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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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. :(
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 . . .
Ithaca NY
Franconia Notch State Park
Atlanta (by train, but there was driving within Atlanta)
Maybe Philadelphia coming up
* 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
QuoteAmtrak - 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?
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)
Quote from: froggie on November 27, 2013, 05:34:48 PM
QuoteAmtrak - 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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
I technically don't do roadtrips, because I can't drive yet... :no:
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. :P
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. :sombrero:
For next year...
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.
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...
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.
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.
My list of achievements for this year isn't too shabby.
January: didn't do too much, the furthest trip I made was to the Philly area. Other than that I stayed entirely local.
February: clinched all state highway mileage in Nassau and Suffolk Counties (NY)
March: clinched all state highway mileage in Sullivan County (NY), attended Monticello road meet
April: flew to Phoenix, clinched all counties in Arizona, four new counties in California, and one in New Mexico.
May: clinched all state highway mileage in Putnam and Dutchess Counties (NY), worked on Connecticut a bit, clinched all counties in Maryland
June: attended Portsmouth road meet, clinched all counties in New Hampshire and two new counties in Maine, clinched all interstates in New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts. Drove out to Altoona, PA and back in one day. Attended Brick/Wall road meet.
July: attended Cleveland road meet, clinched all counties in Pennsylvania
August: attended Binghamton road meet, attended a wedding in Maryland
September: went to Montreal, attended the ultra-impromptu St. Lawrence Valley meet. Drove down to the Philly area again.
October: attended Pikevile road meet, drove to Florida and clinched a bunch of new southern counties in the process
November: attended Burlington road meet
December: probably not traveling much, busy with other stuff
Quote from: KEVIN_224 on November 27, 2013, 10:04:29 PM
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.
UPDATE: Said hockey trip to the Times-Union Center was made. Trip count is a whopping 7. About the only thing I added was Saratoga County and the town (village?) of Halfmoon.
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My travels this year were pretty extensive. This list covers just multi-day trips, leaving out some shorter road trips such as to the Brick/Wall meet in NJ.
January and late March: separate trips to south Florida, including clinching of many state and US routes in Florida, and also some US routes in states to the north, like US 1 and US 17 in the Carolinas and Georgia
February and early March: cross-country road trip to southern California, including some quick forays into Mexico (trip report on this forum), clinching all of US 95 except a leftover segment in northern Idaho, and all of US 60 west of I-49
June: trip to the Portsmouth NH road meet, followed by a few weeks in the Canadian Maritimes (trip report on this forum)
July: trip to the Chattanooga road meet, including clinching all of US 11 from Chattanooga north to the Canadian border
August: trip to the Dakotas for a family reunion, followed by a week in Manitoba (trip report on this forum), which combined with the June trip to eastern Canada clinched more than a dozen Canadian county equivalents and also re-clinched (for now -- this is a moving target) the mainline of the Trans-Canada Highway from BC to NL
September: trip to Lebanon NH road meet, including clinching US 4 and US 7, plus (combined with the Portsmouth meet trip and earlier trips) all of US 1 between Rye NY and the Canadian border
October: flyout trip to Hawaii (Maui, Kauai, Big Island, and briefly Oahu), and on the way back a class reunion in northern California at (AFAIK) the only university whose campus is crossed by an Interstate; re-clinched the Hawaii state highway system (some new mileage added since I was last there), and US 101 (a short realignment a few years ago between Leggett and Piercy)
Maybe one more trip (TBD) before year's end, if the weather cooperates.
Lots of trips and county clinches, but not a lot of actual distance or clinches.
In late February, I went to Myrtle Beach, SC for a convention (I-95). Didn't really have time to do anything road-related.
Went to a similar convention in Richmond, VA (I-64) in mid-March. Despite not really having time to do anything, I was able to unintentionally clinch the last part of VA-6.
Flew out to Phoenix, AZ for a week to visit family in early April. In town, I clinched several freeways (I-17, AZ-51, US-60/Superstition, 101, 143), as well as a few other state routes. A side trip to the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, and Sedona (I-17/I-40/AZ-64/AZ-89A/AZ-179) resulted in clinches of I-17, AZ 64, AZ-89A, and AZ-179.
In early June, I drove down to Columbia, SC (I-95/I-20) for a weekend to attend a relative's graduation. Other than a clinch of NC-4 on the way home to avoid traffic, not much road-related stuff.
