When I was a kid, I noticed that old US 81 in Kansas from Newton to Wichita was 4 lanes divided on some maps. I always wanted to drive it. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered it was just a 4 lane undivided highway. I ended up getting back on I-135 at the next exit.
What roads have been disappointing to you?
The Blue Ridge Parkway. At least for the Top Gear guys.
The various state routes in the Mount Pocono area. I expected that there would be all sorts of nice scenery, and it turned out to be very underwhelming. We got back on the highway that day and went up to Scranton instead.
Quote from: dgolub on February 09, 2014, 10:32:35 AM
The various state routes in the Mount Pocono area. I expected that there would be all sorts of nice scenery, and it turned out to be very underwhelming. We got back on the highway that day and went up to Scranton instead.
Scranton? You went from Mount Pocono to Scranton? That's going from bad to worse.
Quote from: bugo on February 09, 2014, 06:12:58 AMWhen I was a kid, I noticed that old US 81 in Kansas from Newton to Wichita was 4 lanes divided on some maps. I always wanted to drive it. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered it was just a 4 lane undivided highway. I ended up getting back on I-135 at the next exit.
I would say that US 81's standing as a
rural undivided four-lane highway is the real draw factor--in comparison to expressways and divided rural arterials, there are very few of those around. In fact, US 81's design was considered experimental in Kansas at the time it was built to this cross-section in the mid-1930's. It strikes me that this is really a complaint about deceptive map symbolism.
In regard to highway disappointments more generally, US 101 in Oregon is the example that always comes to mind for me. It is heavily promoted for coast scenery and the McCullough bridges. In actuality, the bridges are few and far between (just fourteen, one of which deteriorated to the extent that it had to be replaced and removed, in about 350 miles), and the highway itself generally affords the absolute worst vantage point for seeing the architectural details of each bridge. US 101 is actually within sight of the sea for probably less than 25% of its total length within Oregon. It does have a considerable amount of ribbon development, as well as between ten and fifteen intervals of reduced operating speed with frequent curves posted with advisory speeds well below the limit.
State DOT photologging imagery provides a way to preview a route before you commit to it. (If you are thinking of seeing US 101 in Oregon in its entirety, for example, you must budget at least a whole day for the drive.) The best type of photologging for this purpose is still imagery, which is currently available over the Web only for Washington, Oregon (with a hack), Utah, and Colorado, but this still accounts for a large share of the highways in the US that are promoted as scenic.
Most disappointing interchange: US 7 and CT 15, Norwalk. It opened in 1992, before detailed project information was easy to find. I drove down there to check it out, knowing nothing more than that it was open to traffic. Picturing something like this: http://goo.gl/maps/qBzGT, but instead saw this: http://goo.gl/maps/k13Lp. I think my reaction might have included some profanity.
I enjoyed the US 101 Oregon coast drive immensely...though I did it over two days and took quite a few site trips towards the coast off of 101. The side trips made it worthwhile - Cannon Beach, Pacific City, Bandon to name three. And I also agree w/ your comment about the bridge architecture...it was better to get off 101 and try to get next to or under those bridges to appreciate them.
Quote from: kurumi on February 09, 2014, 04:15:00 PM
Most disappointing interchange: US 7 and CT 15, Norwalk. It opened in 1992, before detailed project information was easy to find. I drove down there to check it out, knowing nothing more than that it was open to traffic. Picturing something like this: http://goo.gl/maps/qBzGT, but instead saw this: http://goo.gl/maps/k13Lp. I think my reaction might have included some profanity.
Were there plans for a more expansive interchange? Google shows what looks like ROW for c/d lanes.
Quote from: vdeane on February 09, 2014, 06:39:01 PM
Quote from: kurumi on February 09, 2014, 04:15:00 PM
Most disappointing interchange: US 7 and CT 15, Norwalk. It opened in 1992, before detailed project information was easy to find. I drove down there to check it out, knowing nothing more than that it was open to traffic. Picturing something like this: http://goo.gl/maps/qBzGT, but instead saw this: http://goo.gl/maps/k13Lp. I think my reaction might have included some profanity.
Were there plans for a more expansive interchange? Google shows what looks like ROW for c/d lanes.
