2025 Road Trip Plans

[kphoger]

Later in the year, 3 national parks (White Sands, Guadalupe, Carlsbad); Las Cruces NM, El Paso, Carlsbad NM. US 54, 62, 285 will be new sign photo pickups (with various state routes). Wondering what else might be of roadgeek interest in that area.

New Mexico has enough garbage signage to keep any roadgeek interested (and irritated).

Seriously, though...  If you're looking for some scenery that's more interesting than US-62 between Carlsbad Caverns and the town of Carlsbad, then I suggest Dark Canyon Road and NM-137.

[Rothman]

Returning used, perfectly good, chains sounds like a good study for an ethics course.

[Max Rockatansky]

I still have never actually used my chains in all the years I've lived out here.  All CHP has ever cared about is if I had them in the car.

[JayhawkCO]

Returning used, perfectly good, chains sounds like a good study for an ethics course.

I wouldn't have used them and returned them obviously. It's also against the rental agreement to use them on the car. I was just going to have them in the trunk.

[Rothman]

Returning used, perfectly good, chains sounds like a good study for an ethics course.

I wouldn't have used them and returned them obviously. It's also against the rental agreement to use them on the car. I was just going to have them in the trunk.

<.<

>.>

Sus. ;D

[pderocco]

And of course, the weather gods have decided to fight me on this. I-5 north of Red Bluff has chain restrictions and I can't find a single rental car company at SMF that has an AWD/4WD car with snow rated tires. And I'd still have to buy chains (and return them). So, I switched my flight to Portland for both directions. Maybe I'll see if the wife will let us drive a different way than normal so I'm not just doing I-5 in both directions.

The obvious different way is US-101, but that takes forever. I'd opt for US-97, and maybe US-197 to or from the Dalles.

Of course, this is their rainy season, even more than ours in California.

[Skye]

My road trip goal is my proverbial White Whale. I've never fully clinched a 2di in it's entirety, only through individual states. The closest is I-71. I'm only missing a mere 2-mile stretch in Cleveland. I hope to accomplish that sometime this year. Along the trip I intend to finish US 42 (I'm missing between Delaware and Cleveland) and OH 3 (I'm missing between Columbus and Cleveland). That would be the first US Highway I've fully clinched and the longest state highway (any state) I've clinched.

[D-Dey65]

Returning used, perfectly good, chains sounds like a good study for an ethics course.

If I ever drove through winter weather again (which I probably will someday) and I'd have to buy chains, I'd rather buy a set I can keep and put in storage somewhere.

[pderocco]

Returning used, perfectly good, chains sounds like a good study for an ethics course.

If I ever drove through winter weather again (which I probably will someday) and I'd have to buy chains, I'd rather buy a set I can keep and put in storage somewhere.

I bought chains for my last car, and never used them for the ten years or so until I junked the car. Now I have another car which requires larger chains.

[kphoger]

If I ever drove through winter weather again (which I probably will someday) and I'd have to buy chains, I'd rather buy a set I can keep and put in storage somewhere.

Of course, considering that the original context was a trip that includes flying and then renting a car... that would involve having an extra suitcase for your tire chains on the return flight.

[Max Rockatansky]

My wife and I might drive back up to Guadalajara for a family day trip this week.  My father in law didn't seem too enthusiastic about that idea so we'll see if him to go.

[kphoger]

My wife and I might drive back up to Guadalajara for a family day trip this week.  My father in law didn't seem too enthusiastic about that idea so we'll see if him to go.

Have you been to Tequila?  My wife and I took a tour of the José Cuervo distillery on our honeymoon.

[Max Rockatansky]

My wife and I might drive back up to Guadalajara for a family day trip this week.  My father in law didn't seem too enthusiastic about that idea so we'll see if him to go.

Have you been to Tequila?  My wife and I took a tour of the José Cuervo distillery on our honeymoon.

