3/23/10
The Post Script...for now
I've tried to give routes as best I could for these trips, so if you pass through the area and want to pick them up, you've got an idea what to look for road wise and to an extent what to expect scenery wise. I always try to avoid major cities, and put us in a large enough city to have a Holiday Inn brand hotel at the end of the day. I've not been to a place yet that I would say to avoid. I will upload more photos from the road at some point. As I do more trips, I will write about them, either as they happen (meaning multiple posts for a single trip) or once we get back. Keep checking back for new entries.
Indiana and beyond
A few days after we got back from our failed Wisconsin trip, the old coot calls me. "You know," he says to me, "I've been through Indiana by Interstate, but not really by backroad." "Well," I say, "you realize it's going to look like most of Illinois. Flat and cornfields. There's a reason they have interstates in Indiana." "It's ok," saith he, "Let's go east, and go through Indiana." Now, not all of Illinois is flat. You get north of I88, it's hilly. You get by a major river (read as Mississippi, Ohio, and maybe Wabash) you get some uneven and pretty scenery. Other than that, corn and soy beans. So, I got us on 24 out of Illinois. We followed that well into Indiana. Almost to Fort Wayne in fact. And yes, Indiana looks like Illinois. Bleah. We switched to 224 near Ft Wayne and continued into Ohio. Even North Central Ohio is pretty boring. We ended in Findlay for the night. Where the hotel is is a very interesting area. You're near the edge of town, with like 3 other non full serve hotels. There is sort of a square effect going on, with highways/interstates making up 2 perpendicular sides and hotels on the other two sides and a manmade lake in the middle. Not a real big section of water though; it has a1/4 mile circumference. But there are restaurants sharing parking space with the hotels there. Neat setup. And nice hotels.
We got back on 224 the next day to 13 (went through another Attica) and followed 13 south to 33. We jogged on 33 til we hit 7, which is by the river Ohio. And we followed that into Gallipolis. Gallipolis is across the Ohio from a little city in West Virginia known as Point Pleasant. Now, the historical truth about this area is this: December 1967 the Silver Bridge collapses killing 46. Cause of collapse was an eye-beam giving out causing structural stress and making the bridge fall. The legend is: Mothman had something to do with it. He was seen in the area for roughly 13 months and allegedly was seen over the bridge earlier that day in december '67. So, being a little of a geek for the unknown, I've always wanted to get that way and at least see where the bridge used to be. We crossed some bridges and went to Point Pleasant. I will say this, the people really believe Mothman was there. I reserve judgement; I believe it may be possible (why not you know?), but I wasn't there, so I can't say whether Mothy lives or the people were cracked out. Fact is, they believe it. There were numerous sightings of something. And it was big. Were they seeing something that wasn't there? Were they confusing one thing for something else? Sure. It's possible. It's also possible they saw what they say they saw. Unfortunately, the city isn't thriving, even with this as a "draw" if you will. So, if they are just trying to drum up tourism, it doesn't seem to be doing that great a job. It's a half dead town. I don't know about Mothman, but the area is beautiful. Of course, most river areas are. The Holiday Inn in Gallipolis was an interesting dichotomy. The parking area and actual lot of the hotel was pretty, the restaurant/bar area was gorgeous, but you go off the lobby into where the rooms are, and it turns into a slightly rundown hotel. It was kind of weird. Not that the rooms were bad or messy by any means, but it looked like two different buildings. Like walking from some expensive french food joint (Chez Wha) into a McDonalds. The conversation at the bar was pretty good though, so I got over it.
Next day, we did a marathon drive. But it was almost worth is. Something like 8 or 9 hours driving. We crossed back into WV, and followed 2 along the river in the fog at 7:30-8:00 AM. Fun time. Right. It was all right when the fog was burned off by the sun and we gained a little altitude. We did go through Huntington, which is like the corner of the tri-state area (WV, OH, and KY). Huntington is also home to Marshall university, made famous (unfortunately) by a plane crash that killed its football team in the early 70s. Absolutely gorgeous area though, with the cliffs and the hills and the trees. WOW!! We followed the river into Kentucky on 23 and followed it to 10. We followed that as it became Hwy 10/9 and got off at 22 to avoid Cincinnati. 22 (pretty sure I'm on the right stretch of road...long day driving) is a weird stretch. You're sort of up in some hills and theres like a curve every 500 feet. Just as you start getting up to speed, you have to slow down a bit to make a curve. Pretty area of KY, just nuts for driving. Any rate, we followed that to 227 and into Carrollton and 36. We crossed into Indiana, and I will say that part of Indiana is pretty. We connected on 7 to 50 west to 37 north into Bloomington. Got to see IU. Another pretty campus. We splurged and stayed at a Crown Plaza for the night. Beautiful hotel; expensive, but beautiful. The hotel bar was pretty happening. It was slow when I first wandered over, but it picked up. Kinda cool when people at the hotel bar are in town for a Victoria's Secret function at the University. Too bad we were leaving the next day. LOL But good fun.
And thus ends another road trip as we ended up at home the next day.
We got back on 224 the next day to 13 (went through another Attica) and followed 13 south to 33. We jogged on 33 til we hit 7, which is by the river Ohio. And we followed that into Gallipolis. Gallipolis is across the Ohio from a little city in West Virginia known as Point Pleasant. Now, the historical truth about this area is this: December 1967 the Silver Bridge collapses killing 46. Cause of collapse was an eye-beam giving out causing structural stress and making the bridge fall. The legend is: Mothman had something to do with it. He was seen in the area for roughly 13 months and allegedly was seen over the bridge earlier that day in december '67. So, being a little of a geek for the unknown, I've always wanted to get that way and at least see where the bridge used to be. We crossed some bridges and went to Point Pleasant. I will say this, the people really believe Mothman was there. I reserve judgement; I believe it may be possible (why not you know?), but I wasn't there, so I can't say whether Mothy lives or the people were cracked out. Fact is, they believe it. There were numerous sightings of something. And it was big. Were they seeing something that wasn't there? Were they confusing one thing for something else? Sure. It's possible. It's also possible they saw what they say they saw. Unfortunately, the city isn't thriving, even with this as a "draw" if you will. So, if they are just trying to drum up tourism, it doesn't seem to be doing that great a job. It's a half dead town. I don't know about Mothman, but the area is beautiful. Of course, most river areas are. The Holiday Inn in Gallipolis was an interesting dichotomy. The parking area and actual lot of the hotel was pretty, the restaurant/bar area was gorgeous, but you go off the lobby into where the rooms are, and it turns into a slightly rundown hotel. It was kind of weird. Not that the rooms were bad or messy by any means, but it looked like two different buildings. Like walking from some expensive french food joint (Chez Wha) into a McDonalds. The conversation at the bar was pretty good though, so I got over it.
