What are your favorite non-major US routes? US 66, 90, 1, and 99 don't count... just the smaller routes that go through smaller towns.
My three favorite have to be US 84 in Louisiana, US 65 in Louisiana, and US 82 in Arkansas. Scenic courthouses along the way, and mostly two lanes.
US 44 is a very scenic drive through northern CT and the upper edge of "downstate" NY.
US 62. Particular notes: KY where it winds among the farms, OK where it has old concrete alignments all over. 62 is just such an oddball and changes so dramatically from south to north.
In hindsight, I've probably enjoyed US 119, but I took it in so many pieces that it's hard to evaluate whether it's a "favorite."
Quote from: mcdonaat on December 24, 2012, 05:10:51 PM
What are your favorite non-major US routes? US 66, 90, 1, and 99 don't count... just the smaller routes that go through smaller towns.
My three favorite have to be US 84 in Louisiana, US 65 in Louisiana, and US 82 in Arkansas. Scenic courthouses along the way, and mostly two lanes.
Concentrated in the East:
U.S. 13 between Virginia Beach and Salisbury, Md.
U.S. 15 between Haymarket, Va. and Gettysburg, Penna.
U.S. 17 between Fredericksburg, Va. and Newport News.
U.S. 29 between Greensboro, N.C. and Gainesville, Va.
U.S. 48 all of it ;-)
U.S. 522 between Powhatan, Va. and Lewistown, Penna.
US 35 between Dayton, OH and I-64 in WV.
US 127 from Hamilton, OH to Lansing, MI.
US 460 from Princeton, WV to Chesapeake, VA.
Even though in that area, it is kind of a major route, I like US 17 between New Bern and Washington, and Washington and Williamston. Very quiet and scenic. I would say US 70 from Beaufort to its eastern terminus as well, but that would probably be considered a "major route".
-US 4 between Rutland and White River Junction, VT
-all of US 302
-US 20 between Westfield and Pittsfield, MA
US 281 through the Texas Hill Country. Sometimes I take that route coming back from San Antonio and after I leave it, I always stop for BBQ in Stephenville.
Quote from: Road Hog on December 24, 2012, 09:45:00 PM
US 281 through the Texas Hill Country. Sometimes I take that route coming back from San Antonio and after I leave it, I always stop for BBQ in Stephenville.
Seconded!
I'd say:
US 20A east of Buffalo. The highway goes through several large and pretty spectacular valleys.
US 6 in Northern PA. That road winds like a top -- though it doesn't have the same scenic appeal as US-20A to the north.
Outside Oklahoma, the largest amount of travel I've done on one US route is US 82 in Texas. I really like it, although it mostly meanders through small towns and ranch country.
US 69 in Kansas may be a bit too "major" to include, being that it's a freeway, but it's a great driving experience. It runs parallel to I-49, meaning it has little traffic, and a lot of the guide sign destinations for exits are in Missouri.
US 301 between Petersburg and Rocky Mount, especially south of VA 35
US 360
US 211
US 17 between VA 33 and US 360
US 163 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_163). Monument Valley is utterly gorgeous.
Several of these that have been posted, I'd consider major.
Especially US 13 up the Delmarva Peninsula, US 460 across Virginia and US 35 from Dayton to West Virginia.
US-36 across Kansas is really a nice drive that no longer is really a through route.
How about US-189 as an underrated but awesome drive? At this point it's kind of a cobbled together pile of corridors, but the drive on a whole is pretty nice.
US 278 is my favorite, between Beech Island and South Carolina Route 68.
US 211 Skyline Drive to I-81
US 98 in Polk County, FL.
US 6 from Milford, PA to Carbondale, PA
US 400 from Mullenville, KS to Dodge City, KS
US 283 from Dodge City, KS to Minneola, KS.
US 550 in Colorado.
Montrose
Ouray
Silverton
Durango
The most beautiful scenery in the Southwest.
US 206 in NJ pretty much captures the best in the state: the Pine Barrens in the south, then up through the farms of Burlington County, the few nice bits of downtown Trenton, the stately manors and academic-tinged downtowns of Lawrenceville and Princeton, horse country up through Somerset and Morris Counties, and then up into the Skylands in Sussex.
US 199 showcases the redwoods, a rocky canyon carved out by the Smith River and the Collier Tunnel in the California section. Be sure to stop at She-She's cafe in Gasquet for an old fashioned burger, fries and shakes as they were made in the Fifties. The French Burger is my favorite. On the Oregon side of 199 the scenery is less interesting but some of the people are out of a 1960's time warp as there is a largish concentration of hippies, artists and marijuana growers.
