New Travels and Stats Discussion

[yakra]

I considered Urban Dictionary, but just had to go with Wikipedia instead...

[julmac]

Just finished my first single-journey completion of a major US route. Drove US 75 from end to end on my way to a seminar at the University of North Texas. Took US 83 for much of the way back. Also my longest solo trip to date. Highlights along the route included Pipestone National Monument (MN), the Little House on the Prairie (KS), Monument Rocks (KS), and Nebraska sandhills. My wife and kids were sad that they didn't get to see the Little House on the Prairie, but quite happy not having to sit through eight days of driving the prairies to see it.

Will now focus on getting my log file up-to-date (it's severely backlogged with new preview systems), and ongoing system reviews before a more usual trip to the west coast with the family next month.

[SSOWorld]

Completion of a two-week trip through the southeast (KY, TN, AL, FL, GA, SC, NC - Also IN).  Brings Florida into my personal top 10 (with the state routes included).  Fell short of finishing the FL Interstates by 8.46 (I-10 E of Lake City and the Jacksonville belt).  also got the routes along the Keys (US1 and FLA1A).  Also did a little Disney World roadgeeking (on and off the road  ). TN was also heavily covered with new route travels with I-24, I-40, I-65, I-440 and I-840 added to the "Done" list.  I only need 26, 75, 81, 124 and the piece of 269 that got built after 2015.  IL also has only a portion of I-70 remaining (E of IL 4) and it's done.  This also included my first entry into South Carolina (I only have to island hop (self-explanatory), drive the frontier, and go Vermonting).

Off of this trip - I now have seen where some of the "other ends" of routes that I use regularly (in state) are with my own eyes.  US-45 in Mobile and US-41 in Miami (wherever the route ends I made sure - can't believe between my own eyes or the FL GIS data).


After tomorrow and over 5000 miles of driving, my car wants to rest and lick its wounds (only bug splats )

[Jim]

I picked up a few hundred new miles on a quick swing down to the Carolinas and back.  I cracked 85,000 miles on active systems, 88,000 on active+preview.  I clinched my 600th active route, likely when I traveled the new I-73 section near Greensboro.  I got my first-ever mileage on US 123, meaning I have driven on at least one segment of 191 of the 219 routes in the usaus system, and my first-ever mileage on I-385, for 285 of 365 traveled (184 clinched) in usai.

Along the way, I discovered that US 209/PA 325/PA 225/US 22-322 is a nice alternative to avoid the always-bad traffic on I-81 between Harrisburg and I-78, and that US 220 from Roanoke to the I-73 segment north of Greensboro still needs some work before it's a great option.  Also, that I really like the ride on US 178 over the mountains between NC and SC (though I don't think I've ever found a bad route through any of the mountains down that way).

[oscar]

I just got back from a few weeks on the road, taking a sidewinding southern route out to Colorado then a more direct northern route on the return. Part of the plan was to clinch several US routes, plus the long TX 114 across Texas. I was able to clinch US 601 and TX 114, plus re-clinch US 33 after its recent relocation in Goshen IN, and re-clinch in advance US 29 in Lawrenceville GA once its pending relocation is implemented (not yet). I wasn't quite able to finish off US 501, US 80, and US 138 due to mid-route construction closures, so I'll have to go back and finish off the missing route segments once those projects are completed.

Between the outbound and return trips, I spent several days soaking at a favorite hot springs resort in southern Colorado, a mountain location with limited cellphone or Internet access. I did some light travel around Colorado before returning home, including becoming the only user so far to clinch CO 65, CO 92, and CO 330 east of Grand Junction, and CO 17 and CO 136 in the Alamosa area.

[mapmikey]

After 3 rainouts I finally got to take a trip this year which added clinchable mileage.

I went to Columbus OH, Cleveland and indianapolis:

Corridor H and Corridor D to Athens OH, then nearly everything after this back to Portsmouth OH was new mileage:
US 33 through Columbus to the top side of their beltway.  Note there are two US 33 cutouts just after leaving US 23 but they looked quite recent to me (though GMSV shows they were there by 2007).  Here is one of them - https://goo.gl/maps/aYSFys9yTWQ2

Went to Cleveland via I-71, I-76 and OH 8.  While in Cleveland a few days, I was able to get all the US route mileage within the city limits plus rode US 6 west all the way to Vermilion to see the lovely lakeshore it traverses.

