Thanksgiving 2012

[Alps]

Head back Sunday; hopefully I'll be able to clinch I-781 (the pavement markings are there, so there's hope!).

My understanding is that it will not be possible to clinch I-781 without entering Fort Drum. Or did they decide to add a u-turn before the gate?

For thanksgiving itself, I'll be with family in Southwestern CT, so still local. Then spending the rest of the weekend driving in circles, which I haven't done enough of this year.

I'd be surprised if there weren't a U-turn just before the gate, or at worst just after. There needs to be an Oops.

[corco]

Cool. But how are you going to get the car to Boise, or will you just rent a car for a few days?

I flew to Boise today, parents picked me up at the airport and drove me to McCall. I'm going to borrow their car or my sister's on Friday to drive to Montana and then drive back on Saturday. They will then drive me back to Boise.

In a few weeks, I'll drive my car to Montana, sign a lease and get keys, then drive from Montana back to McCall. I'll enjoy Christmas, and then my parents will give me a ride back to Boise, where I'll fly back to Arizona, leaving my car in McCall. My roommate will pick me up and drop me off at a U-Haul place. I'll move him to his new place and then he'll help me load the truck. I'll drive the U-Haul to Deer Lodge, Montana, where my parents/sister will meet me with my car and help me unload. They'll drive their own car back to Idaho.

I'm debating what routes I'm going to take- in the U-Haul I'm going to just shoot up I-15 for simplicity's sake. When I go up in my Jeep I'm either going to take US-93 or US-191, because either route will give me a national clinch of that route once I clinch it in Montana.

[oscar]

Head back Sunday; hopefully I'll be able to clinch I-781 (the pavement markings are there, so there's hope!).

My understanding is that it will not be possible to clinch I-781 without entering Fort Drum. Or did they decide to add a u-turn before the gate?

For thanksgiving itself, I'll be with family in Southwestern CT, so still local. Then spending the rest of the weekend driving in circles, which I haven't done enough of this year.

I'd be surprised if there weren't a U-turn just before the gate, or at worst just after. There needs to be an Oops.

You'd think that (like at the east end of Interstate H-3), but that's not always true.  At least the guards at the two west ends of HI 92, which have no U-turn opportunities before the gates, were nice enough about turning around stray tourists, which seems to happen a lot out there.

More difficult is if there is a turnaround opportunity, but you don't know for sure that the Interstate ends just before the turnaround.  If you blow past the turnaround, and force the sentries to turn you around past the gate, they might be rather unhappy with you.

One other option is to figure out a legitimate excuse for entering the base, though you'll still need to stop to get a visitor pass.  For one (an Army base in Missouri), I cited a military museum I wanted to visit on the base.  No problema, I was issued a pass to enter the base.  Of course, I'd checked ahead to make sure the museum was open to civilians, and open at the time I wanted to enter the base -- holiday weekends could complicate the latter -- as well as that there was no heightened security making civilian access to the base unusually difficult. 

[vdeane]

Head back Sunday; hopefully I'll be able to clinch I-781 (the pavement markings are there, so there's hope!).

My understanding is that it will not be possible to clinch I-781 without entering Fort Drum. Or did they decide to add a u-turn before the gate?

For thanksgiving itself, I'll be with family in Southwestern CT, so still local. Then spending the rest of the weekend driving in circles, which I haven't done enough of this year.

It depends on how strict you are; I tend to fudge such things.  Plus the gate is close enough that you can see it from the ramp to US 11.

[Duke87]

You'd think that (like at the east end of Interstate H-3), but that's not always true.  At least the guards at the two west ends of HI 92, which have no U-turn opportunities before the gates, were nice enough about turning around stray tourists, which seems to happen a lot out there.

More difficult is if there is a turnaround opportunity, but you don't know for sure that the Interstate ends just before the turnaround.  If you blow past the turnaround, and force the sentries to turn you around past the gate, they might be rather unhappy with you.

If there's a turnaround I'd take it. Even if it's technically a few dozen feet before the end, it's a lot more legit than the last exit which is say a half a mile before the end.

As for cases with no U-turn opportunity whatsoever, I will just live with the route being unclinchable and curse the designers for making it such. I suck at acting - there is no way I could pretend to be confused/lost and make it convincing. So in the interest of avoiding being detained and possibly charged with some crime, I think I'll not confront the sentries.

[Alps]

You'd think that (like at the east end of Interstate H-3), but that's not always true.  At least the guards at the two west ends of HI 92, which have no U-turn opportunities before the gates, were nice enough about turning around stray tourists, which seems to happen a lot out there.

More difficult is if there is a turnaround opportunity, but you don't know for sure that the Interstate ends just before the turnaround.  If you blow past the turnaround, and force the sentries to turn you around past the gate, they might be rather unhappy with you.

If there's a turnaround I'd take it. Even if it's technically a few dozen feet before the end, it's a lot more legit than the last exit which is say a half a mile before the end.

As for cases with no U-turn opportunity whatsoever, I will just live with the route being unclinchable and curse the designers for making it such. I suck at acting - there is no way I could pretend to be confused/lost and make it convincing. So in the interest of avoiding being detained and possibly charged with some crime, I think I'll not confront the sentries.

I did that for NJ 68, but they saw me taking photos of end signs - 45 minutes later, I convinced them to let me keep my camera, minus those photos.

[oscar]

If there's a turnaround I'd take it. Even if it's technically a few dozen feet before the end, it's a lot more legit than the last exit which is say a half a mile before the end.

