The Road Less Taken

20 Percent More (grease)

2012-01-26T20:42:00.000-06:00

I should have known better...I DO know better.

My local Buy 1 Get 2 Free pizza place* sent me an e-mail advertising "20 Percent more pepperoni" and a coupon to try one (big deal! $1 off regular price)., so against my better judgement, I decided to try one.

Mind you, I haven't bought from there in over 6 months: the quality isn't very good, IMO. They advertise they've been voted "best pizza", but I'd like to know who's voting for them. These people must not have any taste buds because this is darn near close to the "worst" pizza (except maybe Casey's General store).

So I get my "new and improved pepperoni pizza" only to find it's the same old thing: it looks the same, smells the same (like old sweat socks) and tastes the same. I didn't even notice any extra pepperoni on the pizza. But WAIT! There is something different: the grease stain in the box is larger. Hmmmm...maybe there is more pepperoni...or maybe it's just cheaper quality?

Well, hopefully I've learned my lesson this time. Now if you'll excuse me, my TUMS are calling me.

Addendum: you know it's really bad when you're up half the night feeling like you're going to retch.

(*you know the guys: "Buy 1 Pizza at 3 Times the Price and get 2 Free")

Is It Wrong?

2012-01-13T17:56:00.000-06:00

Is it wrong for me to brag a bit? Remember those signage errors in Bentonville I posted a few weeks ago? Well, they've been fixed: thanks, in part to an e-mail I sent to AHTD about it.

I received a note from "M86" on the AARoads forum that AHTD had finally corrected the errors. So I took advantage of the nice weather this past Wednesday to investigate:

Yes, both errors had been corrected:

But, sadly, one error remains:

This is supposed to be US 62 AND AR 12, so where is 12? I guess I need to ask AHTD about this one, too.

So is it wrong for me to brag about getting the signs fixed? Am I inviting inexplicably bad juju by taking at least partial credit for this?

Hello! Thank you!

2011-12-31T23:39:00.000-06:00

I've noticed the ~~employees~~ Assocoiates at my local Wal-Mart never say "HI" or Thank you". I've actually noticed this at a few other locations as well. So I sent them a message asking why.

Their response: - We’re always looking for ways to make your shopping experience at Walmart even better.
WTF? You don't say "Hello" or "Thank you" because you're trying to make my shopping experience better? I don't get it?

The End

2011-12-31T23:26:00.000-06:00

Well, the end for 2011, at least. I didn't make the 6000 photo mark I was aiming for on Flickr. Looks like around 5005. I'm not even sure where I started last January.

So let's say I'm at 5000 photos right now (though I still have a few to add). By this time next year, maybe I can be at 7500 photos. That's a LOT of photos!
It will help if I don't get sick and find more opportunities to go exploring, especially in areas I haven't explored much.
I'm hoping to go out tomorrow for a few hours and check things out in my area, probably along the Pig Trail.
Sometime this next year, I want to explore the US 67 expressway north of Little Rock as well as parts of old US 63 between Jonesboro and West Memphis. I'm hoping AR 530 will be open at Pine Bluff so I can explore it as well. I just need to make some time and save up some gas money.
But I'm pretty much tapped out for now. I think I'll call it a night.

Happy New Year!
-US 71

AHTD Rides Again

2011-12-17T17:43:00.000-06:00

AHTD (Arkansas Highway and Transportation Dept) recently replaced exit signs along I-540 between Fayetteville and Bentonville. Some of there were looking fairly old, having been erected when 540 was first opened in 1999. It actually took them close to a year to complete this project having started in September 2010. The new signs are a little large than their predecessors and indicate a few routing changes.
AR 12, for example, used to follow US 71B all the way from Raibow Curve in Bentonville to 8th Street in Bentonville. Now, it follows 71B to I-540 then follows 540 to US 62 East.

Why the change, I don't know...maybe to keep large trucks away from Downtown Rogers?

Well, while they were putting up the new signs, they missed one at the end of the NB 540 off-ramp:

That should be AR 102 where the blank space is. It's been that way for over a year and AHTD has never fixed the problem. Even when the put up the new signs, they missed this (the green directional sign is brand new).

But wait, there's more!

This is coming off southbound 540 at US 62: looks like they forgot the arrows here... how did you guys do that??

And to add insult to injury:

Hudson Road is in Rogers, which is to the left, not the right. Technically, SE 14th does go both ways, since Rogers is actually a half mile east of here. FWIW, the exact same sign is posted at the other ramp: arrows and all. So someone must have forgotten to flip the stencil when making the second sign.

Sadly, this isn't the first time they got it wrong: it was November of last year they posted the Johnson Exit as Great House Spring Road.

So what's going on, AHTD? Why all the errors?

UPDATE: I have a report that the Hudson Rd signage has been corrected. I hope to verify this sometime this next week.

History of Highway Signs (Part I)

2011-11-27T16:22:00.001-06:00

As you may heave heard, U.S. Highway System recently celebrated its 85th birthday. It was November 11, 1926 that the United States Numbered Highways system was officially designated.
Previous to that most roads were a series of designated trails, such as the Lincoln Highway or the Dixie Highway. What's now US 71 was, in part, part of the Jefferson Highway

Then, in 1926, it officially became U.S. 71

In 1948, the design was modified slightly to use more rounded letters and numbers

Then in 1948, another style was added to keep up with the demands of high speed traffic

There was also a Button Copy shield that was used on expressway signage

Then in 1961, the design was changed once more to the now familiar black and white

But there would be one more change: in 1971 the shield shape was changed slightly

And if that's not confusing enough, Texas had their own design

So did Missouri (most often used on expressways)

Now if you really want confusing, check out Florida's "Kodachrome" signs :

Yes, I know: 71 doesn't go to Florida. But can you imagine trying to keep up with all these colors?

Oh, and one more:

City Route US Highway sign. Missouri used these as did several other states, but Arkansas did not.

No, that's not all. There are several other variants, but most are a combination of the above. Maybe I'll tell you about them, someday. ;)

Cagey

2011-11-25T13:57:00.001-06:00

Thesaurus.com defines cagey as an adjective meaning tricky. Yup, that just about sums up it up. I have found what I consider cagey behavior at K&G aka Kum & Go.

I drink a lot of tea when I'm on the road. Usually, I have a refill cup with me so I save e few pennies on my drink. Kum & Go advertises 32 oz beverages for $1.19 plus tax, but in really fine print, they say refills are 89 cents. Yet, nearly every Kum & Go I stop at charges me full price for my refill. Do they not hear me when I tell them it's a refill. I had one manager try to tell me they don't have a refill price (so why is it posted?).

This is, IMO, quite dishonest. They advertise a special price for refills, then refuse to honor that price. I suppose shame on me for still going in and still expecting them to honor the refill price. Yet, not every c-store has fountain tea: that's why I stop in. I like to stop at Quik Trip, too, but I don't see them very often anymore since they left the Springfield, MO area.

I suppose I'll just have to find someone else who has tea and will give me a price break for having my own cup (even if it IS from K&G).

Turkeys

2011-11-25T10:22:00.001-06:00

Thanksgiving Day, time for turkey...and turkeys on the road.

I drove to a friend's house for Thanksgiving dinner and encountered all kinds of "turkeys" on the road.
Of course, there was the usual assortment of speed demons who, no matter how fast you were driving, were driving faster than you were (and you're in their way).
I also got to part of a "sandwich": the guy ahead of me was driving too slow, the guy behind me was driving too fast and there was no way for me to change lanes due to the semi-truck in the other lane.
And what is it with semis that drive slow, then when you pass them suddenly speed up and pass you? Is this some sort of game?
All the c-stores were more crowded than the roads when I stop for a caffeine boost. I've rarely seen so many people standing in line for the restroom.
The trip home was less eventful, though one person ahead of me slowed way down for no apparent reason then sped back up again.
About 2 miles from home, I noticed traffic backed up for nearly half a mile on the Interstate: they were all trying to get to Target for their Black Friday sales that started at Midnight. I'm glad I didn't have to go there. I simply slowed down, switched lanes and kept going. What is it about Black Friday that makes people act like idiots?

H

2011-11-09T22:47:00.002-06:00

H is for Hell. H is also for Hospital.

Yes, I've been through Hell and I've been in the hospital. Long story short, I went to an SCA gathering in Springfield, MO and came down with pneumonia. I wound up spending 9 days in St John's Mercy Hospital. NOT my idea of a good time.

I got sick on Friday, went to the hospital on Saturday and finally got out the following Sunday. Of course, I was ready to go by Wednesday, but the doctor kept insisting on "one more test". When I finally got the OK to leave, the nurses wouldn't let me because nobody told them I was OK to leave.

*sigh*

So I've been home about 10 days now after spending a few days at my mom's apartment getting my strength back. I'm better now, though I seem to be tiring easily. Guess I just need to rest a bit.

Hello Larry (and Good-bye)

2011-10-10T17:26:00.004-05:00

We have a new pizza place in town: Larry's Pizza. It appears to be an Arkansas-based chain of about a dozen locations. With my "addiction" to pizza, I thought I would give them a try.

In a word: disappointing. When I arrived, there were maybe 2 slices of pizza on the hot table. Looked like chocolate cream pie pizza. But there were cheese sticks, so I grabbed a couple of them and waited for more pizza to come out... and eventually, it did.

Larry's doesn't put pizzas on the hot table, but sends a server around with whatever variety the cook decided to make: Pepperoni, Apple Pie Pizza, BBQ Chicken Pizza, Canadian Bacon, Bacon, and Cheddar, Baked Potato Pizza, etc. Once they make the rounds, whatever is left is put on the hot table. There was also a Pepperoni and a "Meat Madness" that made the rounds. Everything is thin crust and limp. I always thought thin crust was supposed to be crisp, Larry's Pizza, isn't.

I tried the BBQ Chicken Pizza, but all I could taste was cheap BBQ sauce, but the Canadian Bacon-Bacon-Cheddar wasn't bad. There was one that I think was supposed to be Buffalo Chicken, but all I could taste was hot sauce. I finished my slice, but I didn't care much for it. As far as old stand-by's like Pepperoni & Sausage or plain Sausage, there weren't any. Almost everything they brought out was a "Specialty Pizza": Margarita, Bavarian Cream, Chicken Fajita,etc.

Seems like I had to wait a long time for the next pizza to make the rounds. Either the cook was really slow or this is their way of controlling food costs by hoping it all disappears before putting any more food out. Couldn't they make four pizzas and have four servers circling the dining room?

Something else I found odd: I paid when I walked in the door, but they prepared my beverage, as opposed to most "Pay in Advance" places where they give you a glass and you get your own drink. If I wanted a refill, I had to walk up to the front counter to get it: the servers only bring pizza or clear tables. Or maybe it was because I didn't tip when I paid for my meal, but I firmly believe in tipping AFTER (you want a tip? Earn it, don't "blackmail" me into tipping upfront).

So, overall, I was rather disappointed. Will I go back? Not anytime soon, and quite possibly never.

Cold Chicken

2011-10-04T16:29:00.005-05:00

I like fried chicken, but I've never liked cold fried chicken. Yet, it was one of my dad's favorite lunches while traveling. I remember one Summer traveling from Arkansas to Chicago in my dad's SAAB. I don't remember why it was just the two of us (or was it 3? Was my sister along for the trip too? I don't remember. No, I'm fairly sure it was just two of us).