The state did plan to complete the interchange with 4 additional ramps; see diagram here: http://www.kurumi.com/roads/ct/xc-7-15.html. However, work was halted by a lawsuit (my page is out of date) and no construction has been done since.
US 1 thru the Keys in Florida. It's just a long, long, long road. Sure, there's a few interesting things to see, and looking at the bridges spanning over the water is nice, but overall, to reach the ultimate destination (Key West), it's just a long, boring road!
Quote from: dgolub on February 09, 2014, 10:32:35 AM
The various state routes in the Mount Pocono area. I expected that there would be all sorts of nice scenery, and it turned out to be very underwhelming. We got back on the highway that day and went up to Scranton instead.
Damn trees and forests and such! Many times, the best views are further away when you can see over those trees and at night, when the ski trails are lit.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on February 10, 2014, 08:45:30 AM
US 1 thru the Keys in Florida. It's just a long, long, long road. Sure, there's a few interesting things to see, and looking at the bridges spanning over the water is nice, but overall, to reach the ultimate destination (Key West), it's just a long, boring road!
I strongly disagree.
agreed on US-1 to Key West. you drive it once, just so you never have to drive it again. too many RVs and other idiots clogging up the road.
add to the list: the Legacy Parkway in Salt Lake City. I thought I had discovered some ancient and obscure city-built freeway, but it was all shiny and new and covered in Clearview.
this in stark contrast to the West Seattle Bridge/Spokane St. Viaduct in Seattle - most of the signs there are original to the construction of the road in 1984.
Quote from: jeffandnicole on February 10, 2014, 08:45:30 AM
Quote from: dgolub on February 09, 2014, 10:32:35 AM
The various state routes in the Mount Pocono area. I expected that there would be all sorts of nice scenery, and it turned out to be very underwhelming. We got back on the highway that day and went up to Scranton instead.
Damn trees and forests and such! Many times, the best views are further away when you can see over those trees and at night, when the ski trails are lit.
The Poconos are very disappointing indeed; I've never understood the appeal compared to so many other parts of PA. Add to that the worst of traffic and driving habits of the adjoining NYC metro, and it's an area best avoided, in my book.
Living in the Appalachians, I'm used to mountain scenery and have been unimpressed with the Poconos, although I have really only been through there on the interstates. I suspect they get their mystique from being mountains near to the NYC metro area yet they're a state removed.
Quote from: hbelkins on February 10, 2014, 02:25:21 PM
Living in the Appalachians, I'm used to mountain scenery and have been unimpressed with the Poconos, although I have really only been through there on the interstates. I suspect they get their mystique from being mountains near to the NYC metro area yet they're a state removed.
I guess so too, but there aren't even mountains there to speak of. And the Catskills are also close enough to NYC, not to mention landforms even more nearby, that I'm surprised by the Poconos' draw even to city folk. Oh well; give the real Appalachian scenery any day of the week!
Quote from: bugo on February 10, 2014, 08:58:06 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on February 10, 2014, 08:45:30 AM
US 1 thru the Keys in Florida. It's just a long, long, long road. Sure, there's a few interesting things to see, and looking at the bridges spanning over the water is nice, but overall, to reach the ultimate destination (Key West), it's just a long, boring road!
I strongly disagree.
While I wouldn't go so far as to say that it's just a long, long road, I will agree that US 1 through the Florida Keys is a disappointment. It's long, narrow, and not much more scenic than any other oceanfront boulevard or causeway. And it
stinks–literally, the odor–unbelievably.
In my opinion, Key West as a whole was a huge letdown. I had images of a pristine tropical paradise, and what I found was a fairly run-of-the mill junky beach town–with the addition of roosters and the Hemingway House. I lived a brief while in Wilmington, NC, and Key West about the same level of tacky tourists, run-down motels, cheap liquor stores, and uncouth nightlife.
Quote from: empirestate on February 10, 2014, 02:58:15 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on February 10, 2014, 02:25:21 PM
Living in the Appalachians, I'm used to mountain scenery and have been unimpressed with the Poconos, although I have really only been through there on the interstates. I suspect they get their mystique from being mountains near to the NYC metro area yet they're a state removed.
