PICS of Nor'Easter Trek; planning next road trips

[knightfan26917]

Tough for me to believe that my awesome 2010 road trip...

...is done. If I could be on the road 24/7/365, I would jump on that chance/opportunity in a heartbeat!

In the meantime, it is time to start planning my 2011 road trip, most-likely via US Route 66 and into the northwest United States (Oregon, Washington, the Dakotas, Minnesota, etc.).

I'm also considering a couple mini road trips yet in 2010, in mid September (place TBD) and in November, during Thanksgiving weekend, to TN.

As for my Nor'Easter Trek road trip, I had a GREAT time traveling through IL, IN, MI, OH, PA, NY, MA, NH, MA, CT, NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, VA, PA, OH, IN, and IL, from Wednesday, August 4 to Sunday, August 15, 2010, meeting up with wonderful people along the way. I took over 400 pics and have them all available, with captions, of course.

MANY THANKS to those with whom I stayed:

Paul/Sabrina (Monte Carlo groups) ... Warren (Detroit) MI

Keith (college) ... Smithville (Canton/Akron) OH

Jan (Adult Congenital Heart Association) ... Randolph (Boston) MA

Ron/Jen (MC groups) ... Spencer (Boston) MA

Jim/Karen (MC groups) ... Telford (Philadelphia) PA

Warren/Nancy (family) ... Falls Church (Alexandria/Washington DC) VA

Heather (best friend) ... Bridgewater (Harrisonburg) VA

Drew (Cheers&Gears) ... Forest Hills (Pittsburgh) PA

HIGHLIGHTS

* The picture captions have details of my trip (including routes driven)...during which I drove some 3,250 miles.

* I had an issue with my camera focusing. Frustratingly, several pics were way too out of focus to keep; however, I opted to keep some "out of focus" pictures.

* The start of my trip (Wednesday, August 4) was delayed by a couple hours due to a nail in the tire of my rental 2010 Dodge Charger SXT.

* My visit to the oldest Major League ballpark (Fenway Park, Boston MA) came on the night of the anniversary of the first night game (08/08/1988) at the second oldest ballbark, Chicago's Wrigley Field.

* Jan of the Adult Congenital Heart Association has a house in Randolph MA that is nearly identical to the house of a relative, Barb, in Hollsopple PA. When I entered Jan's house, I told her where rooms were, without even seeing the house! Yes, I took pictures of BOTH houses during this trip.

* I was able to travel some stretches of famous 2-lane roads along the way, including US Route 6, US Route 20, and US Route 30/The Lincoln Highway, and enjoyed those jaunts very much. My September 2009 trip along US Route 66 (Illinois to California) increased my appreciation for the "old 2 lanes" over the "superslabs". Even so, those "evil superslabs" offer some awesome sights/scenery and a quicker alternative if time is of the essence. For instance, several scenic pictures I took this trip were along "superslabs" and, had I taken portions of US Route 20 and US Route 6 west across Indiana en route home, I would not have made it home in time to drive all of my Monte Carlos that same evening (Sunday, August 15).

* Areas driven through/by:

IN ... Chesterton, Warsaw, Columbia City

MI ... Jackson, Ann Arbor, Warren/Detroit

OH ... Toledo, Sandusky, Medina, Smithville/Akron

PA ... Brookville, Ridgway, Mount Jewett, Mansfield, Sayre

NY ... Vestal, Binghamton, Afton, Cobleskill, Schenectady, Albany

MA ... Springfield, Sturbridge, Worcester/Spencer, Newton, Boston, Randolph

NH ... Derry

CT ... Vernon, Hartford, Newington, Wallingford, Hamden, Trumbull, Norwalk

NY ... White Plains

NJ ... Broomfield, E Brunswick, Trenton

PA ... Levittown, Norristown, Telford, King of Prussia, Philadelphia/Chester

DE ... Wilmington

NJ ... Deepwater

MD ... Carney, Baltimore, Catonsville

VA ... [Washington DC], Alexandria, Falls Church, Leesburg, Marshall, Harrisonburg, Bridgewater, Winchester

WV ... Berkeley Springs

PA ... Breezewood, Somerset, Jerome, Hollsopple, Davidsville, Greensburg, Irwin, Forest Hills, Pittsburgh, Wexford

OH ... Lordstown (OH Turnpike)

IN ... Chesterton (IN Tollway)

PICTURES IN SLIDESHOW PRESENTATION:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/NorEasterTrekRoadTripWed08042010Sun08152010#slideshow/5506950928855332690

A FEW PICS...