We were traveling on a Sunday, I believe, basically along what was then US 66 in Missouri and Illinois. We stopped for lunch at what I remember being an A&W that was closed on Sunday. I still sort of see it in my mind's eye, yet it's vague.

Dad hated stopping overnight at a motel, so he often would drive non-stop for 12+ hours or however long it took, stopping for a picnic lunch and to fuel up. I loved to travel, loved to look at everything as we went whizzing by and always wondered "where does that road go?"

I guess it was all the family trips between Arkansas and Chicago that helped form my interest in roads. I was always fascinated by the backwards facing signs:

STOP

Divided Highway

Turn Back

You are Going

The Wrong Way

Of course, at the time, I never understood why they faced the wrong way. But I've always loved signs, always been fascinated by them.

But I never liked cold fried chicken: I always wanted a hot dog or a grilled cheese sandwich... and a chocolate milk shake.

When visiting my aunt in Chicago, we'd often eat at a little out of the way BBQ rib place. I swore that I didn't like BBQ ribs and always insisted on having fried shrimp. Well, my dad would hear nothing of it: he ordered me a plate of BBQ ribs and insisted I try them. OMG, I LOVED them!!

Well, Dad is gone now. He passed away August 27th. We never got along very well, yet I miss him. I keep expecting him to come back home or to call me to come fix his computer... it's just hard to accept he's gone.

Yet, he lives on in my memories and my love of food. But keep the cold chicken and give me some BBQ ribs instead... and a glass of tea. I'll save the shake for my grilled cheese sandwich ;)

I'm Still Here

2011-09-21T22:52:00.005-05:00

I haven't gone anywhere, just been extremely busy (long story, I'll explain later). Hopefully, I'll have some time to post this weekend. I also have a mess of photos to sort.

In the meantime, check out NPR Fresh Air's interview with Ken Jennings (yes. Ken Jennings the Jepoardy champion) talking about his book Maphead: Charting The Wide, Weird World Of Geography Wonks.

He gives a quick mention about "road geeks" and also mentions Richard Ankrom, the artist who improved one of the I-5 overhead signs a few years back.

Personally, I prefer "Road Scholar" since a lot of what I do involves research.

Anyway, I'll have more to say later.

Not So Special

2011-08-22T21:34:00.006-05:00

It's Monday Mania at Papa John's Pizza: All Large Pizzas including Specialty Pizzas $8.99. So I decide to try the Double Layered Premium Pepperoni Pizza. SURPRISE! It's on "special" for $10. Their website won't allow me to order it for $8.99. Reason? The local store tells me it's because it is a special deal anyway, so it's not discounted any further. But the website specifically says All Large Pizzas including Specialty Pizzas $8.99. So not all large pizzas are on sale, just the ones they say are on sale.

In the end, I settled for pepperoni, spicy sausage and parmesan/roman cheese blend. It wasn't bad, and I have enough left for breakfast in the morning.

So, Mr "Papa John" Schnatter: next time you say "All Large Pizzas", don't forget to say "except Double Layered Premium Pepperoni Pizza" or whatever other exemptions you choose to make from your "special". Be a shame if someone actually reported you for deceptive advertising.

R.I.P. Pizza by Stout

2011-08-05T16:35:00.003-05:00

The end of an era: Pizza by Stout is no more!

Pizza by Stout was probably one of my all time favorite places, as good as King Pizza or maybe slightly better. Hard to say since they were so similar: yeast-risen crust, spicy sauce (but not TOO spicy), generous toppings and provolone cheese. Stout also had over 100 kinds of beer.

You may remember me mentioning the restaurant was destroyed by the May 22 tornado which hit Joplin. At that time, the owners were unsure if they could start again, but some loyal customers started a Facebook page asking them to rebuild.

Well, on July 31, the following message was posted:

‎"To our loyal and steadfast employees and customers,

After much consideration, it is with regret that we will not be rebuilding Pizza by Stout. It has been
our great privilege to have been blessed with the greatest restaurant staff anywhere and wonderful customers, all of whom will be missed greatly.

Thanks for the memories and God bless you all,

Betty, Joy, Mike, Casey, Nicole, and, of course, Willard"

Well, I guess I can't blame them: starting over from scratch would be hard. I feel a little sick knowing my favorite pizza place is no more. I understand, but I don't like it. I just feel like a part of my life is gone.

Good-bye! I'll miss you :`(

Progress Comes to Hiwasse

2011-08-05T13:20:00.008-05:00

Looks like there is finally some progress on Future I-49 in Northwest Arkansas. Work has finally begun to build I-49 from Bella Vista, AR to the Missouri State Line. The first project will upgrade AR 72 to Interstate standards around Hiwasse (Pop 497)... a Hiwasse Bypass, if you will. ;)

According to AHTD, this segment will be built as a "Super 2" (2 Lanes with fully controlled access) with Right of Way to upgrade to a full 4-Lane highway as funding permits. But don't expect to drive this anytime soon: this construction only includes grading and structures... no paving.

One this project has been completed, work will begin on building I-49 from Hiwasse to the Missouri State Line, followed by construction from Hiwasse to Bella Vista.

Personally, I don't expect completion for at least another 10 years: AHTD doesn't have the funding and the federal government is hesitant to provide funding since Arkansas wants to build it as a toll road. But at least some progress is being made, such as it is.

That reminds me: I really need to go check on it's progress one of these days, if I can find the time and gas money.

Darn!

2011-07-10T21:01:00.004-05:00

I received a message this evening from Rob Smith, the Arkansas-Democrat Gazette's Gridlock Guru: he's leaving the paper. I guess it now falls to me to keep up with what's going on road-wise?

Oh crap! Does this mean I have to get more serious?

Unchivalrous Behavior

2011-07-09T09:23:00.015-05:00

I spent the 4th of July weekend in northeastern Oklahoma and southwestern Kansas looking for old bridges. My primary destination was near Newton, Kansas looking for some abandoned arch bridges, but wound up with more photos than anticipated: over 1700. I darn near maxed out my photo card! Included were at least 25 bridges plus the usual assortment of sign oddities, old traffic signals, old gas stations, etc.

I spent way too much time running around Sunday so I was a couple hours behind schedule heading for home (I didn't really have a set schedule, I just wanted to be home before dark). As I was heading east on US 400 out of Wichita , I hit a pop-up thunderstorm with lots of heavy rain...heavy enough that I pulled over in a Burger King lot for about 10 minutes. I pulled over again near Beaumont as I hit another heavy pop-up storm.

By the time I made it to Neodesha, there was yet another storm brewing about 5-10 minutes behind me, so I opted to stop for the night in Independence. Of course, there were no hotels along US 400, so I had to drop south on US 75 then west on US 160 to find anything. There wasn't much selection: an old "Mom & Pop", a Super 8, and a Knight's Inn. Against my better judgment, I opted for Knight's Inn.

I've stayed at Knight's Inn before with very mixed results. Although they are owned by Wyndham (parent company of Super 8 and Ramada), they have a well-earned reputation for being low quailty. But a cursory glance of the outside looked decent, so I decided to stop.

I was a bit surprised when the front desk clerk quoted me $50 for a room. I showed my AAA card and was informed they no longer accept AAA discounts (despite two decals in the front window advertising AAA). AARP? No (despite brochures in the lobby advertising AARP discounts). Wyndham Rewards? No discount. The clerk wasn't even sure if they offered reward points for staying there. *sigh*. Well, I was tired, so I took a room anyway.

It seemed clean enough though TV reception was kind of crappy (several of the listed channels had nothing on them) Then I noticed 3 dead roaches in the bathroom. Since they were dead, I wasn't as concerned as I would have been if they were still alive (giving the benefit of a doubt, maybe the motel had just sprayed and hadn't had time to clean things up...maybe). The Vending room was littered with lots of dead roaches, but while the ice machine worked, the snack and drink machines were both empty.

After it got dark, I noticed the lights didn't come on in the parking lot, so I called the Front Desk. The young lady who had checked me in said she didn't know how to turn them on. They don't come on automatically? Luckily, it was a quiet night (the storms went around) and everything was still in my van when morning arrived. And despite having flat pillows, the bed was fairly comfortable.

Breakfast was like a bad joke: 2 kinds of cereal (luckily one wasn't pre-sweetened) and mini muffins. No toast, no bagels, no fruit or juice: just cereal, milk, and mini muffins (no coffee either). This was beyond a bad joke: it was a waste of time and money.

I have since contacted AAA regarding the lack of a discount despite being "approved". I received a form e-mail back: we will respond within one business day. That was Tuesday, today is Saturday, so maybe they're investigating my claim?

Either way, between what I consider to be false advertising, a poorly lit location and skimpy breakfast, it will be a long time before I stay here again. Perhaps even a long time before I stay at another Knight's Inn.

UPDATE

AAA says official endorsement of the motel has been withdrawn and it no longer listed in the AAA TourBooks. They go on to say that use of the AAA insignia is unauthorized and the Official Appointment Department will review my complaint.

I also received my Wyndham Reward points, but only after filing a complaint.

Sometimes...

2011-07-07T17:07:00.004-05:00

...you find more than just bridges ;)

Trick Signals

2011-06-29T21:52:00.005-05:00

Every June, I spend a week up at Smithville Lake near Kansas City doing the SCA thing. I usually go up at least one day early and come back home at least one day late so I can go exploring. I could spend a week up there and still not see everything.

Every year, I explore a different area. This year was Excelsior Springs and Liberty. Leaving the lake, I drove east on MO 92 to Excelsior Springs then through town on old US 69, eventually winding up in Liberty.

I noticed in Liberty that part of MO 33 had been decommissioned. I guess the town didn't like the large trucks rumbling down the road (I saw several NO TRUCKS signs).

When I got to old 33 and Main St (aka Route H), I saw the strangest thing: a three lens traffic signal with NO Yellow signal: it appeared to be Red with two Green Arrows.

So I had to stop and take a couple photos just so I could post it on my Flickr page, but while I was doing that, the signal changed to Yellow (!)

My initial reaction was WTF? The it dawned on me: dual LED's in the lenses. That seemed strange to me. Maybe it was cheaper than a 4 Lens set-up with Red, Yellow and 2 Green Arrows?

I saw a similar set-up along MO 152 for a Flashing Yellow Arrow set-up, but it was Red Arrow, Steady Yellow Arrow, Green Arrow/Flashing Yellow Arrow (alternating)

OK, that was different. I assumed all FYA's were a 4 lens set-up (Red Arrow, Steady Yellow Arrow, Flashing Yellow Arrow, Steady Green Arrow).

I have yet to spot this anywhere else besides Liberty, so maybe this is just a local phenomenon.

Told You So!

2011-06-29T21:42:00.002-05:00

Today, the local Shell stations all went back up from $3.219 to $3.329 for Regular Unleaded. Did I predict this or what? To be honest, I didn't expect it to happen so soon, but it did.

In the meantime Wal-Mart and Joey's seem to have stopped playing Gas War. Wal-Mart is sitting at $3.199 and Joeys at $3.219. Of course, if you have a Wal-Mart credit card, gas is only $3.099 (you heard about Wal-Mart's gas promotion, right?).

I'm surprised Shell went back up so quickly, but the price increase itself is no real surprise. Of course, that has nothing to do with their $5 Billion in profits in the first 3 months of 2011, does it?