US 189 from Provo to Heber highlights the Provo River Canyon and the Deer Creek Dam. Should the Heber Creeper still be in operation, then check that out too A road leads to Robert Redford's Sundance resort but he's a real NIMBY who opposed the 4-laning of 189 so no need to stop there...LOL! The converting of 189 from a narrow crooked 2 lane road to a gorgeous freeway/expressway is one of the great road engineering feats you will see. That canyon was quite narrow. You drive through it and you'll think you're in the Swiss Alps. Summertime temps are in the 70's when they are in the 90's in Provo/Orem, so you get some fine natural air conditioning when taking this drive.
Rick
Quote from: Mark68 on December 25, 2012, 05:50:38 AM
US 550 in Colorado.
Montrose
Ouray
Silverton
Durango
The most beautiful scenery in the Southwest.
I agree. US 285 between Alamosa CO and Santa Fe NM is also gorgeous in a different way. Especially in New Mexico, the scenery reminds you of the desert landscapes in the old Road Runner cartoons.
My favorite would be US 395 along the east side of the Sierra Nevadas, between Carson City NV and Bishop CA. But the route comes close to being "major", extending from north of San Bernadino CA to the Canadian border.
Maybe I'm biased by the excellent skiing at the top, but US 160 over Wolf Creek Pass is one of my favorite rides anywhere.
Quote from: US81 on December 24, 2012, 09:58:11 PM
Quote from: Road Hog on December 24, 2012, 09:45:00 PM
US 281 through the Texas Hill Country. Sometimes I take that route coming back from San Antonio and after I leave it, I always stop for BBQ in Stephenville.
Seconded!
Thirded. I much prefer 281 if I need to go to San Antonio than 35.
Quote from: oscar on December 25, 2012, 11:36:37 AM
Quote from: Mark68 on December 25, 2012, 05:50:38 AM
US 550 in Colorado.
Montrose
Ouray
Silverton
Durango
The most beautiful scenery in the Southwest.
I agree. US 285 between Alamosa CO and Santa Fe NM is also gorgeous in a different way. Especially in New Mexico, the scenery reminds you of the desert landscapes in the old Road Runner cartoons.
My favorite would be US 395 along the east side of the Sierra Nevadas, between Carson City NV and Bishop CA. But the route comes close to being "major", extending from north of San Bernadino CA to the Canadian border.
Yeah, I didn't mention 395 for exactly the reasons you mentioned. I love the drive from I-15 north to Reno, especially the section north of the SR 14 split.
US 23 from Rogers City MI to the Mackinac Bridge.
Since US Route 1 in southern Maine isn't counted in this thread, I'll settle for US Route 20, from Pittsfield, MA west to it's junction with "free" I-90 in Schodack, NY (a few miles southeast of Albany).
Quote from: Steve on December 24, 2012, 06:37:41 PM
US 44 is a very scenic drive through northern CT and the upper edge of "downstate" NY.
US 62. Particular notes: KY where it winds among the farms, OK where it has old concrete alignments all over. 62 is just such an oddball and changes so dramatically from south to north.
In hindsight, I've probably enjoyed US 119, but I took it in so many pieces that it's hard to evaluate whether it'Ss a "favorite."
Steve, odd ball route for US 62, that has to be the best description of it. I have traveled most of it, from Ohio to its end at the Mexican border, and odd ball it is. I haven't been on any of it N or E out of Ohio. I'll probably hit some of it up that way next summer. Most of it is a good motorcycle road with plenty of curves.
I seem not to be able to get away from US 62 as you can see. When living in Ohio as a kid we weren't very many miles from it. We moved to Oklahoma, a thousand miles away, and I lived many years almost on it. I like going to Carlsbad Caverns so there is 62 again and down through the Guadalupes. Then my first trip to Mexico with my church to build houses, yep, you guessed it, we hit US 62 before crossing the border.
As far as my favorite that is a tough one.
I like a lot of US 62 as stated.
US 64 through New Mexico and to its end in Arizona is very iteresting.
Just about all of US 89, if not considered major.
Utah 12 and 24.
US 212 especially in Montana and the Beartooth Pass.
US 33 in W.VA.
I can't forget Texas Ranch Road 170 along the Rio Grande in the Big Bend Region and the fun of getting there by way of Ft. Davis and the "loop" through the Davis Mountains.
When I used to make regular trips down to Lawrence, Kansas from here in Omaha (back when an old high school buddy was going to grad school at KU), I always prefered the US 73-159-59 combo as opposed to US 75 to Topeka. No traffic at all. There is quite a few turns which could throw you off if you aren't alert, but I always enjoyed that particular drive. Frankly, I think they should have made that one US route instead of three.