Sixty8, me, XP:

08/09/2010, Monday, ~1p, Derry NH ... My rental 2010 Dodge Charger SXT and Ross' 1990 Suburban.

08/14/2010, Saturday, ~7p-8p, Irwin PA ... Cruise night along US RT 30 (LINCOLN HIGHWAY). 1970 Monte Carlo, with Drew's Oldsmobile Toronado in the background.

At the same cruise night:

Drew and his Toronado:

Cort | 36.m.IL | 5 Monte Carlos.1 Caprice Classic | pig valve.pacemaker * Rt 66+northwestUS, 2011?

MCs.CC | models.HO.legos.CHD.RadioShows | RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"Just like driving on an open highway never knowing what we're gonna find" ... Lady Antebellum ... 'Our Kind Of Love'

[daves87rs]

Sweet!

I am so kicking myself for not remembering that...darn it!

It so looked like fun! Glad it was a fun trip!

[knightfan26917]

It so looked like fun! Glad it was a fun trip!

*grins*

It WAS!!!!!

And, I usually get to MI once every couple years, so plenty of chances, I'd say....

If I could road trip 24/7/365, I'd be able to visit everyone I know across the United States. That would take a lot of $ and time, but it would be WELL worth it....

My 2010 road trip was based around 2 things ... our family reunion in PA ... and the NYMCC gathering at Spiedie Fest. I kept telling the NYMCCers that I should win the coveted "long distance award" for their meet, given that I was coming all the way from IL. I'm TOLD that the award is FINALLY on its way to me....

A few more 2010 Nor'Easter Trek "highlight" pics....

08/05/2010, Thursday, ~8:30p, Smithville OH ... approaching storm at The Barn Restaurant (foreground)...:

08/06/2010, Friday, ~5:50p, Mt Jewett PA ... A banner and mural along US Route 6:

08/07/2010, Saturday, ~11a-3p, Binghamton NY ... Spiedie Fest, "train car"...:

08/08/2010, Sunday, late night, Boston MA ... Fenway Park, taken through fence in the Bleacher Bar:

08/10/2010, Tuesday, ~9a, near Sturbridge MA ... Similar to Chicagoland, I-90 parallels US Route 20:

08/10/2010, Tuesday, ~9:55a-11:15a, Newington CT:

08/10/2010, Tuesday, ~7p, Telford PA ... Inside Jim's new garage, I HAD to take a pic of this, given my Route 66 trip Sept 2009:

08/10/2010, Tuesday, ~9:30p, near Harleysville PA ... Dave's 2010 Camaro up close and personal:

08/12/2010, Thursday, ~8:30p, Bridgewater VA ... At sunset, see the moon and the north star:

08/13/2010, Friday, ~3p, Bridgewater VA:

08/14/2010, Saturday, ~7p-8p, Irwin PA ... Cruise night along US RT 30 (LINCOLN HIGHWAY), General Lee and the new KITT:

08/15/2010, Sunday, ~1:40p, Chicago IL ... Notice in the sign 3 routes ... US Route 20, IL RT 64 (North Avenue) which travels out to Mt Morris IL, and IL RT 38, which is the Lincoln Highway from ~Geneva IL to west of Franklin Grove IL (the location of the LH Association headquarters)...:

I've noticed that I've I've re-entered the "world of photography" the last few years. As a youngster (HS/college days), I took a TON of pics, including ~100 during a family road trip out west in 1991. Back then, I only had a 35mm camera. After that camera "broke", I stopped taking pics ... until the last few years.

Along with the pictures from my 2010 road trip to the northeast US, compare...

...these previous trips...