Gas Pains

2011-06-28T11:38:00.003-05:00

If you've been following the news, you've probably heard that gas prices have fallen quite a bit in the last week or so. President Obama let out some of the national oil reserves in an attempt to bring prices down. But I'm not here to discuss the should he/shouldn't he. This is about gas prices themselves.

The local Wal-Mart/Murphy USA near my apartment has come down to $3.219 for Regular Unleaded, after having been sitting at $3.329 for several days. It didn't happen ovenight, though: the independent station across the street (Joey's) went down first, then Murphy followed by going one cent lower that the competition. Then Joey's went down 2 cents, then Murphy went down 2 cents. So we had a little gas war going for a couple days. However the local Shell stations are sitting at $3.329. No one can tell me why except that's the price they were told to charge. So is Murphy cutting their throat at $3.21 or is Shell gouging their customers at $3.32? For the sake of comparison, Mr Jiff is $3.199 Cash Only.

In Ohio, gas has been as low as $3.299 this week, but is on its way up to around $3.459. Reason? According to Gas Buddy, there has been a refinery shutdown... just as prices were coming down. Coincidence? Maybe, but I doubt it. Chicago has the same problem: every time gas prices start to decline, there's a problem at one of the refineries and prices spike back up. Meanwhile, the oil companies are reporting record profits (again).

Prices may be low now, but I predict they won't last long. There will be a refinery shutdown or a pipeline break or OPEC will suddenly cut production... or some other excuse. The oil companies own us. No matter what happens, we're owned by the oil companies. No matter how low prices may go, they will always find a way to screw the public to fatten their bottom line.

Nobody's Perfect

2011-06-27T18:01:00.004-05:00

Nobody's perfect. Same goes for pizza. There is no such thing as the "perfect pizza", or I've yet to find it. Everyone is different and everyone has good days and bad days.
I've tried lots of pizza (probably too many). I've tried chains and independents. Both have been good, both have been bad.

I regularly patronize the local Lunch Buffet at Pizza Parlor and it's OK... not great, not bad, but OK. It's thin crust, but it's a limp crust. The toppings are of decent quality, but not "knock your socks off" great. But it's OK when I have a craving for pizza (which is way to often, I fear).
Last year I tried 417 Pizza in Springfield, MO as well as Bud and Walt's Pizza in Nixa. Both were a thin & crispy crust and both were very good. 417 Pizza was subtly better, in my opinion: the sauce had a little more flavor to it.

A couple weeks ago, I tried Pizza Shoppe in Kansas City. Another thin crust offering, also very good. I liked them just a little better than 417 or Bud & Walt's, but it was close: I liked the sauce a little better and the toppings were a little more flavorful. Hard for me to say, though: I probably would need to sit down with all 3 at once to figure out which I really liked the best.
Once upon a time, I thought no one could be lower than the local Buy 1 Get 2 pizza place (you know: Buy 1 at three times the price, get 2 free), but I found someone: Casey's General Store. The pizza had no flavor. The sauce was bland like cheap tomato sauce and the toppings were cheap tasting and greasy (OK, all pizza is greasy to some degree, but this was just bad, IMO).
Everyone has their own opinions on the chains, but I prefer Papa John's or Pizza Hut. Papa John's has good toppings and good cheese. Pizza Hut used to be good, but their quality has been wavering as of late. One store is good, the next is crummy. I used to like Godfather's as well, but they have slipped over the years. If they could get their act together, they'd be better than Papa John's.

My all time favorite: it's a toss up between King Pizza in Fayetteville, AR and Pizza by Stout in Joplin, MO. King Pizza started in the mid-late 70's, but disappeared for a while to be replaced by the Buy 1 Get 2 Free pizza place... long story. In brief: the old owner sold out (don't remember why) and the new owner ran the company into the ground. Pizza by Stout, as has been relayed to me, was a KP franchise that went independent when the company was sold. However, King Pizza came back a couple years ago as Ye Olde King Pizza and is now owned by the original owner's son.

The differences are subtle between King Pizza and Pizza by Stout. It's really hard for me to describe. Pizza by Stout has a slightly spicier sauce, I think. Again, I'd have to sit them side by side to truly judge which I like better. Sadly, that likely won't happen anytime soon as Pizza by Stout's building was destroyed in the tornado of May 22nd. Everyone is hoping they'll rebuild, but they still haven't decided.

Either way, I'll keep eating pizza and looking for that elusive "perfect pizza".

It's a Trap!

2011-06-25T08:42:00.003-05:00

I got pulled over for speeding a few months ago (New Year's Eve...actually about 1am New Years Day to be exact). I was pulled over in Central City, AR for doing 63 in a 50 mph zone.

Central City is, almost literally, a wide spot in the road along AR 22 east of Barling, though part of it spills onto AR 255 near Lavaca. It has one gas station (out of business) and one restaurant (also out of business). The town is otherwise unremarkable, though 22 is in the process of being widened to 4-Lanes in the area.

I was headed home from a party and encountered a police car sitting at the west end of the Vache Grasse Creek bridge. No sooner did I cross the bridge when the car started following me. It took a while before they lit up and forced me to stop. But here is where it gets a little odd.

I had 3 (count 'em THREE) officers come up to me and ask if I had been drinking. I had been to a party at a friend's house near Paris, but I stuck to soft drinks (I DON'T drink and drive: I've seen too many friends and friends of friends hurt or killed by drunk drivers). Then they made me get out of the van and do the "walk the straight line" sobriety test and the "balance on one leg" test (I walk with a cane part-time: it's near impossible for me to balance on one leg). Then they gave me the breathalyzer test, which came up zero. Were they that dead set on trying to nail me for DWI?

Eventually, they let me go though I got a speeding ticket for the afore mentioned 63 mph in a 50 zone. Then they took off in pursuit of the next vehicle coming down the highway. I was a bit rattled from my experience so I didn't notice until I got home they kept my proof of insurance. Why? They couldn't arrest me for DWI so they kept my proof of insurance. WTF? It's also interesting to note that the location where I was supposedly caught speeding was west of where I was pulled over (and I was heading west). So was the ticket filled out ahead of time?

A couple days later, I retraced my route (making doubly sure to stay below the speed limit). The normal speed limit is 55 mph in that area, but due to the roadway being widened, it's a 50 mph zone, but it's poorly posted. I saw no Speed Limit 50 signs from AR 96 east of town to where I was stopped. Beyond that point, I think I saw one or two.

So my court date came and I was going to see if I could take a driver safety test in lieu of paying the fine (I've not had a ticket in at least 5 years). "City Hall" was a nondescript white block building with a small sign out front and a flag pole. The courtroom was locked so I went into the City Clerk's office to find out when court started. The clerk told me the wrong court date was put on my traffic citation. So when IS my court date? She didn't know...but she was more than happy to have me pay my fine. I suppose I should have put up more of a fuss or called a lawyer at that point, but I just wanted to get it over with, so I paid my fine and left.

I'm not a lawyer (and I don't play one on TV, though I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express), but this whole thing sounds kind of odd to me: the ticket appears to be pre-filled out, there are few Speed Limit signs and court appears to never be in session. But what do I know? I'm just a guy who likes to photograph old bridges and odd road signs.

WOW!

2011-06-23T12:36:00.004-05:00

Has it really been since April since I last posted? I really need to take more time to keep this blog updated. I just got back from a week in and around Kansas City and am working on getting photos edited & posted to Flickr.

Here's a sneak preview: I found this near Excelsior Springs: it's along Williams Creek at Tryst Falls Park. It was built around 1920 and was originally part of MO 92. There is also a nice waterfall below it.

I'll try to have more updates soon!

9 Ton Truck Meets 3 Ton Bridge

2011-04-12T07:54:00.002-05:00

Courtesy of KTHV:

Truck collapses historic Conway Co. bridge

MORRILTON, Ark. (KTHV) -- A historic bridge in Conway County collapsed under the weight of a truck Monday.

A truck with Sweet H20 Transfer Services crossed over the Fryer Bridge in Conway County. It's located about eight and a half miles north of Morrilton off Highway 95.

There is a 3-ton weight limit on the bridge, but the truck actually weighted more than 18,000 pounds, closer to 9 tons.

According to Larry Miller with Morrilton Community Channel 6, the driver says he was driving across the bridge and it started "waving on him." He says he made it across and it collapsed behind him. The top of the bridge struck the top of his hose track, but he was able to get off the bridge.

A 9 Ton truck on a 3 Ton bridge? STUPID! IGNORANT! IDIOT!

I am so angry I'm at a loss for words. Doesn't anybody pay attention anymore or do they simply not give a damn? He says he has crossed it before? If so, then he has been slowly destroying it each time he crossed it.

I hope they can rebuild it. I also hope this idiot and his company pay for the repairs.

The Myth about AYCE

2011-04-11T10:04:00.004-05:00

I took myself out to dinner yesterday at one of those steak restaurants that also offers the All You Can Eat food bar. I've been feeling a little run down lately (allergies, plus the constantly changing weather), so I decided to go get myself a salad and other stuff to try to jump start my metabolism.

I went through the order line and received one plate for the food bar plus a small soup bowl. While I was piling up my plate with salad, my server brought me an extra plate. Then, when I finished my salad, I went to explore what other offerings they had. I got a piece of chicken, some corn, and a couple small pieces of battered fish. When I finished, I went back to the food bar but was stopped because I didn't bring a clean plate. So I returned to my table and waited for my server to bring me a clean plate. And I waited some more. Then I waited some more. Finally, I asked another server if I could have a clean plate. And then I waited.

Did this mean I'm allowed only 2 trips to the food bar or simply that the servers are too lazy to be bothered?

As I've mentioned before, there seems to be an unwritten company policy that tables with a single guest get a lower quality of service than tables with 2 or more people. A former Ryan's server actually confirmed this a few years back: management would rather servers pay more attention to tables of 2 or more because they will tip better. So this is all about tips? I have to pay for good service rather than reward good service? If that's the way you're going to be, then good-bye Western Sizzlin'.

Mississippi Oopsie!

2011-03-26T10:39:00.010-05:00

Just got back from 2 weeks in Mississippi (and Louisiana, plus a little bit of Alabama and Florida). Lots of new bridges (new to me, at least) and the usual assortment of roadside attractions and oddities.

Here's one I found along US 49 near Seminary, MS

See anything odd?

Here's a close-up of across the road

Looks like someone got in too much of a hurry and got the One Way signs reversed! If you're not paying attention, you could be in a world of hurt. For the record, the second photo is correct.

I've dashed off a quick note to MDOT to see if they're aware of this. I wonder if they'll respond?

Follow up: they never responded. Not even a "thank you for your message"

Dear MoDOT

2011-03-01T07:26:00.003-06:00

Last year you built the new highway interchange at US 71 and MO 126 which closed the intersection for several months. Now I hear you are planning to replace the bridge over the North Fork Spring River located just west of there, which will require closing Highway 126 for 2-3 months.
Why didn't you replace the bridge when you were building the new interchange? Why do you have to inconvenience people a second time?

What Were You Thinking?

2011-02-17T08:13:00.004-06:00

I'm sure you've all heard the news by now: Arkansas a couple major snowstorms over the last couple weeks. The worst of it was in NW Arkansas which received up to 20 inches of snow.

Along I-540 between Alma and Fayetteville, stranded semis prompted the closure of the highway, after which AHTD comes to the "rescue" by sanding the highway (the uses actually 90 percent sand and 10 percent salt in their sand trucks). Mind you, this is AFTER the trucks get stranded.