FWIW, worst route of all is US 136 in Illinois. Absolutely flat as can be, and I witnessed a fatal traffic accident while driving on it.
Quote from: Mark68 on December 25, 2012, 05:50:38 AM
US 550 in Colorado.
Montrose
Ouray
Silverton
Durango
The most beautiful scenery in the Southwest.
Agree!
Although US 191-> US 163 from Moab, UT to Kayenta, AZ and US 89 from Richfield, UT to (at least) Page, AZ rank right up there as well.
Many western roadways could easily be top contenders.
Much of US 101 from San Francisco northward to the Olympic Mountains of WA is gorgeous as it hugs the Pacific coast and alternately passes through Redwood/Douglas Fir forests and into more open areas with breathtaking vistas of the coastline.
On the other hand, we have US 30 through IL and into Indiana which features incredibly forgettable flat-as-a-table scenery. And then there's US 20 as it passes through NW Indiana; an area that actually experienced the Mayan apocalypse....in about 1972. So bad, so ugly, yet I cannot look away...... :wow:
Quote from: Mark68 on December 25, 2012, 05:50:38 AM
US 550 in Colorado.
Montrose
Ouray
Silverton
Durango
The most beautiful scenery in the Southwest.
Count me as another "agree".
I also enjoy US-385 from Marathon to Big Bend N.P., for its very desolate beauty.
US-45 from Vienna to Metropolis (IL) has pleasant scenery without any towns along the way; New Burnside to Norris City is also pretty, especially approaching the milo harvest.
US-160 from US-65 to Forsyth, MO has drop-dead gorgeous Ozark scenery.
US-191 near Arches and Canyonlands N.P.s might not count as "minor", but I'll suggest it.
US-630.
(really, all of my favorite US routes are major... those scenic ones in the Four Corners area really are the best, if not the only, way to get from various Point A to various Point B.)
Quote from: agentsteel53 on December 26, 2012, 12:32:09 PM
US-630.
Doesn't exist. (The x30s there are, 130 and 730, aren't anything to write home about.) Maybe you had US 163 in mind? That one is pretty gorgeous.
Quote from: oscar on December 26, 2012, 01:16:02 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on December 26, 2012, 12:32:09 PM
US-630.
Doesn't exist. (The x30s there are, 130 and 730, aren't anything to write home about.) Maybe you had US 163 in mind? That one is pretty gorgeous.
astonishing that there were the most x30s out of any set of branches, and now only two exist. in contrast, all the x01s are still around - 201 to 701.
Is US-12 in Washington minor enough? It's a great route, salt water to mountains via lots of quaint towns.
US 266
Quote from: bugo on December 26, 2012, 11:36:25 PM
US 266
I thought about 266 in making my selection, but it is nothing really to write home about other than being a short orphaned US route in one state. It's generic eastern OK territory, and not even the mountains at that, just random trees and houses. It does bypass a still-extant truss bridge not too far in from the western terminus, which is kind of neat.
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 27, 2012, 12:58:58 AM
Quote from: bugo on December 26, 2012, 11:36:25 PM
US 266
I thought about 266 in making my selection, but it is nothing really to write home about other than being a short orphaned US route in one state. It's generic eastern OK territory, and not even the mountains at that, just random trees and houses. It does bypass a still-extant truss bridge not too far in from the western terminus, which is kind of neat.
Yeah I actually thought about 266 as well, and had the same truss bridge in mind when you said "nothing to write home about."
Quote from: Steve on December 27, 2012, 09:43:53 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 27, 2012, 12:58:58 AM
Quote from: bugo on December 26, 2012, 11:36:25 PM
US 266
I thought about 266 in making my selection, but it is nothing really to write home about other than being a short orphaned US route in one state. It's generic eastern OK territory, and not even the mountains at that, just random trees and houses. It does bypass a still-extant truss bridge not too far in from the western terminus, which is kind of neat.
Yeah I actually thought about 266 as well, and had the same truss bridge in mind when you said "nothing to write home about."
That's because it's the only noteworthy feature of US-266 :P
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 27, 2012, 09:58:01 PM
Quote from: Steve on December 27, 2012, 09:43:53 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on December 27, 2012, 12:58:58 AM
Quote from: bugo on December 26, 2012, 11:36:25 PM
US 266
I thought about 266 in making my selection, but it is nothing really to write home about other than being a short orphaned US route in one state. It's generic eastern OK territory, and not even the mountains at that, just random trees and houses. It does bypass a still-extant truss bridge not too far in from the western terminus, which is kind of neat.