West, October 2004

East, August 2005

West, October 2006

Southeast, November 2007

East, August 2008

...in this link:

http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/roadtrips.html'>http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort/roadtrips/roadtrips.html

...to my Route 66 journey, September 2009...

09/05/09, Day 1, DeKalb IL (LH) to Pontiac IL (Rt 66) to Springfield IL, 43 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY1#slideshow/5427141662526110530

09/06/09, Day 2, Springfield IL to St Louis MO, 68 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY2#slideshow/5427153871443919250

09/07/09, Day 3, Stanton MO to Joplin MO, 62 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY3#slideshow/5427439268824317586

09/08/09, Day 4, Joplin MO to Tulsa OK, 77 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY4#slideshow/5427862154662426722

09/09/09, Day 5, Tulsa OK to Clinton OK, 53 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY5#slideshow/5428251162202783314

09/10/09, Day 6, Clinton OK to Amarillo TX, 80 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY6#slideshow/5428260359643080226

09/11/09, Day 7, Amarillo TX to Moriarty NM, 81 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY7#slideshow/5428654625398731538

09/12/09, Day 8, Moriarty NM to Holbrook AZ, 102 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY8#slideshow/5428980552494890642

09/13/09, Day 9, Holbrook AZ to Williams AZ, 72 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY9#slideshow/5429002721353620370

09/14/09, Day 10, Williams AZ to Kingman AZ, 116 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY10#slideshow/5429395440355434498

09/15/09, Day 11, Kingman AZ to Barstow CA, 137 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY11#slideshow/5430380559414678786

09/16/09, Day 12, Barstow CA to Rialto/San Bernardino CA, 98 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY12#slideshow/5431220758934833330

09/17/09, Day 13, Rialto/San Bernardino CA to Albuquerque NM, 36 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY13#slideshow/5431255586450476482

09/18/09, Day 14, Albuquerque NM (Rt 66) to Kearney NE (LH), 5 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY14#slideshow/5431261135177047330

09/19/09, Day 15, Kearney NE (LH) to Elgin IL, 29 pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/RT66TRIPDAY15#slideshow/5431272549764120818

...to my trip south, November 2009:

http://picasaweb.google.com/knightfan26917/DriveSouthTNAL112709112909#slideshow/5431282615925577026

Cort | 36.m.IL | 5 Monte Carlos.1 Caprice Classic | pig valve.pacemaker

MCs.CC | models.HO.legos.CHD.RadioShows | RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"Yes, it's been quite a summer" ... Jimmy Buffett ... 'Come Monday'

[daves87rs]

Cool!

[knightfan26917]

Thanks, Dave!!!

I received 2 awards during the trip.

#1...Thank you, Dave!...:

#2...Thank you, New York Monte Carlo Club (NYMCC)! The ONLY reason I attended Spiedie Fest (Binghamton NY) with the NYMCC is to receive the "Long Distance Award" (I traveled from IL to NY). When I made my reservations months prior to the trip, the person at the hotel could NOT believe I would travel all the way to NY for an event...! My "Long Distance Award" finally arrived Friday, September 17; I snapped pics of it Saturday, 09/18/2010, a day before my birthday...

...front:

...back:

If you believe the award was the ONLY reason I traveled to Binghamton NY, well, I have some ocean front property in Arizona for you...! It is about the people ... plain and simple. And, that's why I do all of my road trips. Life is too short to NOT meet up with people, imho....

The 2 similar houses:

Outside/Front...

...Jan's, Randolph MA, 08/09/2010:

...Barb's, Hollsopple PA, 08/14/2010:

Entryway...

...Jan's:

...Barb's

Hallway...

...Jan's:

...Barb's

Kitchen...

...Jan's:

...Barb's:

Cort | 37.m.IL.pigValve.pacemaker | 5 Monte Carlos + 1 Caprice Classic |

MCs.CC + CHD.models.HO.legos.RadioShows + RoadTrips.us66 = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"Get out there and find someone" ... Good Charlotte ... 'I Don't Want To Be In Love'