Next day, we did a marathon drive. But it was almost worth is. Something like 8 or 9 hours driving. We crossed back into WV, and followed 2 along the river in the fog at 7:30-8:00 AM. Fun time. Right. It was all right when the fog was burned off by the sun and we gained a little altitude. We did go through Huntington, which is like the corner of the tri-state area (WV, OH, and KY). Huntington is also home to Marshall university, made famous (unfortunately) by a plane crash that killed its football team in the early 70s. Absolutely gorgeous area though, with the cliffs and the hills and the trees. WOW!! We followed the river into Kentucky on 23 and followed it to 10. We followed that as it became Hwy 10/9 and got off at 22 to avoid Cincinnati. 22 (pretty sure I'm on the right stretch of road...long day driving) is a weird stretch. You're sort of up in some hills and theres like a curve every 500 feet. Just as you start getting up to speed, you have to slow down a bit to make a curve. Pretty area of KY, just nuts for driving. Any rate, we followed that to 227 and into Carrollton and 36. We crossed into Indiana, and I will say that part of Indiana is pretty. We connected on 7 to 50 west to 37 north into Bloomington. Got to see IU. Another pretty campus. We splurged and stayed at a Crown Plaza for the night. Beautiful hotel; expensive, but beautiful. The hotel bar was pretty happening. It was slow when I first wandered over, but it picked up. Kinda cool when people at the hotel bar are in town for a Victoria's Secret function at the University. Too bad we were leaving the next day. LOL But good fun.
And thus ends another road trip as we ended up at home the next day.
3/22/10
The short one
I get the call in mid October, "Let's do WI." Ok. The plan was a 4 to 5 dayer, like they usually are. We jumped on I80 for about an hour and got of on 78. Followed that to 30 going west. Reason being, there is a town called Fulton, my last name, and I wanted to go there. We followed 52 N (connects with 30) thru Galena and towards Dubuque. If you've never been, Galena is a pretty little tourist trap style city in the hills of Illinois, about 30 miles from Dubuque and about that far from Wisconsin. We got off 20 at 84 and followed it into WI. We hit Cuba City, which has small street signs with a profile bust of each of the presidents. That's the only reason to go there. I've known about them for years; my family used to go to Platteville during Bears camp. And yes went thru Platteville again. We jogged on 80 up to 18 and over to 61 N. And then stayed on that stretch for a while. We had a decision to make as it was starting to get a hair late, La Crosse or Tomah. "Tomah" the old man says. Ok. Jumped on 16 E at Sparta and into Tomah. Nice looking city from the drive-through. And the first hotel bar I've been in you can smoke in. Good thing; I brought cigars. Decent time at the bar, not the best but far from the worst. Problem was, the uncle's leg was bothering him to the point he could barely walk on it. Now mind you, he's 86, so he's allowed aches and pains. So, he was like, "If I'm not better in the morning, we'll have to head back so I can get it looked at." I was a little disappointed, but it was all right.
Funniest part of this trip was the next morning. Mind you, it was in the low 60's the day before. We get out to the car in the morning, it's like 34 degrees out. We were both laughing, there was even snow flying around. We left Tomah on 21 to Necedah before heading south towards home on 80. As dreary as it was out, the scenery was still pretty nice. I got us on 23 so we wouldn't go home exactly the way we came. Followed it to 78 and then 78 into Illinois to I80.
So there you have it, the shortest roadtrip I've ever done. I guess I didn't need to post it, but it happened and therefore I felt the need to include it.
Funniest part of this trip was the next morning. Mind you, it was in the low 60's the day before. We get out to the car in the morning, it's like 34 degrees out. We were both laughing, there was even snow flying around. We left Tomah on 21 to Necedah before heading south towards home on 80. As dreary as it was out, the scenery was still pretty nice. I got us on 23 so we wouldn't go home exactly the way we came. Followed it to 78 and then 78 into Illinois to I80.
So there you have it, the shortest roadtrip I've ever done. I guess I didn't need to post it, but it happened and therefore I felt the need to include it.
All over God's green US
We're going to start this one just south of Bloomington IL on old 51. It's actually a decent stretch of road. The highlight on that strectch is going through Vandalia, Illinois former capital. We turned west on 15 thru Nashville (like I say, have to go through "famous" cities), then south on 4 thru Sparta, and on to 150 into MO. Now, right at the border of IL & MO, on the IL side, is the city of Chester. Chester IL is the birthplace of one of the artists who drew Popeye. It's also home to a sanitarium. We crossed into MO, jumped on 61 and followed it to Cape Girardeau MO. It's a real homey kind of city. Our hotel was right across from a mall and strip mall, and being a HI Express (non full service), it shares like 3-4 restaurants with 2 or 3 other non full serve hotels. Real nice area just of the Interstate.
Next day, we headed south on I55 to 60. West there to 25, and south into Arkansas. We stopped in Jonesboro for food, at Cracker Barrel. Jonesboro, home of the ASU Razorbacks. LOL Did not know that til we went through. ASU has a beautiful campus from what we saw. From there it was south on 49 til we hit I40 and took that to Little Rock. Little Rock is a pretty city. I will say now, go there and walk through the Clinton Library. It's awesome. Give yourself a minimum of 2 hours to go through it. Uncle and I flew through it in an hour and a half. It's like $7 a person under 65 and $5 or $6 over 65. Not real expensive to wander through. Words cannot do justice, you need to go there. And stay at the Holiday Inn Presidential. It's a half mile or so from the library and has shuttle service. You can even eat and drink at Camp David. The lobby has a beautiful setup of a room from the White House as well as photos of several current and former presidents.
Now our original plan was to go through Branson, so this next day was supposed to put us there. I however, mostly joking, say to the uncle "What say we hit Cincinnati and see my brothers?" He goes "Call them up, see if theyre gonna be around." We made it happen. They were both going to be available 3 nights later. So we decided one more day west then do Cincinnati over two days. So we got on I30 S to Benton and jumped on 5 south from there. We followed that to 7 north into the Ouachita (pronounced washitah) National Forest. Nicolet Forest is a pretty forest, but ugly compared to Ouachita. We followed that til we hit 10 and went west on that. Funniest part of that bit was going through Havana. Several cigar jokes got made. We ended in Fort Smith for the day. Now, we could have gone straight thruon I40 and been there in 2 and a half hours, but that's no fun and we would have been there by like 11 AM. So we took the five hour route. Fort Smith was cool. Pretty Holiday Inn. The bar was an interesting time. It was, for the most part, me, the uncle and the bartender. There were people coming and going though; the hotel had pro wrestling in one of their meeting rooms. LOL Can't go anywhere without stopping at a hotel with some kind of function. The bartender ruled though. We sit down and she's like "Y'all mind if we watch Rocky? They've got a marathon going today." Cool. Hah hah. gotta dig any woman into Rocky and Rambo.
So, time to start heading to Ohio. The next two days, we spent more time on interstates than I think we did in all the other trips combined, with the exception of the Texas trip. We saw I40 through Arkansas, getting off before Memphis, and jumped on 55 back to Cape Girardeau and spent the night. From there, we came back into IL the way we left, on 150 and wound our way to I70. We spent like 7 hours on the road that day. Talk about braindead. 13 or so hours in 2 days on interstates. Ugh. Cincinnati is a city worth a weeks vacation in. A ton to do, and a billion places to stay at. The hotel we were at, and we planned it this way, was two doors down from my youngest brothers apartment. We ate at the Montgomery Inn, a place known for its ribs. You can also buy their BBQ sauce at any Kroger grocery store. Afterward, back to the hotel and hang out at the bar with the youngest bro. First hotel I've stayed at where you could legally gamble, at least to an extent. They had Keno going on. Buy some tickets and watch the screen over the bar. Didn't win anything though. Oh well.