Yeah I actually thought about 266 as well, and had the same truss bridge in mind when you said "nothing to write home about."
That's because it's the only noteworthy feature of US-266 :P
www.alpsroads.net/roads/ok/us_266
US-30 between Astoria and Portland is a very scenic drive. Likewise with US-20 between Newport and Corvallis.
US 259 in southeastern Oklahoma
US 62 in NW Arkansas...Rogers to Harrison. Love the Eureka Springs area
I have two:
* US 25 between Augusta, GA and Asheville, NC. I've seen everything from large peach farms to scenic mountain views.
* US 49 from Gulfport to Clarksdale, MS
What constitutes as a non-major US route? People are listing relatively major routes, yet US-66 & 99 are now gone.
Since most 2 digit US routes are substantial, I guess I'll list of 3diUS (excluding US-395 and US-101).
US-199: Crescent City, CA <-> Grants Pass, OR - It's a necessary connector if you're travelling up to the urban Pacific Northwest and want to see the redwoods if you live in the Bay Area (or vice versa). It's a relatively nice highway and boasts part of the redwoods and comes close to the Oregon caverns.
US-197: It's a handy alternate route in Eastern Oregon.
Quote from: KEK Inc. on December 29, 2012, 08:40:36 PM
What constitutes as a non-major US route?
Since most 2 digit US routes are substantial
I'll at least assume you exclude "A" and "B" bannered routes, which are typically Alternate and Business. That's a whole separate discussion - for example, RI US 1A is a really cool road, as are most if not all of the Maine US 1As.
US 5: Thanks to I-91, it's hardly used by anyone except locals in any state.
US 6N: Or are you not counting branches?
US 8: No more major than any other backcountry road up that way.
US 13: South of Norfolk only.
US 44: All the traffic's on US 6.
US 62
I didn't take this too far outside my expertise of the Northeast, but this should be enough to disprove your theorem.
Quote from: Steve on December 30, 2012, 12:56:09 AM
US 5: Thanks to I-91, it's hardly used by anyone except locals in any state.
So would US 30 in the Columbia River Gorge count?
What's left of US 99 and US 66?
:sombrero: The OP should probably define what he means by major instead of listing arbitrary exceptions.
OK, I'll play.
Kentucky
US 31E south of Bardstown and US 31W south of Elizabethtown.
US 460 between Frankfort and Salyersville.
US 60 between Lexington and Ashland.
West Virginia:
US 220
Virginia:
US 220 north of Roanoke
US 421
Quote from: kphoger on December 26, 2012, 12:00:45 PM
Quote from: Mark68 on December 25, 2012, 05:50:38 AM
US 550 in Colorado.
Montrose
Ouray
Silverton
Durango
The most beautiful scenery in the Southwest.
Count me as another "agree".
I also enjoy US-385 from Marathon to Big Bend N.P., for its very desolate beauty.
US-45 from Vienna to Metropolis (IL) has pleasant scenery without any towns along the way; New Burnside to Norris City is also pretty, especially approaching the milo harvest.
US-160 from US-65 to Forsyth, MO has drop-dead gorgeous Ozark scenery.
US-191 near Arches and Canyonlands N.P.s might not count as "minor", but I'll suggest it.
I agree with the US 160 one...I was born and raised in that area and in my opinion it is the most scenic in the area, but I would extend it out to Gainesville, MO
Quote from: KEK Inc. on December 30, 2012, 01:19:38 AM
Quote from: Steve on December 30, 2012, 12:56:09 AM
US 5: Thanks to I-91, it's hardly used by anyone except locals in any state.
So would US 30 in the Columbia River Gorge count?
What's left of US 99 and US 66?
:sombrero: The OP should probably define what he means by major instead of listing arbitrary exceptions.
I'd say at this point, US 66 would qualify, although obviously it was major pre-Interstate. CA 99 is still major, and I'm not familiar with OR and WA remnants. Considering we're traveling the routes now and not 60 years ago, I'd go with how much traffic they get in the modern age.
Quote from: Steve on December 30, 2012, 08:56:30 PM
Quote from: KEK Inc. on December 30, 2012, 01:19:38 AM
Quote from: Steve on December 30, 2012, 12:56:09 AM
US 5: Thanks to I-91, it's hardly used by anyone except locals in any state.
So would US 30 in the Columbia River Gorge count?
What's left of US 99 and US 66?
:sombrero: The OP should probably define what he means by major instead of listing arbitrary exceptions.
I'd say at this point, US 66 would qualify, although obviously it was major pre-Interstate. CA 99 is still major, and I'm not familiar with OR and WA remnants. Considering we're traveling the routes now and not 60 years ago, I'd go with how much traffic they get in the modern age.
