usatr: United States select tourist routes

[bejacob]

I was just in Nebraska this weekend and saw this sign along US30 near Sutherland, NE.

While I can't attest to how well the route is signed through the state, there are certainly sections that are concurrent with US30 that are not yet in the HB.

I was curious about the route and found this Lincoln Highway Map which could be useful. It seems to show all the various routings over the years. Maybe it will be helpful to anyone researching this route.

[the_spui_ninja]

I was just in Nebraska this weekend and saw this sign along US30 near Sutherland, NE.

While I can't attest to how well the route is signed through the state, there are certainly sections that are concurrent with US30 that are not yet in the HB.

I was curious about the route and found this Lincoln Highway Map which could be useful. It seems to show all the various routings over the years. Maybe it will be helpful to anyone researching this route.

So that sign is for the Nebraska-specific Lincoln Highway "scenic" byway, not for the national route as far as I can tell.

[Markkos1992]

NatRd goes below the I-70/US 40 lines just west of WooRd even though NatRd is north of I-70/US 40 here.

[bejacob]

I was just in Nebraska this weekend and saw this sign along US30 near Sutherland, NE.

While I can't attest to how well the route is signed through the state, there are certainly sections that are concurrent with US30 that are not yet in the HB.

I was curious about the route and found this Lincoln Highway Map which could be useful. It seems to show all the various routings over the years. Maybe it will be helpful to anyone researching this route.

So that sign is for the Nebraska-specific Lincoln Highway "scenic" byway, not for the national route as far as I can tell.

I wasn't paying that much attention as I drove by. I imagine most drivers (myself included) would not notice a difference between the "national route" signs and the "Nebraska-specific" signs. In this case I'm not sure it matters as the section was concurrent with US30, but it could lead to further discussion as to what type of signage is needed for inclusion in the usatr system. I wonder if I've opened a can of worms here. 

[IMGoph]

Not exactly trying to drop a new bomb in here, but what about adding the 49-mile drive in SF? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/49-Mile_Scenic_Drive

[Duke87]

Not exactly trying to drop a new bomb in here, but what about adding the 49-mile drive in SF? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/49-Mile_Scenic_Drive

This is exactly the type of thing I absolutely do not want this system to scope creep into including. Random insignificant local nonsense that happens to have some signs, as opposed to the major multi-state spanning stuff like Great River Road that was the impetus for the system's creation.

[Jim]

To keep a system that's soon to be demoted to devel (at least for a while) out of the next monthly snapshot site update, I plan to demote it for one day tomorrow.  That May 1 update's logs will be one set that eventually gets archived at https://travelmapping.net/updates/ in https://travelmapping.net/updates/monthly_snapshots/ .

[shiggins]

I found three signed spurs of the GRR in Illinois that we don't currently have in TM. From north to south, the first is signed northeast on Bay Street toward the City Park in Pleasant Hill. There are no additional signs. The second is signed west into the Rip Rap Fish and Wildlife Management Area. There are no additional signs anywhere off IL 96. The third is signed north on IL 100 and east on IL 108, presumably ending at the Kampsville Ferry.

[neroute2]

The auto tour routes go north from Genoa NV on Jacks Valley Road (I think this was my bad for just saying SR 206).

[cl94]

The auto tour routes go north from Genoa NV on Jacks Valley Road (I think this was my bad for just saying SR 206).

Correct, that goes up Jacks Valley Road, which was historically SR 206. 206 was moved onto SR 758 east of Genoa in the 90s, with the former alignment north of Genoa relinquished. I can make the change if it hasn't been done already.

If we want to be really technical, the Pony Express Trail branches, with one branch following modern US 50 through the Tahoe basin. This branch to the lake has several signs on both sides of the state line and there were multiple Pony Express stations along this other route.  In CA, it generally follows US 50 to Folsom. The southern branch, currently mapped, follows CA 88 and CA 89 to rejoin. When I get home from my current trip, I can do some more research and map this out. It is definitely signed in California, though. Few of these other signed routes would add significant mileage to the HB, as they tend to be signed along existing routes.

There are also "Pony Express Auto Tour Route" signs on the CA 24 expressway in Contra Costa County, which I confirmed today from BART. Yes, the Pony Express usually ended in Folsom or Sacramento, but it continued overland to Oakland about 20 times, and this is acknowledged.

[si404]

The auto tour routes go north from Genoa NV on Jacks Valley Road (I think this was my bad for just saying SR 206).