Why didn't AHTD take precautions before all the trucks got stranded before sanding the roadways? What were you thinking?

But also: a major snowstorm is forecast for the area and all the truckers drive right into it and get stuck? Are they not aware of the tall bridges and steep grades along I-540 (not to mention some isolated areas near the Bunyard (Bobby Hopper) Tunnel have their own unique weather)? What were you thinking?

For those who may not be aware, I-540 covers some steep, rugged terrain and has the tallest bridges in the state (between 90 and 210 feet tall). There are no deicing systems on any of the bridges, so when the weather turns icy, the roads and bridges get bad. Just stay off of them!

=end rant=

UP's Great Excursion

2011-01-15T11:01:00.006-06:00

Union Pacific Railroad presents the Great Excursion Adventure. Visitors to the website can vote for one of four Routes: the Tuscola Turn (Boone, IA to West Chicago, then south to Tuscola, IL), the Little Rock Express (Kansas City to St Louis, then south to Little Rock), the Baton Rouge Rambler (Dallas to Shreveport, then south to Baton Rouge), or the Boise Limited (Salt Lake City to Pocatello, ID, the NW to Boise).

Looks like it's going to be Tuscola or Little Rock. As of right now, Tuscola is ahead by around 100 votes. Voting ends Monday, so please vote for Little Rock ;)

UPDATE 1-18-2011: Little Rock Express wins!

Final tallies:

76,217 for Little Rock
73,175 for Tuscola
18,070 for Baton Rouge
11,213 for Boise

Gas Pains

2011-01-14T21:14:00.003-06:00

I'm not going to discuss the high price of gasoline. There are enough other blogs and websites discussing this, that I'd only add to the "noise".

However, I'd like to relay my own personal experience with filling up.

My van's gas gauge was down to 1/4 tank, so I pulled in at the local Murphy USA. I've had my van 7 years now and know from experience that it holds just over 16 gallons. When the gauge is down to 1/4 it will take 12-14 gallons. Well, the pump kept going and going and finally stopped... at 16.6 gallons.

WTF? That's about as much as my van will hold. If I'm down to 1/4 tank, why did it take 16+ gallons? I've already looked: I have no leaks. Something isn't right.

2011

2011-01-03T20:08:00.004-06:00

Well, here we are: 2011. Doesn't feel any different than 2010 so far.

I've been doing some random research: so far, it looks like only one state has a Route 2011

Yes, Texas. Pennsylvania supposedly does, but I haven't been able to find any info. I thought Kentucky would, but I guess not. Ditto Louisiana: no 2011.

Arkansas has no Highway 20, so I can't really do a 20-11, though Missouri and Oklahoma do.

Year End Wrap-up

2010-12-30T08:35:00.004-06:00

Well, I missed my goal of 6000 photos on Flickr. My final tally will be in the 4500 range. It was a lofty goal, but I thought I could do it. Unfortunately, the slow economy prevented me from taking as many long trips, so I had fewer opportunities for bridge photos and odd sign photos.

I did get do drive through New Orleans back in March and found lots of photo ops. I wish I'd had more time to explore the area than I did, but I can always go back another day.

I also found some old bridges between Ottawa & Emporia, KS, thanks in part to Richie "Route 56" Kennedy. I've also seen several on Bridgehunter that I really want to go find. I don't know if I'll make it anytime soon, but I can always hope.

So it was a good year for photos, but not a spectacular year... but I can always vow to do better next year.

I think for 2011, I'll set a goal of 8500 photos on Flickr. There are several older bridges along old US 63 near Jonesboro I want to go find, plus a WPA bridge near Gilbert that appears to be well preserved. I wish I had the time and money to simply take a week and do all these in one trip.

Well, as they say in the movies: "that's a wrap". Thanks for reading and see you again in 2011.

Does Not Compute

2010-12-28T20:02:00.003-06:00

Part of being a Road Scholar (or Roadgeek if you prefer) is a 6th sense about roads. I can often sense when something is different or not quite right.

This happened to me recently along US 71/I-540 between the Missouri State Line and Fort Smith. I wasn't sure what it was, at first, but something didn't feel right. Then one day, I did a mileage check: as I drove it, it was 97 miles from the Missouri State Line along US 71 to the Oklahoma State Line near Fort Smith along I-540 (technically, it's US 271 at the State Line, but it's a continuation of 540). This was as I drove it, following US 71's current alignment along I-540 and I-40. No big deal, right?

Now, it gets interesting: as 71 is signed, it is 100 miles from Missouri to Oklahoma. I base this off the mileposts and exit numbers along 71 and 540. The last posted exit is Exit 98 for AR 340 at Bella Vista. From there, it is two more miles to the Missouri State Line. So that means the exit number is wrong if you base it on how I drive it. The next numbered exit going south is Exit 93 for US 71B at Bentonville. It's also incorrect. My calculations show it is 7 miles from 71B to the Missouri State Line, so this should be exit 90, not 93.

Based on what I have found, the error occurs somewhere between US 62 (Exit 86) and 71B (Exit 93). I've not figured out at exactly what point the error occurs, but may be a matter of multiple round-off errors (rounding mileage up to the next Milepost). Either way, it probably doesn't make much difference and I'm probably the only person who has noticed this.

Someday, maybe I'll ask AHTD about it... but not today.

What Recession?

2010-12-20T20:07:00.003-06:00

Normally, I don't delve much into politics, but I felt the need to rant a little.

As many of you are aware, the US is in the middle of a Recession... or ARE we?

For the average individual (including myself) this has been a rough year. Yet, there are some who don't feel it and aren't affected: big business.

It's interesting to note that while a lot of folks are just getting by, major corporations seem to have money to burn.

For example: how many major hotel chains have introduced new or remodeled logos this past year (I can name at least 3)? How many small chains have bought up by their larger rivals? For major corporations, there is no Recession: they still have plenty of money.

Yet, many small businesses are hurting: how many individual hotels have changed brands in the past year? I've seen Holiday Inns become Ramada, Super 8's become Americas Best Value. I've seen name brand hotels suddenly change to "no name" (or generic names like "Budget Inn" or "Economy Inn"). Why? Because franchise fees are lower, commissions are lower and maintenance standards are lower. So to save a few dollars, hotel owners are opting for cheaper franchises to conserve their money.

I'm using hotels as an example, but they are by no means the only industry.

Now then, we have a brand new Congress coming to Washington, DC in January. Who do they want to give tax breaks to? The corporations! The same people who seem to have plenty of money already.

WTF?

Going Round in Circles

2010-12-17T22:04:00.004-06:00

An article in the Arkansas Times reports a new Roundabout (or Traffic Circle as some call it) has opened in North Little Rock at the intersection of Pike Ave., Riverfront Drive and Broadway (AR 365 at AR 100). No sooner did officials cut the ribbon when a driver went the wrong way through the Roundabout. Kind of makes me wonder how they would have reacted to a Diverging Diamond?

Everywhere a Sign

2010-12-17T21:12:00.007-06:00

As many of you know, my fascination with highways includes signs. I have about half a dozen old signs in my possession, plus a couple modern remakes of old signs.

I read recently that AHTD (Arkansas Highway and Transportation Dept) was planning to replace the exit signs along I-540 between Fayetteville and Bentonville. The new signs will be metropolitan-style exit signs: instead of a destination, the street name will be used. US 412, for example, will change from Springdale/Tontitown/Siloam Springs to Sunset Ave.

The changeover is occurring slowly with the first signs to change being for US 62/AR 180 which went from the Farmington/University of Arkansas Exit to Martin Luther King Jr Blvd.

Next was AR 112 which went from a no-name exit to Garland Ave.

What happened after that, requires some explanation

This is for the former Johnson exit, now Great House Spring Rd

Except it's not Great House Spring Rd, it's Greathouse (1 word) Springs (plural) Rd.... or County Rd 54

So what happened? Probably a contractor error... someone not paying attention when the signs were made.

As, for what happens next, who knows? So far, I think I'm the only one who has caught this error. I've contacted AHTD to see if they know about this, so I guess we'll see what happens ;)

UPDATE: I received the following message from AHTD this morning:

We made the mistake of making the signs with the same wording the City of Johnson has on their street name signs. Afterwards, we found out their signs were wrong. We are in the process of correcting the signs to read "Greathouse Springs Rd".

OK. now I need to investigate that.

Distractions

2010-12-09T20:52:00.002-06:00

My bad... I've been distracted as of late. Long story short, I was in Booneville, AR one weekend, Colmesneil, TX the next and Springfield, MO the weekend after that. I've got lots of photos, though... mostly from Texas and Louisiana (yes, I've been in Louisiana, too).

I've got lots of stuff to blog about IF I can find the time/clear my head enough. I have some updates on I-49 construction in Louisiana, a little bit of Arkansas I-49 news, and a plethora of other random bits including a pseudo-political commentary.

I guess I just need to sit down and make some time every day to post.

On-Line Maps

2010-10-31T10:28:00.006-05:00

I'm sure almost all of you have seen them and many of you have used them: on-line maps. There are several different maps sites out there including MSN/Mapblast, Yahoo, Bing and a few more.

I recently took a trip to Memphis and looked up my route using Google maps (I was going to a campsite I'd never been to before). It told me it was 320 miles and would take 4.7 hours. Doing a little math, I came up with just over 68 mph. At 65 mph as I usually drive (better gas mileage) it would take 4.9 hours. Mind you, that is non-stop (no gas stops, no bathroom breaks, no stopping at the golden arches). So I planned on 5 1/2 hours. It took me about 10 minutes over that due to traffic and lower speed limits on some of the roads.

So if you use on-line maps, always allow extra time beyond what the information tells you. My general rule is to allow at least 30 minutes more for every 6 hours. That allows for slow traffic, gas stops, etc.

ALSO: before you go, verify the given directions with a map or atlas. Most on-line maps use primary roads for their routing and you can occasionally save time by selecting a secondary route. When I travel to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, I'm often routed along I-40 to Memphis, then down I-55 to Jackson, the along US 49. But if I go down I-530/US 65 from Pine Bluff, I save around 80 miles and almost an hour driving time. It's also much more scenic ;)

Bottom line: if you use on-line maps, always allow more driving time than the site gives you and don't be afraid to check for alternate routings. Most importantly , however, is keep a map or an atlas with you on your trip. Google won't tell you if a bridge if closed for repairs or if the road washed out. And occasionally, they get the route numbers wrong.

Over the Rainbow

2010-10-13T22:37:00.006-05:00

For those who haven't guessed, I love signs. I've never figured out why, but I do.

Doing some research into highways and signage, I have found that some states used to have colored signs... ie: not simply black & white. Mississippi, for example, once used blue, red and green (a different color for each direction)

Well, through the "miracle" of e-bay where I "window shop" for lots of signs, I've discovered another style: partially colored US 16 in South Dakota:

(No, that's not the actual photo... it's a photoshop rendition)

Of course, most of these signs disappeared by the late 1950's/early 1960's... part of AASHTO & USDOT's plan to homogenize highway signage.

As near as I can tell, Arkansas and Missouri had no technicolor signage. Texas didn't either, though they had their own variant of the US cut-out shield:Image courtesy AA Roads

I would love to have seen a colored Arkansas sign, but alas, they never existed. Guess I'll have to make my own someday.

Ketchup ;)

2010-10-11T20:57:00.004-05:00

Yes, I have a lot of catching up to do. Between being on the road almost every weekend and my computer crashing, I have lots of news to catch up on.

