I've wanted to post an update on my travels over the past year for awhile now, but haven't gotten around to it. This is going to be a long post. Despite the ongoing situation with COVID craziness basically making this a horrible year for most people, I still managed to get out out and go on several trips that significantly increased my mileage.
In January, I almost clinched all of WA 18, except for the stretch at its western end between WA 161 and WA 99 (completely forgot about it). In mid-March, just before the lockdown happened, I went and drove US 101 on Hood Canal; I hadn't driven that entire stretch of US 101 along Hood Canal before.
During the lockdown, I still got out on the weekends and clinched new highways (was always good to get out of the house!). On one day, I drove on WA 900 between Renton and Issaquah for the first time; on another day, I drove I-5 north up to Bellingham, then traveled on WA 542 and WA 9 north up to Sumas, and then I clinched WA 547, and then headed south on WA 9 to cover new territory between the WA 542 junction and Arlington. As a result, I almost clinched WA 9 except for the border crossing, but unfortunately the border remains closed. I was hoping that COVID would all be over with by the summer and I would be able to get back up to Canada for the first time since 2009 and explore Vancouver, Victoria, and go up to the Canadian Rockies.
Of course, that wasn't possible and the border is still closed. So instead, in August I took a weekend trip to Mount Rainier since it had been at least ten years since I last visited, and there was more that I wanted to see. I drove all the roads in the park, visiting Paradise, Ohanapecosh and Sunrise. I also drove part of WA 123 from Ohanapecosh to WA 410, and drove WA 410 over Chinook Pass, turned around several miles east of the pass and came back westbound on 410 all the way to its western terminus at WA 167 in Sumner. I filmed much of the roads on that trip with my new 4K video camera, which I'm really happy with.
At the end of September, I did a weekend camping trip with some friends from church out on the Olympic Peninsula at a campsite near Aberdeen. On the way back home, I decided to drive out to Ocean Shores and around the Olympic Peninsula. I also clinched WA 109 Spur in Hoquiam, and got some new mileage on WA 109 north of Ocean Shores. I wanted to clinch all of WA 109 but the Quinault tribe had the rest of the road north of Moclips Highway closed off to non-residents in response to covid. So I took the Moclips Highway back to US 101, and got new substantial new mileage on 101 from there north along the coast to the WA 113 junction north of Forks. (I still have a few spots on US 101 in WA left to clinch, which is funny, because I've already clinched all of US 101 in Oregon and that's further away from me!)
I still wanted to do a major roadtrip for the year in lieu of going to the Canadian Rockies, so my Plan B ended up being visiting all the national parks in Utah as well as the Grand Canyon in mid-October. To start off, on the first day, which was a Friday evening, I headed south on I-5 through Washington and Oregon. Now I've clinched all of I-5 in Oregon! (The irony is that I still haven't clinched all of I-5 in WA given that it's a lot closer to where I live, but the one spot that remains unclinched is the Peace Arch border crossing) Also, in Portland, I added part of I-84 between I-5 and I-205, and in Eugene, I clinched I-105, as well as the segment of OR 99 between I-105 and I-5 through downtown Eugene the morning after leaving my motel for the first night of my trip.
Anyway, on the second day, I then continued south on I-5 into California, remaining on I-5 until I-505, which I easily clinched to get to I-80 WB, and I continued on I-80 into the Bay Area until I got to my hotel for the second night in Emeryville. The new roads that I clinched/drove on for the first time included several state routes on city streets in Albany and Berkeley, as well as a bit more of US 101 in San Mateo, CA 92 between US 101 and I-280, CA 1 in San Francisco between I-280 and US 101, all of I-280, part of I-680 from its southern end to CA 24, and all of CA 24. On leaving the Bay Area, I headed east on I-580 from I-238 through the Dublin Canyon, over Altamont Pass to I-205. Then I clinched I-205, picked up part of I-5 NB to CA 120, then took CA 99 to get to the Best Buy in Modesto (had to purchase additional batteries for my video camera), then I clinched CA 219 east to CA 108, then took CA 108 east to CA 120, then took CA 120 east to a campground west of Yosemite National Park.
