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Sleeping on interstates isn't difficult ..not at all. But if you're woken up ..it's usually a rude awakening
(from a guy who drove exhausted for many miles).
Do you ever take the "slow" road to get somewhere?
- Thread starter Gary Allan
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Unless I'm under a time constraint, I'd rather take the slow roads through the countryside.
Why worry about the bladder, G? One of the joys of being a man is having the ability to stop and #@$%! in the bushes.
I used to irrtate my best friend when we were in High school, long ago. We'd sometimes take litle road trips from the coast of NC to Chapel Hill to the planetarium, or to the big zoo in Asheboro, etc. I always liked to stop here and there for a Coke and a look around. He wanted to drive straight through.
Why worry about the bladder, G? One of the joys of being a man is having the ability to stop and #@$%! in the bushes.
I used to irrtate my best friend when we were in High school, long ago. We'd sometimes take litle road trips from the coast of NC to Chapel Hill to the planetarium, or to the big zoo in Asheboro, etc. I always liked to stop here and there for a Coke and a look around. He wanted to drive straight through.
When I'm on my motorcycle, ALWAYS the slow road.
Sometimes in the car too - usually on a trip.
Then, take the fast way home.
Sometimes in the car too - usually on a trip.
Then, take the fast way home.
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Ah ..getting there is half the fun ...being there the other half....but getting back is something to get over as soon as possible.
Sometimes the "slow" road is faster than the interstate when it's congested as it frequently is on weekends now.
I remember sitting in thanksgiving weekend traffic last year on the PA Turnpike (I76) and it was CRAWLING (probably a backup all the way to Breezewood) It was crawling so slow in fact that I had plenty of time to yank out the map and find out how I could get to I68 from the next exit, which I did. I think the road I took is US119. Then I again got stuck on I70 just a few miles before the I81 exit, so I again pulled out the map and found out a way to get to I81 from the next exit.
Didn't get stuck in traffic again that night. Now I make sure to have a US Atlas in the car so if I get stuck in traffic again I can find a way around it. Did that to find another way to I83 from the Baltimore Beltway when that was clogged up due to a 3-lane accident. I took the very next exit, pulled into a parking lot, and looked at the map.
I remember sitting in thanksgiving weekend traffic last year on the PA Turnpike (I76) and it was CRAWLING (probably a backup all the way to Breezewood) It was crawling so slow in fact that I had plenty of time to yank out the map and find out how I could get to I68 from the next exit, which I did. I think the road I took is US119. Then I again got stuck on I70 just a few miles before the I81 exit, so I again pulled out the map and found out a way to get to I81 from the next exit.
Didn't get stuck in traffic again that night. Now I make sure to have a US Atlas in the car so if I get stuck in traffic again I can find a way around it. Did that to find another way to I83 from the Baltimore Beltway when that was clogged up due to a 3-lane accident. I took the very next exit, pulled into a parking lot, and looked at the map.
I have a few scenic routes I will take when traveling for work. Most time out about the same as taking the long way around on the inter-states.
I hate interstates with a passion. I always take the back roads on vacation i.e. the old US Highways. I'm usually forced to take the interstate coming home due to time constraints. Interstates are mind-crushingly boring in most cases IMO.
Hey, I'm right at 80 & NEPATPK. Stop in for all the free Delo 30 you want. I take the back roads in summer, in winter it gets too dark too fast. Better on the highway after dark.
Take the back roads. Less traffic, more relaxing.
Alex.
Alex.
I sometimes take the less-traveled roads; not only do I enjoy the scenery but I also work for the state DOT and any familiarity I can gain from such roads does not hurt a bit.
Someone pointed it out oh-so-well when comparing the Interstate Highway System with the old U.S. Routes. The interstates take you *somewhere*, (usually fast); the U.S. routes take you *someplace*. Whoever said that hit the nail on the head with a sledgehammer.
Someone pointed it out oh-so-well when comparing the Interstate Highway System with the old U.S. Routes. The interstates take you *somewhere*, (usually fast); the U.S. routes take you *someplace*. Whoever said that hit the nail on the head with a sledgehammer.
Last September I bought a new Ural. With a top speed of 62, and a sweet spot of 50-55, I was forced to travel back roads if I wanted to get anywhere in one piece.
I don't know if I am getting older or just mellower, but there is a certain theraputic value to travelling the slower roads.
I don't know if I am getting older or just mellower, but there is a certain theraputic value to travelling the slower roads.
what the heck is an "Ural" outside of the Russian mountain range?
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Well, now I DID specify the shortest route via Mapquest. It sure was.
I was driving along on all these neat and oddball PA state highways. When you traverse the coal regions ..you climb and descend so many hills ..sometimes rapidly, that at times you can only tell your inclination by how much you need to apply the gas pedal ..or brake if the thing starts to runaway from you. The lanes are narrow ..but not too bad. Not too many panoramic views ..since you're typically surrounded by steep mountains. Not stressful ..at least in daylight.