News in Brief:

4 new interchanges have opened on US 71 north of Carthage, MO

MO 126
Routes V/C
Routes DD/EE
MO 52 East

Arkansas has taken a few small steps towards building I-49 between Bentonville & the Missouri State Line. For now, it appears it will be built as a "Super 2" (2 lanes, controlled access) over a period of about 10 years, to be upgraded to 4 Lanes as money becomes available.

For sign fanatics: I-540 in NW Arkansas is receiving new exit signage, with street names instead of city designations. First ones appeared last month at Exit 62 for US 62/AR 180 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd (formerly Farmington/University of Arkansas exit).

I'll have more information on these tidbits in a couple days. In the meantime, I have lots of Missouri and Arkansas photos to upload on Flickr. Several bridges (including a stone culvert on old US 50 at Union, MO) and a random assortment of road signs (including a couple AR 87 signs spotted in Missouri).

Guess I better get busy!

I've Been Published (Again!)

2010-09-02T18:27:00.003-05:00

As regular readers may remember, one of my photos appeared in the Ft Scott Tribune a few weeks ago. Since then, some more of my photos have been published.

An old SCA friend of mine, Kat Robinson, writes Tie Dye Travels: a food and travel blog specializing in out of the way attractions and eateries. A recent series of articles covered a trip she took to Lake Village, Arkansas and Greenville, Mississippi including a visit to the Greenville Bridge, which included several of my photos of the old bridge.

That's twice, now. Maybe I'm on to something here?

New but Not New

2010-08-21T14:46:00.007-05:00

Sometimes, I like to get out of the house for a few hours and go for a random drive. When I'm simply out wandering, I find it relaxing as it gets my mind off the troubles of the world. Sometimes, I just go and come home with little to show for it. The other day, I was "rewarded" for taking a drive by discovering a new highway: AR 282S

Actually, it's not all that new. For many years, it was Dollard Road from AR 282 near Mountainburg to the wilds of Crawford County. When AR 540 (I-540's predecessor) was built from Alma to Mountainburg in the 1990's, it became an extension of 540 back to US 71 (partially co-signed with an new alignment of AR 282, bypassing the old Silver Bridge over Frog Bayou).

After AR 540 became I-540, the half mile section of road became an East-West alignment of AR 282 while the rest continued to be posted as North-South.

However, the most recent change has redesignated this as 282S, though it is only posted westbound (eastbound is posted as TO 282)

Confusing? You bet! But, that's Arkansas: always "improving" things that don't need improving.

In Search of Old 62

2010-08-18T19:28:00.006-05:00

US 62 didn't exist until 1930. In Arkansas, it was posted either as AR 47 or as AR 12. All across the state, there are small sections of county road plus various state routes and business routes that are former alignments of US 62. Many of these I have discovered on my own, a few I have found by looking at old maps.

Two days ago, I found another possible alignment that I had never noticed before. It roughly parallels 62 for about a mile just southeast of US 65 near Bellfonte. Someone sent me a lead on a possible old bridge in the vicinity so I pulled up Google maps to trangulate.

I was looking the county road and noticed it appeared to intersect US 62 in two locations... or did at one time. It appears to have been cut-off at the east end, but the satellite photo seems to show traces of the old roadway.

courtesy Google maps

The blue line shows what I suspect to be old 62. The red line shows the possibly abandoned section. My research tells me there is at least one old bridge on Brack Kimes Rd, plus a possible second one on Huzzah Rd which branches off to the north and west about a third of the way down Kimes Rd.

There is only one way to find out: I have to go there. I've been looking for an excuse to go over that way, so I guess I have one now. :)

Other Stuff

2010-08-15T19:40:00.002-05:00

In addition to my usual road & bridge photos, I've been working on a few things for Landmark Hunter. I was up in Fayetteville last week so I took the opportunity to snag a few photos.

Washington County Courthouse, built 1905

The Guisinger Building, built 1886

Washington County Jail, built 1896

My first love is roads, but occasionally, something else will catch my attention.

Lost in the Woods

2010-08-15T14:00:00.008-05:00

I'm so far behind on posting, it's like I've been lost in the woods. Yet, maybe that's not a bad thing: some of my favorite bridge finds are lost in the woods. I found one back in March north of Pineville, Louisiana.

While this looks like just an abandoned road (it's an abandoned section of US 71) it actually "hides" an old bridge over Hudson Creek. When I saw this out of the corner of my eye and knew I had to stop and investigate. I had to walk about 1/4 mile (which seemed longer) to get to this bridge. Needless to say, I was not disappointed by what I discovered.

The concrete "fence-rail" design of this bridge was popular in the 1930's and early 1940's. What little information I can find seems to indicate this bridge may have still been in service until the 1960's. As you can see, it's been hit many times by overweight trucks or errant motorists. What really sets this bridge apart from so many others, though, is this end rail:

Many older bridges in Louisiana and Mississippi have the highway, the bridge name and date imprinted on the end of the bridge. Here you can see "US 71" as well as "Hudson Creek" imprinted in the concrete. I was unable to find the exact date it was built, however, (it's possibly on the other end of the bridge where the end rail is missing) so I'm not sure when this was built, though as I already said, the design seems to say 1930's.

One other item of note is the west end-rail:

if you look closely, you can see the remnants of the black & white hazard markings painted on the bridge.

PULL OVER!

2010-08-07T20:13:00.002-05:00

It never ceases to amaze me how many ignorant drivers are out there. I was on I-40 this afternoon and spied an ambulance quickly coming up behind me with its lights on. I pulled over into the right-hand lane, then pulled over to the shoulder.

Most of the other cars and trucks kept going, causing the ambulance weave around them.

Doesn't anyone know how to pull over and let emergency vehicles pass?

Greenville Bridge Opens

2010-08-07T09:13:00.004-05:00

Courtesy of MDOT:

U.S. Highway 82 Mississippi River Bridge near Greenville is now Opened to Traffic

JACKSON, MISS., Wednesday, August 4, 2010---With the U.S. Highway 82 Mississippi River Bridge Dedication Ceremony held last week, motorists will be happy to know that the bridge opened to traffic today, according to Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) officials.

The U.S. Highway 82 Mississippi River Bridge opened to traffic today around 5:30 p.m. The four-lane bridge, which links Mississippi and Arkansas, replaces a narrow 1940 structure 2,800 feet upstream. Each travel lane on the new bridge is 12 feet wide, and the bridge includes 12-foot outside shoulders and 8-foot inside shoulders to enhance safety and traffic flow. The structure connects the Mississippi Delta to Interstate 55 and other four-lane highways such as U.S. Highway 61 and U.S. Highway 65 in Arkansas.

While the bridge has opened to traffic, MDOT urges motorists to be advised that crews will be working on the bridge making last minute improvements. Please slow down and pay close attention to crews, signage and equipment in the area. As always, when approaching a work zone, please reduce your speed.

It's about time! It was supposed to open last week (they even held a ribbon cutting), but as of Friday, it still wasn't open. Near as I can tell, MDOT wanted to repave US 82 up to the edge of the old bridge before the new one opened.

At least I got some more photos of the old bridge and a few of the new one:

Sad and Ironic

2010-08-02T19:38:00.003-05:00

It's a little sad and a bit ironic when a road scholar knows more that the state transportation department.

In trying to find out the history of the Melville Ferry, I contacted the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development. I explained that I was trying to find out the history since the ferry is on an old alignment of US 71 (and possibly the old Jefferson Trail). The response I received was to the effect of "we think it's over 50 years old, but we don't know anything else".

You mean, what little I know is still more than LADOTD knows? That's so funny in the wrong sort of way.

Don't Pay the Ferryman

2010-07-31T18:09:00.003-05:00

It's not just old bridges which are going away, it's ferries.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development has announced the Melville Ferry will cease operations in October due to economic circumstances. According to various news stories, it costs LADOTD $100 to $150 per vehicle to operate the ferry, while it charges $1 to use the ferry.

I visited Melville 2 years ago, but was unable to use the ferry since it was a Sunday (it only operates Monday through Friday). I had hoped to go back next Spring and visit it again, perhaps having the opportunity to actually ride on it. If I want to do that, I'll have to drive down there sometime in the next two months, which doesn't appear likely.

Information regarding the history of the ferry is sparse to non-existant. I can tell you it crosses the Atchafalaya River along an old alignment of US 71 (now LA 10) and that the highway is unpaved east of the river. I've contacted LADOTD who said LA 10 would remain in service, as is, for now with signs being posted to redirect traffic around the closed ferry.

More Time Wasters

2010-07-22T09:32:00.006-05:00

As if I didn't have enough stuff to waste my time, there's a new website call Landmark Hunters It starts with your basic National Register of Historic Places entries and expands to cover other points of interest as well, such as old traffic signals, bridges (of course), service stations, even old roadways and barns.

There's just not enough time in the day for me to post there and do everything else I need to do. I need twice as many hours in the day and less to do.

1 Highway, 3 alignments

2010-07-18T20:44:00.004-05:00

I was in Beebe, Arkansas recently and continued some research into old alignments of US 67. Being a major North-South highway between Little Rock and Missouri, it has been upgraded and improved numerous times. Based upon some old maps and personal research, I have found 3 separate alignments.

(1) 1926 Original alignment: north from Ward to US 64 approx a mile west of Beebe. East to Beebe then northwest along East Center St (now US 67B)

(2) 1939 Alignment: northwest from Ward along current AR 367. Old 67 through Beebe becomes US64C.

(3) 1973 Alignment: current 4 Lane alignment just west of Ward and Beebe.

This map puts all 3 alignments in perspective:

1926, 1939, 1973

Very little remains of 67's original alignment. If you look closely, when you're driving along AR 367 north of Ward, you can see a faint path from US 67's original alignment. From US 64, old 67 is a narrow 2-Lane street which dead-ends into the woods near modern 67.

Eventually, I want to track US 67 from Little Rock to the Missouri State Line, possibly from Little Rock to Texarkana as well (I've actually already tracked part of 67 near Texarkana).

Why? Because it's there. Because I have a fascination with old roads.

I'm also working on US 71, but that's best left for another day.

I've Been Published

2010-07-16T14:45:00.003-05:00

... sort of.

One of my photos appears today in the Fort Scott Tribune.

Issac Asimov

2010-07-13T19:26:00.001-05:00

Really now?

I write like
Isaac Asimov

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

An Accident Waiting to Happen

2010-07-13T12:29:00.009-05:00

Another quick note.

I stayed in a couple hotels on my trip including the Travelodge in Ottawa, KS. The place is obviously an older hotel that has seen better days.The room was small, the shower was dirty and the a/c control panel was so worn you could barely see the settings.

My biggest concern, however, was the ice machine:

A missing panel, exposed wiring...this is an accident waiting to happen! I wasn't sure about staying here again due to the run down conditions and the poor quality service, but this makes me want to run away very quickly. I think it's only a matter of time before someone is hurt or there is an electrical fire.

I'm Tired!

2010-07-13T09:59:00.006-05:00

Got back last evening from a 5 day trip to Ottawa, Kansas. I came home with over 1200 photos (though I only wind up using about 1 in 5) of signs, bridges and other items of interest, including this bridge over the BNSF Railroad northwest of Ottawa

(get out of the way, Richie)

I love traveling, seeing the countryside and taking photos, but it's exhausting! It always takes me a few days to recover. I'd love to be able to sleep all day, but there is too much to do around the house (so what am I doing here? I've got laundry to do.)

