My tenth trip to visit family, has me learning a new way.

[DonnaR57]

Hubby and I have had some recent unplanned "scenic trips" through areas that we didn't intend to drive through, trying to find things without that annoying voice of iMaps or Google Maps coming from the phone. The most recent was Saturday's adventure trying to find the POA pool. We sure saw more lovely houses, though we are quite happy with the one that we finished moving into on Saturday morning!

It seems that we're all on new learning curves -- you with your new travel vehicle, and us with a house that has things that we've never had to learn before (i.e. water softener machine, septic system, electronic locks). We could each call this "the summer of adventure!"



Donna

[Lifemagician]

It's a while now I have been travelling. Things have been going a lot better, and I seem to have been on the road I wanted to be more often than not. (Hope you are too Donna.) Getting onto reliable wifi has been a challenge, not giving me as many opportunities as I had hoped.

US-52 is a road which stands out in my memory. It was in VA or WV that I lost this road, and ended up driving much of it a second time. Once I was settled on it, it took me all the way to Ashland KY. Though not a senic road in the way some of the roads through the mountains in VA were, it was a very pleasant drive. [Later, while visiting friends in MN, I chanced upon US-52 north of Minneapolis. This time it was not the pleasant drive I had experienced before. Here it was the same road as I-94, i.e. lots of construction, trucks, and heavy traffic late in the day, while raining and getting dark.] This is also where I stayed in one of the nicest hotels I have experienced so far - The Travelodge in St Cloud - friendly and very helpful in every possible way.

US-60 is a great alternative to the Interstates across KY. It is medium speed and not all that busy, passes through a multitude of little and bigger places as well as a variety of agriculture. Though not classified as a 'Scenic route', it is none the less a most relaxing drive. There was a great choice of accommodation along the way. Many of the smaller places along the way were great to stop, have a break from driving, a cuppa and maybe a walk through a local park or window shop.

Having crossed into IN at Evansville, I took US-41 north to Terre Haute. At this point I realised that I better go see my friends in St Paul, as they had a busy schedule, early Sept. volunteering locally. So from there on it was US-41, I-74, I-39, I-90 and I-94 all the way into St Paul MN, where I had four relaxing and enjoyable days.

So far I have been alternating my accommodation between hotels/motels and truck stops, but I am beginning to favour truck stops. For one thing I do not have to drag my luggage out of the car - rarely with any help. Most truck stops have somewhere to eat (or I can get something at a local supermarket) and all the ones I have been to have a microwave, coin laundry and accessible facilities (things, not so readily available in hotels - even ***/****).

Lifey

[DonnaR57]

US-60 through Missouri is also pretty. In the western portion, just east of Springfield, MO, it goes through some Amish country, as well as near the last home of author Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was the place where she wrote the "Little House" books. In the Springfield area, too, is a site of a Civil War battle. That one's on our "must do sometime" list.

Kentucky is also on my "must spend time there" list. My husband has yet to see Mammoth Cave (I haven't seen it since I was a kid). There are also a few other sites I'd like to see there, and in Tennessee as well. I owe my husband a trip to Shiloh battlefield, for instance.

Unfortunately, no traveling for us in the near future. Hubby broke his right wrist, and is in a cast. He's left-handed, but he's one of those ambidextrous type people who only does one or two things with his left (writing and eating) but everything else is done with his right. So he has been learning to adjust. He can drive, for instance, but turning over the ignition is the hardest for him. He's got a doctor appointment almost every week.


Donna

[Midwest Michael]

[Later, while visiting friends in MN, I chanced upon US-52 north of Minneapolis. This time it was not the pleasant drive I had experienced before. Here it was the same road as I-94,

I'm actually surprised you saw any signs for US-52 north of Minneapolis.

US-52 is technically the same road as I-94 from St. Paul all the way to Central North Dakota - where it splits off and heads towards Canada. While I believe it's marked as such in North Dakota, I didn't think Minnesota actually used any signs for US-52 for the sections that are along I-94.

[Lifemagician]

Michael,

I could be wrong, but I feel certain that there were signs for I-94 and US-52, as well as ones pointing to US/MN-10 (dunno which) in the vast construction area south of St Cloud. It may only have been to help navigate one's way through that complicated road diversion section, which was rather complex in the rain and the dark. I did not go further than St Cloud.

I know for a fact that there are signs in Minneapolis on I-90 showing the exits to both US-52 and US-51.

Lifey

[AZBuck]

OK - I'm showing my age with that title but I noticed something on my own recent RoadTrip: Signs seem to be disappearing! I guess it's now just assumed that everyone has GPS for navigation and traffic control - "Speed Limit" signs were especially scarce. So I'll join Michael in his astonishment that you saw US-52 route markers. Navigating by map and signage seems to be going the way of the dodo.

AZbuck

[Lifemagician]

OK - I'm showing my age with that title but I noticed something on my own recent RoadTrip: Signs seem to be disappearing! I guess it's now just assumed that everyone has GPS for navigation and traffic control - "Speed Limit" signs were especially scarce. So I'll join Michael in his astonishment that you saw US-52 route markers. Navigating by map and signage seems to be going the way of the dodo.

AZbuck

Today I had a wonderful day roadtripping in north westerm Arkansas. I looked at the map in the morning, and decided which roads I would drive. I noted down the nuimbers and ended up with a great variety of roads, four lane, four lane divided, two lane with nice wide shoulders, two lane narrow and winding with what seemed like double lines the whole way. Even a few small lengths of interstate.

I noted which number I had to come back on to get where I wanted to spend the night. At no time did I allow the Garmin to lead me astray, or distract me from the wonderful adventure I was experiencing - Motorcycle Rally not-with-standing.

No signs or numbers..... or even maps??? I dread the thought of it.

Lifey

[DonnaR57]

I've noticed that signs for roads that run concurrently are diminishing, perhaps weaning drivers off the US and state highways in favor of interstates. Perhaps that is a matter of funding, maybe not.


Donna

[Mark Sedenquist]

Signs seem to be disappearing! I guess it's now just assumed that everyone has GPS for navigation and traffic control - "Speed Limit" signs were especially scarce. So I'll join Michael in his astonishment that you saw US-52 route markers. Navigating by map and signage seems to be going the way of the dodo.

Yeah, that jives with what I've seen and I haven't been off the grid for a long time.

[Lifemagician]

The heat has been getting the better of me the further south I go. Then, just as I was contemplating on whether to head further south and continue, as planned, to Big Bend NP, or turn around and head back north, the decision was made for me in the form of an email from my daughtwr-in-law in Boston.

She thought I might like to see my grand-daughter in The Three Musketeers, which her school is putting on, in October. With three weeks to get from north-west Arkansas to Boston, I figured I could choose whatever US highways and scenic byways I can find, through places I had not even planned to visit, and places where my other trips have not taken me. As well as visit some I really would like to see again e.g. The viaducts on US-11 in PA.

Arkansas showed me its best. The routes/roads through the mountains and forests, known as the Boston Scenic Loop are a delight to travel. Most, if not all, are marked as either US or State scenic byways for all of their length, or sometimes just part. When you can enjoy that scenery it's just not worth flying past it on an Interstate.

Just as US-60 had been such a pleasant drive trough KY and on other occasions through MO, so is US64, throuigh northeren Arkansas. I plan on taking it a couple of States further east, before looking for routes heading north. US-11 is definitely on the plan there. Other suggestions are welcome, so long as they are not too far away from the Interstates, as that is where the truck stops are.

From here I will continue, making up the plan as the days and miles roll on.

Lifey