In late June, I had a week-long family vacation in Corolla, NC. I was only able to clinch NC-12 and US-158 due to the Outer Banks' road issues.
I went to Philadelphia for the Fourth of July. On the way up, I took US-13, US-113 and DE-1 up the Eastern Shore, with detours to Chincoteauge, VA and Ocean City, MD. A side-trip to Princeton garnered clinches of the southern portion of I-95, US-206, and I-676. On the way home, I took I-95, but traffic delays led me to take MD-295 to I-495. I took MD-5 to US-301 south across the Nice Bridge (in order to clinch Charles county, with a side trip to clinch St. Mary's) to US-17, which I took south back to Hampton Roads.
In mid July, I drove down to Columbia again (via I-95 and I-20) and then drove up to Asheville (via I-26) for a weekend. This included a trip north to Kingsport, TN in order to clinch I-26. Came back to Columbia (also via I-26) and then drove down to Fripp Island, SC to stay there for 4 days. (via I-26, I-95, US-17, and US-21). Was able to re-clinch US-21 and the SC-802 there.
Drove back via I-95, but with a detour along US-64 and US-13.
A camping trip in early August in order to get 2 counties in NW Virginia that I had missed.
Flew out to Las Vegas in late August. Didn't get much clinching done save for a trip to the Hoover Dam to clinch I-515 and the new bypass.
Drove up to a friend's house in N. Va for Labor Day Concert. Was able to clinch both the Prince William and Fairfax County Parkways.
Drove up to Haymarket, VA for another convention in late October, clinching VA-234 along the way.
For Thanksgiving, I rented a cabin up in the eastern panhandle of W. Virginia. Drove up US-17 from Fredericksburg, VA to Winchester, VA in order to clinch all of US-17 north of Savannah, GA. I was able to clinch all of the counties in the panhandle, as well as US-522. Side trips to Gettysburg, PA and Cumberland, MD allowed me to clinch all of the counties in Maryland. On the way home, I passed through Harper's Ferry to clinch both WV-9 and US-340. From there, I took US-15 south to US-17 in order to avoid Washington traffic, as well as to get pictures of the new loop ramp in Opal, VA.
I am planning a trip in late December in order to clinch the rest of the counties in Virginia east of I-77, as well as another to get the rest of the counties in South Carolina.
Counties Added: Mohave AZ, Coconino AZ, Yavapai AZ, Gila AZ, Maricopa AZ, Pinal AZ, Morgan WV, Berkeley WV, Jefferson WV, Hampshire WV, Garrett MD, Allegheny MD, Washington MD, Frederick MD, York PA, Adams PA, Franklin PA, Bucks PA, Montgomery PA, Polk NC, Henderson NC, Buncombe NC, Madison NC, Madison VA, Clarke VA, Sullivan TN, Washington TN, Unicoi TN, Somerset NJ
Didn't really do much traveling, save a stormchasing trip in April, which I can't believe I never wrote about in detail. (I'll do that in a separate thread, but suffice to say for now, it featured a couple near clinches of roads and a bunch of new counties clinched.)
Some decent travelling this year...picked up 54 more counties.
Jan: DelMarVa trip, plenty of DE/MD routes clinched
Feb: drove to Scottsdale AZ via Austin Tx and 4-corners area
Clinched: I-27, I-17, I-20, US 290, US 163
Apr: 17 hr U-turn
lots of southern NJ US routes
May: 16 hr U-turn
Clinched: US 13, US 422e
July: 16-hr U-turn to NC
Clinched: US 311 (again)
Aug: Drove to Niagara Falls, ON then to Acadia NP ME then to Goose Creek SC
Clinched: US 48 (again), US 219, eI-88, would've had US 4 if not for 8-mile detour due to bridge work, eI-84
Sept: 17 hr U-turn
Clinched: US 209
Oct: 1050 mile, 19 hr U-turn
Clinched: US 206, eI-86, US 220, US 15 (again), completed all US route mileage in NJ
Nov: attempted to finish the Delaware primary system. Fell 60 miles short but clinched ~35 routes in MD and DE. Will complete in Jan 2014.