ACHOO!

2010-07-05T20:57:00.004-05:00

Only in Arkansas:

Here we go again!

2010-07-04T17:15:00.006-05:00

Last Summer, US 71 north of Mountaiburg was closed for several months following a washout. What started out as a relatively simple project turned into something more. Instead of fixing one lane, the whole roadway had to be rebuilt. Eventually, the roadway was repaired and everything returned to normal.

Back in April, I spied another potential washout, again on US 71. This one was approximately 2 miles north of the previous washout, about 2 miles south of Artist's Point.

You can see here the cracks developing as well as some previous attempts to patch the damage.

I've been by a couple times since and it appears AHTD has applied some crack sealer to some of the damage... but will that suffice? They did the same thing to the other washout last year until it became apparent it wasn't working.

Yes, washouts do happen, especially in mountainous areas. AR 7, AR 23, AR 16, US 71... all have suffered washouts. But two in two years along 71? I thought AHTD was still going to care for roadway after I-540 opened... at least, that's what they promised to do. But then, US 71 is over 80 years old. It hasn't had any major work done for over 20 years, and most of that was just widening some of the narrow curves.

Well, OK, AHTD is replacing some bridges between West Fork and Winslow. Now, most of those bridges dated back to the 1960's and were starting to show their age, but I doubt any of them were in danger of collapsing. Why couldn't the money have been used to ensure the roadwasy itself wasn't washing away?

Oh wait! This is Arkansas. We use economic recovery money to repave perfectly good roads and ignore roads and bridges that really need work.

Lost Bridge

2010-07-04T13:57:00.006-05:00

One of the things I enjoy when photographing bridges is finding one that's been long since forgotten and abandoned. I've lost count of the number of bridges I have found that everyone else has forgotten about.

One such bridge was the Duck River Bridge at Centerville, TN. A two-span through truss bridge, it was built in 1913 and bypassed by a new bridge in 1970.

I found this bridge in July 2006 on a trip to Columbia, TN. I took some photos and promised I'd be back another day. Somehow, I've just never made it back to that area. There was a time when I'd travel to Tennessee every Summer, but the last few years I haven't.

I received word a few weeks ago that the old bridge is no more: a casualty of the May flooding in parts of Tennessee. The whole bridge was washed away save for a couple piers

(Photo courtesy Bridgehunter.com)

It's not the first bridge I've visited that is no longer there and it won't be the last. Still, it's a shame to see the old bridges go, either by acts of nature (flood, tornadoes) or acts of man (torn down to make way for a new bridge).

Going soon. It's time to say goodbye.

2010-07-02T17:30:00.006-05:00

As we say "hello" to July, it's time to say good-bye to the Greenville-Lake Village Bridge. Opened in September 1940, the Greenville-Lake Village bridge spans the Mississippi River along US 82. Also known as the Benjamin G. Humphreys Bridge, the bridge has, alas, outlived its usefulness and will soon be razed.

Having driven across the bridge a number of times, I can tell you it's a little nerve wracking. Its total deck width is only 24 feet, meaning it has but 2 narrow travel lanes and no shoulder. That isn't too bad unless there's an on-coming semi-trailer truck or a speed demon on your tail. Still, I hate to see it go... most modern bridges have no personality.

The new bridge, a cable stayed bridge, is being built just to the south of the current bridge. It will have 4 12-foot travel lanes, plus shoulders. Kind of fancy looking, if you ask me:

So, perhaps the old bridge's time has come, but it doesn't make me any happier: I hate to see the old bridges go. There seem to be so few left and growing fewer every year. Too bad no one ever thinks of making one of these a pedestrian bridge like the old Chain of Rocks bridge.

STOP THIEF!

2010-07-02T10:44:00.003-05:00

A couple months ago, I noticed one of my photos had shown up on Cafe Press:

I took this photo in 2007 near Flippin, Arkansas. AHTD had just opened a bypass and some of the signage had not been completed. The 178 shield was a bit odd (construction signage often is) so I snapped a photo.

Imagine my surprise when I found my photo on Cafe Press and someone selling shirts with the Flippin Business sign. If you look at my Flickr page, my photos say "All rights reserved". I've shared a few with a couple museums, but I have always requested my name be attached (as in "photo by..."). Well this guy didn't even bother. He simply lifted my photo and hoped I'd never notice.

So I contacted Flickr about this, only to be told in effect "This photo is on an external site so it's not our problem". Not your problem? This is MY photo stolen from YOUR site and it's not your problem?

I then contacted Cafe Press explaining my problem. Although reluctant at first, they eventually contacted the shop owner (who lives in Spain). A week later, I received notice that the photo had been removed and the shop owner was requesting permission to continue selling the goods produced with my pilfered photo. I agreed, but only if the shop owner agreed to pay me a commission on all items he sold with my image. I never heard back. The photo is gone, but he is continuing to sell items produced from the photo.

So, let that be a lesson to everyone: anything you post on Flickr is subject to theft by a 3rd Party and neither they nor Cafe Press have any respect for intellectual property rights.

Peek a Boo

2010-07-01T17:58:00.003-05:00

Anyone who has been to Kansas City in the last year the US 71/MO 150 Interchange is being rebuilt. Traffic is a big mess trying to negotiate all the lane switches & detours. One of the Detour MO 150 signs caught my attention when I was up there a couple weeks ago:

I'm super sizing this photo you can get a good look at it. You can see the Missouri route shield and the route number (150), but something else is there: there appears to be another route number underneath. It looks as if it may be 350. But beyond that, there appears to be the outline of another route shield... something round. But Missouri doesn't have round route shields. So what can it be? Is it a rescued pre-meat cleaver Oklahoma shield? Is it a contractor error using a circle for a Missouri State Route instead of the silhouette? Looking again, I think I see 32 on one of the layers.

Only other thing I can figure out is maybe it's a reused detour sign from Iowa.

I'll probably never know for sure.

Happy Birthday Interstates

2010-06-29T12:24:00.004-05:00

On this day, June 29, 1956, President Eisenhower signed the Interstate Highway Act. Inspired by German Autobahns, the Interstate system was designed to ease highway congestion in big cities & small towns and facilitate cross-country travel, though as John Steinbeck wrote in Travels With Charley "it will be possible to drive from New York to California without seeing a single thing.”

Well maybe that's a slight exaggeration. There are still things to see along the interstates: usually the rolling plains or steep mountain overlooks. But certainly no rattlesnake museum or Indian trading posts.

For all the good interstates have done, their creation was all but a death knell for the scenic Sunday drive, US 66 and many small businesses along the old 2-Lane who were unable to adapt.

I still prefer the old 2-Lane when I have the time, but if I'm in a hurry, I'll take the interstate.

(yes, I know: there is NO I-54 and Interstates never used the square font. Call it creative license ;) )

On Jefferson's Trail

2010-06-29T10:50:00.004-05:00

I was exploring some old sections of US 71 in Missouri last week and had a bit of a surprise. I was going around a curve and spied this sign:

My curiosity getting the best of me, I decided to head that direction. Then, I found another sign

I'm guessing "Old Jefferson Road" is the old Jefferson Highway, US 71's predecessor? I've just recently taken an interest in the Jefferson Highway, so I'm still piecing things together.

It appears to closely parallel US 71 though it shifts and runs through Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas eventually ending up in New Orleans. It's possible there was an auxiliary route that passed through Arkansas, but I'm still looking for information on that.

I hear the Powers Museum in Carthage, MO is involved in doing some research, so I may have take a couple days and go up to see what they can tell me.

The Coming of MO 126

2010-06-28T23:07:00.006-05:00

Well, OK...MO 126 really isn't that new... it's been around for a while. It stretches from Golden City (at US 160) west to the Kansas State Line where it continues as K 126. 126 is mostly a rural road with only a few major junctions (MO 37, US 71, MO 43).

Since last Summer, 126 has been closed at US 71 while the at-grade intersection is converted to a full interchange in preparation for upgrading US 71 to I-49, paid for in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The proposed completion date of the interchange is sometime this Fall... or WAS.

MoDOT announced today that the US 71/MO 126 Interchange will open June 30. June 30? GREAT... or maybe not so great. I have to be someplace else that day, so I will likely miss the ribbon cutting. If by some chance I DO make it, I'll be the guy in the US 71 shirt ;)

Railroad Oddity

2010-06-28T20:30:00.007-05:00

Just got home from my annual trip to Kansas City (well, OK... it's been a couple days.) I didn't get quite as many photos this time as I'd hoped, but I got a few. I found a section of the old Jefferson Road between Nevada & Rich Hill, MO, an abandoned section of old US 71 (and lost bridge) near there, plus a few other items I'll be posting to my Flickr pages.

The oddest thing I found was a railroad crossing in Belton, MO. Instead of the traditional red signals or simply a crossbuck, this had a yellow strobe light at either end:

I've never seen this before, so I did a little research: the strobes seem to be to warn the trains when there is traffic present (as opposed to signals warning traffic). This is apparently used only at low volume crossings.

There's not a lot of information available on this set-up. So far, I've not found any other examples.

Now, while I was taking my photos, something else caught my eye: a pair of old steam locomotives

These were parked in the rail yard along with a few other cars. Being a Sunday, there really wasn't anyone to ask about the trains, but they appear to simply be on public display. There was an information car, but no one was working. So I guess I'll have to back again sometime. Maybe I can find out more about the yellow strobe lights as well.

RIP Poteau River US 271

2010-06-01T21:51:00.002-05:00

Just got back yesterday from a weekend in Texas. My camera is broken so I didn't get to take any photos, but I DID take the scenic route coming home. At Eufaula, OK I turned off US 69 and followed OK 9 to Pocola.

I got a quick glimpse of the road construction along US 59, but didn't stop for photos since I had no camera.

Just west of Spiro, OK 9 joins US 271 on its trek towards Arkansas. When you near Pocola, there's a beautiful 1940's truss bridge over the Poteau River:

or WAS. ODOT has removed the bridge to make way for a UCEB (Ugly Concrete Eyesore Bridge). I'm disappointed. ODOT told me in December of 2008 it would be several years before it was replaced (a new bridge for westbound traffic has just recently been completed), but I guess they found the money somewhere to finish the job.

Bummer. :`(

I Want to Go Back

2010-03-28T09:25:00.008-05:00

Yes, I know it's been a while... life got in the way. Hopefully, I can make time to keep up with this blog again.

I just got back Tuesday from my annual trip to southern Mississippi. I took a couple extra days going down as well as coming home to do some exploring, photos of which I am slowly uploading to Flickr, such as this abandoned bridge over Hudson Creek along US 71 north of Pineville, LA

I even found an old Cities Service gas cottage in Winona, MS

I found lots of bridges along US 90 between New Orleans & Lafayette before I ran out of time such as this bridge over Bayou Des Allemands:

I missed so many bridges that I want to go back and see them all. Right now, though, I don't have the time. I wish I did. There is so much anger, hatred & backstabbing in the world these days that I wish I could get away from it all and simply go for a drive and take photos. When I'm on the road, little else matters...I'm simply living in the moment. I weary of all the "talking heads" trying to tell me how to think, how to act. I just want to be left alone. Just me and the roads.

Is There No End?