As for cases with no U-turn opportunity whatsoever, I will just live with the route being unclinchable and curse the designers for making it such. I suck at acting - there is no way I could pretend to be confused/lost and make it convincing. So in the interest of avoiding being detained and possibly charged with some crime, I think I'll not confront the sentries.

I did that for NJ 68, but they saw me taking photos of end signs - 45 minutes later, I convinced them to let me keep my camera, minus those photos.

Sounds like you were at the south end, at/within the Fort Dix Army base.  The military hates photography, probably even more than route-clinchers. 

[MVHighways]

I did that for NJ 68, but they saw me taking photos of end signs - 45 minutes later, I convinced them to let me keep my camera, minus those photos.

They can't force you to delete your photos. That is simply plain illegal (I think that can be overrided in a court of law though). This is ESPECIALLY true for those rent-a-cops who patrol every inch of the mall. NH Route 38 runs right through a local mall parking lot owned by Simon Malls -- perhaps the worst mall company against photography, except one in the central US who actually thinks they can take your camera -- and I don't think they are allowed to patrol it because it is a numbered route and thus it is automatically property of the state of New Hampshire, correct me if I am wrong. If that NJ 68 ends at that Army base that the above poster was talking about I can accept it more (they don't want random people coming to military bases), I was able to record at a military base because my mom works in one of the office buildings there (Hanscom AFB in Middlesex County, MA, right by MA-4, MA-62, MA-2A and I-95, also near US 3).

Happy Thanksgiving to all! Hope you enjoy the day!

[oscar]

I did that for NJ 68, but they saw me taking photos of end signs - 45 minutes later, I convinced them to let me keep my camera, minus those photos.

They can't force you to delete your photos. That is simply plain illegal (I think that can be overrided in a court of law though). This is ESPECIALLY true for those rent-a-cops who patrol every inch of the mall. NH Route 38 runs right through a local mall parking lot owned by Simon Malls -- perhaps the worst mall company against photography, except one in the central US who actually thinks they can take your camera -- and I don't think they are allowed to patrol it because it is a numbered route and thus it is automatically property of the state of New Hampshire, correct me if I am wrong. If that NJ 68 ends at that Army base that the above poster was talking about I can accept it more (they don't want random people coming to military bases), I was able to record at a military base because my mom works in one of the office buildings there (Hanscom AFB in Middlesex County, MA, right by MA-4, MA-62, MA-2A and I-95, also near US 3).

Keep in mind that there's a Federal law specifically authorizing restrictions on photography on or of military bases.  So if the M.P.s hassle you about taking pictures there, they're not just pulling their authority out their asses, unlike some of the "rent-a-cops" in civilian places. 

[roadman65]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

[MVHighways]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Same to you and everyone!

As for me, I wish mine was going a little better...my mom forgot to get me a Sunkist at the store and we have to go back to New Hampshire to get that one orange soda! Why -- the PURITANS AND PILGRIMS' BLUE LAWS DATING TO THE 1620s THAT THEY HAVE NOT REPEALED YET! -_- Thanks Pilgrims and the (not-so) Puritans for this, it's your fault! They are essentially dictating that you have to go to NH to get a soda on Thanksgiving in MA! Worse, the convenience store a block away is closed thanks to..you guessed it, Puritans and Pilgrims!

(And don't tell me to drive as I'm not old enough to have a learner's permit yet.)

[corco]

I probably wouldn't have told you to drive- I would have told you that you could certainly live without an orange soda for a day.

[amh424]

In Madison, WI w/family today.  Drove up last night from the north Chicago suburbs via my usual route: I-94 to Kenosha, WI 50 to Lake Geneva, US 12 to Madison (eventually becoming 12/14/18/151).  Happy thanksgiving!

[Scott5114]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Same to you and everyone!

As for me, I wish mine was going a little better...my mom forgot to get me a Sunkist at the store and we have to go back to New Hampshire to get that one orange soda! Why -- the PURITANS AND PILGRIMS' BLUE LAWS DATING TO THE 1620s THAT THEY HAVE NOT REPEALED YET! -_- Thanks Pilgrims and the (not-so) Puritans for this, it's your fault! They are essentially dictating that you have to go to NH to get a soda on Thanksgiving in MA! Worse, the convenience store a block away is closed thanks to..you guessed it, Puritans and Pilgrims!

(And don't tell me to drive as I'm not old enough to have a learner's permit yet.)

1. Is there really a law specifically banning orange soda on the fourth Thursday in November?
2. God forbid the poor guy running the convenience store want one holiday off...

[hbelkins]

Massachusetts has laws requiring stores to be closed on Thanksgiving?

[deathtopumpkins]

Massachusetts has laws requiring stores to be closed on Thanksgiving?

Yup.

Evidence from my local Target: http://i.imgur.com/cdBgs.jpg?1

http://www.mass.gov/lwd/labor-standards/dls/mass-blue-laws/
Stores have to have a special permit to be open on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Veterans' and Labor Days before certain times.

[empirestate]

Does that apply to gas stations? I went to more than one of those in MA on Thanksgiving day.

[deathtopumpkins]

As far as I am aware, no it does not. All my local convenience stores and gas stations were open.

[Desert Man]

My grocery store I worked in was open partially on Thanksgiving, but I had the day off and spent it with my family who live here locally (no threat of huge gas prices in long drives). Btw, my 100th post! I wish everyone in America (they had) a happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the last day of this weekend.