Dec: trip scheduled to pick up more primary mileage in NC; 8-12 routes to be clinched
Goals for 2014:
Clinch DE primary system; reach 75% for MD; reach 90% for NC; reach 50% for WV
Clinch I-76e, I-77, I-79, I-82, I-86w, US 6N, US 9W, US 19n, US 19E, US 19W, US 48 again, US 91, US 221, US 250, US 322, US 422w
Mapmikey
I spent from January to April living mostly carless, but since then I've managed to put 20,000 miles or so on my car. Drove to Quebec for the first time in June, reached about 2/3 clinch for the MA & NH highway systems, plus about 1/3 of VT & ME, plus I've done a couple of day trips to upstate NY (and one to NYC - my first time on Long Island), from the Southern Tier to Orange County to the Adirondacks.
Also took Amtrak for the first time down to Philadelphia, if that counts!
Finally, attended my first two proper road meets - Lebanon and Burlington.
All-in-all a pretty decent year, and hopefully I can top it next year!
Off the top of my head & in no particular order:
Attended 3 meets; Monticello, NY - Portsmouth, NH & Brick, NJ and got a chance to meet many on this forum in person.
Several back-and-forth holiday trips to either Marblehead, MA or Sturbridge, MA to visit family. The return leg of my last trip involved driving out to West Springfield which gave me an opportunity to ride on a stretch of I-91 that I was never on (between I-291 & CT 20). Fortunately, while heading from Marblehead to Strubridge last Sunday morning, I did not use I-290 nor encountered the related 65-vehicle, black-ice-induced pile-up in Worcester.
To add: due to my work schedule, I wasn't able to leave Tuesday night for MA as I normally do on Thanksgiving weekend so I left Wednesday morning. To my surprise, that later departure turned out to be the better choice; I encountered no major traffic issues at all. From door-to-door, it took me just over 7 hours to drive from Secane, PA to Marblehead, MA. (rest & gas stops included). Maybe everyone else left the Tuesday night before.
Several trips to Carlisle, PA (mostly for car shows). Due to the higher PA Turnpike tolls, I experimented w/some shunpiking routes.
Trip to Mt. Davis (highest elevation in PA).
Trip to Lititz, PA.
Trip to Ocean City, NJ.
Trip to Frenchtown, NJ (for a tubing along the Delaware River gathering)
Did a few back-and-forth rounds along PA 926 w/the top down.
I've been to several new places this year.
Europe - Italy and Spain
I clinched another five states, or should I say driven a mile into some of them just to say I've been there:
Alabama
Arkansas
Georgia
Louisiana
Mississippi
States remaining:
Alaska - probably never
Florida
Hawaii - probably never
Idaho
Montana
Nevada
South Carolina
The Dakotas
Added 171 counties in 16 states to my total (about 10-15 of those counties are ones I'd visited 30+ years before). 21 new airports, 84,000 actual air miles. Only a few trips; moving 800 miles away - once by car, the another by truck, but otherwise, mostly staying within my own state(s).
Jan: Local road trips (in WI/IL)
Feb: Loop route to New Orleans - south along Mississippi River, North along other side of those states - broke personal record for counties clinched during trip. Clinched Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, I-12, both I-49s and only have only between Bloomington and Joliet left for I-55 (easy right?)
Mar: Flight to Portland for business *yawn*
Apr: Shortest trip to a road meet (Dubuque, 20 miles)
May: To California - but not back - I-70 in KS, CO, UT clinched, I-15 in NV clinched.
June: Around L.A. area and (back) up to Vegas - All Los Angeles Interstates clinched
July: Reached San Diego for first time
August: Entered Mexico for first time, All San Diego Interstates clinched
September: Zion NP, Monument Valley
October: Clinched last AZ county needed to complete the state, Up to San Francisco to check out new bridge
November: Back to WI - I-40 in CA, AZ (Interstates 100% clinched in AZ), NM, TX clinched, I-35 in KS clinched
December: Local WI trips - peeked into U.P.
Thus far: 302 counties (146 new), of which only 3 were visited by other means of transport than my personal car - 25 states (5 new) over 2 countries (23 in US, 2 in Mexico). Been in KC (pass-thru) 3 times this year only. Major cities: Milwaukee, Chicago, St. Louis, Des Moines, Omaha, Sioux Falls, Memphis, Portland (OR), New Orleans, Kansas City, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego, Tijuana, San Francisco, Phoenix, Tucson, Albuquerque, Amarillo, Oklahoma City, Wichita. Least time spent in WI over a calendar year (5 months). Nearly 3000 miles of Interstates.