2010-01-18T12:28:00.002-06:00

After all these years, I'm thinning out my map collection. OK, I wrote that a week or two ago. BUT, the sorting continues. I thought I had it all wrapped up, then this morning I found yet another box of maps, so now I'm trying to get them priced and sorted. Oldest map so far: 1929 Illinois map by Highway Map Company

Eventually, I will probably put many of these on e-bay, but I'll first offer them to fellow RMCA members. THEN I'll think about e-bay. I'd rather price them low and move them out than put them on e-bay and wait.

Anyway, back to work.

Paper Trails

2010-01-11T10:21:00.002-06:00

I'm getting a head start on Spring cleaning by thinning out my map collection. I've been collecting for who knows how long and have an assortment from almost everywhere in the U.S. I never intended to start that way... it sort of happened. I bought out one flea market that has a bunch of old Phillips 66 maps from the early 60's (I fell for the line that it was cheaper to buy them all rather than the 3 or 4 I wanted), and have generally collected maps wherever I go. I'm not even sure how I got some of these (1977 Alabama? I was there once in 2004, though I'd like to go back). Maybe I bought out another collector? Sometimes, I will bid on e-bay for a group of maps just to have the one or two I really want.

Generally, I try to keep to Arkansas, Missouri and Illinois. I have a few gaps (Arkansas especially), but I'm trying to amass a collection of all 3 states dating from at least 1926, if not before. I try to keep to official state maps, but I have a few gas stations maps in the mix, too.

But everything else has to go! I no longer have the space for them and I rarely look at them, though the 1948 Kansas map is interesting. So, out they go. I'm listing everything I have by date, location, publisher and condition. One problem though: I have over 400 maps to sort. About 1/4th of them, I'll probably keep, but I have waaaay too many maps. So it looks like I'm going to be a while.

Now the most interesting so far is a Standard Oil Travel Packet. Actually, there's two of them. One is from Clarance, MO (west of Hannibal) to New York for the World's Fair in 1962. The maps are in very good condition overall and includes a lot of gas station receipts. The second packet is a trip from Missouri to Florida in late 1965. No receipts this time, but there is a list of apartments plus the card from a real estate agent in Florida. Maybe these were "snowbirds" fleeing to Florida for the Winter?

Anyway, I've got to back to sorting & pricing. Plus I have to renew my Driver's License at the DMV today.

Gas Pains

2010-01-02T10:10:00.006-06:00

Well, as I'm sure everyone has noticed, gas prices are on the rise again. The lowest point around here was about $2.289 for Regular Unleaded. Now, the average price is around $2.499, which makes shopping for the best price that much more important.

I was in Fayetteville last week running some errands and decided I needed to get gas before heading home (when on the road, I don't like going below 1/4 tank). I saw one station charging $2.499, but thought I could do better. A couple miles down the road I saw EZ Mart advertising $2.439 for Regular Unleaded, so I stopped. Imagine my surprise when I pulled up to the pump to find the price was $2.489 (!).

So I went inside to ask the clerk about the difference. Yes, he knew the sign said $2.439. Yes, he knew the pump said $2.489. The reason? Some mumbled comment about how the manager didn't change the sign.

Well, obviously, I decided not to get gas. Fortunately, I found a Shamrock station another 2 miles down the road advertising $2.439 and the pump matched the sign.

Times like this, I'm glad I keep my camera handy ;)

Final Tally

2010-01-01T10:17:00.003-06:00

Final official Flickr photo tally for 2009: 3641 photos total, of which 1202 were posted during 2009. Goal for 2010: 2359 new photos. I'll probably get started after lunch ;)

Slip Slidin' Away (Part Deux)

2010-01-01T09:01:00.007-06:00

Well, it's happened again: yet another Arkansas roadway has done the "slip n slide". This time, it's AR 23 north of Ozark.

Dubbed the "Pig Trail" for it's twisty, narrow curves and steep grades, 23 winds through the Ozark National Forest and has long served as a shortcut to Fayetteville (and the University of Arkansas) for college students driving in from Little Rock and other ares of the state. In recent years, AR 23 has seen less traffic with the opening of I-540 some 20 miles west. Still, it's a popular scenic drive in the Spring, Summer and Fall. In the Winter, no so much... especially when the snow and the ice come rolling through.

Due to an overabundance of rain the past two Springs, parts of the roadway had started to erode and slide down the hillside. While the contractor was scheduled to simply repair the washed out area leaving one lane open to traffic, further damage has been found requiring the whole roadway be closed while the contractor repairs that damage as well (for an additional cost, as well)

Now, I can't help but wonder why AHTD didn't forsee this. They did the same thing on US 71 a few months ago: fix the worst of it, ignore the rest, then find out the whole area is bad. I can't help but wonder if AHTD is trying to do thing "on the cheap" rather than fix things right. It would seem to be a no-brainer that if half the roadway has washed out, the remaining section might do the same thing, no? Why not a little ARRA money to fix this right rather than spending it in roads that don't need attention? *sigh*

Still, the contractor is working 7 days a week right now to get the roadway at least partially opened to traffic while they continue to repair the original damage.

As you can see, I was able to drive up and take a look yesterday. The rock embankment is being hauled in from a site about a mile south. Part of a hillside is being dug out and the rock used to shore up the damaged roadway here. I was passed by 3 dump trucks while I was taking these photos. The gentleman operating the dozer told me the muddy ground was making this a really tough job.

No photos, unfortunately, but coming home via AR 103 towards Clarksville, I saw several spots that could be prime candidates for the next washout. I guess we'll find out in the Spring.

Shame & Embarrassment

2009-12-29T17:47:00.003-06:00

When I first started taking photos on a regular basis, I only posted the best ones. I was just starting out, so I was still working on getting the right angle. I also edited a lot: I would take a decent photo and crop all but the "important" parts.

That was 2002-2003 and I've learned a lot since then. Now I'm a lot better at getting just the "right" angle, plus I actually include some of the surrounding area now for perspective. When I started posting photos to Flickr, I only posted the best photos or the most unique ones. I had lots and lots of photos that I deemed "not good enough" for public display.

Case in point:

This I-290 photo was taken July 2004 near Chicago. I didn't really stop to take the photo, but merely slowed down. You can see it's kind of washed out for shooting through a dirty windshield and almost into the sun.

This one:

AR 23/116 south of Booneville suffers overzealous cropping. You get the sign and not much else.

These aren't my best work, so I chose not to post them. But all that has changed now. In the last 3 days, I have posted over 200 old photos. Some are poorly cropped, some were taken at a bad angle or bad exposure. I've decided to go ahead and post them so everyone can see how far I've come.

But I'm not done yet. I still have more photos to post. How many? I have NO idea. I've got CD's full of photos plus a plastic shoe box full of more photos that haven't been looked at in years.

For those of you who like to keep count: I now have over 3600 photos posted. I'd love to break 4000 by December 31, but I don't think that's going to happen. I'm not even sure where I was this time last year: 2300? It's been a busy year. Next year, maybe I can break 6000.

Well, back to work, I guess.

Ice, Ice Baby

2009-12-28T10:43:00.007-06:00

I spent a few days up in Missouri over Christmas visiting my folks. It's about a 4 hour drive, so I usually leave around 11 and arrive just before 3pm. This year, I left early due to the threat of Winter weather. I planned to leave around 8 and arrive about Noon, but it was closer to 9:30 because I had to make a quick stop on my way out of town.

It rained all the way there, but the temperature was in the 50's, so I wasn't too concerned about ice or snow... I just wanted to get where I was going before it arrived: weatherman was saying "After 3pm", but later changed it to "After 10pm", so I guess I hurried for nothing.

Well, we only had about 1/3 to 1/2 an inch when all was said and done, not the 4 to 8 inches forecast. BUT there was some ice on the roads as there was a band of ice that followed the rain and preceded the snow.

The day I came home, I was checking the weather forecasts on-line as well as road conditions and found a major difference between Arkansas and Missouri road reports. Missouri's maps are more detailed and Arkansas' you sort of have to guess.

This is a screenshot from MoDOT's website. You can see almost all the major roads and their current conditons. You can even zoom on on a particular areaNow, only the major roads actually have their conditions posted, but it gives you an idea what to expect and many of the secondary roads are posted so you can use the major roads for perspective.

Now we come to Arkansas' map:It's just a statewide map with only a few major roads posted. Looking for a particular region? Good luck! As you can see, many roads are not labeled and even more are not shown. Looking for AR 7 around Jasper? It's the unlabeled white line between Harrison & Russellville.

OK, I confess: it's better than nothing, but Missouri gets credit for having greater detail and the ability to zoom in on a particular region. It's almost ironic: AHTD just revamped their website a few months ago, but didn't improve their highway conditions map. No zoom, little detail... it just sort of sits there.

Now, moving to Oklahoma, only the "major" highways (Interstates & Turnpikes) are labeled and everything is broken down by region:So, for Oklahoma, you have an idea of how each region is faring. Unlike Arkansas or Missouri, it's not color coded to specifics (snow, ice, etc), just varying degrees of how slick it is.

Missouri's site is the most detailed, but it's also the slowest to load due to its level of detail. Arkansas and Oklahoma load fastest, but Arkansas has more detail when it comes to major roads, than Oklahoma does. Oklahoma doesn't snow as much detail, but it's a little better for "at a glance" road conditions.

My favorite of the three would be Missouri for its detail. Arkansas needs to label its highway better and Oklahoma while good for at a glance, could use a zoom in feature for specific areas.

Perhaps someday, states will work together to collaborate data so you don't have to jump to different state's sites to plan ahead for bad weather.

35 Cent Rant

2009-12-27T17:20:00.003-06:00

I spent a few days in Missouri over the holiday and came home to no milk and no cereal in the house. OK, I knew about that, so no big deal.

I decided to treat myself to breakfast at the nearby Waffle House. Seems like they're almost always busy, no matter which one I go to (there are 2 here, plus I occasionally patronize them while traveling). No matter... I almost always grab a set at the counter.

I was hungry, not having had a decent meal since breakfast the day before (chicken strips are NOT a meal, they're a snack), so I ordered their "All Star Breakfast": 2 eggs, waffle, bacon, toast, hash browns... and I ordered a "Regular" orange juice off the Dollar Menu. The food was decent overall, though the bacon was a trifle overdone. I'm a bit surprised how quickly I devoured everything.

When I went to pay for my meal, I found I was charged $1.35 for my orange juice. I asked about it and was told that was the price for a "Regular" orange juice. What about the Dollar Menu? "What Dollar Menu?". Well, after I put up a big fuss, they adjusted my bill. Now, I can see this maybe happening with a new server, but not with someone who has been there a while. I eat there about once every 2-3 months and the staff hasn't changed much (except for the cooks), so why the error? This has happened here before and at 4 other Waffle Houses... and they all deny the Dollar Menu until I show it to them. What gives? Hoping I won't notice?

I've contacted Waffle House's customer service line only to be told I need to talk with the franchisee. Is it me or is that passing the blame? I find it very disappointing when a multi-million dollar corporation seems to act as if it's someone else's problem. Yes, it's only 35 cents, but it's the principle of the thing.

End rant.

OOPS!

2009-12-09T11:13:00.003-06:00

Say what you will about Arkansas highways and AHTD's signing practices, they always seem to do amusing/odd things. One of my favorites is posting the wrong route shield.

