Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Appomattox Va

Route
NC 86 North, I 85 North, US 15 North, US 15 Truck Oxford North, US 158 Business Oxford East, US 15 North, US 15 Business Farmville North, US 460 West, US 29 South, US 29 Business Alta Vista South, US 29 South, US 29 Business Gretna South, US 29 South, US 29 Business Chatham South, US 29 South, NC 86 South.
Notes
This trip was to Appomattox National Historic Park. On the way up and back, I clinched some US Business routes. The US 29 Business routes are the old US 29 routing through the town. Between Alta Vista and Hurt there is a magnificent double camelback truss bridge on the Business route and a railroad bridge with the sidewalk going through a corrugated pipe. Both are worth some photography when it is not so rainy.
Results
Counties - Appomattox VA, for a new total of 921.
NC - Clinched US 158 Business Oxford.
VA - Clinched US 15 Business Farmville, US 29 Business Alta Vista,
US 29 Business Gretna, US 29 Business Chatham. Mileage on US 29, US 460, US 501.

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Villanova University Campus Visit

Route
I 85 North, I 95 North, I 395 North, I 695 North, Pennsylvania Avenue, DC 295 North, MD 219 North, Baltimore/Washington Parkway North, I 95 North, I 895 North, I 95 North, US 202 North to King of Prussia
US 202 South, N Gulph Road, PA 32 West to Valley Forge
PA 32 East, US 422 South, US 202 North to KoP
US 202 South, S Gulph Road, PA 320 South, US 30 East to Villanova University
US30 West, I 476 South, I 95 South, I 495 West, I 95 South, I 295 South, VA 36 West, I 85 South
Notes
Normally on a Sunday, the drive through DC to Baltimore on I 395, DC 295 and the Balt-Wash would be a breeze. However, this weekend was the Cherry Blossom Festival. We came to a full stop just before the Potomac River.
I 95 north of Baltimore is being totally reconstructed from I 895 through the I 695 interchange. It may be better to take I 695 over the Key Bridge to miss the construction.
The sign gantries on US 202 in Delaware are painted a very dark grey, almost black, an odd color choice.
US 202 is divided in Delaware with businesses in the median. There is a wide shoulder on the left for exitting to the businesses.
I saw my first jughandle on US 202 in Pennsylvania. It was a standard reverse jughandle, looking much like a cloverleaf. The second was a forward jughandle just west of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which we used to get to the hotel between the King of Prussia Mall and the Turnpike. To get to the hotel from US 202 eastbound, we drove pastthe hotel across the Turnpike, right on the jughandle, left on a sideroad, then left on US 202 westbound, back across the Turnpike to the hotel.
We saw two interesting signs not often followed: "Road Construction: Headlights on" in Pennsylvania. "Turn off Windshield Wipers" in Delaware Turnpike and Maryland JFK Highway tollbooths.
The toll for the Susquehanna Bridge is $5, eastbound only.
I 495 is being reconstructed around the Dulles toll road and I 66 interchanges.
Results
States - Delaware, for a new total of 43.
Counties - New Castle DE, Cecil MD, Harford MD, Montgomery MD, for a new total of 914.
VA - Clinched I 495.
DC - Clinched I 695.
MD - Clinched I 95, I 495, I 895.
DE - Clinched I 95. Mileage on US 202.
PA - Mileage on I 95, I 476. Mileage on US 30, US 202, US 322, US 422, PA 320.