2023 Road Trip Plans

[algorerhythms]

Planning a road trip to Halifax in July. The route I'm planning to take is through Quebec, around Gaspé, down the east side of New Brunswick, and crossing into PEI to pick up the counties there, too. I plan to finish the counties of NB, NS, and PEI.

[Hunty2022]

I had an NC trip on the 18th. I got a few new counties in VA and NC. The Georgia trip may happen next Sunday.

[JayhawkCO]

Planning a road trip to Halifax in July. The route I'm planning to take is through Quebec, around Gaspé, down the east side of New Brunswick, and crossing into PEI to pick up the counties there, too. I plan to finish the counties of NB, NS, and PEI.

I got all the NS and PEI counties two years ago on my trip to the region, but couldn't make all of the NB ones make sense. Beautiful part of the world.

[algorerhythms]

My plan for NB is to enter at Campbellton, go down the eastern side, stay the night in Moncton (crossing the river to pick off Albert County). Then on the return trip, going down NB 1 to St. George, then backtracking up NB 7 to NB 2/TCH back to Quebec.

[kennyshark64]

In July, we're doing a rerun of one of my all-time favorites - Pigeon Forge, TN (from Metro Detroit).  It's where my wife and I went on our honeymoon 25 years ago (although we flew down for that trip, but we've gone there a couple times since then).  My favorite part (until we go into the Great Smokies) is the mountain scenery on I-75 south of Lexington to Knoxville.  We do the 563 miles over two days; we can't handle more than 5 or 6 hours driving a day, plus you need a rest after the combination of Ohio cornfields and the stressful Dayton-Cincinnati stretch.

[jmacswimmer]

My wife & I recently took a week-long trip thru Upstate NY & New England with multiple stops, resulting in quite a bit of new interstate (and backroad) mileage for me. Spent nights in Lake George NY, Springfield MA, Stowe VT, Portland ME, Bar Harbor ME, and finally Boston MA (mainly to break up the drive from Bar Harbor back to Maryland).

Some of the non-road highlights included rail-biking on an abandoned railroad near Hadley NY, a steamboat cruise on Lake George, multiple waterfall hikes near Stowe, doing the Mt. Washington Cog Railway (worked out perfectly that it was on the way from Stowe to Portland), checking out Portland Head Light, a sailing cruise out of Bar Harbor, and of course Acadia National Park. Meanwhile, road highlights included driving the Thruway (exits 15 to 24 & B1 to Mass) for my first time post-AET conversion and getting to check out the recently-reopened Plattekill Service Area (CFA had quite the line while BK & Starbucks were deserted), scenic views on I-91 & I-89 throughout VT, US 302 thru Crawford Notch & the White Mountains in general, the Cadillac Mountain Road (and the rest of the Acadia road network), the Maine Turnpike and their mainline toll plazas redone to include ORT (may have also clogged a toilet at the West Gardiner Service Plaza - oops), the Tobin & Zakim Bridges & O'Neill Tunnel in Boston, and finally a rare congestion-free trip thru Connecticut on I-84, I-91 & the Wilbur Cross/Merritt Parkways followed immediately by an equally-smooth trip over the Tappan Zee.

Touched on a few of the routes above, but the routes each travel day were:
-I-83 NB, US 30 EB, US 222 NB, I-78 EB, I-287 NB, I-87 NB to Lake George
-I-87 SB & I-90 EB to Springfield
-I-91 NB, I-89 NB, VT 100 NB to Stowe
-VT 100 NB, VT 15 EB, US 2 EB, I-91 SB, I-93 SB, US 302 EB, ME 113 SB, ME 25 EB, ME 112 EB, ME 114 SB, I-295 NB to Portland
-I-295 NB, I-95 NB, I-395 EB, US 1A EB, ME 3 EB to Bar Harbor
-ME 3 WB, US 1A WB, I-395 WB, I-95 SB, I-295 SB, Falmouth Spur WB, I-95 SB, US 1 SB, I-93 SB to Boston
-I-90 WB, I-84 WB, I-91 SB, CT 15 SB, I-287 WB/SB, I-78 WB, US 222 SB, US 30 WB, I-83 SB back to Maryland

Total tolls for the trip were $24 (would have been much higher if I had used the I-95 corridor from MD to NY) broken down as follows:
-$7.00 to MeTA
-$6.95 to NYSTA
-$6.80 to MassDOT
-$2.00 to NHDOT
-$1.25 to DRJTBC

It's really something how much tolling technology has changed - every single toll point I passed was either AET or hybrid conventional/ORT. The only 2 times I had to pass thru a conventional lane was in order to access a rest area just beyond the toll plaza that can't be accessed from the ORT lanes (I-295 SB for the West Gardiner Service Plaza & I-78 WB for the Pennsylvania Welcome Center).

