Along
Interstate 75: Local Knowledge, Entertainment And Insider Tips,
for Your Drive Between Detroit And the Florida Border ,
by Dave Hunter
The thing that always strikes me when I pick
up the latest edition of Dave Hunter's Along Interstate
75 is the minute detail that he diligently updates each
year. For example, one of the hallmarks of the series is the
colored "speed rating" that is superimposed over
the successive sections of the roadway and provides information
about the speed limits in that area. Since I have copies of
all of the annual editions going back several years, I always
check random sections of the highway and find updated sections
with new speed ratings. For instance, in the 13th edition
mile marker 80 in Ohio was clear sailing. In the 14th, however,
the author found some bridge repair where the road crosses
the Great Miami River and the road speed has been downgraded
to 55 mph. While this change is not monumental in scope, it
is indicative of the passion for detail that the author maintains
in this remarkable guidebook. It also means that if you drive
I-75 on a regular basis, keeping the latest copy of Along
Interstate 75 at your side can save you some real headaches.
While conducting the research for this newest
edition, Hunter found more travel service business changes
this year than he has ever seen in the past. Along the 958
miles between Detroit, Michigan and the Georgia-Florida border,
he found 331 businesses had closed or moved to a new location
and 420 new operations had opened for business. With this
guidebook, travelers on I-75 can find all 748 gas stations,
1,531 restaurants and 739 lodging options that Hunter has
identifies and visited along Interstate 75 between Sault Ste
Marie and Lake Park, Georgia.
Probably the most significant change in this
new edition is the addition of colored text boxes on the 25-mile
section maps. There is so much information packed into these
pages that it can occasionally be difficult to make sense
about what is being presented. The author has tried to overcome
this issue by adding even more information in the form of
text boxes. These hold information about traffic flow, location
of police radar traps, exit services, Civil War notes, and
"high occupancy vehicle" lane information. It's
possible that these pages may have reached the point of "too
much of a good thing," even though all the details are
accurate and useful.
The author's scholarship in locating and documenting
Civil War and other historical locations found along the Interstate
is truly amazing. The maps in the "Off the Beaten Path"
section are excellent. Traffic lights are frequently identified
on these maps, making it easier to navigate to some of the
lesser-known attractions the author has profiled.
Dave and his wife Kathy have been driving this
route for nearly forty years, and their collection of "Insider
Tips" found in the white pages in the center of the book
are alone worth the price of the guidebook. Here you can find
out that the "best ribs in America" are at Calhouns
in Knoxville, Tennessee. Unique shopping opportunities like
Tippicanoe Frontier Trading Company in Ohio, which sells authentic
1700s-style clothing, are profiled, and you'll also find money-saving
info like the fact that Georgia has lower fuel prices.
Probably the most delightful thing about Along
Interstate 75 is that it's fun to read even when you're
traveling by armchair. The good writing, practical detail,
and variety of information will make you want to go out of
your way to include I-75 on your next road trip. The book
leaves you wishing that every highway in America had a chronicler
as dedicated and able as Dave Hunter.
Mark
Sedenquist
4/11/08
|