I guess so too, but there aren't even mountains there to speak of. And the Catskills are also close enough to NYC, not to mention landforms even more nearby, that I'm surprised by the Poconos' draw even to city folk. Oh well; give the real Appalachian scenery any day of the week!
Well, the Poconos are a short drive from New York or Philly. I don't know if they had a similar pre-cheap-air-travel heyday to that of the Catskills, but I would not be surprised if so.
By the 1970s, there were a lot of commercials like this trying to draw people there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dOsgyw7yBw&sns=em
but I have not seen one of those in the New York area in many years. It's just too cheap to fly to the Bahamas for a long weekend.
Louisiana 34. Maybe I had just hyped it up in my mind, but I was expecting a lot more. As it is, the towns arent very interesting and the vegetation is so dense you cant see anything.
SR 641 in Terre Haute. It's taken 10 years to build 3 miles of road. Construction was supposed to start on the last 2 phases of the route in 2012. The only thing that has been completed is tree removal. No road construction has started yet. I-69 might be finished in all of Indiana before SR 641. That's disappointing.
I-10 in Florida: Built to avoid nearly anything near anybody, and it shows...other than overpasses and the occassional 50-foot-high sign, you might think it's devoid of human civilization between Jacksonville and Pensacola, with the exception of scraping Tallahassee's northern border for a few miles.
Quote from: formulanone on February 10, 2014, 05:53:33 PM
I-10 in Florida: Built to avoid nearly anything near anybody, and it shows...other than overpasses and the occassional 50-foot-high sign, you might think it's devoid of human civilization between Jacksonville and Pensacola, with the exception of scraping Tallahassee's northern border for a few miles.
five times in my life I've come close to falling asleep at the wheel. twice have been on I-10 in Florida. once was I-75 in the same general vicinity.
The Greensboro Urban Loop.
When you look to the sides and think "Oh, look a farmhouse!" that says a lot. It's a rare peek a habitation from a mere distance that's almost surprising in those parts; most of the rest of the state doesn't really do that, unless it really is uninhabited. The overgrown vegetation and repetitive trees don't give many clues from one part of the panhandle from another, which is kind of disconcerting.
Coming from the southern part of the state, I was expecting the rolling hills to be more interesting, but it wasn't quite the Panhandlebahn I was hoping for.
Quote from: US 41 on February 10, 2014, 05:09:27 PM
SR 641 in Terre Haute. It's taken 10 years to build 3 miles of road. Construction was supposed to start on the last 2 phases of the route in 2012. The only thing that has been completed is tree removal. No road construction has started yet. I-69 might be finished in all of Indiana before SR 641. That's disappointing.
Speaking of boring and 69, we drove it a few weeks after the bulk of it opened. My god, I was never so excited to see a power plant. I think I've just been trained to expect a certain low minimum of visual clutter on a midwest Interstate. I still have a hard time with the idea that I feel emptiness where there's no Shoney's or Shell. I'd better be careful what I wish for.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 10, 2014, 09:14:44 AM
agreed on US-1 to Key West. you drive it once, just so you never have to drive it again. too many RVs and other idiots clogging up the road.
You have to choose the right time to go. I drove my new Corvette as far south as the Seven Mile Bridge two weeks after Easter just passed "the season." It was a stunningly beautiful day and very little traffic. Spent a long time enjoying the view and examining the now 100+ year old original Seven Mile Bridge which still stands.
I live in the piney hills of north Louisiana. I want to see, with my own eyes, some of these areas that some of y'all call flat, wide open & boring. If you see 1 pine tree, you've seen them all! :-/ But then again, I've lived here all of my life, and something different is exciting. I get a kick out of driving in the flat delta lands between the Ouachita and Mississippi Rivers just because it is flat and a bit more open.
Ever drive down LA 15 between Ferriday/Vidalia and its southern terminus southeast of Simmesport (JCT W/LA 1)? Most of it runs on top of the Mississippi River levee. You only see farmland all around you on one side, and the trees in the river basin on the other side. I like it because it is desolate and something different.