Like California, Washington and Oregon have signed state routes for former US-99.
In Oregon, there's a stretch of OR-99 in Southern Oregon near Grants Pass. The Willamette Valley has OR-99W and OR-99E. Washington has reminants of the Pacific Highway all throughout the state. (In Clark County, there's a road named 'Hwy 99'). Up in Federal Way - Everett, there's WA-99. 99's existence is still relatively prevalent there.
Fixed quoting
Quote from: KEK Inc. on December 30, 2012, 09:11:38 PM
Quote from: Steve on December 30, 2012, 08:56:30 PM
Quote from: KEK Inc. on December 30, 2012, 01:19:38 AM
Quote from: Steve on December 30, 2012, 12:56:09 AM
US 5: Thanks to I-91, it's hardly used by anyone except locals in any state.
So would US 30 in the Columbia River Gorge count?
What's left of US 99 and US 66?
:sombrero: The OP should probably define what he means by major instead of listing arbitrary exceptions.
I'd say at this point, US 66 would qualify, although obviously it was major pre-Interstate. CA 99 is still major, and I'm not familiar with OR and WA remnants. Considering we're traveling the routes now and not 60 years ago, I'd go with how much traffic they get in the modern age.
Like California, Washington and Oregon have signed state routes for former US-99.
In Oregon, there's a stretch of OR-99 in Southern Oregon near Grants Pass. The Willamette Valley has OR-99W and OR-99E. Washington has reminants of the Pacific Highway all throughout the state. (In Clark County, there's a road named 'Hwy 99'). Up in Federal Way - Everett, there's WA-99. 99's existence is still relatively prevalent there.
Yeah, I know OF them, but outside of WA 99 entering Seattle, not how major they are.
Here are my favorties -
- US 40 from Mays Landing to the Del. Memorial Bridge is very pastoral.
- US 15 entering PA from Corning NY is gorgeous.
- US 301 from the Harry Nice Bridge to I-295 in Atlee, VA has become an essential route for my wife and myself on our trips to Walt Disney World from NJ.
US 44 from Poughkeepsie to east of Hartford (the only major segments of 44 I've driven, but I love that drive).
US 302 through the White Mountains
US 3 through New Hampshire
US 17 through Virginia and North Carolina
US 60 from Newport News to Richmond
Pretty much any rural US highway I've driven. They all have cool aspects. The only ones I didn't include are "major" or are ones I've driven so many times I'm sick of them, like 13 and 113 on the Eastern Shore.
Quote from: motorway on December 25, 2012, 10:17:56 AM
US 206 in NJ pretty much captures the best in the state: the Pine Barrens in the south, then up through the farms of Burlington County, the few nice bits of downtown Trenton, the stately manors and academic-tinged downtowns of Lawrenceville and Princeton, horse country up through Somerset and Morris Counties, and then up into the Skylands in Sussex.
Seconded
For the same feeling, US30 in NJ captures the feel of the city, becoming pinebarrens, then coastal plain, before ending at the coast itself.
I'll bite...
US 20 from North East, PA to Silver Creek, NY and from Skaneateles, NY to the Town of Guilderland, NY
US 2 through Grand Isle County, VT and from Montpelier, VT to Farmington, ME. US 2 through New Hampshire is one of the most underrated scenic stretches of highway in the United States, in my opinion.
US 3 from Tilton, NH north to the Canadian border
US 5 from Northampton, MA north to the Canadian border
US 7 from New Milford, CT north to the Canadian border
US 4 from Rutland, VT to White River Junction, VT
US 9 through the Adirondacks
US 50 from Salida, CO to Canon City, CO
US 221 from Hillsville, VA to Bedford, VA I found to be just a fun back road to drive, and I like this for a reason. Same with US 63 in Minnesota.
Does US 101 throughout the entire length of Oregon count?
Quote from: Dougtone on January 08, 2013, 10:26:58 PM
US 221 from Hillsville, VA to Bedford, VA I found to be just a fun back road to drive, and I like this for a reason.
From what I remember of it (I was about 12 the one time I was on it and only the section from Floyd to Hillsville) I'll agree with you. US 1 between Petersburg and the NC border is also nice and quiet for what it is.
As my avatar indicates, I am partial to U.S. 62. I love the idea that there's one number that I can follow all the way from NEOH, where I went to school and met my girlfriend, all the way to El Paso, where she currently lives.
