.

Going to take CA-4 across the mountains. Last year I clinched all of CA-49. I asked some users here about the best Sierra crossings and quite a few said CA-4. This will also let me visit Tahoe, Carson City, and Reno along the way as I plan to do CA-4 to CA-89 to US-50 to US-395. Will be staying in Susanville again, want to return to Lava Beds National Monument (very underrated place, IMO), maybe a long day trip up to Crater Lake.

For the redwoods will be pretty similar to what I've done before. Was thinking about staying in Crescent City but it doesn't really offer a whole lot. The Eureka area has more going on. Plan to do some day trips to Crescent City in order to utilize the large beach and there are some interesting trails within the Jed Smith Redwoods State Park. Depending on the time might also day trip into Oregon and visit those caves. Have long wanted to clinch US-199, this might give me a chance to do it.

I'll probably do a similar drive last year which utilized CA-89 between Lassen and I-5, then view Mt. Shasta before driving on CA-96 to the coast. Offers some fantastic views of Shasta and it's a great alternative to I-5. As for CA-96, this is a really nice drive and follows the Klamath River for good portion of it. Might stop at the Bigfoot Museum in Willow Creek along the way.

I was actually planning to do another Alaska trip with someone, but that person is most likely not going to be able to attend so we'll move it into next year. This trip will save me quite a bit of money since there won't be planes and rental cars involved.

[hobsini2]

It is official. For my 2024 Summer Road Trip I will be driving down to Key West.
The goal day 1 is to be between Nashville and Dothan AL. Day 2 goal, depending on where we stop day 1, is Ft Myers to Key West. 2 weeks vacation. I figure 3 days each way to get there and back.

[Hunty2022]

I've got a trip planned to Greensboro, NC on the 25th. Chances of me going are about 80%.

I should've said this on Saturday, but this trip has been postponed to Saturday, June 15th, and the chances of me going are down to ~30%.

I do have a general idea of what my (major) trips for these summer months could look like:

Roanoke, VA (next week, day TBD)
Greensboro, NC (6/15)
Somewhere in WV (mid-June, most likely happening over NC)
Virginia Beach, VA (multiple day-trips during summer)
Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg,TN (7/15-18)
York, PA (mid-July, only if TN gets relocated or cancelled)

That Roanoke Trip is most likely happening either tomorrow or Wednesday. I might do I-64 and I-81 TO Roanoke, and US 460 and either US 29 or other routes back home.

[MATraveler128]

My trip to Colorado is next week. Looks like I'll be starting out by going to Rocky Mountain National Park.

[Hunty2022]

I've got a trip planned to Greensboro, NC on the 25th. Chances of me going are about 80%.

I should've said this on Saturday, but this trip has been postponed to Saturday, June 15th, and the chances of me going are down to ~30%.

I do have a general idea of what my (major) trips for these summer months could look like:

Roanoke, VA (next week, day TBD)
Greensboro, NC (6/15)
Somewhere in WV (mid-June, most likely happening over NC)
Virginia Beach, VA (multiple day-trips during summer)
Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg,TN (7/15-18)
York, PA (mid-July, only if TN gets relocated or cancelled)

That Roanoke Trip is most likely happening either tomorrow or Wednesday. I might do I-64 and I-81 TO Roanoke, and US 460 and either US 29 or other routes back home.

Unsurprisingly, the trip has been relocated to another date next week, possibly Friday (June 14th).
The Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg Trip has been replaced with a trip to Myrtle Beach, SC later in July.

[Hunty2022]

I've got a trip planned to Greensboro, NC on the 25th. Chances of me going are about 80%.

I should've said this on Saturday, but this trip has been postponed to Saturday, June 15th, and the chances of me going are down to ~30%.

I do have a general idea of what my (major) trips for these summer months could look like:

Roanoke, VA (next week, day TBD)
Greensboro, NC (6/15)
Somewhere in WV (mid-June, most likely happening over NC)
Virginia Beach, VA (multiple day-trips during summer)
Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg,TN (7/15-18)
York, PA (mid-July, only if TN gets relocated or cancelled)

That Roanoke Trip is most likely happening either tomorrow or Wednesday. I might do I-64 and I-81 TO Roanoke, and US 460 and either US 29 or other routes back home.

Unsurprisingly, the trip has been relocated to another date next week, possibly Friday (June 14th).
The Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg Trip has been replaced with a trip to Myrtle Beach, SC later in July.

I am currently in Hanover County, VA for the first time this year after a trip today.

I will most likely go to either Virginia Beach (day-trip), or Myrtle Beach (until Wednesday) once Monday comes.

If I do the latter, I will probably still go there in July, or I could relocate that trip to Hilton Head.