Mapquest if VERY exact. The shortest route is the absolutely shortest route. I'm driving along on some route number and it says "turn right onto Pleasantville (or whatever) Road. ..I'll be darned ..if it isn't just a "road". I take it ..it leads me through some state game lands ..hard packed dirt. Now I'm really checking my odometer for my next turn. At the prescribed odometer reading (you can only measure to 1/2 1/10th ...there is a left that I'm allegedly supposed to be taking ..but NO SIGN ..now we're REALLY out there in the boonie. I drive about 3/10 further to assure myself that a road with a sign wasn't just around the bend due to my odometer error. Nope. So ..I turn around ..drive up this other hard packed dirt road. The ONLY indication that I was on the right road was a cemetery at the top of the hill ..which shared the name of the road. Now it's DARK. So I'm really paying attention to my odometer. I manage to get to the next turn....which brings me from the middle of the lost world ..close to its boundaries. It's paved ..and appears to be somewhat transcontinental. So ..great, I'm back on track. I then hit a little village ..the directions are working fine. Then it gets really complicated ..the directions say "turn onto North Road (Rt 49) and continue on North Rd. What it didn't say was "Rt 49 bears to the left"...any way ...again NO SIGNS at this Y in the road. So ..I just continue on Rt 49 ..and eventually ...hit Rt 449 ..which is what I was supposed to be on. About 10 miles later ...I'm passing a road, with a sign on that end, which was where I would have come out if I had made the connection a ways back.
From there on out it was fairly straight forward ..but what a workout.
When I got there ..I said that I came by the back roads. My hosts asked which ones ...when I ran off the numbers ..and came to "US 6"
You would have thought I said "Large Marge sent me"
"It was the worst accident that I'd ever seen....."
FWIW: Mapquest was very close with the time estimate of about 6 hours. I came back a slightly different route, bypassing most of the complicated stuff. NY 417 is the most spectacular road ...with no darn reason for it to be there. It would easily handle 10 times the traffic.
OH! I forgot to mention that it started snowing before I got to the NY line.
Texas Hot is an iconic grille in Wellsville. Use a fork when eating a Texas Hot (dog). That and wet fries (gravy) will surely put a sheen on the plaque in your arteries (as was mentioned).
I was driving along on all these neat and oddball PA state highways. When you traverse the coal regions ..you climb and descend so many hills ..sometimes rapidly, that at times you can only tell your inclination by how much you need to apply the gas pedal ..or brake if the thing starts to runaway from you. The lanes are narrow ..but not too bad. Not too many panoramic views ..since you're typically surrounded by steep mountains. Not stressful ..at least in daylight.
Mapquest if VERY exact. The shortest route is the absolutely shortest route. I'm driving along on some route number and it says "turn right onto Pleasantville (or whatever) Road. ..I'll be darned ..if it isn't just a "road". I take it ..it leads me through some state game lands ..hard packed dirt. Now I'm really checking my odometer for my next turn. At the prescribed odometer reading (you can only measure to 1/2 1/10th ...there is a left that I'm allegedly supposed to be taking ..but NO SIGN ..now we're REALLY out there in the boonie. I drive about 3/10 further to assure myself that a road with a sign wasn't just around the bend due to my odometer error. Nope. So ..I turn around ..drive up this other hard packed dirt road. The ONLY indication that I was on the right road was a cemetery at the top of the hill ..which shared the name of the road. Now it's DARK. So I'm really paying attention to my odometer. I manage to get to the next turn....which brings me from the middle of the lost world ..close to its boundaries. It's paved ..and appears to be somewhat transcontinental. So ..great, I'm back on track. I then hit a little village ..the directions are working fine. Then it gets really complicated ..the directions say "turn onto North Road (Rt 49) and continue on North Rd. What it didn't say was "Rt 49 bears to the left"...any way ...again NO SIGNS at this Y in the road. So ..I just continue on Rt 49 ..and eventually ...hit Rt 449 ..which is what I was supposed to be on. About 10 miles later ...I'm passing a road, with a sign on that end, which was where I would have come out if I had made the connection a ways back.
From there on out it was fairly straight forward ..but what a workout.
When I got there ..I said that I came by the back roads. My hosts asked which ones ...when I ran off the numbers ..and came to "US 6"
"It was the worst accident that I'd ever seen....."
FWIW: Mapquest was very close with the time estimate of about 6 hours. I came back a slightly different route, bypassing most of the complicated stuff. NY 417 is the most spectacular road ...with no darn reason for it to be there. It would easily handle 10 times the traffic.
OH! I forgot to mention that it started snowing before I got to the NY line.
Texas Hot is an iconic grille in Wellsville. Use a fork when eating a Texas Hot (dog). That and wet fries (gravy) will surely put a sheen on the plaque in your arteries (as was mentioned).
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