I can't wait to come up with the money & time to drive out west to drive the Lonliest Highway in America, or Big Sky Country. I want to see wide open space! :cool:
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 10, 2014, 04:12:48 PM
Well, the Poconos are a short drive from New York or Philly. I don't know if they had a similar pre-cheap-air-travel heyday to that of the Catskills, but I would not be surprised if so.
By the 1970s, there were a lot of commercials like this trying to draw people there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dOsgyw7yBw&sns=em
but I have not seen one of those in the New York area in many years. It's just too cheap to fly to the Bahamas for a long weekend.
By now, I'd bet that at least as many people are going to the Poconos for permanent residence as for vacationing. While some certainly do commute all the way to NYC, probably a lot of others only go as far as parts of North Jersey–you certainly see a lot of Jersey plates in the Poconos, and the traffic on I-80 doesn't get un-Jersey-like until you pass I-380 (and some of that traffic continues up the latter).
But yes, ultimately I think it comes down to limited memory. The Poconos are known to New Yorkers as a recreational destination because of a couple of early resorts, and New Yorkers, for all their professed sophistication, are not known for having a wide-ranging awareness of the world outside their neighborhood.
The Taconic State Parkway is kind of disappointing. Its a rural type of roadway in parts nestled in suburbia. Yet, there are no signs to aid motorists of motorist services at interchanges where some are close by. Plus no mileage signs to let you know where you are along the route. At least have some Albany and NYC mileage signs along with major crossroads like NY 23, US 44, NY 55, I-84 etc. as intermediate points.
Since gas stations were closed at the former service plazas, having interchanges marked with a gas pump sign even if the stations are a couple of miles away would help. Most of the TSP is near action, as the right of way with trees only goes a few feet to the sides as life does exist a short distance away, but you would never know that as the parkway does live up to its name like many NY parkways do even in suburban Nassau County on its parkways.
Quote from: cjk374 on February 11, 2014, 12:40:39 AM
I live in the piney hills of north Louisiana. I want to see, with my own eyes, some of these areas that some of y'all call flat, wide open & boring. If you see 1 pine tree, you've seen them all! :-/ But then again, I've lived here all of my life, and something different is exciting. I get a kick out of driving in the flat delta lands between the Ouachita and Mississippi Rivers just because it is flat and a bit more open.
Ever drive down LA 15 between Ferriday/Vidalia and its southern terminus southeast of Simmesport (JCT W/LA 1)? Most of it runs on top of the Mississippi River levee. You only see farmland all around you on one side, and the trees in the river basin on the other side. I like it because it is desolate and something different.
I can't wait to come up with the money & time to drive out west to drive the Lonliest Highway in America, or Big Sky Country. I want to see wide open space! :cool:
As I mentioned elsewhere, I have relatives from Canada that live in a heavily wooded area too. The LOVED driving Interstate 80 across Nebraska because it is so different from what they are familiar with. I thought the (endless) flat prairie got old pretty quick, but they were enthralled.
I found the Pasadena Freeway to be a bit disappointing. I'll grant that the history behind it is neat, but I didn't really much of a kick out driving it.
I'm probably going to rock the boat here, but: the Adirondack Northway. While more scenic than most NY interstates, it doesn't really live up to its reputation, partly because it traverses the outer area of the park. If you want to maximize scenery, take US 9, or better yet, follow the two lane highways into the interior areas. My perception of Essex county changed completely when I saw it off of the Northway.
I agree on the Taconic. I'll probably take US 9 or NY 22 the next time I'm traveling on the east side of the Hudson. The trees just go on forever.
I liked the Taconic, it wasn't disappointing to me at all (although I wished it was autumn at least 27 times). Some of those barrier-divided lanes are really narrow, though.
Quote from: cjk374 on February 11, 2014, 12:40:39 AM
I live in the piney hills of north Louisiana. I want to see, with my own eyes, some of these areas that some of y'all call flat, wide open & boring.
You'd love my commute to work then. Once I leave the built up area of Joliet at Caton Farm and Ridge Roads, and head down the moraine, I'm on a very flat outwash plain. Not too many trees or even hills (other than those near houses), and you can see for miles down the road.
Looking east along Caton Farm Road toward the moraine (and Ridge Road). I'm about 4 miles from the morainal ridge in the distance in the photograph.
