North American Loop Tour - Sept. 15-30, 2012

bugnout · **Posted:** Tue Jul 05, 2011 3:14 pm

Blue Highways ... Great book, author wrote about his experience driving on the lesser roads in his Rand McNaly road atlas, just happened to be indicated by the color blue.

This is my retirement dream, to RV around the country and never get on an interstate.
U.S. 1 Key West to Canada border (this does route you on some interstates)
U.S. 30 Astoria OR to Atlantic City NJ, used to go through Chicago, now goes through Aurora and Joliet
U.S. 38 not far from you goes from Chicago to Greeley CO
U.S. 40, the National Highway, Atlantic City NJ - San Fransico
U.S. 62, from El Paso to Niagra Falls NY
Skip US 101, and try to take as much of CA 1 down the coast

Heres a great site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._Routes

NewOldTimer · **Posted:** Tue Jul 05, 2011 11:05 pm

Cliche I know....

But there is always Route 66.

When I moved here from LA we had plenty of time to get from point a to point B,
as we had a moving truck to plan around. :banghead:

Anyway, we got "off the beaten path" in Arizona, and stayed on 66 until Missouri.
Would have stayed the rest of the way, but had a couple of "touristy" things to do
with the kids. :goink:

Last I knew, there were only a few hundred miles of the original Route 66 that are inaccessible.
The original Chicago to LA (Santa Monica to be precise) route before the existence of Interstate 40
can be a great trip.

NewOldTimer · **Posted:** Tue Jul 05, 2011 11:33 pm

yellocoyote wrote:

Aaron did that trip last fall and had a really great time.

He's got some cool pictures.

I have a few reasons for going the direction I'm going - the main one is that I've never been to the Pacific NW, and seem to be an alpine mountain junkie. Alternately, I've been in So. CA/AZ/NM... and nearly all the states in which Route 66 runs at some time before.

I'll probably run Rt. 66 (Aaron wants to go again, so I'll probably go with him then). But for now, it's northwest for me! :pepper:

Double dip.... Route 66, then Pacific Coast Highway.

PCH goes from San Diego to Seattle.... mountains, valleys, vineyards, the works.

Just sayin'....... :mrgreen:

ihatemybike · **Posted:** Wed Jul 06, 2011 6:33 am

NewOldTimer wrote:

Last I knew, there were only a few hundred miles of the original Route 66 that are inaccessible.

Really not much inaccessible with a proper vehicle, I was purposefully taking as much of the oldest 1926 alignments as I could. There's some sections where it dead ends to pass under/becomes the interstates and where the land has reverted back to being privately owned that can't be driven, but the rest is passable. Driving around barricades and a vehicle with ground clearance is required.

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Wed Jul 06, 2011 1:36 pm

Anyone one driving Rt-66 west HAS to stop in Winslow, AZ! "Standing on a corner in Winslow, AZ, such a fine site to see, its a girl my Lord in flatbed Ford slowing down to take a look at me" I think I got that right. A song By the Eagles. In Winslow, on a corner is a bronze statue of the guy in the song. Look at the windows of the building behind him. One window shows "a girl in a flatbed Ford". Another shows them in a bedroom!! A BIG THUMBS UP TO THE GUY ON THE CORNER!!!

Terry

NewOldTimer · **Posted:** Wed Jul 06, 2011 8:35 pm

Fulltimer wrote:

Anyone one driving Rt-66 west HAS to stop in Winslow, AZ! "Standing on a corner in Winslow, AZ, such a fine site to see, its a girl my Lord in flatbed Ford slowing down to take a look at me" I think I got that right. A song By the Eagles.
Terry

My daughter was just there last summer......
They hadn't quite finished it then.....

ihatemybike · **Posted:** Thu Jul 07, 2011 7:50 am

Yeah, it looked a bit better when I passed through in November.

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Thu Jul 07, 2011 5:26 pm

If you were to drop south a little I might be tempted to tag along!

Terry

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Fri Jul 08, 2011 7:48 pm

Fulltimer wrote:

A song By the Eagles.

KJ 119 · **Posted:** Sat Jul 09, 2011 1:52 am

yellocoyote wrote:

The one that sparked the most interest is US. 20. This highway passes within a few miles of our house, and other than using this road as a route to and from work on occasion and the intermittent drive out to the west 40-50 miles, I’d never given it any significant consideration. I learned that it begins in Boston to the east, and ends in Newport, Oregon to the west.

Hey Jaym, I drove US 20 from Grand Tetons to Newport. It was winter and I must say, the whole perception of Idaho to me was "flatland full of potatoes". Farthest from the truth. The rolling hills of snow were amazing. I'll never forget it, coulda' driven that stretch forever.

ihatemybike · **Posted:** Sat Jul 09, 2011 5:12 pm

yellocoyote wrote:

I know the first half of the trip out is going to be more boring that watching paint dry, but it'll all be worth it once I hit western NE/eastern WY.

I don't think it will be that bad. It's the interstates across IA and NE that are boring as all get out. Taking the surface streets will liven it up and provide you with some rural photo opportunities.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Sat Jul 09, 2011 6:45 pm

yellocoyote wrote:

Okay... quit hijacking my thread now.

KJ 119 · **Posted:** Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:11 pm

yellocoyote wrote:

more boring than watching paint dry

Oh no she didn't. :roll:

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Sat Jul 09, 2011 8:22 pm

yellocoyote wrote:

Hardly.

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Sat Jul 09, 2011 11:38 pm

yellocoyote wrote:

Nice picture.

The Dude abides... :ROTFL:

?

eyehatetofu · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2011 1:35 am

yellocoyote wrote:

I’m already investigating alternate routes to take through northern Nevada and northern California. However, there isn’t a very good east-west route that I've found that travels through Nevada other than the interstate… so I may scrap that idea.

:JEEPIN:

US 50 through Nevada. One of the most desolate highways in the country. Runs right through the middle of the state. Very few people traverse said highway, other than a few locals from what I have read. Very understated and beautiful Nevada high desert scenery. Just throwing that out there. :JEEPIN:

Got to watch out for cows though! :SOMBRERO:

North American Loop Tour - Sept. 15-30, 2012

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