Time to head home the next day. And off the Interstates as soon as we could do it. We did I74 it to Indianapolis, followed the roundabout to I65 and got off north of the city. We jumped on 28 and followed it into Illinois, going through Attica. Yes folks, Attica. LOL I've been there. Granted it isn't the famous one in NY, but dammit I've been there. About two hours later we arrived back home in wonderful central Illinois. Ended up being a rather interesting trip all around. Would gladly do the route again, with some modifications of course.
Next day, we headed south on I55 to 60. West there to 25, and south into Arkansas. We stopped in Jonesboro for food, at Cracker Barrel. Jonesboro, home of the ASU Razorbacks. LOL Did not know that til we went through. ASU has a beautiful campus from what we saw. From there it was south on 49 til we hit I40 and took that to Little Rock. Little Rock is a pretty city. I will say now, go there and walk through the Clinton Library. It's awesome. Give yourself a minimum of 2 hours to go through it. Uncle and I flew through it in an hour and a half. It's like $7 a person under 65 and $5 or $6 over 65. Not real expensive to wander through. Words cannot do justice, you need to go there. And stay at the Holiday Inn Presidential. It's a half mile or so from the library and has shuttle service. You can even eat and drink at Camp David. The lobby has a beautiful setup of a room from the White House as well as photos of several current and former presidents.
Now our original plan was to go through Branson, so this next day was supposed to put us there. I however, mostly joking, say to the uncle "What say we hit Cincinnati and see my brothers?" He goes "Call them up, see if theyre gonna be around." We made it happen. They were both going to be available 3 nights later. So we decided one more day west then do Cincinnati over two days. So we got on I30 S to Benton and jumped on 5 south from there. We followed that to 7 north into the Ouachita (pronounced washitah) National Forest. Nicolet Forest is a pretty forest, but ugly compared to Ouachita. We followed that til we hit 10 and went west on that. Funniest part of that bit was going through Havana. Several cigar jokes got made. We ended in Fort Smith for the day. Now, we could have gone straight thruon I40 and been there in 2 and a half hours, but that's no fun and we would have been there by like 11 AM. So we took the five hour route. Fort Smith was cool. Pretty Holiday Inn. The bar was an interesting time. It was, for the most part, me, the uncle and the bartender. There were people coming and going though; the hotel had pro wrestling in one of their meeting rooms. LOL Can't go anywhere without stopping at a hotel with some kind of function. The bartender ruled though. We sit down and she's like "Y'all mind if we watch Rocky? They've got a marathon going today." Cool. Hah hah. gotta dig any woman into Rocky and Rambo.
So, time to start heading to Ohio. The next two days, we spent more time on interstates than I think we did in all the other trips combined, with the exception of the Texas trip. We saw I40 through Arkansas, getting off before Memphis, and jumped on 55 back to Cape Girardeau and spent the night. From there, we came back into IL the way we left, on 150 and wound our way to I70. We spent like 7 hours on the road that day. Talk about braindead. 13 or so hours in 2 days on interstates. Ugh. Cincinnati is a city worth a weeks vacation in. A ton to do, and a billion places to stay at. The hotel we were at, and we planned it this way, was two doors down from my youngest brothers apartment. We ate at the Montgomery Inn, a place known for its ribs. You can also buy their BBQ sauce at any Kroger grocery store. Afterward, back to the hotel and hang out at the bar with the youngest bro. First hotel I've stayed at where you could legally gamble, at least to an extent. They had Keno going on. Buy some tickets and watch the screen over the bar. Didn't win anything though. Oh well.
Time to head home the next day. And off the Interstates as soon as we could do it. We did I74 it to Indianapolis, followed the roundabout to I65 and got off north of the city. We jumped on 28 and followed it into Illinois, going through Attica. Yes folks, Attica. LOL I've been there. Granted it isn't the famous one in NY, but dammit I've been there. About two hours later we arrived back home in wonderful central Illinois. Ended up being a rather interesting trip all around. Would gladly do the route again, with some modifications of course.
3/21/10
Wisconsin Roadtrip #2
So, let's pick this one up in Manitowoc. We did take 39/51 to start this one, but followed I43 north of Milwaukee to location, rather than County Road LS. As stated in an earlier post, every time we end up in Manitowoc, something is going on. This time round, there was a High School Reunion going on. LOL Sorta figures. Again, there was some great conversation while down in the bar. Like I say, part of the reason I like doing the full-serve hotels is you get a chance to talk to other people travelling, or in this case, others in town for a reason. It ended up being a good time. Different bartender this time, but same result. Ended up talking football with a few of the participants in the reunion. LOL No fights broke out though, which is a good thing. If you know anything about ChiBear or Packer fans, we/they are pretty hardcore about our football teams and this particular rivalry. Twice a year, the world stops for me during football season. Whether they win or lose, I'm cheering my Bears on both games. Like I say, most of the fun I've had on roadtrip have happened in a hotel bar. Not to discount any of the scenery I've seen along the way; it's been wonderful, all of it, but it's being able to hang with other travellers that has been the most fun.
So, next day we headed back to one of my fave locations, Minocqua. We actually found Wabeno this time. Cool little city. Had to mess with the teach I know and tell her they have a "this way to Yippy's house" sign in the town. It was good for a laugh. Look it up, Wabeno is an old logging town. It's right in Nicolet National Forest territory. LOL It was funny, I think we saw a dozen houses between getting off 41/141 and Wabeno. Not counting Oconto Falls and Lakewood. For the most part though, you're in nomansland. We stayed on 32 til Rhinelander and picked up 47 into Woodruff, which is like 2 miles north of Minocqua. The bar was pretty quiet this time through.
Next day we ended in La Crosse. We got off 51 soon as we could on 8. Anyhoo, LaCrosse is set up streetwise like Quincy IL is. Figured it out real quick when we came into LaCrosse and I started seeing numbered streets in descending numbers to the river. The lower the number, the closer to the river you are. Being familiar with Quincy, I could get us to the hotel w/o too much trouble. But the bar scene at the hotel was cool that night. There was a total of like 5 of us in the bar (including the bartender) and two of the people were locals. But the other hotel person had gotten in earlier that day from Oz (Australia). The bunch of us had a good conversation about national health care. The Oz-folk apparently have no clue why we are having this discussion since they've had nationial care for forever. And everything is covered. EVERYTHING. You want acupuncture? Covered. Need surgery? Covered. And they can't figure out why we are debating this. So yeah, good conversation, good alternate view on our problems.
So, next day we get on the road, and jump on 61 south and end up in Quincy. The new Holiday Inn is nice. It's new as in under a year old new. The bar was a great time. It rivals the Radisson in Branson in all around fun. Just a good buzz, good conversation, good everything. Sometimes the stars line up right multiple days in a row for good times.