[Bruce]

Next trip: Seattle to Glacier National Park. Will be taking US 93 up from Missoula and likely returning back the same way.

[MATraveler128]

Currently in the planning stages but I am planning a trip down the East Coast towards Atlanta towards the end of August to early September. Would involve taking I-81 and down I-26 through Tennessee on the way. Probably would return home via I-85/I-95.

[Hunty2022]

I'm likely going to Ocean City, MD in August. Probably taking US 29-I-66-I-495-US 50 there.

[Hunty2022]

I'm likely going to Ocean City, MD in August. Probably taking US 29-I-66-I-495-US 50 there.

The trip is tomorrow, August 9-13. I also took a pre-trip today to Charlottesville, and got almost 400 photos, and 3rd in most photos for a single trip. I will likely beat my current record of 921 from the NC Trip tomorrow.

[Quillz]

Finalized my October driving trip!

One week in the Susanville/Lassen area, followed by one week in the Eureka/redwoods area. Last visited Lassen Peak in 2020, want to ascend it again. Might also do an additional day trip to Mt. Shasta.

So for the drive up, gonna take the "West Side Highway" through the Central Valley. CA-33 all the way from the 101 to the 41. That will get me to Fresno. Then from there, I plan to clinch all of CA-49. Originally I was gonna cut across one of the Sierra passes (I've still yet to do CA-4, CA-88, US-50). But I've also never been on the 49 north of Sonora so I want to finally get it done. I figure some other trip I can get one of those Sierra passes out of the way.

Also going to get some other clinching done during the second week. CA-161 and CA-96. Going a bit out of my way here, but I want to hit up Lava Beds National Monument, and I just love the Klamath Range and following the river. Yet somehow I've never actually been on any part of 96 north of the 169 junction. Beyond that pretty bog standard redwood trip for me, I usually drive up to Crescent City so I can hit the Jed Smith groves. Then go south of Eureka for the Avenue of the Giants. Then in between there is Prairie Creek.

[Hunty2022]

I had an NC trip on the 18th. I got a few new counties in VA and NC. The Georgia trip may happen next Sunday.

The Georgia Trip is happening this Friday. I will likely stay there for 4 days, and possibly go into Florida during the trip.

Probably taking I-95 from VA-288 or I-295 to around Savannah, GA.

EDIT: I will probably take US 29 to Greensboro, NC, then take either I-73 or I-85. I would likely get onto US 1 to US 52 if I take I-73, and I-77 to I-26 if I took I-85. I would get onto I-95 at either Florence (US 52), or east of Orangeburg (I-26). I would then take I-95 to around Savannah, GA.

[MATraveler128]

My trip down to the Smokies has been finalized. Will be driving from Massachusetts to Harrisonburg, VA on 8/28. I will be taking I-78 and I-81. Was originally going to clinch I-66, but won’t be due to DC traffic.

Afterwards I will be driving to Asheville, NC taking I-26 through Tennessee. From there I will pass through Knoxville and take I-75 towards Atlanta possibly detouring into Alabama. Will then pick my mother up in Charlotte and drive back to Massachusetts.

[JayhawkCO]

Driving to KC at the end of September and plan on getting a county clinch for Kansas as well as knocking out the Oklahoma panhandle counties.

[MikieTimT]

Driving to KC at the end of September and plan on getting a county clinch for Kansas as well as knocking out the Oklahoma panhandle counties.

Eddie's Steaks and Seafood in Guymon is a great place for a KC Strip if you catch the area at mealtime.

[hbelkins]

My trip down to the Smokies has been finalized. Will be driving from Massachusetts to Harrisonburg, VA on 8/28. I will be taking I-78 and I-81. Was originally going to clinch I-66, but won't be due to DC traffic.

Afterwards I will be driving to Asheville, NC taking I-26 through Tennessee. From there I will pass through Knoxville and take I-75 towards Atlanta possibly detouring into Alabama. Will then pick my mother up in Charlotte and drive back to Massachusetts.

Unless you have a specific reason for that Asheville-Atlanta route, why not take US 23?

[JayhawkCO]

Driving to KC at the end of September and plan on getting a county clinch for Kansas as well as knocking out the Oklahoma panhandle counties.

Eddie's Steaks and Seafood in Guymon is a great place for a KC Strip if you catch the area at mealtime.

Not sure if I'll get that far into Oklahoma. Was planning on just crossing the border and flipping around. As it stands, I'm making an 8.5 hour drive into a 12.5 hour drive.

[Hunty2022]

I had an NC trip on the 18th. I got a few new counties in VA and NC. The Georgia trip may happen next Sunday.

The Georgia Trip is happening this Friday. I will likely stay there for 4 days, and possibly go into Florida during the trip.