No, it's my bad for looking and not seeing the signs at the north end of Jacks Valley Road, seeing 'Mormon Station' and treating it as a sign marking the nearby attraction rather than the route, and then seeing that the Mormon Station is signed from US50 taking the current route of OR206, rather than Jacks Valley Road. I'll fix it this morning.

If we want to be really technical, the Pony Express Trail branches, with one branch following modern US 50 through the Tahoe basin. This branch to the lake has several signs on both sides of the state line and there were multiple Pony Express stations along this other route.  In CA, it generally follows US 50 to Folsom. The southern branch, currently mapped, follows CA 88 and CA 89 to rejoin. When I get home from my current trip, I can do some more research and map this out. It is definitely signed in California, though. Few of these other signed routes would add significant mileage to the HB, as they tend to be signed along existing routes.

There are also "Pony Express Auto Tour Route" signs on the CA 24 expressway in Contra Costa County, which I confirmed today from BART. Yes, the Pony Express usually ended in Folsom or Sacramento, but it continued overland to Oakland about 20 times, and this is acknowledged.

I only found the one sign for the Tahoe route, but that doesn't mean there aren't more - if I found more, I'd include it (like with the Lincoln Highway).

Looking now, I found a couple of signs in California, but they are of the annoying 'Heh, the next mile is part of the original Pony Express route' type rather than the Auto Tour type that are designed to join up (if the signs are there, at least!).

[cl94]

I'll do some field checks over the next couple weeks. I work at the lake and can work any potential alignment into my commute.

[si404]

The Auto Tour Guide for Nevada https://www.nps.gov/poex/planyourvisit/upload/Nevada-ATR-Guide-2018-Revision-Small.pdf says

The Pony Express Trail splits beyond Walley’s Hot Springs. The south alternate continues south and enters California near Fredericksburg, then swings west and crosses the Sierra Nevada at Luther Pass. This route was used only during the first six weeks of the Pony Express operations. The north alternate, the main Pony Route, goes west up the Kingsbury Grade and over Daggett Pass to Stateline, on the Nevada/California border. The two branches rejoin south of Lake Tahoe near Meyers, California. Tour choices here are:

To take a scenic 11-mile drive over Daggett Pass following the main (north) Pony Express route into Stateline, turn left from Walley’s Hot Springs and continue south toward Mottsville; then turn right onto NV207. The route is paved but steep and twisting. At the junction with NV207 with US 50, turn left and continue into Stateline. Note the Pony Express statue near the Nevada/California border at Stateline.

OR, to follow the initial (south) Pony Express alternate and the Carson Route into California, continue south from Walley’s Hot Springs on NV 206 through Mottsville. Approximately seven miles south of Mottsville, beyond Sheridan, turn right onto Fredericksburg/Foothill Road and enter California. Drive three miles to NV 88 and turn right onto Emigrant Trail Road/Carson Pass National Scenic Byway.

OR, to join the Walker River-Sonora Route into California, continue south from Walley’s Hot Springs on NV 206 for about a mile. Turn left onto NV 757, then right onto US 395. Just ahead, the highway splits. Bear left to stay on US 395 and conclude your trip with entry C-20. [Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center (1477 US 395 N, Gardnerville, NV)]

There's definitely a sign on US50 south of NV207, but I've not seen stuff on NV207. I think I did look at the US395 route and didn't find anything. The NV88 route is signed, and in the browser. But obviously, given missing the signage at US395/Jacks, I was not the most alert when I did it!

[IMGoph]

Not exactly trying to drop a new bomb in here, but what about adding the 49-mile drive in SF? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/49-Mile_Scenic_Drive

This is exactly the type of thing I absolutely do not want this system to scope creep into including. Random insignificant local nonsense that happens to have some signs, as opposed to the major multi-state spanning stuff like Great River Road that was the impetus for the system's creation.

I think San Franciscans might have some quibbles with your assertion that anything in The City is insignificant.

[si404]

I think San Franciscans might have some quibbles with your assertion that anything in The City is insignificant.

Every route* included in the system is, or is at least part of, a route where at least two states sign it, and the Federal Government recognises it in some way.

The 49-mile Scenic Drive doesn't even seem to be recognised by California as part of the state's State Scenic Highway System.

It is insignificant. It's indisputably local. It also seems to somewhat be random nonsense going round city streets in a loop for a couple of hours (in a city where driving isn't pleasant and there's great transit). At least this city street driving route has a theme beyond 'the city', and is part of a wider state system of tourist drives.

*Other than the Selma-Montgomery Trail. But as we have other NPS Trails, I felt it worth adding as part of that sub-system.