To get to Indianapolis I used I-71 and US 224 across Ohio.  The plan was to follow 224 to US 24 then US 31.  However, Indiana has US 224 completely closed just west of IN 1, so I had to abandon my plan to be able to Nationally Clinch US 224.  Used IN 1, IN 124, IN 5, I-69 to Indy instead.  While in Indy got some mileage on US 136 and US 421 plus IN 39 and IN 32.

Coming back to Virginia, I used US 52 to Huntington WV except I used I-275 around the north of Cincinnati.  Then I-64 back to central Virginia.  I-64 in West Virginia is under construction in numerous places and was annoying as hell.

New Clinches:  WV 32, I-277 (OH), OH 8
Significant new mileage: I-71 Columbus to Cleveland; US 224 from IN 1 to Akron; US 52 Indy to Portsmouth OH (minus inside I-275)

[froggie]

Something I was pondering recently....am I the "most traveled" member who's married?  I know Oscar isn't married but I was curious about the others who have more mileage than me.

[bejacob]

Something I was pondering recently....am I the "most traveled" member who's married?  I know Oscar isn't married but I was curious about the others who have more mileage than me.

I'm just above you in the list and while I'm not married, my partner and I have been cohabiting for a decade now. She encourages me go off alone to collect highway mileage, counties, frequent flyer miles, and hotel points. Those last two come in handy when we vacation together several times a year.

In early September we're taking our first trip to Alaska (the 50th state for me) and she already knows I will be collecting some routes while there. Sadly, I'll have to tone it down a bit for her sake. Still, I'm looking forward to finally having some highway mileage in all 50 states. Maybe I can even clinch a route or two.   I-A3 looks like a possibility. Already booked the 12-hour bus tour for Denali, so maybe ParkRd as well. Can't wait.

[oscar]

Already booked the 12-hour bus tour for Denali, so maybe ParkRd as well. Can't wait.

You'll be ahead of me. I only took the short version of the bus tour ... and that was only because there was exactly one space left on the next departing bus (one of the few times when traveling solo worked to my advantage).

[bejacob]

Already booked the 12-hour bus tour for Denali, so maybe ParkRd as well. Can't wait.

You'll be ahead of me.

On one route out of thousands.  LOL.

[Jim]

I'm just wrapping up a trip to Nebraska (4th year in a row, amazingly enough, visiting friends there for various events).  Primarily on the ride home, I was able to find a lot of new ways that added up to about 650 new miles for my TM stats and 19 new counties on mob-rule.  Mainly this was accomplished by taking US 34 across southern Iowa (nice and reasonably fast!), a little I-74 I hadn't done before, and US 24 across from I-55 to Toledo, with an exception of a dip down to Lafayette to have some food options for lunch.  It was a welcome change to I-80.  As far as TM-specific stats, I have cracked 86,000 miles in active routes and 89,000 in active+preview.  I only completed a clinch of 2 routes but added my first travels on 12.  The vast majority was new miles on US highways I had traveled in part previously.

[ntallyn]

I had 3 hours to kill between leaving my wife with her sisters in Layton, UT and having to be at the SLC airport, so I picked up quite a bit of new state route mileage in the area. Clinched UT 60, 105, 106, 109, 225, 227, 232 (the signed portion), and 273.

Then a round-trip from MCI to Abilene got more new mileage, clinching I-635, K-10, K-30, K-43, K-114, K-138, K-185, and completing the KS portion of I-35 and US 40.

[yakra]

Today I clinched Old (pre-1940) US1 in Waldoboro. Maine doesn't do historic US route signage, so this isn't eligible for USAUSH, but it's concurrent with ME220 for a whopping 0.39 miles, which I hadn't previously traveled. Traveling West Main St yesterday, I was able to go north on ME32 to rejoin US1 at a handy protected left signal, for 0.47 new miles on ME32.
YEEEEE-HAW!

[sipes23]

I'm going to Alaska Sunday, so I'll be adding mileage in a new region for the first time in a few years. It will probably put me super close to 50,000 miles in active systems without pushing me over that line. Also, I have a couple more clinches in Wyoming to add to ensure that I stay at first place there.

[Jim]

Picked up some "new" travels today without leaving the house.  I noticed a segment of FL 121 I know I'd driven was not on my map.  Got out an old highlighted RMcN from 2006 to verify which parts I'd driven and found a whole trip's worth that showed a handful of segments that I missed when putting in my usafl and usaga routes.  Over 2500 active+preview routes traveled now!