Quote from: sammi on November 28, 2013, 11:51:53 AM
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. :sombrero:
For next year...
Well, welcome to Will County then. Lockport's practically in my backyard. Well, on the other side of the river. :biggrin:
For me, thus far (2013 isn't over yet):
1. Joliet to Sterling, Colorado and back - I-80 and I-76.
2. Joliet to Dubuque, Iowa for the Dubuque Road Meet - I-55, I-355, I-90, Wis-81, Wis-11, US-151. Back - US-61, Bus-61, US-67, Government Bridge (last bridge I haven't crossed in the Quad Cities), IL-92, I-74, I-80.
3. Joliet to Cleveland, Ohio for the Cleveland Road Meet - I-80, I-480, US-422. Back - US-422, I-271, I-71, US-30, I-65, I-80.
4. Joliet to Frankenmuth, Michigan for the Flint Road Meet - I-80, I-94, I-69, I-75, M-83. Back - I-69, BL-69, Marsh Rd, M-43, M-143, US-127, I-496, I-96, I-196, I-94, I-80.
5. Joliet to just north of Evansville, Indiana - I-55, IL-47, I-74, I-57, IL-16, IL-130, IL-33, IL-1, US-50, US-41, I-64, I-57, IL-9, IL-115, S1800W Rd, IL-17, Essex Rd, IL-113, IL-129, I-55.
6. Joliet to Cincinnati for the Cincinnati Road Meet - I-80, I-65, I-865, I-465, I-74, I-75, I-71, US-50, I-471. Back via the same route.
7. Joliet to Kansas City - I-55, I-270, MO-370, I-70, I-35. Back - I-70, I-35, US-36, I-72, I-55.
And that's not counting the trips to Peoria, Pekin, and Rockford, Illinois, and St Louis, Missouri for work, or the annual trip to Gobles, Michigan for the Christmas tree.
So far, I've finished I-196, crossed the Government Bridge, picked up several counties in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin, finished I-70 in Missouri and US-30 in Indiana, got on more of I-96 (the only 2di in Michigan I've yet to complete), and finished the Illinois freeway system with US-50 and I-64. It's been a good year so far, and I expect 2014 to be just as good.
Have not left the state at all this year, yet... (https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.skyscrapercity.com%2Fimages%2Fsmilies%2Fshifty.gif&hash=bfad108556328f3721a5c13b6842b4be921e4a52)
2013 has been a pretty good road-tripping year for me, so I'll share mine. I'm only including trips that took me a distance of greater than three driving hours from home.
January: Two-day boredom-relief getaway to Tulsa, Oklahoma, via I-49 (from the northern terminus) and I-44. Item of note: I-49 had only existed in Missouri for about a month. Clinched: The Will Rogers Turnpike.
March: First significant road trip of the year! First took a less-direct route to Savannah, Georgia: I-70, I-64, I-270, I-55, I-240, US 78, (I-22), US 78, I-20, I-285, I-75, I-16, I-516. Then to Atlanta: I-516, I-16, I-75 (obviously). Then home: I-75, I-24, I-57, I-64, I-70, etc. Items of note: my first visit to Mississippi and Alabama, and it was too early to see I-22 signs! Clinched: I-24, useful portion of I-22. Came short of clinching: Physically extant portion of I-22, I-16.
April: Back down I-49 to Fayetteville, Arkansas. Clinched: northern segment of I-49.
November: Second significant road trip of the year! First to southern Wisconsin: I-35, I-80, I-88, I-39, I-43, US 12, WI 50. Then to northern Illinois: I-94, I-294/Tri-State Tollway. Then to Detroit: I-294/Tri-State Tollway, I-94. Then to Long Island: I-75, I-280, Ohio Turnpike (I-80, I-76), Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-76, I-276, Future I-95), New Jersey Turnpike (Future I-95, Current I-95), I-278, Belt Parkway, Southern State Parkway, etc. Then home: same way I came until PA Turnpike Exit 75, then I-70, Illinois/Missouri I-270, MO 370, I-70, etc. Items of note: my first visit to Michigan, saw progress on the NJTP Exit 6 to Exit 9 widening, and got an E-ZPass for the first time (in Illinois--where it's called I-Pass, obviously). Clinched: I-294, Tri-State Tollway, Ohio I-280, Pennsylvania Turnpike. Clinched through combination with previous trip: Ohio Turnpike (drove from western terminus to the I-80 TOTSO in 2007).
