Monday, June 09, 2025

Oak Island

Route
Day 1 - US 15/501 South, NC 54 East, I 40 East, I-140 East, US 17 South, NC 87 South, NC 133 South to Oak Island.
Days 2-4 - Local Roads, including NC 906, NC 211, NC 133.
Day 5 - NC 906 North, US 17 Business North, US 17 North, US 421 Truck South, US 421 South to Fort Fisher. US 421 North, US 421 Truck to Wilmington,  US 17 South, US 17 Business South, NC 906 South to Oak Island. 
Days 6-7 - Local Roads, including NC 906, NC 211, NC 133.
Day 8 - NC 906 North, Local Roads, US 17 South, local roads, NC 904 South, NC 179 Business West to Sunset Beach. NC 179 Business East, NC 904 North, US 17 North, US 17 Business Shallotte North, NC 130 Business South, NC 130 North, US 17 North, US 17 Business Bolivia North, NC 906 North, US 17 North, NC 87 North, US 74/76 East, I 140, West, US 17 North, US 74 East, NC 133 North o Wilmington airport. NC 133 North, I 140 West, US 421 North, US 701 North, I 95 North to Smithfield, US 70 West, I 42 West, I 40 West, NC 54 West, US 15/501 North to Chapel Hill.
Notes 
Finished the clinch of all numbered highways south of US 17 from the South Carolina line to Wilmington.

Results Clinched US 17 Business Bolivia, US 17 Business Shallotte, NC 87, NC 130 Business Shallotte, NC 906. Mileage on US 421, US 701, NC 130.

Tuesday, May 06, 2025

Clinch NC 36

Route
US 15/501 South, NC 54 East, local roads, NC 751 South, Local Roads, US 1 North, NC 55 South, NC 540 East, I 42 East, NC 36 East, US 70 West, I 40 West, NC 54 to Chapel Hill.

Notes.
Finally got around to clinching the current NC 540 toll and NC 36. NC 36 is mostly a renumbering of a section of NC 42 with a new segment between I 42 ( formerly US 70)  and US 70 ( formerly US 70 Business).

Results
Reclinch NC 540. Clinch NC 36.

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Emma's 2nd Birthday

Route

Day 1: From Portland Maine airport, ME 22 East, Local Streets, ME 77 South, local streets to South Portland. Local streets, including ME 77.
Day 2: Local streets, including ME 77.
Day 3: Local streets, ME 77 North, US 1 Alternate South, Local Streets, I 295 South, I 95 South, Local roads, US 1 Alternate South to Wells. US 1 Alternate North, US 1 North, ME 9 East, Local roads, ME 9 East, Local road, US 1 North, Local road, I 95 North, I 295 North, Local road, US 1 Alternate North, ME 77, local streets.
Day 4: Local Roads, ME 77 North, Local Roads, ME 207 North, US 1 South to Scarborough, US 1 North, Scarborough Connector, I 295 North, Local street, US 1 Alternate North, ME 77 South, local streets.
Day 6: Local streets, including ME 77.
Day 7: Local streets, ME 77  North, Local Streets, ME 25 North, ME 25 Business North, I 95 North, I 495 North, I 295 North, US 1 North to Freeport. US 1 South, I 295 South, ME 100 South, ME 77 South, Local streets.
Day 8: Local Streets, ME 77 North, US 1 Alternate North, I 295 South, ME 22 to Portland Airport.

Notes

Results
Clinched I 495. Mileage on I 95, US 1 Alternate Portland, US 1 Alternate Wells, ME 9, ME 22, ME 25, ME 25 Business, ME 77, ME 207.

Friday, March 21, 2025

Australia/New Zealand Cruise

Route
Sydney Harbor Bridge

Taxi - US 1
5/501 North, I 40 East to Airport.
Day 1 - Metro from Sydney Airport to Hotel
Day 2 - Metro to Central Station, Blue Mountains Train to Katoomba. Local Bus to canyon rim. Local Bus to Katoomba. Blue Mountains Train to Central Station. Metro to Barangaroo. Walk on Sydney Harbor Bridge. Tram from Circular Quay to Chinatown.
Day 3 - Taxi on local streets, A4 (Anzac Bridge) to White Bay Cruise Port.
Anzac Bridge
Day 10 - Tour Bus from Port Chalmers, SH88, SH1, Local roads to Lambeth Castle. Local Roads to Dunedin. Local Roads, SH88 to Port Chalmers.
Day 11 - Local bus from Lyttelton, Christchurch - Lyttelton Motorway, local roads to International Antarctic Center. Local bus to Christchurch Botanic Gardens. Local bus, local roads, Christchurch - Lyttelton Motorway to Lyttelton.
Day 16 - Tour Bus from Mount Maunganu, SH2, Tauranga Eastern Link Motorway, SH33, SH30 to Rotorua. SH5 to Te Pā Tū. SH5 to Rotorua, SH30, SH 33, Tauranga Eastern Link Motorway, SH2 to Mount Maunganu.
Day 18 - Tour Bus, Auckland Northwestern Motorway, Auckland Southern Motorway, SH1, Local Roads to Hobbiton. Local Roads, SH3, SH37 to Waitomo Caves. SH37, SH3, SH1, Auckland Southern Motorway, Auckland Northwestern Motorway to hotel.
Day 19 - STH Train to Puhinui, Local bus to Airport,
Blue Mountains Train
Taxi - I 40 West, US 15/501  South to Chapel Hill.

Notes
Both Sydney and Auckland have tap on/tap off public transit systems. You can use any NFC card of phone. Sydney supports the iPhone capability for transit. You designate a card for transit. Then you can tap a locked phone and it works. We used it for the Metro, Tram, bus and Blue Mountains Train in Sydney and bus and commuter train in Auckland.
In Christchurch, the local bus takes cash.

Results
Two new countries ( Australia, New Zealand] ) for a new total of eighteen countries ( three airport only ).

Australia: 
NSE: Mileage on A4.
VIC: Clinch C726. Mileage on M1, M2, M3, M80, B300, B360, C505, C724, MR7, MR9, MR20, MR29, MR30, MR33, MR34, MR40, MR46, MR57, MR62, TD2.

New Zealand: Clinch SH33, SH37, SH88, Tauranga Eastern Link Motorway. Mileage on Auckland Northwestern Motorway, Auckland Southern Motorway, Christchurch - Lyttelton Motorway, SH1, SH2, SH3, SH5, SH16, SH20B, SH30, SH74, Pacific Coast Highway, Southern Scenic Route, Thermal Explorer Highway.

National Capitols: 
    New Zealand


State Capitols:
    Sydney NSW


    Hobart TAS



National Parks:
    Blue Mountains NP, Australia   
Echo Point, Blue Mountains


    Fiordlands NP, New Zealand
Fiordlands