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi837.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fzz298%2Fmidamcrossrds%2F100_2148.jpg&hash=e656cf266014aa64a480c023400dab06d33a05bd) (http://s837.photobucket.com/user/midamcrossrds/media/100_2148.jpg.html)
Believe it or not, that sign off to the side signifies that the property is annexed to the City of Joliet. They have a substantial amount of farm land west of Ridge Road in the city.
Quote from: vdeane on February 11, 2014, 04:01:55 PM
I'm probably going to rock the boat here, but: the Adirondack Northway. While more scenic than most NY interstates, it doesn't really live up to its reputation, partly because it traverses the outer area of the park. If you want to maximize scenery, take US 9, or better yet, follow the two lane highways into the interior areas. My perception of Essex county changed completely when I saw it off of the Northway.
I agree on the Taconic. I'll probably take US 9 or NY 22 the next time I'm traveling on the east side of the Hudson. The trees just go on forever.
I wonder how the northway got its 'most scenic highway in the US, 1986' or whatever designation it was. it's not bad, but honestly ... had any of those people ever been to Alaska?
I kept hearing about Devils Backbone near San Marcos Texas. It sure wasn't interesting at all.
Quote from: roadman65 on February 11, 2014, 02:32:17 AM
The Taconic State Parkway is kind of disappointing.
Yes, I felt the same way on my first trip as well. It's pretty and all, but you could do better with NY 22 or some county roads. I always seem to suffer highway hypnosis on the Taconic.
That said, however, lately I've been using it as an alternate route to New England, rather than going through Connecticut. Although it adds an hour to the trip, I've found it can be a welcome relief from CT traffic.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on February 10, 2014, 05:58:41 PM
Quote from: formulanone on February 10, 2014, 05:53:33 PM
I-10 in Florida: Built to avoid nearly anything near anybody, and it shows...other than overpasses and the occassional 50-foot-high sign, you might think it's devoid of human civilization between Jacksonville and Pensacola, with the exception of scraping Tallahassee's northern border for a few miles.
five times in my life I've come close to falling asleep at the wheel. twice have been on I-10 in Florida. once was I-75 in the same general vicinity.
The only time I've ever passed out behind the wheel, and only for a split second, was on I-16 near Savannah. Go figure.
What I really hate is when an atlas has the scenic dots on it so you go out of your way to go that way and it's boring. Such as old 66 near Kingman. I really don't think a road should get dots just because it's old route 66.
I found I-10 in TX between the Sabine River and Baytown to be kind of a letdown (with the exception of downtown Beaumont/Neches River crossing and the TX welcome center). From Beaumont eastward the freeway is just a dull semi-urban strip and west of Beaumont to the outskirts of Houston is monotonous rice farming country.
Quote from: texaskdog on February 12, 2014, 08:16:52 AM
What I really hate is when an atlas has the scenic dots on it so you go out of your way to go that way and it's boring. Such as old 66 near Kingman. I really don't think a road should get dots just because it's old route 66.
When I went to Glorietta, NM in 2012(for a church camp), I got excited that I was going to get to run on the Mother Road. I thought I would have to talk to the other driver about possibly taking a detour just to see some of the old alignment. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that I-40 WAS old US 66. :-( Apparently I didn't study the atlas hard enough. :banghead:
But I did get to see the most wide-open scenery I had ever seen: a 19-mile straight stretch of I-40 somewhere in New Mexico before we got to the exit (US 2xx-something that takes you to I-25, I can't remember the number) that had a souvenir store....something Corners (?).
But I also thought that the exits that were built just for some of the old businesses that were originally on the old US 66 corridor... I think everyone of them were closed and run down...was a very thoughtful gesture of the NMDOT when they built I-40 over US 66. It added a touch of class to the interstate IMO. :clap:
Quote from: cjk374 on February 12, 2014, 09:41:41 PM
Quote from: texaskdog on February 12, 2014, 08:16:52 AM
What I really hate is when an atlas has the scenic dots on it so you go out of your way to go that way and it's boring. Such as old 66 near Kingman. I really don't think a road should get dots just because it's old route 66.