By the way, has there ever been a thread for toll roads people have clinched? I searched a few days ago and couldn't find one. I'm particularly fond of toll roads (not necessarily from an ideological perspective); I found it neat to finally clinch the Tri-State Tollway, the Ohio Turnpike, and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and I have more on my to-do list.
Two road trips on the same highway, one of which will happen the week after next.
Trip 1: Spring Break 2013
Historic US 99 from Seattle to Portland
Historic US 99W from Portland to Junction City
Historic US 99 from Junction City to Yreka
I-5 from Yreka to Eugene
OR 569 and OR 99 from Eugene to Junction City
Historic US 99E from Junction City to Portland
I-5 from Portland to Seattle
Trip 2: Dec. 26 to Dec. 31 or Dec. 30
I-17 from Anthem, AZ to Phoenix, AZ
I-10 from Phoenix, AZ to AZ 85
AZ 85 from I-10 to I-8 in Gila Bend
I-8 from Gila Bend to CA 111 near El Centro
CA 111 from I-8 to Calexico
Historic US 99 from Calexico to Madeira
Historic US 99W from Madeira to Galt (Very early split of US 99 which was discarded in the early 1930's.)
Historic US 99 from Galt to Sacramento
Possibly Historic US 99E from Sacramento to Red Bluffs and Historic US 99 from Red Bluffs to Yreka, but his leg will possibly be discarded due to time constraints.
I-5 from Yreka or Sacramento to I-10 in Los Angeles to I-17 in Phoenix back to Anthem
Update my massive list of travel to trip #8 and state #6. I went to Providence, RI on December 13th. We entered RI along US Route 6 East from Killingly, CT to Foster, RI. It was then onto I-295 South towards the Warwick Mall area and then north into Providence on I-95. The area around the I-195 interchange looks much better now than 5 years ago. The trip back was via I-95 south to Old Saybrook, CT and north on CT Route 9 to New Britain. Weird route, I know...but I added a ton of CT municipalities for the year.
US Route 6 East at the RI state line. The sign on the right reads "Cucumber Hill Rd".
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FjXaY1CW.jpg&hash=6c9c18504deea91d4bdc41b81994d47011c230c7)
Getting onto RI Route 2 from I-295 South in Warwick, RI.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F8k73ttb.jpg&hash=bc9275b3b522951c6134313af869fa7608bba252)
About to have one more 2013 trip. Likely familiar routes north, but I'm planning on taking the Cape May-Lewes Ferry on the way back south.
Quote from: froggie on December 20, 2013, 08:20:19 AM
About to have one more 2013 trip. Likely familiar routes north, but I'm planning on taking the Cape May-Lewes Ferry on the way back south.
Stop by.
Only if you're around 12/28-29.
Quote from: froggie on December 20, 2013, 10:30:13 PM
Only if you're around -200/7.
Simplified mathematical expression.
Quote from: froggie on December 20, 2013, 10:30:13 PM
Only if you're around 12/28-29.
Absolutely. I know many fine roads and restaurants.
Wow! The road trips I've made are pure crap compared to the rest of you. And everyone else I know is always blown away by them.
Most of my drives have been around the Tampa Bay Metro Area, and a few towards Ocala and northern Polk County. But the other two have been;
June: Family drive from home to Long Island and back. The trip to Long Island was done from I-75, to I-85, to I-77, to I-81, to I-80, due to a tip my father got from a friend of his. There were some interesting sites, but it was a long, rotten drive. The way down was standard I-95. Both times we ended up staying in crappy motels, because we were too desperate to be choosey.
November: My own trip to Long Island and back. Mostly along I-95 with a couple of diversions onto I-295/Baltimore-Washington Parkway, and in Baltimore itself going up, Philadelphia and Delaware County, Pennsylvania going down, and Fayetteville, NC both times. Baltimore was a bitch to get through. Spent the nights in motels in Wilson, NC going up and Gold Rock, NC going down.
Oh, I also had to stop in Emporia, VA to pick something up I forgot to take with me, and Woodbridge, VA to grab some pics of a VRE station.
As far as clinching anything on this trip, the only thing that could possibly count is the IRT Dyre Avenue Line.