Probably taking I-95 from VA-288 or I-295 to around Savannah, GA.

EDIT: I will probably take US 29 to Greensboro, NC, then take either I-73 or I-85. I would likely get onto US 1 to US 52 if I take I-73, and I-77 to I-26 if I took I-85. I would get onto I-95 at either Florence (US 52), or east of Orangeburg (I-26). I would then take I-95 to around Savannah, GA.

I took the US 29/I-85/I-77/I-26/I-95 route to Georgia. I am also about to go to Florida today.

[ZLoth]

I had a road trip plan to spend a few days with my mother up in Oklahoma City and visit some museums. This is a 200 mile / three hour drive each way. I had the hotel booked and was going to have the cat boarded.

My 82yo mother insisted that I cancel and to possibly make it a day trip.

[Quillz]

So I'm on my vacation now. Presently staying in Susanville as I'm visiting Lassen a few times this week (already walked up the peak earlier today). Will be visiting Lava Beds National Monument at the end of the week, so I'll probably clinch CA-161 as a result.

So I finally clinched all of CA-49. Drove the entire route start to finish after a long day of driving. I was really impressed by the Auburn area, lots of nice stuff along the American River I may want to check out. I also never realized it's basically another route that crosses the Sierra, with a significant west-east portion north of I-80.

Also did the last segment of CA-41 I've never been on before, the segment between US-101 and CA-46. I way pointed in Fresno and did so via the "old world" Central Valley routes. (Mainly CA-33 and CA-41). Also clinched CA-153, notable for being the shortest signed route in the state.

Next week, I will be clinching all of CA-96 as my second week will be in the redwood curtain. Never driven on it except for the southernmost portion.

[Max Rockatansky]

The segment of 41 between 46 and 101 is an underrated fun drive.  Hard to believe east of Creston that it was US 466 until 1958.

[Quillz]

The segment of 41 between 46 and 101 is an underrated fun drive.  Hard to believe east of Creston that it was US 466 until 1958.

All of 46 east of Paso Robles is a wide expressway, reminds me a lot of US-395. If I hadn't already known it used to be US-466, I would have still believed it was. The rest felt much more like the typical Central California routes, that portion of 41 felt a bit like the 46 between the coast as Paso Robles, narrower and curvy but had some good scenery.

[jmacswimmer]

Coming up in just over a week is a trip around Southern California for our first wedding anniversary. We're flying into & out of LAX, but from there will be driving all over to Santa Monica, Long Beach, Joshua Tree, Palm Springs, San Diego, Laguna Beach, Anaheim, DTLA, Hollywood, Thousand Oaks & Malibu. Anticipated freeways we'll hit include the 5, 8, 10, 15, 60, 91, 101, 105, 110, 215, 405, & 710. In particular from that list I'm looking forward to checking out the Arroyo Seco Parkway & the Figueroa Street Tunnels, as well as the Vincent Thomas Bridge & Long Beach International Gateway by the ports.

[Quillz]

If you're going to Thousand Oaks, you'll also likely be on the freeway portion of CA-23. Thousand Oaks isn't that exciting, although if you are continuing on to the Oxnard Plain (and places like Camarillo or Ventura), well, I'd recommend that. Some nice beaches in Ventura and the weather is always good.

Specifically, why not drive the entirety of PCH from Dana Point to Oxnard? You'll go through Malibu and there are some great views. Some famous beaches as well, including Zuma. Point Dume is a good stopping point, you can park and walk up to the top of it, there are some short trails in the area.

[D-Dey65]

2023 isn't over yet, so I have a trip to report. Two days ago, I took a drive to St. Augustine. But before I went there, I had to go southeast to the rest areas of I-4 in Polk County to get rid of some glass for recycling. From there I took a convoluted route around most of the traffic of Metro Orlando. I say "most," because I needed to go through some of it to get some pics of Intercession City.

From there I took Poinciana Boulevard to get to US 192, and took that to US 27. I drove from Four Corners to Leesburg, and I got a couple of shots of the Florida Citrus Tower between Clermont and Minneola, and got some of the scenes revolving around the northern interchange with the Turnpike. I'm still kicking myself for not capturing the southern Turnpike interchange and the accompanying one with FL 19.

I've never been able to get a good shot of anything along US 441-FL 44 between Leesburg and Mount Dora. This time was no exception.

My pics of the replacement for the FL 44 Bridge over the St. Johns River have improved.

To my surprise, I was able to capture some scenes along FL 442, US 1 between New Smyrna Beach and Port Orange, and FL 5A. I also encountered Biketoberfest if anyone here is interested in that.

And yes, I got a lot of the sites I wanted in St. Augustine... which wasn't much this time.

 
The next trip will be to Folkston, Georgia, and any NYC trips seem to depend on whether or not some of my relatives up there will die.