And of course the next day we headed home. One of us was a hair hung over, but whatever. LOL One of the more interesting trips all in all. Stay tuned for more.
So, next day we headed back to one of my fave locations, Minocqua. We actually found Wabeno this time. Cool little city. Had to mess with the teach I know and tell her they have a "this way to Yippy's house" sign in the town. It was good for a laugh. Look it up, Wabeno is an old logging town. It's right in Nicolet National Forest territory. LOL It was funny, I think we saw a dozen houses between getting off 41/141 and Wabeno. Not counting Oconto Falls and Lakewood. For the most part though, you're in nomansland. We stayed on 32 til Rhinelander and picked up 47 into Woodruff, which is like 2 miles north of Minocqua. The bar was pretty quiet this time through.
Next day we ended in La Crosse. We got off 51 soon as we could on 8. Anyhoo, LaCrosse is set up streetwise like Quincy IL is. Figured it out real quick when we came into LaCrosse and I started seeing numbered streets in descending numbers to the river. The lower the number, the closer to the river you are. Being familiar with Quincy, I could get us to the hotel w/o too much trouble. But the bar scene at the hotel was cool that night. There was a total of like 5 of us in the bar (including the bartender) and two of the people were locals. But the other hotel person had gotten in earlier that day from Oz (Australia). The bunch of us had a good conversation about national health care. The Oz-folk apparently have no clue why we are having this discussion since they've had nationial care for forever. And everything is covered. EVERYTHING. You want acupuncture? Covered. Need surgery? Covered. And they can't figure out why we are debating this. So yeah, good conversation, good alternate view on our problems.
So, next day we get on the road, and jump on 61 south and end up in Quincy. The new Holiday Inn is nice. It's new as in under a year old new. The bar was a great time. It rivals the Radisson in Branson in all around fun. Just a good buzz, good conversation, good everything. Sometimes the stars line up right multiple days in a row for good times.
And of course the next day we headed home. One of us was a hair hung over, but whatever. LOL One of the more interesting trips all in all. Stay tuned for more.
3/20/10
More Tao of Chris
I mentioned in an earlier post how little I like travelling on Interstates, yet the last post we spent a lot of time on Interstates. In defense of the route, at the time it just seemed the right way to go. Like I also mentioned in an earlier post, I like having something to look forward to. Be it stopping at a Wal Mart along the way, eating at a Cracker Barrel, staying at Holiday Inns, whatever. You need to find certain traditions that you can look forward to on every trip. It can be any of the things just listed, or going to a certain city whenever you go a certain direction, taking certain roads in certain areas, starting each trip on the same stretch of road, whatever. It doesn't matter. Sometimes it's the little stuff that makes the trip enjoyable. Sometimes it keeps it from being a crappy trip. My thing the past couple trips, is to go through cities that are in my home area, have my last name, are names of different countries or foreign cities, stuff like that. It makes for a more interesting trip. Plus it gives me and the Uncle something to joke about. Because eventually you are going to run out of things to talk about, even if you have talk radio going on. Sometimes you're not going to want to talk. The hardest part for me has always been planning a route in a state or a part of a state I've never been through. Trying to stay away from "hey look another field of corn/beans." Or "Gee what an insanely flat, boring stretch of road." So, I try to steer us near rivers, national forests, or just anything that won't just be interstate type driving. And I'm not afraid to scrap my route. If a stretch of pavement isn't doing it for me, I look for a place to turn off and try and get us something to look at that will still get us sort of where I think we should end up. My routes are good about 95% of the time. Every now and then it's "what was I thinking?" But, when I'm not enjoying the scenery, I'm checking the map. We go through a city, I find it on the map so I know where we are in relation to our next turn. Sometimes by doing that, I find a more interesting route. I'm good enough with the map that I can eyeball how long we're going to be on a road within about 3 minutes. Road signs, that's a different story. Something to remember: in Arkansas, some roads have the highway number then a little "s" after it. It made sense after I figured it out, but it didn't dawn on me at first what the "s" stood for. It stands for "spur". You don't necessarily want those. You'll end up losing a few minutes which, while not really a big deal, usually ends up with you having to backtrack a few miles.
The Wisconsin Roadtip #1
So, I get the call from the Uncle near Labor Day weekend. "You wanna hit Wisconsin?" he says. So we go to Wisconsin. For this trip we started on I39 up into Wisconsin. At Beloit we jumped on I43. We didn't stay on that stretch long though. As you may or may not know, Milwaukee is the home of Harley Davidson. And this happened to be the 105th birthday weekend. So, bunch of hogs on the road. And that also meant that Milwaukee was going to be a cluster-chunk. So, off the interstate heading north on the highway. We connected on 60 heading east til we hit Grafton. We stayed there thru Port Washington, which is a pretty city by the way, and then jumped on I43 again for a little while. Once we got north of Sheboygan, the Navigators Uncle goes, "There's a highway here somewhere that will take us right by Lake Michigan." Well, it wasn't on either map I had. Swearing it exists, we get off 43. We're going up the offramp, he sees the County Road letter, and says "Nope, this isn't it." So we loop back onto 43. We come to the next exit, and get on that offramp. Shows County Road LS right turn. "Betcha this is it." he says. "Wanna bet 'LS' stands for Lake Shore?" Sure enough. What a pretty stretch of road. At some point I will put a couple more photos up from that stretch of road. I mean, you are pretty literally like a 2 minute walk from the lake. If you stop the car, get out, and walk toward the lake, boom 2 minutes. I can't stress how pretty this stretch is. Not only because of the lake, but the other scenery, houses, foliage, etc. We stayed on wonderful County Road LS til we hit Manitowoc, where we spent the night. LS into Manitowoc gives you a good tour of the city. Pretty city. So when in Manitowoc, makes sure you get on 42 north and go to 2 Rivers. Again, you're right on the Lake and 2 Rivers is another pretty city. Definitely worth at least a drive thru. Now, both times I've been to Manitowoc and stayed at the Holiday Inn there, there have been functions going on. On this particular night, there was a wedding reception at the hotel. LOL There was a joking comment about how we should crash the party. Instead, we hung out in the bar, and did end up talking with a few members of the party. It was a good time.