When traveling back and forth between Pittsburgh and DC/points southeast, I also insist on utilizing U.S. 219 between I-68 and the PA Turnpike as a long-range route to avoid Breezewood and that horrid stretch of I-70 between Breezewood and the PA/MD border. More scenic (IMO), pay less in tolls, and some neat little towns and places along the way (http://wherewillgoes.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-road-less-traveled-dc-to-points.html).
U.S. 191 I also feel like doesn't get as much love as it deserves, especially between the Mexico border and I-70. You've got the Bisbee/Douglas copper history, Chiricahua Mountains, mines of Morenci, Coronado Trail, Canyon de Chelly, Canyonlands & Arches NPs...and then even beyond that, of course there's the Tetons and Yellowstone, and even some of the stretches in northern Montana are remarkable just for their sheer desolation. I've driven bits and pieces of it with my family as a kid, but I really want to sit down and do the whole thing at once some day.
U.S. 11 is interesting because it's one of the few long-haul U.S. routes that has been almost entirely made redundant by Interstates, but has hardly been duplexed, let alone decommissioned altogether. It basically still is the Main Street for most of the towns along its corridor, when so many other U.S. highways have been built into bypasses or routed onto Interstates.
Quote from: wphiii on January 08, 2013, 11:22:41 PM
U.S. 11 is interesting because it's one of the few long-haul U.S. routes that has been almost entirely made redundant by Interstates, but has hardly been duplexed, let alone decommissioned altogether. It basically still is the Main Street for most of the towns along its corridor, when so many other U.S. highways have been built into bypasses or routed onto Interstates.
This is true of many routes in the East. US 1, US 9, US 92...
Quote from: Quillz on December 28, 2012, 03:40:08 AM
US-30 between Astoria and Portland is a very scenic drive. Likewise with US-20 between Newport and Corvallis.
Yeah, but the stretch through NW Portland is pretty clogged with traffic. It does lead to one of my favorite bridges, though: the St John's Bridge.
Of course, that stretch of Old US 30 east of Troutdale is breathtaking, especially once it winds down from the Corbett Bench area.
I forgot about US 6 between Carbondale, PA and Peekskill, NY minus Port Jervis proper and the one traffic signal intersection in Middletown, NY. It is nice and scenic as well as still open country and not too developed especially in the Poconos.
Don't know how major - or non - it is, but I love US 67 thru Texas. Mountains and remote desert, thru the Hill Country, into the Post Oak plains and on through a stretch of Piney Woods. Very remote on the western end but urban thru Dallas-Ft.Worth, with long segments of "formerly Main Street now bypassed by the Interstate" here and there.
Love the variety of it. :)
Another US 62 connection. WOW that is impressive to be able to ride US 62 from the beginning of a relationship to where it is now about 2000 miles away. Impressive. By the way how far is it by way of US 62? I have been over much of it from SEOH to El Paso.
Quote from: wphiii on January 08, 2013, 11:22:41 PM
As my avatar indicates, I am partial to U.S. 62. I love the idea that there's one number that I can follow all the way from NEOH, where I went to school and met my girlfriend, all the way to El Paso, where she currently lives.
When traveling back and forth between Pittsburgh and DC/points southeast, I also insist on utilizing U.S. 219 between I-68 and the PA Turnpike as a long-range route to avoid Breezewood and that horrid stretch of I-70 between Breezewood and the PA/MD border. More scenic (IMO), pay less in tolls, and some neat little towns and places along the way (http://wherewillgoes.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-road-less-traveled-dc-to-points.html).
U.S. 191 I also feel like doesn't get as much love as it deserves, especially between the Mexico border and I-70. You've got the Bisbee/Douglas copper history, Chiricahua Mountains, mines of Morenci, Coronado Trail, Canyon de Chelly, Canyonlands & Arches NPs...and then even beyond that, of course there's the Tetons and Yellowstone, and even some of the stretches in northern Montana are remarkable just for their sheer desolation. I've driven bits and pieces of it with my family as a kid, but I really want to sit down and do the whole thing at once some day.
U.S. 11 is interesting because it's one of the few long-haul U.S. routes that has been almost entirely made redundant by Interstates, but has hardly been duplexed, let alone decommissioned altogether. It basically still is the Main Street for most of the towns along its corridor, when so many other U.S. highways have been built into bypasses or routed onto Interstates.
Great choice, US 191 goes through some beautiful country. Bluff to Moab is one of the most scenic routes in America.
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on January 08, 2013, 09:20:16 PM
US 17 through Virginia and North Carolina
I'd call this one major.
Quote from: hbelkins on December 24, 2012, 11:37:47 PM
Several of these that have been posted, I'd consider major.
Especially US 13 up the Delmarva Peninsula, US 460 across Virginia and US 35 from Dayton to West Virginia.