When I went to Glorietta, NM in 2012(for a church camp), I got excited that I was going to get to run on the Mother Road. I thought I would have to talk to the other driver about possibly taking a detour just to see some of the old alignment. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered that I-40 WAS old US 66. :-( Apparently I didn't study the atlas hard enough. :banghead:
But I did get to see the most wide-open scenery I had ever seen: a 19-mile straight stretch of I-40 somewhere in New Mexico before we got to the exit (US 2xx-something that takes you to I-25, I can't remember the number) that had a souvenir store....something Corners (?).
But I also thought that the exits that were built just for some of the old businesses that were originally on the old US 66 corridor... I think everyone of them were closed and run down...was a very thoughtful gesture of the NMDOT when they built I-40 over US 66. It added a touch of class to the interstate IMO. :clap:
You do realize:
a) Most of US 66 is still intact as frontage roads around I-40
b) US 66 is also intact around
I-25 at Glorieta - that's the ORIGINAL alignment before Santa Fe was bypassed
I actually didn't know ab out (b) above until I saw a historic route 66 sign in downtown Santa Fe. I really forgot to investigate that further when I came home from that trip.
I was assuming that (a) was true as I was driving down I-40, but I wasn't certain.
I-40 in Arkansas - from exit 81 to exit 88 - twice a day :meh:
The 279/579 complex in Pittsburgh, the plans in the mid 1970's were far more elaborate than what was built, especailly at the interchanges.
Quote from: Takumi on February 10, 2014, 06:03:17 PM
The Greensboro Urban Loop.
I strongly disagree, sorry.
Quote from: Alps on February 15, 2014, 01:40:53 AM
Quote from: Strider on February 15, 2014, 01:08:52 AM
Quote from: Takumi on February 10, 2014, 06:03:17 PM
The Greensboro Urban Loop.
I strongly disagree, sorry.
Reasons. We argue with reasons.
we are allowed to disagree unless we are told not to. Back to subject.
Right, but "I disagree" doesn't actually add anything to the conversation- tell us why you strongly disagree. I'm sure you have a good reason!
Quote from: Strider on February 15, 2014, 01:08:52 AM
Quote from: Takumi on February 10, 2014, 06:03:17 PM
The Greensboro Urban Loop.
I strongly disagree, sorry.
Quote from: bugo on February 10, 2014, 08:58:06 AM
Quote from: jeffandnicole on February 10, 2014, 08:45:30 AM
US 1 thru the Keys in Florida. It's just a long, long, long road. Sure, there's a few interesting things to see, and looking at the bridges spanning over the water is nice, but overall, to reach the ultimate destination (Key West), it's just a long, boring road!
I strongly disagree.
Same here too - disagreeing without any reason why the person is disagreeing. But, I decided to let it pass.
Quote from: corco on February 15, 2014, 02:25:23 AM
Right, but "I disagree" doesn't actually add anything to the conversation- tell us why you strongly disagree. I'm sure you have a good reason!
I disagree.
Quote from: NE2 on February 15, 2014, 09:02:06 AM
Quote from: corco on February 15, 2014, 02:25:23 AM
Right, but "I disagree" doesn't actually add anything to the conversation- tell us why you strongly disagree. I'm sure you have a good reason!
I disagree.
Yawn.
The Greensboro Urban Loop disappointed me because the pavement in some areas was already in need of attention, and it just had a dull feeling to it overall. Maybe the northern half will be different when it opens.
Quote from: formulanone on February 10, 2014, 05:53:33 PM
I-10 in Florida: Built to avoid nearly anything near anybody, and it shows...other than overpasses and the occassional 50-foot-high sign, you might think it's devoid of human civilization between Jacksonville and Pensacola, with the exception of scraping Tallahassee's northern border for a few miles.
Definitiely agree with this. Back when my family still went to the US on a regular basis, most vacations involved a trip from St. Augustine to visit friends near Montgomery, and of all the roads I have ever driven on, be it as a passenger or as the driver myself, nothing beats I-10 as far as blandness. Heck, the most exciting thing on I-10 would be if you were to catch a train passing underneath it at some point during the trip.
US-15 between US-340 and Warrenton, VA. This is mostly because I thought it would either be fast and/or scenic, but it was mostly a dull sub/exurban two-laner with a large amount of traffic lights.