Next day we headed out north on 43. We got off on 41/141 and continued north to Wausaukee. We stopped and grabbed a bite to eat, which gave me time to look at the map. I have a friend who is a teacher at one of the local high schools from Wisconsin, a town called Wabeno. So, I was trying to find out where we got off in Wausaukee to get there. Unfortunately, I was having map-reading issues. It doesn't happen often, but yeah, sometimes even the Shotgun Navigator has trouble reading maps. So, we somehow didn't find it and stayed north on 41/141 til Pembine, which is the intersection of 8 and 41/141. So we headed west on 8 til we hit 51. The Nicolet Nat'l Forest is fairly pretty. At least it was the prettiest forest I had been through til we went to Arkansas. Rhinelander is a pretty city as well. Heh, in general, Wisconsin north of Packerland (Green Bay) is pretty. So we get on 51N and followed it to Minocqua. How to describe that which is Minocqua? It's almost an island. There is water an either side, and would be a true island but for a small connection of land on the north and south side. It is a bit "tourist trappy" but doesn't really come off that way. If you've been to Door County in Wisconsin, it's a bit less tourist trap feeling than Door County. The Best Western there is like a block or two off downtown and right across the street from the water. It is a very photogenic area. Make sure to go to the Minocqua Brewing Company for dinner. It's right across the street, same side as the lake. And if you get lucky, you can get window seating facing the water. They have 7 beers they make on-site. So, if you're feeling daring or are a beer drinker, make sure you try at least one of their beers. They do offer a paddle, which gives you a couple ounce glass of each beer so you can try them all. You can also buy them by the half-gallon and take it with you. The first time it's $18, but if you keep the jug, it's $10 for a refill. And trust me, you'll end up back in Minocqua. Also, make sure you go downtown and do a little shopping. I didn't think the prices were outrageous for a place you know is a vacation spot. In two trips up to Wisconsin, we've done Minocqua both times, so a grand total of two nights there, and I would love to go up there for like a 3-5 night stay and really check it out.
So, the next morning we headed back south, starting on 51. We stayed on it through Stevens Point, a pretty city that has a branch of the University of Wisconsin. We got off 51 south of Stevens Point and meandered SW through Dodgeville (claim to fame is the House on the Rock; went there on family vacation as a kid, interesting place) into Platteville. For all the Bears fans who may be reading this, UW-Platteville is where the Bears did training camp for several years. That was my first trip to Platteville in at least a decade. It's a beautiful city, in a beautiful part of WI. It has a nice McDonalds as well. LOL That was the main reason we stopped. It was like 12:30 and we were both hungry. Our destination was an hour down the road. Dubuque IA is a interesting city on the river. And basically if you throw a rock NE it is going to land in Wisconsin, and SE it is going to land in Illinois. This was the first time I brought a camera with me; most my shots were on the road, but I usually took photos in wherever we stopped for the night. I didn't take too many in Dubuque, but I did get some from the parking lot. And the drive through the following morning was nice too. It's a pretty city.
Now, we did head home the following morning, but I want to say that I've been on 61 from Dubuque IA to basically St Louis MO. The stretch from I80 to St Louis is pretty, but from Dubuque to 80, apart from the cities you go through, is a pretty boring stretch of road. Not much to look at.
The next entry starts the 2009 series of roadtrips. There were 4, but one of those ended up only being for one night. We ended up in Wisconsin again for one full trip, and would have been for two full trips, but the second was the one night stay. And there was a trip down south that ended up in Cincinnati (rather interesting, we were basically in OK, and decided to go to OH). And the fourth went east. So keep your eyes open for the blog on each.
Next day we headed out north on 43. We got off on 41/141 and continued north to Wausaukee. We stopped and grabbed a bite to eat, which gave me time to look at the map. I have a friend who is a teacher at one of the local high schools from Wisconsin, a town called Wabeno. So, I was trying to find out where we got off in Wausaukee to get there. Unfortunately, I was having map-reading issues. It doesn't happen often, but yeah, sometimes even the Shotgun Navigator has trouble reading maps. So, we somehow didn't find it and stayed north on 41/141 til Pembine, which is the intersection of 8 and 41/141. So we headed west on 8 til we hit 51. The Nicolet Nat'l Forest is fairly pretty. At least it was the prettiest forest I had been through til we went to Arkansas. Rhinelander is a pretty city as well. Heh, in general, Wisconsin north of Packerland (Green Bay) is pretty. So we get on 51N and followed it to Minocqua. How to describe that which is Minocqua? It's almost an island. There is water an either side, and would be a true island but for a small connection of land on the north and south side. It is a bit "tourist trappy" but doesn't really come off that way. If you've been to Door County in Wisconsin, it's a bit less tourist trap feeling than Door County. The Best Western there is like a block or two off downtown and right across the street from the water. It is a very photogenic area. Make sure to go to the Minocqua Brewing Company for dinner. It's right across the street, same side as the lake. And if you get lucky, you can get window seating facing the water. They have 7 beers they make on-site. So, if you're feeling daring or are a beer drinker, make sure you try at least one of their beers. They do offer a paddle, which gives you a couple ounce glass of each beer so you can try them all. You can also buy them by the half-gallon and take it with you. The first time it's $18, but if you keep the jug, it's $10 for a refill. And trust me, you'll end up back in Minocqua. Also, make sure you go downtown and do a little shopping. I didn't think the prices were outrageous for a place you know is a vacation spot. In two trips up to Wisconsin, we've done Minocqua both times, so a grand total of two nights there, and I would love to go up there for like a 3-5 night stay and really check it out.
So, the next morning we headed back south, starting on 51. We stayed on it through Stevens Point, a pretty city that has a branch of the University of Wisconsin. We got off 51 south of Stevens Point and meandered SW through Dodgeville (claim to fame is the House on the Rock; went there on family vacation as a kid, interesting place) into Platteville. For all the Bears fans who may be reading this, UW-Platteville is where the Bears did training camp for several years. That was my first trip to Platteville in at least a decade. It's a beautiful city, in a beautiful part of WI. It has a nice McDonalds as well. LOL That was the main reason we stopped. It was like 12:30 and we were both hungry. Our destination was an hour down the road. Dubuque IA is a interesting city on the river. And basically if you throw a rock NE it is going to land in Wisconsin, and SE it is going to land in Illinois. This was the first time I brought a camera with me; most my shots were on the road, but I usually took photos in wherever we stopped for the night. I didn't take too many in Dubuque, but I did get some from the parking lot. And the drive through the following morning was nice too. It's a pretty city.
Now, we did head home the following morning, but I want to say that I've been on 61 from Dubuque IA to basically St Louis MO. The stretch from I80 to St Louis is pretty, but from Dubuque to 80, apart from the cities you go through, is a pretty boring stretch of road. Not much to look at.
The next entry starts the 2009 series of roadtrips. There were 4, but one of those ended up only being for one night. We ended up in Wisconsin again for one full trip, and would have been for two full trips, but the second was the one night stay. And there was a trip down south that ended up in Cincinnati (rather interesting, we were basically in OK, and decided to go to OH). And the fourth went east. So keep your eyes open for the blog on each.
3/17/10
After a 3 year wait #2
Well, actually 3 and a half years. This one is near the end of October 2005. The first day, we hopped on I80 to the quad cities and got on 61 south out of Davenport. 61 is a pretty nice strectch, at least south of the quad cities. There are a few times you're right on Ole Miss. We stopped in Quincy IL for the night. We stayed right downtown about 3 blocks east of the river and two blocks south of 24. Now Quincy is a town worthy of spending several nights in. I actually did head back there in 2007 for a week. Both times I was at the Holiday Inn on like 2nd Ave. It is no longer a Holiday Inn, but there are several hotels within a block or two. If you're only there one or two nights, make sure you do two things: 1. Eat at The Patio. It is on 3rd Ave right across from where the HI used to be. 2. Get there early enough to wander around downtown for a while. It's like 4 blocks north to south and 13 to 14 blocks east to west. It's a very beautiful area.