[MATraveler128]

I will be driving down to Florida from August 19 to the 27th with some college friends.

[AABattery]

For now, my summer plans seem to be -

Birch Knob/Breaks Interstate Park (MAYBE - Sometime by August if I actually do it)
DC & Baltimore - Mid July
Ithaca, NY - A week after the DC and Baltimore trip, and then again when I move out in August

I also have a couple ideas for after I move up to NY in the fall, but I dunno about dates and I prolly shouldn't worry about that til I'm settled in for a bit but a few I have are -

Niagara Falls/Buffalo (NY/ON)
Syracuse, NY
Boston, MA (at some point)
NYC

[D-Dey65]

Hopefully if there are no storms in late-July, I'll take a road trip through that one section of Ocala National Forest I was trying to go through last time. Beyond that, I don't know if I want to go to St. Augustine, or back to the Big Bend.

In Saint Augustine, I've been trying to get pics of West St. Augustine, where St. John's County Roads 5A and 214 meet and US 1 used to run along part of both of those roads before I and many of us were born.

On the Big Bend, I've been seeking pics of things like the westbound rest areas and truck weigh stations in Madison and Jefferson Counties on I-10, the community of Tennille, a truck weigh station on US 27 in Foley, US 19-98 Alternate 27 at the southern terminus of US 221, US 27 without US 19 in Jefferson County, and some other sites I had a hard time capturing along the way. Too much of what I tried to capture on the last two trips there turned out like crap.

[Hunty2022]

The Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg Trip has been replaced with a trip to Myrtle Beach, SC later in July.

This trip is happening tomorrow, and I'll be there until Friday (7/26).
Roanoke Trip seems unlikely in the next 2-3 weeks.
Virginia Beach could happen sometime after the Myrtle Beach Trip.
Also, I have a trip planned for Cape Charles in mid-September.

[hobsini2]

Well, tentatively, I have my Summer plans narrowed down to 2 trips.
Option 1:
Drive to New Orleans. Never been to Louisiana and just been to Tupelo in Mississippi. Going down would probably be I-55 the whole way. Coming back  considering either US 61 or US 51.

Option 2 (which I am leaning more towards):
Drive to Key West. While I have been to Florida a few times and have driven a good chunk of the state, I have never made it all the way to Key West. Going down via US 41, I-69, I-169, I-24, I-65, US 231, US 84, US 27, US 41, US 1 roughly. Coming back US 1, US 441, I-75, I-24, I-57.

It is officially chosen.
I leave for Key West on Sunday.

[D-Dey65]

I've got another Florida day trip plan, and it will involve Florida's Turnpike. One reason is that I want to increase the number of Wikimedia Commons images for the Canoe Creek Service Plaza:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Canoe_Creek_Service_Plaza
Not to mention start new Wikimedia Commons galleries for the remaining service plazas along the turnpike.

And if I get the chance, I'll do the remaining I-95 rest area images on the way back up. The only problem is, I don't know if I'm going to do it this year, or I'll have to save it for 2025.

[Hunty2022]

I have a trip to Williamsburg, VA planned for the second half of next month, and the Roanoke Trip is hanging on by its last string.

[1995hoo]

We just came back from a four-day weekend at Keswick Hall near Charlottesville for our anniversary. No significant new route clinches for me other than Secondary Route 731 in Albemarle County (the road that runs directly past the resort); I also used portions of Routes 729 and 732 in the same area for the first time taking the back way down to Eastwood Winery south of Charlottesville (I knew the owner from when we worked at the same place some 20 years ago). The main road-related thing of interest for me was using the HO/T lanes all the way to their new southern endpoint near Fredericksburg on the way south on Friday (toll was around $25, but we were going 70 mph the whole way while the main lanes crawled) and then using the new local/thru setup on I-95 to connect to VA-3 (took 15 minutes to go three miles there on the way south). Coming north today I-95 slowed to a crawl near the Marine Corps base, so I bailed to US-1 along with, it seemed, everyone else. Route 1 is hugely improved through Woodbridge since they finished widening it. I still don't like going that way, but at least it was moving.

[D-Dey65]

The threat of another hurricane may screw up my plans to go to Ocala National Forest, St. Augustine, and a movie theater in Ocala so I can catch an upcoming Rifftrax live show!


UPDATE; July 31, 2024: I just found out the movie I'm trying to see won't be shown in Ocala. So, if I do make this movie part of my day trip, I'm going to have to try another theater. Right now, I'm leaning towards Mount Dora.

[MATraveler128]

My drive to Florida will be happening in about 2 weeks. Looks like Key West will be too out of our budget. We will be stopping in Virginia Beach and Savannah on the way down. I'll be in Charleston on the way back however.