Not yet, I keep bringing it up as something I want to see. 

[kphoger]

Have you been to Tequila?  My wife and I took a tour of the José Cuervo distillery on our honeymoon.

Not yet, I keep bringing it up as something I want to see. 

When we did the tour back in '06, we were the only English-speaking participants in that particular group.  But the tour guide was decently bilingual and translated everything into English just for us.

[Max Rockatansky]

Have you been to Tequila?  My wife and I took a tour of the José Cuervo distillery on our honeymoon.

Not yet, I keep bringing it up as something I want to see. 

When we did the tour back in '06, we were the only English-speaking participants in that particular group.  But the tour guide was decently bilingual and translated everything into English just for us.

I'm getting better at speaking Spanish myself, but I'm only barely functioning.  My wife is fluent in English and Spanish.  When we visit here I'm basically the only one besides my oldest niece who doesn't speak almost exclusively Spanish.

[kphoger]

I'm getting better at speaking Spanish myself, but I'm only barely functioning.  My wife is fluent in English and Spanish.  When we visit here I'm basically the only one besides my oldest niece who doesn't speak almost exclusively Spanish.

For me, it definitely depends who's talking.  We once took a tour of Casa Madero (named after Francisco Madero's family), which is just north of the town we've done Christian ministry in for years and is the oldest winery in North America.  I understood about 10% of the guide's Spanish.  A couple of years later, when our friend's pickup truck broke a wheel bearing and we enlisted the help of a couple of hitchhiking migrant farm workers we'd picked up to help find a mechanic, I understood even less of their Spanish.  So, small town farm Spanish ("ranch Spanish"), not so much.  But when I've been around college-educated professionals, I've been able to understand their Spanish perfectly well.

[pderocco]

For me, it definitely depends who's talking.  We once took a tour of Casa Madero (named after Francisco Madero's family), which is just north of the town we've done Christian ministry in for years and is the oldest winery in North America.  I understood about 10% of the guide's Spanish.  A couple of years later, when our friend's pickup truck broke a wheel bearing and we enlisted the help of a couple of hitchhiking migrant farm workers we'd picked up to help find a mechanic, I understood even less of their Spanish.  So, small town farm Spanish ("ranch Spanish"), not so much.  But when I've been around college-educated professionals, I've been able to understand their Spanish perfectly well.

I sometimes have the same issue with English speakers.

[D-Dey65]

If I ever drove through winter weather again (which I probably will someday) and I'd have to buy chains, I'd rather buy a set I can keep and put in storage somewhere.

Of course, considering that the original context was a trip that includes flying and then renting a car... that would involve having an extra suitcase for your tire chains on the return flight.

Nevertheless, since I won't fly up north, and would actually drive all the way up, I stand by my statement.

Speaking of which, if I ever get to Rockland County again for any reason, one place I'd like to visit is Sloatsburg.  The southwest end of Seven Lakes Drive that allows more than just passenger cars seems like an interesting feature to take pictures of.

[gonealookin]

I'm planning on attending consecutive PGA Tour events, the final weekend of March in Houston and the first weekend of April in San Antonio.  I'm leaning toward driving my own car rather than flying and renting a car.  It would be the first time I've ever driven my own car east of Interstate 25; all previous trips east of there have been fly/rent.

From Lake Tahoe it looks like Houston is slightly more than three days' reasonable driving.  I think the return from San Antonio could be done in three days.  However, I could add a little time to explore some places I haven't been to.

Routing would likely be a version of Vegas-Albuquerque-Dallas on the way there, and El Paso-Phoenix on the return.  It's about 3800 miles total via the two direct routes, plus any side trips.

After more consideration I bailed on the long drive on this one.  The two golf tournaments with the three days in between gives me 11 days in Texas, and the driving days from Tahoe were going to extend it to 18 days which is a bit more time on the road than I care for.  Still doing the two PGA Tour events, but flying RNO to SAT and renting a car.

The Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, TX is conveniently between San Antonio and Houston, so that tour is on the schedule.  If it's beach weather between the two golf events I might go down to Port Aransas (I liked South Padre but it's a bit too far), otherwise the Mon.-Wed. gap will be filled in the Hill Country. 

[D-Dey65]

My South Florida Turnpike Rest Area WikiPhoto Crusade is officially happening on Tuesday. I just hope I can get back to Hernando County before the day is done and still gather some I-95 rest area images on the way up, and maybe not run into any serious traffic jams.


Let me remind the rest of you of what's there as of this writing;
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Florida%27s_Turnpike_service_areas

*One image in the Canoe Creek Service Plaza category.
*Eight images in the Fort Drum Service Plaza category.
*Nine images in the Okahumpka Service Plaza category.
*Seven images in the Fort Pierce Service Plaza category.
*Twelve images in the Turkey Lake Service Plaza category.

And three loose images from the Pompano Beach, Port Saint Lucie, and Snapper Creek Service Plazas.

[1995hoo]

I have an upcoming business trip to Sacramento, but for rather obvious reasons I'll be flying out. The only nonstop flight available arrives at 10 PM, however, which would feel like 1:00 AM. So instead I'm flying to San Francisco, taking the BART to Richmond, and then taking Amtrak up to Sacramento, then on the trip home I'll take a cab to the airport in Sacramento because the nonstop heading east gets home at a civilized time (although it has a very early departure).

I'm not going to be renting a car because I won't get reimbursed for it and I won't have time for any recreational activity anyway. But does anyone have any restaurant recommendations for Sacramento? I'll be staying near Sutter's Fort, although the work site is downtown.

[D-Dey65]

I think my next Florida day trip, which will probably be in April or May will be in the vicinity of St. Augustine, specifially West St. Augustine. I believe I've mentioned in another post that I want to capture the former US 1 via Volusia County Road 5, and some segments of historic downtown West Fort King Street (Volusia CR 214).

And I just remembered I wanted to make another SunRail runs from the DeLand Amtrak station. Only I don't want to go as far south as Tupperware station like I did last time.

[7/8]

Trip #2 is coming up sooner than expected! I'll be spending Fri-Mon (last weekend of March) in Halifax/Dartmouth, NS. My cousin's son is having his first birthday and it'll be my first time meeting him. It's also been 22 years since my one-and-only trip to the Maritimes, so it'll be cool to revisit. We'll be renting a car so we can explore outside the city too.

There's also an 83% partial solar eclipse happening Saturday at sunrise. It's a cloudy time of year there, so time will tell if it's even visible that morning, fingers crossed. Meanwhile, I'm impatiently waiting for the August 2026 total solar eclipse in Spain, which I really hope to see!

[JayhawkCO]

Trip #2 is coming up sooner than expected! I'll be spending Fri-Mon (last weekend of March) in Halifax/Dartmouth, NS. My cousin's son is having his first birthday and it'll be my first time meeting him. It's also been 22 years since my one-and-only trip to the Maritimes, so it'll be cool to revisit. We'll be renting a car so we can explore outside the city too.

There's also an 83% partial solar eclipse happening Saturday at sunrise. It's a cloudy time of year there, so time will tell if it's even visible that morning, fingers crossed. Meanwhile, I'm impatiently waiting for the August 2026 total solar eclipse in Spain, which I really hope to see!

I loved my trip to the Maritimes back in 2021. Right around Halifax, I really liked the drive east of town on NS107.

[hbelkins]

I've been to Elkins, WV, many times (including last year) but I recently discovered another Elkins that I need to visit, that being Elkins, Ark. I now have a more road-worthy vehicle (a 2011 Chevy Impala with 103K miles that was a gift from my brother, who inherited it from his late father-in-law) so once I get some minor repairs made to it, I may head west. That would give me a good opportunity to clinch US 412 in Arkansas.