And again, we end up in Branson. I should have mentioned in the last post we had stayed at a HI Express. Not a bad hotel, but a basic one as in not full service. This time, we did it right. The Radisson there is phenomenally gorgeous. Marble floors in the lobby, better than average rooms, great atmosphere. And the bar/restaurant area. Unbelievable. Not sure it's still set up like this, but when we were there it went like this: You go to the lower floor, get off the elevator, and follow the signs. You go down this hall that is littered with memorabilia from virtually every war America has been in, newpapers, uniforms, medals, etc. A good tribute to those who served. You hang a right a bit down this hall and the bar is on the left, the restaurant on the right. Bar opens a 4, we were there at 4, and beat the bartender. This means something, lol, this is important. And we come to why I like hanging in the bar. We get talking at 2 couples from Arkansas, around Little Rock. 3 drinks and two HOURS of conversation later, we (the uncle and the shotgun) went for food. LOL Long walk, 40 feet from where we were sitting in the bar. Personally I think hotel food is pretty underrated. Yes, it may be a smidge pricy, but I don't think it's too far out there. So, yeah, the food was pretty good. We nursed dinner for the better part of an hour, then yours truly had the wonderful idea "Hey let's go for an after dinner drink or two, my treat." So, back to the bar we went. Now hotel bars to my mind can be a bit overpriced. I've been in some where the prices are real close or the same to what I pay locally and some are like 2-4 bucks higher. This place was of like the 4-5 dollar a drink variety. So, I bought 2 rounds for me and the uncle. $20. Ok, so back in the bar, enjoying Kahlua and creams. We walk in at 7pm and are sitting at the elbow of the bar, got a youngish couple (guessing late 30s early 40s) sitting to the right of us at the wall and an older couple (guessing mid 70s) on the left. The older guy was in the bar with us earlier alone and was now back with the wife. Between the 6 of us, cutting jokes, trading stories, talking news, having an all around great time. I still laugh every time I think about it. So, the uncle and I are halfway through drink number two (and planning on going back to the room after we finish) when the bartender drops a drink in front of each of us. Points to the older couple "From them." Okay. Get halfway through that on and the other couples are getting dry, so the uncle goes for money to buy a round. "No No" the younger couple says, "Your moneys no good here." And THEY buy a round. Okaay, so up to 4 drinks now. Mind you, I only wanted one maybe two drinks and we're up to 4. Now, I'm no lightweight with the liquor, I just wasn't looking to get a little discombobulated that night. Heh, fate had other ideas. Needless to say, three and a half hours after walking in and 6 to 8 drinks, we were excusing ourselves and slightly sverved our way back to the room. LOL My uncle plops down on the bed giggling. "You got me drunk" he says. Eh, you'll have that.
So, next morning we head back out on the trail. We traveled south on 65 into Arkansas and traveled east on the first highway we came to, 62. Travelled that for the better part of the day. And swung back into Missouri stopping in Cape Girardeau. Now, that stretch we were on in Arkansas, you end up going through like the Ozarks. Absolutely beautiful scenery. You do need to be a bit careful. Some of the roads switchback almost out of mowhere, and there isn't much for guardrails, or at least there weren't when we were there, so if you are too lost in the scenery you may go for a dive. But it is so worth the drive. And we headed home the next day.
All in all, a bit short, but well worth getting out of the house for.
And again, we end up in Branson. I should have mentioned in the last post we had stayed at a HI Express. Not a bad hotel, but a basic one as in not full service. This time, we did it right. The Radisson there is phenomenally gorgeous. Marble floors in the lobby, better than average rooms, great atmosphere. And the bar/restaurant area. Unbelievable. Not sure it's still set up like this, but when we were there it went like this: You go to the lower floor, get off the elevator, and follow the signs. You go down this hall that is littered with memorabilia from virtually every war America has been in, newpapers, uniforms, medals, etc. A good tribute to those who served. You hang a right a bit down this hall and the bar is on the left, the restaurant on the right. Bar opens a 4, we were there at 4, and beat the bartender. This means something, lol, this is important. And we come to why I like hanging in the bar. We get talking at 2 couples from Arkansas, around Little Rock. 3 drinks and two HOURS of conversation later, we (the uncle and the shotgun) went for food. LOL Long walk, 40 feet from where we were sitting in the bar. Personally I think hotel food is pretty underrated. Yes, it may be a smidge pricy, but I don't think it's too far out there. So, yeah, the food was pretty good. We nursed dinner for the better part of an hour, then yours truly had the wonderful idea "Hey let's go for an after dinner drink or two, my treat." So, back to the bar we went. Now hotel bars to my mind can be a bit overpriced. I've been in some where the prices are real close or the same to what I pay locally and some are like 2-4 bucks higher. This place was of like the 4-5 dollar a drink variety. So, I bought 2 rounds for me and the uncle. $20. Ok, so back in the bar, enjoying Kahlua and creams. We walk in at 7pm and are sitting at the elbow of the bar, got a youngish couple (guessing late 30s early 40s) sitting to the right of us at the wall and an older couple (guessing mid 70s) on the left. The older guy was in the bar with us earlier alone and was now back with the wife. Between the 6 of us, cutting jokes, trading stories, talking news, having an all around great time. I still laugh every time I think about it. So, the uncle and I are halfway through drink number two (and planning on going back to the room after we finish) when the bartender drops a drink in front of each of us. Points to the older couple "From them." Okay. Get halfway through that on and the other couples are getting dry, so the uncle goes for money to buy a round. "No No" the younger couple says, "Your moneys no good here." And THEY buy a round. Okaay, so up to 4 drinks now. Mind you, I only wanted one maybe two drinks and we're up to 4. Now, I'm no lightweight with the liquor, I just wasn't looking to get a little discombobulated that night. Heh, fate had other ideas. Needless to say, three and a half hours after walking in and 6 to 8 drinks, we were excusing ourselves and slightly sverved our way back to the room. LOL My uncle plops down on the bed giggling. "You got me drunk" he says. Eh, you'll have that.
So, next morning we head back out on the trail. We traveled south on 65 into Arkansas and traveled east on the first highway we came to, 62. Travelled that for the better part of the day. And swung back into Missouri stopping in Cape Girardeau. Now, that stretch we were on in Arkansas, you end up going through like the Ozarks. Absolutely beautiful scenery. You do need to be a bit careful. Some of the roads switchback almost out of mowhere, and there isn't much for guardrails, or at least there weren't when we were there, so if you are too lost in the scenery you may go for a dive. But it is so worth the drive. And we headed home the next day.
All in all, a bit short, but well worth getting out of the house for.