I certainly agree with you on US 13 in the Delmarva Peninsula, and I'd say it was my favorite drive if I didn't have to slow down to 55 MPH after crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.
US 400 from Mullinville, KS to Dodge City, KS.
I even like for several miles west of Mullinville, you can see nearby US 54 across the range and in Ford, KS, only US 400 is the only paved street in town. All municipal streets and maintained roads are like they were in the 1800s with the state highway being the only paved roadway in Ford.
US 183 from Dodge City, KS to Minneola, KS where the road just travels across open range for miles. You can see other nearby towns as you see the tall grain silos in the distance.
US36 through KS and MO.
US12 from Miles City, MT east through ND and into Minneapolis.
US22 and US19 for familiarity reasons.
US6 from OH/PA line to PA/NY line.
36 in Kansas is gorgeous. The only problem is once you get to Colorado there's nothing and there's no easy way off of it.
Quote from: hbelkins on January 12, 2013, 04:12:06 PM
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on January 08, 2013, 09:20:16 PM
US 17 through Virginia and North Carolina
I'd call this one major.
Well I don't recall "major" being specifically defined, so I counted ones ending in 0 or 1 as major, since those were intended to be the primary routes. 17 was not intended to be a primary US highway.
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on January 12, 2013, 11:06:50 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on January 12, 2013, 04:12:06 PM
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on January 08, 2013, 09:20:16 PM
US 17 through Virginia and North Carolina
I'd call this one major.
Well I don't recall "major" being specifically defined, so I counted ones ending in 0 or 1 as major, since those were intended to be the primary routes. 17 was not intended to be a primary US highway.
I think it is considered major, because its miles from the nearest interstate, being I-95. It is a major through route in Eastern NC, and part of the Ocean Highway as well.
I am thinking that any route independent of an interstate is major in the case of this thread.
Now US 1, could be both major or minor depending on where it is from I-95.. Even from Hendersonville, NC to Petersburg, VA would not be considered major as is in the imediate shadow of I-85 , yet from Camden, SC to Hendersonville, NC it would be a major one as it being by itself and several miles away from other N-S Interstates.
Even US 54 through Kansas would be a major route, but US 160 just a few miles to the south of it would not be as well as US 56 would not be major either. Both US 50 and US 54 are corridors of importance for commerce and link many small cities in Kansas each as well as in other states. US 56 and US 160 are in the shadow of these and although are good traveling routes, they are far less traveled and do not form a commercial link of importance.
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on January 12, 2013, 11:06:50 PM
Quote from: hbelkins on January 12, 2013, 04:12:06 PM
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on January 08, 2013, 09:20:16 PM
US 17 through Virginia and North Carolina
I'd call this one major.
Well I don't recall "major" being specifically defined, so I counted ones ending in 0 or 1 as major, since those were intended to be the primary routes. 17 was not intended to be a primary US highway.
To me, "major" means a route that is a preferred through route between larger cities and towns, has long stretches of four-lane segments, carries a lot of truck traffic, etc.
In Virginia, I'd count US 58 and US 460 as major east-west routes, but not US 250 or US 33. For north-south routes, I'd regard US 23, US 19, US 220 south of Roanoke, US 29 and US 17 as major. Probably also US 301 north of (mumble) to the Potomac River. Not so much US 11, US 220 north of Roanoke, US 1, etc.
For Kentucky, I'd consider US 23, US 27, US 127, US 25E and portions of US 31E, 31W to be the major N-S routes. For E-W, portions of US 60, US 460, US 150 and US 68. Definitely non-major are US 431, US 231, US 42, US 62 and US 25.
My point is that it was not clearly defined what constitutes major or minor, so I went based off the plan when the routes were first designated in the 20s.
Michigan doesn't really have all that many non-major US routes. The only ones I can think of are US-8 (all two miles of it), US-41 north of Houghton/Hancock, US-45, US-127 south of US-12, and US-141 north of Crystal Falls (and possibly US-10 between Reed City and Farwell). MI doesn't have US highways running parallel to interstates; the US highway (if near an interstate) gets shifted onto the interstate (see US-23 between Flint and Standish and US-31 between Benton Harbor and Holland), rerouted onto a totally different alignment (US-12), or truncated (US-10 southeast of Bay City, US-16, US-25). My favorite would be US-10 if it qualifies. I've also been on the non-major stretch of US-127.
Just because a US route is without interstate, does not mean it is a major one. My point about US 56 and parts of US1. Even if you go by the commissioning of these an dates, you have some routes that were commissioned more as supporting or alternate routes of the main ones that were developed to be through routes across the nation connecting major cities.