The next day, I went to Yosemite to explore the park, and take in the beautiful views in the valley. Then I headed over Tioga Pass on CA 120 and then south on US 395. Made a little side-trip in Bishop on US 6 to get a photo of the sign showing the mileage to Provincetown, MA, then I continued south on US 395 to CA 136. That was an easy one to clinch, and then I continued onto CA 190 into Death Valley. Unfortunately, with less daylight in October, it was dark by about 7pm, so I mostly drove thru Death Valley in the dark; the only thing there I was able to see while it was still light out was the Father Crowley Overlook where there's the canyon that fighter jets sometimes fly through. I continued east on CA 190 to the CA 127 junction, and took that north into Nevada, where it turned into NV 373. I clinched that quite easily and then headed south on US 95 into Las Vegas, where I spent the night after driving up the Strip at nighttime.
On the fourth day of the trip, I went and visited Hoover Dam, clinching I-215 and what currently exists of I-11 on the way there. After visiting the dam, I headed north on I-11 back to I-515, and having clinched that, I headed north on I-15 out of Las Vegas, thru the Virgin River Gorge, and left I-15 in St. George, heading east on UT 9 and heading through Zion National Park. I clinched that and reached US 89 as the sun was setting. I made my way to Bryce Canyon that night and camped there.
The next morning, I explored Bryce Canyon (clinching UT 63 and the Bryce Canyon Scenic Drive in the process) and headed east on the very scenic UT 12. I clinched that entire stretch of scenic road. Then I continued east on UT 24, driving through Capitol Reef National Park, including the scenic drive in the park. I eventually reached the eastern terminus of UT 24 at I-70, then drove both ways on I-70 through Spotted Wolf Canyon as the sun was setting. So I picked up a bit more of I-70 in UT and then headed south on US 191 to Moab, where I stayed the night.
On day 6, I left Moab and visited Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park. After visiting those two parks, I headed south on US 191 towards Monument Valley, driving through on US 163 and clinching that route once I got to its southern end in Kayenta. I then headed west on US 160 to its junction with US 89, then I headed south on US 89 into Flagstaff. Once in Flagstaff, I headed north on US 180 to Tusayan, just south of Grand Canyon, where I camped for the night.
The next morning, on day 7, I went to the south rim of Grand Canyon at Mather Point. Then, I headed south on US 180, then AZ 64, to Williams, AZ, and drove historic US 66 through the town. Then I headed west on I-40 to Kingman, which is actually pretty scenic. After I got to Kingman, I headed north on US 93 back to Hoover Dam, then I-215 to I-15, and then I-15 south into the LA area. Then I went west on CA 210/I-210 to Pasadena as it got dark. I did some more night driving on LA freeways, picking up part of I-105, US 101 from downtown LA to I-405, south I-405 over Sepulveda Pass, and then I-10 into LA. I spent the night at a hotel in Pasadena.
The next day was day 8, and that was a long day. I spent that Saturday morning exploring and filming LA freeways. I clinched I-110 fully this time (I'd previously not gotten the part south of CA 47), drove over the new Gerald Desmond Bridge, got a bit more of I-710, more of I-105, and then drove south on I-5 through Orange County. Then I turned around and headed north and then clinched I-405, then drove part of I-210 through the foothills to CA 2, which I took south back into LA. After that, I headed out of LA on CA 110 and then I-5 over Tejon Pass and down the Grapevine. Then I took CA 99 up to Bakersfield and then went east on CA 58 through the Tehachapi Mountains. I got to Barstow and then headed north on I-15, and it was dark by the time I got to the Nevada border. However, I kept going on I-15 all the way to Ogden, UT, just north of Salt Lake City, and didn't get to my hotel there until 2am!
Yeah, it was pretty late, and not the best planning...
The ninth and final day of the trip, I left Ogden, UT and headed west on I-84 through Idaho and eastern Oregon to I-82 which I took to I-90 to get back to Seattle. On that day, I did a few side trips, clinching I-184 in Boise, and traveling part of US 395 and clinching I-182 in the Tri-Cities after eating dinner.
It was quite a fun trip and I got a lot of road video footage from it; at some point over the next year or so, I'll be posting it on
my YouTube channel if you're interested. Also, this trip put me well over the 10,000 mile mark (I now have over 12,000 miles traveled). It ended up being a great alternative to going to Canada, though I do hope to be able to do that soon.
Anyway, after that, I clinched a few roads in December. I clinched all of WA 510 (so many roundabouts!) as well as WA 510 Alt in Yelm, which is the partially-completed Yelm bypass. Then I drove on WA 507 north to WA 7 in Spanaway, which also was new for me. Later in December, I clinched WA 7, picking up new mileage on it between Elbe (where WA 706 heads east towards Mount Rainier) and the town of Morton at the junction with US 12 and WA 508. I then clinched WA 508, which took me back to I-5 south of Chehalis.
I'll try and post updates here more often; that was way too long!