3/15/10
The premeire road Trip
This one started late Feb./early Mar. 2002. We'll pick this one up in Branson MO. We had spent two nights there due to some intestinal "distress" and we saw a show while we were there. Branson is a nice place. I had been there several years earlier on family vacation. Silver Dollar City, which is nearby, is nice also. Another nice city that is within about an hour or so of Branson (and I would love to get back there and wander around) is Eureka Springs AR. Jump on 65S into Arkansas and head west on 62. Pretty country as well as a pretty little city. Now, I'm not much into country music or any of the other types that are available in Branson, but it is a very pretty city. Beautiful views of the surrounding countryside as well. I would recommend to anyone that you go at least once, if for no other reason than to say you've been there. It's a bit tourist trappy though. Branson was also the first time we did something we would mirror for a couple trips to come. We went to a Wal Mart. I know, I know, kind of stupid, but it became tradition for the next couple trips. Had to stop at Wal Mart. Whether it was to buy something or just use the terlet or both. Another tradition started on this trip that continues unless we end up in WI is eating at Cracker Barrel. Good food, decent price, great candy and knick knacks. What's not to love. I guess I need a couple small things to, I don't know, just have something to expect.
After leaving Branson, we headed west and stopped in Oklahoma, in I want to say Norman, which is a bit southe of OK City, just off I35. One of the few nights we didn't full service it. We didn't in Branson on this trip either.
We ended up the next night in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Beautiful twin city area. Don't remember which Holiday Inn we were at (there's like 2 dozen or so in the area), but it was gorgeous. Part of the reason I do like the full serve hotels with a bar is you aren't just stuck in your room. You can hang at the bar, even if you aren't really a drinker, and just have a good time talking with other people. Most of the memorable events on roadtrip for me happened in a hotel bar.
While I am not a huge Interstate fan, the I35 corridor from OK City to San Antonio is pretty, especially after you get into TX. You get through just enough of like Waco and Austin to make the ride enjoyable. San Antonio is pretty as well. Did a little ride around when we were there, saw the Alamo. My problem is at this point I hadn't thought to bring a camera to take pictures. I didn''t for the first 3 or 4 that we did. That's the main reason I recommended bringing a camera, as obvious as it sounded.
So, after San Antonio it was back to I35 North, something I don't usually do on RT. I usually take us a way we haven't seen, but the uncle wasn't up for Louisiana, so back the way we came. As we hit the D/FW area we got on I30 into AR. Went through Little Rock, a city I returned to in 2009 on road trip. More on that later. Don't remember how we got there, but we ended up in Owenboro KY, on the border with IN. The greatest part of that hotel, and unfortunately it's not in operation anymore, or at least not a Holiday Inn, is they had this networked video game thing. You had a wireless keyboard that interfaced with a TV that was hooked up nationwide to other hotels and whatever and you competed in a trivia game against them. One couple was playing it when my uncle and I entered the bar and we ended up having a few and playing with them.
And then headed home the next day. Unless specified, all stays were for one night. As I said, I'm mainly trying to give the general route we took as best as I remember. This is the only one I don't remember the whole route. On to the next one.
After leaving Branson, we headed west and stopped in Oklahoma, in I want to say Norman, which is a bit southe of OK City, just off I35. One of the few nights we didn't full service it. We didn't in Branson on this trip either.
We ended up the next night in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Beautiful twin city area. Don't remember which Holiday Inn we were at (there's like 2 dozen or so in the area), but it was gorgeous. Part of the reason I do like the full serve hotels with a bar is you aren't just stuck in your room. You can hang at the bar, even if you aren't really a drinker, and just have a good time talking with other people. Most of the memorable events on roadtrip for me happened in a hotel bar.
While I am not a huge Interstate fan, the I35 corridor from OK City to San Antonio is pretty, especially after you get into TX. You get through just enough of like Waco and Austin to make the ride enjoyable. San Antonio is pretty as well. Did a little ride around when we were there, saw the Alamo. My problem is at this point I hadn't thought to bring a camera to take pictures. I didn''t for the first 3 or 4 that we did. That's the main reason I recommended bringing a camera, as obvious as it sounded.
So, after San Antonio it was back to I35 North, something I don't usually do on RT. I usually take us a way we haven't seen, but the uncle wasn't up for Louisiana, so back the way we came. As we hit the D/FW area we got on I30 into AR. Went through Little Rock, a city I returned to in 2009 on road trip. More on that later. Don't remember how we got there, but we ended up in Owenboro KY, on the border with IN. The greatest part of that hotel, and unfortunately it's not in operation anymore, or at least not a Holiday Inn, is they had this networked video game thing. You had a wireless keyboard that interfaced with a TV that was hooked up nationwide to other hotels and whatever and you competed in a trivia game against them. One couple was playing it when my uncle and I entered the bar and we ended up having a few and playing with them.
And then headed home the next day. Unless specified, all stays were for one night. As I said, I'm mainly trying to give the general route we took as best as I remember. This is the only one I don't remember the whole route. On to the next one.
Shots from the road part 1
All three are from a trip to WI between 8/30/08 and 9/2/08. Bottom photo is of Lake Michigan on county road (I believe) LS. Middle photo is in Minocqua WI. Top photo I don't remember what road we were on.
3/14/10
Where to go and more of the Tao of Chris
How do you decide where to roadtrip? In my experiences, it has been "Hey, shotgun navigator. How would you like to go south for a few days and get out of town?" Or maybe a hair bit more specifically, "Hey, shotgun navigator. Wanna go to Wisconsin for a few days?" My all-time fave tho was "you know shotgun navigator, I've never really been thru Indiana. I mean, I've been thru it on the interstate, but never thru it. So, let's go east and make sure we hit Indiana by way of not interstates." LOL That trip we went as far east as WV. Well, actually the first road we came to crossing into it from OH, so I guess the Ohio River was basically the farthest east we went. So, I am used to just making it up as we go along. One day at a time. Get to the hotel, go to the room, and before dinner have the "which direction tomorrow?" conversation so I can come up with a general route for the next day. So, you can plan it all out to the second, or figure it out along the way. If you aren't in a real hurry, or just don't care, try the latter. It gives more flexibility about what you see and do. You aren't having to make a certain distance daily and you can relax a bit more. Need a break? Well, there's a city in five minutes. If you have it planned to the second and mile marker, you're less likely to stop anywhere or enjoy the scenery.
For me, roadtripping isn't about having to get "x" miles under the wheels before we stop. That isn't fun, that's insanely boring. Generally you're Interstating. Wow, look at all the cornfields! And as stated earlier, you go past cities but not through them. That isn't always the case, of course, but you get my point.
Okay, enough of the philosophizing for now. Next post we go back in time to February 2002 and the original roadtrip as well as the others. I'll give the trip as I remember it (don't really remember the very way well unfortunately) and the general route. This way, you can sort of follow by map where we were at.
For me, roadtripping isn't about having to get "x" miles under the wheels before we stop. That isn't fun, that's insanely boring. Generally you're Interstating. Wow, look at all the cornfields! And as stated earlier, you go past cities but not through them. That isn't always the case, of course, but you get my point.
Okay, enough of the philosophizing for now. Next post we go back in time to February 2002 and the original roadtrip as well as the others. I'll give the trip as I remember it (don't really remember the very way well unfortunately) and the general route. This way, you can sort of follow by map where we were at.