Even before the interstates were around, you had plenty of US routes that were not major corridors as well. Look at Georgia for example, you cannot say every north south US route was indeed major back then. US 129 and US 441, I do not think, ever were. Then US 319 and US 221, its obvious that they were designed as connector routes allowing a motorist to go regional between two other US routes. Heck, even today US 319 is used as a short cut for SB I-75 travelers to I-10 WB or from I-10 EB to I-75 NB. Although some may say its major now between Tifton, GA and Tallahassee cause of what I just said, but I would say more Florida Panhandle traffic from the north on I-75 uses GA 300, and before I-75 was built, it was always US 19 being the through route from Atlanta down to Florida's Panhandle and Gulf Coast area in NW Florida.
Quote from: hbelkins on January 12, 2013, 04:12:06 PM
Quote from: deathtopumpkins on January 08, 2013, 09:20:16 PM
US 17 through Virginia and North Carolina
I'd call this one major.
I respectfully disagree. Most of U.S. 17 in Virginia is remarkably free of traffic (including the long segment between Newport News and Fredericksburg).
It is pretty busy between Fredericksburg and I-66 at Marshall, only because it serves as a
de facto Outer Beltway for traffic wanting to avoid the often severely congested highways around Northern Virginia.
Quote from: corco on January 12, 2013, 10:57:27 PM
36 in Kansas is gorgeous. The only problem is once you get to Colorado there's nothing and there's no easy way off of it.
Having grown up along US-36 in western Kansas.....yuck.
I'm the first to correct people when they say Kansas scenery is boring, but US-36 is not an example I would use in my defense (I've only driven it from the Colorado line to P-burg). I'd suggest almost any intersecting state highway over US-36 itself. I actually prefer US-36 in Colorado, but only slightly, and mainly for reasons of nostalgia. Back in the late 1990s, US-36 in Colorado was in such poor repair that it was nearly impossible to avoid the potholes, even by swerving into the other lane every few seconds.
Another favorite of mine from southern Illinois: US-51 from Dongola to Carbondale
one of my absolute favorite drives ever was US-36 from US-77 to approximately Denver.
here's Marysville.
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/blog/photos/040896.jpg)
these cutouts in St. Francis didn't hurt the route's cause either...
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/KS/KS19620361i2.jpg)
(//www.aaroads.com/shields/img/KS/KS19620361i1.jpg)
(gone as of 2009, btw.)
Quote from: cpzilliacus on January 14, 2013, 09:46:36 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on January 12, 2013, 04:12:06 PM
I'd call this one major.
I respectfully disagree. Most of U.S. 17 in Virginia is remarkably free of traffic (including the long segment between Newport News and Fredericksburg).
It is pretty busy between Fredericksburg and I-66 at Marshall, only because it serves as a de facto Outer Beltway for traffic wanting to avoid the often severely congested highways around Northern Virginia.
Illustrating the problem of what constitutes "major" for this question. Original U.S. route? Ends in 0 or 1? Lots of traffic? High speed limits? Long route?
To me, major were the ones that 'stood out by themselves as a thru route'. US101, US99 (now CA-99/OR-99, etc), US95, US395, US287, US54, US2, US17, etc.
But, then again, that generally meant not parallel to an interstate route.
Then again, parts of a road could be major (US287 from Limon to Fort Worth), while US287 north of Laramie, WY could be seen as 'minor' the rest of the way (same with southeast of the Dallas area). US54 may be a major road from Wichita, KS to Tucumcari, NM (or, even El Paso in terms of travel accommodations) but US54 east/north of Wichita could be seen as a minor road.
Personally, I loved driving all of the x01 routes through the Carolinas when I used to live out that way. The scenery, the smell of pines, the small towns, and passing by houses in which nearly everyone sitting on a porch would wave to you as you go by, even though no one knew the other.
Quote from: Sykotyk on January 19, 2013, 02:39:34 PM
To me, major were the ones that 'stood out by themselves as a thru route'. US101, US99 (now CA-99/OR-99, etc), US95, US395, US287, US54, US2, US17, etc.
But, then again, that generally meant not parallel to an interstate route.
Then again, parts of a road could be major (US287 from Limon to Fort Worth), while US287 north of Laramie, WY could be seen as 'minor' the rest of the way (same with southeast of the Dallas area). US54 may be a major road from Wichita, KS to Tucumcari, NM (or, even El Paso in terms of travel accommodations) but US54 east/north of Wichita could be seen as a minor road.
You know, maybe we should look at the ones that have the most accommodations to tell us which is major? If a road is not traveled much or used by locals, would not have much as commercial developments.