My 2013 travels:
January: Started off the new year with a bang in Gettysburg, PA. Later that month, I took Amtrak from Baltimore to Lynchburg, VA for the weekend. Stayed one night in Lynchburg and then two in Roanoke, VA.
February: While driving to NJ to celebrate Steve's birthday, one of Mike's tires blew on I-95 just outside of the Delaware rest area. We were about 4 hours late meeting with Steve...
April: Ashland, KY meet. Took I-70 -> I-68 -> I-79 -> I-64. We were unbelievably rushed because my landlord wanted to show my apartment to potential renters 2 weeks before he said he would...so we had to rush home and clean. So we didn't get to take home corridor H as planned. C'est la vie.
June: Road meet to Portsmouth, NH at the beginning of the month, then Road meet to Brick/Wall, NJ at the end of the month (birthday meet!)
July: Drove from Baltimore -> Lynchburg for a friend's wedding. Came home via US 340 and finally clinched the whole route.
August: Got married! Had a roadtrip themed wedding :) Honeymoon: Baltimore -> Niagara Falls -> Niagara-on-the-Lake -> Toronto -> Buffalo -> Baltimore
September: Road meet to Lebanon, NH
October: Pikeville, KY road meet combined with brief Lynchburg College homecoming visit! Baltimore -> Lynchburg, VA -> Christiansburg, VA -> Pikeville, KY road meet -> Bristol, TN -> Baltimore
I only traveled for work - I volunteered to help with some marketing events in Seattle, and one in King of Prussia, PA. Big difference. Coworkers drove in both cases. I had never spent a long period time on the PA Turnpike before, surprisingly, so it was actually nice to just cruise down that from Pittsburgh out to King of Prussia.
Seattle was amazing, though. I-5 is absolutely beautiful, and being from the East Coast, I had never seen anything like having traffic lights at the end of ramps to control traffic (on Washington 518 I believe, heading eastbound to get to I-5), or the lanes on the interstate that change speed limits depending on what time of day. (Or the stunning view of Lake Union/the ocean, and the Seattle skyline.) It was so unlike things here in Pittsburgh. Not to mention Seattle is BEAUTIFUL and I want to go back when I'm not being chauffered around by a coworker who was twice my age with half my sense of direction.
Quote from: pghgal_90 on January 19, 2014, 12:23:59 AM
Seattle was amazing, though. I-5 is absolutely beautiful, and being from the East Coast, I had never seen anything like having traffic lights at the end of ramps to control traffic (on Washington 518 I believe, heading eastbound to get to I-5), or the lanes on the interstate that change speed limits depending on what time of day. (Or the stunning view of Lake Union/the ocean, and the Seattle skyline.) It was so unlike things here in Pittsburgh.
Closer than you'd think... http://wesa.fm/post/penndot-halts-plans-turn-ramp-metering-parkway-east-will-re-evaluate-plans-easing
(Have you read any roadgeek FAQs or old threads here to get a feel for terminology? Time consuming but potentially interesting! I'mma tout my own at www.alpsroads.net/roads/faq.html but there are several others out there. (I do not actually see an FAQ thread on the forum. Maybe there should be.)
Thank you Steve! I will take a look - having lurked on the forums for a little while, you guys are all super knowledgeable about this stuff. I need to get up to speed ;)
The closest thing to that right now in Pittsburgh is the stop sign at the bottom of the on-ramp to PA 28 North... it lasted for about two weeks and is currently a yield sign.
Quote from: pghgal_90 on January 19, 2014, 01:17:35 AM
Thank you Steve! I will take a look - having lurked on the forums for a little while, you guys are all super knowledgeable about this stuff. I need to get up to speed ;)
The closest thing to that right now in Pittsburgh is the stop sign at the bottom of the on-ramp to PA 28 North... it lasted for about two weeks and is currently a yield sign.
Heh, well... if I do say so myself...
All levels are welcome. The fact that you identify as "one of us" is more than sufficient. Feel free to ask any questions! (I can tell you from way too much experience as a mod/admin, I'd much rather field a bunch of questions than have people come in flying blind and think they know what's what.) If you ever make it to a meet, you've nerd-leveled up.
I saw these signs near the Prudential Center in Newark on February 12th:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FVmcFPRi.jpg&hash=eed0f91bf3b6db55e3d5181e937db7e2244228c4)