By what route? and the Tao of Chris
To Interstate or not to Interstate, that is the question. Personally, I'm not a fan of interstates when on roadtrip. I go to get away from home, to enjoy the view, and just relax. You can't do that on the interstate. You're worried about the clown in the semi behind you and the idiots in front of you and next to you. Get off the interstates, stay to the highways and byways, go through the little towns, see some Americana.
Agreed, sometimes the interstate is the best or only way to get somewhere, but why go past a city when you can go through it? You never know what you'll see. And that has been difinitely true in my experience. I'll post photos in future blogs, but case in point: Chester, IL. It's a town of like 4 or 5 thousand and is the home to one or two of the cartoonists who drew Popeye. And there are murals and statues everywhere of the different characters. You just never know what you'll find by going through the smaller cities.
The way I work as "shotgun navigator" is I plan out a general route (we're gonna take a to b to c to final destination) and if the scenery isn't doing anything for me, I alter the route. I also generally pick three cities as possible destinations for the day. Now, I must tell you, for the most part, every trip I've done has been mostly unplanned. It's basically been point the car in a direction and fill in the blanks along the way. So when determining where to stop, I usually come up with a 6 hour, 7 hour and 8 hour spot (or somewhere thereabouts).
Generally speaking, we find a full service hotel (restaurant and bar) for the night. Holiday Inn is pretty consistently nice anywhere you go. And they aren't too expensive, usually $80 to $100 a night. Now, if money is a bit of an issue, Hampton Inns are nice, La Quintas are nice, there are a lot of nice cheaper hotels. My big thing, is not wanting to necessarily drive in a city I've never been to before; plus if I want to have a drink I have to behave. At least at a full service hotel, you can grab a bite to eat, go hang out in the bar, get snarked out of your gourd if you want (a future entry will have an interesting story from Branson MO), and then just stagger back to your room and not get arrested for a DUI.
And the 6 to 8 hour drive time is kind of an arbitrary thing. I like to be able to enjoy the hotel room a little, go for a walk around whatever city I'm in, and maybe take in some of the localness of the place. Besides, as much as I like just going for a drive, after a few days, I'm ready to just get where we're going so I can get out of the car. Near the end of the road trip it's usually the last 2 or 3 hours of driving that are hard. Part of it is, I don't sleep well on vacation, not the first night anyway. And when every night is sort of a first night, well it isn't that I don't like the view, I just am a little burned out. And a smidge stressed from navigator duties. But all in all I have a great time, otherwise I wouldn't be bothering with this.
Agreed, sometimes the interstate is the best or only way to get somewhere, but why go past a city when you can go through it? You never know what you'll see. And that has been difinitely true in my experience. I'll post photos in future blogs, but case in point: Chester, IL. It's a town of like 4 or 5 thousand and is the home to one or two of the cartoonists who drew Popeye. And there are murals and statues everywhere of the different characters. You just never know what you'll find by going through the smaller cities.
The way I work as "shotgun navigator" is I plan out a general route (we're gonna take a to b to c to final destination) and if the scenery isn't doing anything for me, I alter the route. I also generally pick three cities as possible destinations for the day. Now, I must tell you, for the most part, every trip I've done has been mostly unplanned. It's basically been point the car in a direction and fill in the blanks along the way. So when determining where to stop, I usually come up with a 6 hour, 7 hour and 8 hour spot (or somewhere thereabouts).
Generally speaking, we find a full service hotel (restaurant and bar) for the night. Holiday Inn is pretty consistently nice anywhere you go. And they aren't too expensive, usually $80 to $100 a night. Now, if money is a bit of an issue, Hampton Inns are nice, La Quintas are nice, there are a lot of nice cheaper hotels. My big thing, is not wanting to necessarily drive in a city I've never been to before; plus if I want to have a drink I have to behave. At least at a full service hotel, you can grab a bite to eat, go hang out in the bar, get snarked out of your gourd if you want (a future entry will have an interesting story from Branson MO), and then just stagger back to your room and not get arrested for a DUI.
And the 6 to 8 hour drive time is kind of an arbitrary thing. I like to be able to enjoy the hotel room a little, go for a walk around whatever city I'm in, and maybe take in some of the localness of the place. Besides, as much as I like just going for a drive, after a few days, I'm ready to just get where we're going so I can get out of the car. Near the end of the road trip it's usually the last 2 or 3 hours of driving that are hard. Part of it is, I don't sleep well on vacation, not the first night anyway. And when every night is sort of a first night, well it isn't that I don't like the view, I just am a little burned out. And a smidge stressed from navigator duties. But all in all I have a great time, otherwise I wouldn't be bothering with this.
The "well, duh" post
So, you've decided to roadtrip, what do you need? While most everything is common sense and pretty obvious, we'll discuss it anyway.
1. Clothes. I don't know about you, but not a huge fan of wandering strange towns nekkid. I always pack one or two days extra of clothes, just in case. Accidents happen, and sometimes we decide to stay out a day longer. Obviously you could wash your clothes at a hotel, but it doesn't cost you anything to pack an extra outfit or two.
2. Atlas. I personally take two with me. Both are medium-size and by different companies. Sometimes cities and roads aren't always on one map but will be on another map. Or certain cities will be on one map but the same map won't have certain roads on it. I prefer the medium to the large size for just room and ease of use.
3. Camera. I mean, come on, you're on vacation. This is a must. You may see some scenery you think is picture worthy, or you may want to wander around the city you stop in for the night.
4. Cash. Because not every is plastic friendly.
5. Friends/family. Who wants to travel alone? And doesn't everyone need a break from driving?
1. Clothes. I don't know about you, but not a huge fan of wandering strange towns nekkid. I always pack one or two days extra of clothes, just in case. Accidents happen, and sometimes we decide to stay out a day longer. Obviously you could wash your clothes at a hotel, but it doesn't cost you anything to pack an extra outfit or two.
2. Atlas. I personally take two with me. Both are medium-size and by different companies. Sometimes cities and roads aren't always on one map but will be on another map. Or certain cities will be on one map but the same map won't have certain roads on it. I prefer the medium to the large size for just room and ease of use.
3. Camera. I mean, come on, you're on vacation. This is a must. You may see some scenery you think is picture worthy, or you may want to wander around the city you stop in for the night.
4. Cash. Because not every is plastic friendly.
5. Friends/family. Who wants to travel alone? And doesn't everyone need a break from driving?
Hi
Welcome to the premiere of the wonderful blog o' mine. So, obviously the majority of the posts are going to be about roadtripping, mainly ones I've been on. It'll include routes, sights, and other errata. I just wanted to pass along some of the knowledge I've picked up over the years and offer advice to others. So with that in mind, one of the best places for info on Roadtripping is http://www.roadtripamerica.com . Tons of advice, reviews, and even funny pictures. So why bother reading here? Because I am going to talk about roads I've been on, places I've stopped, and based on that help you decide whether or not to take a certain road. RTA is very good for this as well, however you know as well as I that sometimes (on any website) you ask a question and have to wait a couple days. So, entry one ends here. Be looking for more to come, some including photos of scenery taken during some of my travels.
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