Usually, it's using a state shield for a US Route such as this sign near Beaver:

But they also get it wrong the other way such as this sign for AR 162 at Alma

Most recently, I found another. This time in Van Buren
Actually, this one isn't wrong. It's the one behind it:

Now, I can sort of see how someone might become confused: this road was US 59 back in the mid 1930's. Well, it was actually TEMP US 59. Oklahoma was upgrading old OK 17 to be part of US 59 so it was temporarily detoured through western Arkansas...but that was 70 years ago! This has been State Route 59 since at least 1940.

Now, want to see something really confusing?

Road to Nowhere

2009-12-09T09:23:00.008-06:00

You've heard of the "bridge to nowhere", but what of the "road to nowhere" ? It exists! It's in Oklahoma. It's I-44!

Built in 1957 as the Will Rogers Turnpike, it runs from the Oklahoma/Missouri State Line near Joplin to Tulsa where it joins OK 66 and US 412. In 1958, the turnpike was "grandfathered" in to the Interstate highway system as I-44.

In 1992, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority built the Creek Turnpike, a partial loop around Tulsa. Its northern (or West) end was at I-44 northeast of Tulsa, with its southern (or East) terminus at I-44 near Sapulpa. Following the completion of the turnpike, I-44 was rerouted along a 2 1/2 mile section of the turnpike, which left a 2 mile section of the original highway abandoned. I-44 now enters Tulsa co-signed with US 412.

These first two photos show the north approach to the lane shift

Abandoned lanes. Look closely in the second photo and you can see an exit sign for OK 66.

Looking Northwest from OK 66, plus abandoned roadway at OK 66

Here's a Google satellite view to put it all in perspective:

It's not totally abandoned, though: the Oklahoma Highway Patrol is said to use this for training grounds. Plus, I think a State Senator used it as part of an ad for how bad Oklahoma highways were and how he would fix everything if elected (he lost).

130 or 49?

2009-12-08T20:55:00.005-06:00

Along I-30 a few miles east of Texarkana there is some construction work going on. As of now, it looks like a southbound spur of I-30, which has been proposed to be I-130.

But it has also been proposed to part of I-49.

Confused?

Eventually, this will be part of I-49. It will come into Texarkana along AR 549 then head north on AR 245. Around Arkansas Ave, it will shift NE towards I-30

BUT, if the roadway is completed before I-49 officially reaches Texarkana, then the road will be I-130, but will become I-49 later on. Don't ask me why they're doing it this way... I guess it's an Arkansas thing.

Got to be Arkansas

2009-12-08T20:23:00.004-06:00

If this is Hogeye, this has got to be Arkansas.

The one, the only, thriving micropolis of Hogeye. Almost literally a "wide spot in the road", Hogeye sits along AR 265 southwest of Fayetteville. Just to the south, 265 intersects AR 156 which heads east towards West Fork. Keep going south, you eventually hit AR 170 which takes you to Devils Den State Park. Otherwise, there's not a lot to see here: one gas station/carry-out pizza place is all you'll see.

If nothing else, I'm sure it's quiet out here, but it's probably very isolated when it snows. But I guess we can't all live in the city ;)

Only in Oklahoma

2009-12-08T19:45:00.005-06:00

Strange doings in Oklahoma. Near Wellston,OK, there is a toll booth next to a McDonalds. No, I kid you not. During the Oklahoma City Road Meet this past June, we found this McDonald's sitting next to on-ramp for Westbound I-44.

The ramp actually cuts through the parking lot. So which came first? The on-ramp or the McDonald's?

Kind of makes you wonder how much of a discount McDonald's got for the land.

We started calling it the "Ronald McDonald Memorial Toll Booth". Now if you want to stop at McDonald's and not go through the toll gate (it's one way: so there's no U turns, no way back), there is a small parking area just before the the toll gate

Still, it makes you wonder "what were they thinking"?

Tough Questions

2009-12-07T15:38:00.005-06:00

Back in 1926 when the US Highway system was originally developed, Arkansas develped its own system of highways

Highway 45, for example, ran from the Oklahoma State Line west of Mansfield (now AR 96) to AR 68 near Hindsville (now part of AR 295). Like many highways in Arkansas, 45 was extended, truncated and rerouted several times. Parts of 45 are now US 62, AR 59, AR 253, and AR 96.

Sometime in the 1950's (?), the signage changed. Gone were the square numbers and the State xx Road. Now it was simply Arkansas xx.

I sent a letter to AHTD several months ago asking when the changeover occurred. Answer: "We quit making those signs after 1971 when the MUTCD was changed.".

That's not the question I asked. I wanted to know when Arkansas changed from one cut-out design to another. I guess I'll have to do my own research to figure the answer to this obviously difficult question.

What's This?

2009-12-07T14:25:00.005-06:00

I've been sorting some photos from this past Summer, getting them ready to be archived. Going back to August, I found some more Diverging Diamond photos from Springfield

Plus a bridge over Williams Creek on old US 166 near Mt Vernon

What I found especially interesting was the old section markers along the roadway:

These probably date back to then the bridge was built in 1946, but it's something I've never seen before, or at least I've never noticed them. Makes me wonder where else I might find something like this? The numbers increase going east, so Zero point must be somewhere in Mt Vernon. Guess I'll have to go back and investigate further.

New & Improved

2009-12-06T19:38:00.003-06:00

For nearly 2 years now, AHTD (Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department) has been upgrading signage along Interstate 40 between the Oklahoma State Line and I-30 near Little Rock. Gone is the old 60's era button copy, replaced with shiny new signs in Clearview. The first signs to be replaced were near AR 23 at Ozark

As of this past Summer, almost everything had been replaced... except at I-540 south. I knew there were improvements planned because I saw bits & pieces of gantry along the side of the road, but nothing was being done. Finally, around the first of November, the new signs started to appear

First Westbound

Then Eastbound

These new signs are larger than their predecessors, plus they are on an overhead gantry, something that has been rare along I-40 except around Little Rock and West Memphis. Also, US 71 is now shown as running concurrent with East I-40 and North I-540... something that has been missing ever since 71 got rerouted along I-40 in the 1980's. One other major change is the diagrammatic arrows showing the lane configuration at the exit.

There is still something missing, however: Eastbound I-40 is not co-signed with I-540 or US 71. I-40 and I-540 are co-signed Westbound, but not US 71. This is, to say the least, annoying. AHTD has a bad habit of not co-signing routes... especially if one route is an Interstate and the other a US or State route (such as I-40/ US 63 near Hazen or I-530/US 65 at Pine Bluff). But I'll save that commentary for another day.

Only in Tennessee ?

2009-12-02T20:56:00.002-06:00

It's Just Ten Cents

2009-12-02T20:03:00.004-06:00

I have a tendency to eat a lot of fast food when I'm traveling. Sometimes, it's a few chicken tenders from some roadside convenience store, sometimes it's a Subway sandwich. Occasionally (very rarely if I can help it), I'll stop at McDonald's. Admittedly, I'd rather stop at a Whataburger or some local hamburger place (like Canton Texas "World Famous Dairy Palace"), but sometimes it McDonald's.

If you look at their menu, you'll see something like "Hamburger 89 cents" and "Cheeseburger 99 cents", but if you want a Quarter Pounder, the menu only offers a "Quarter Pounder with Cheese". You can get it without the cheese (which I do), but you get some dirty looks from the employees. Now the funny thing is, if a Quarter Pounder with Cheese is $2.49 (I'm not sure anymore... it's been a while), a Quarter Pounder without Cheese should be $2.39, right? Wrong! It's the same price as the Quarter Pounder with Cheese. So, why is that?

First I asked the manager ("it's just 10 cents"). Next, I asked the franchisee (wrote their office) and was told "corporate sets our prices". OK, so I ask corporate: "our franchisee determines how much to charge based upon market conditions". Hmmm... so the franchise says it's corporate's problem and corporate says it's the franchisee's problem. So, who's job is it? This strikes me as not wanting to take any responsibility... to let someone else worry about it.

Y'know: maybe if people DID take responsibility instead of saying "it's someone else's problem", maybe the world wouldn't be in half as bad shape as it's in right now. But what do I know: I'm just a road scholar/road geek.

49-71-168

2009-11-30T21:53:00.006-06:00

That's I-49, US 71 and LA 168 ;)

That trip to Texas & Louisiana I took recently? It gave me an opportunity to check on the progress of I-49 north of Shreveport. It's coming along, but won't be done any time soon. Between Hosston and Mira, there are few signs of progress. Here, it will cross under US 71:

A couple miles north and west it will cross over Mira-Myrtis Rd

Another couple miles, it will pass under LA 168

I have one little problem with 168: the surrounding area has flooding problems, as witnessed by nearby signage (which I forgot to photograph). If I-49 is passing on ground level, what's to keep it from flooding? I can only hope Louisiana's DOTD has taken this into consideration and is planning some major drainage improvements. Let's come back in 5 or 10 years and see if there's a flooding problem, shall we?

Now, as far as construction on I-49 in Arkansas: yes, there is some. But it's nowhere near this level of completion. But then, they only have maybe 5 miles of work? Louisiana has much, much more.

One More: for the Gas Fans

2009-11-30T10:32:00.002-06:00

I found this in Port Arthur, Texas: it's (I believe) an 1950's era Texaco station.

It's definitely seen better days, but could probably be rescued by someone with some time on their hands and a lot of of cash.

A Quickie

2009-11-30T10:11:00.001-06:00

Just a quick drive-by post before I head off to work on some projects: I found this old sign on US 79 & 80 in Shreveport last week. The motel is long gone and the other side of the sign has been painted over, but it's little things like this make taking the back roads more interesting.

Please Explain

2009-11-30T09:45:00.003-06:00

Please explain to me why a major "bargain" motel chain has ashtrays in their non-smoking rooms? I don't care that there's a No Smoking logo on the bottom... why have ashtrays at all?

Well, I've been given 2 answers: #1 "Corporate Policy" #2 "Talk to the Franchisee".

So, does this mean neither side knows what the other is thinking or doing? I can't say I'm totally surprised: based on my experiences, many hotel companies seem interested in little more than collecting their franchise fees and commissions.

Something else, as well: why does your friendly neighborhood "no frills" bargain chain have custom bedspreads with their name plastered all over them? If they are truly "no frills" why do the bars of soap have the motel's logo molded into them?

Now, maybe I'm just cynical, but I truly wonder if Tom Bodett has ever stayed at a Motel 6?

59 is the New 36

2009-11-29T15:27:00.003-06:00

Last roadtrip of the year. This time to southern Texas with a detour through Louisiana to explore US 171 (gotta check on the kids, y'know ;) )

As many of you will remember from previous blogs, I have a tendency toward staying at "budget" motels, oft times older independents. It's a mixed bag, yes, but I just can't see spending $60 at some name brand motel whose version of "free breakfast" is a doughnut, a cup of coffee and maybe a bowl of cereal. Better, in my opinion, to spend $40 on a motel and have a good breakfast at Waffle House.

Well, I got as far as Shreveport on my way home and decided to stop for the night. Silly me, I didn't check in advance to see where most of the motels were, so I decided to wing it. I found a Motel 6 out on the west edge of town for around $35, but the only food was a 24 Hour truck stop, so I kept looking. Then I found this place: Regency Inn Hotel

I thought $36 was a good price so I stopped. Everything looked OK from the outside: everything was clean, there were no vagrants in the parking lot, the lot was probably around half full. I walked inside to very nice, clean lobby. So I walked up to the desk and asked for a room. Suddenly, the $36 rate became $59. I asked the clerk about the sign and got a rude comment about not having any of those rooms available. Really? Do they EVER have any $36 rooms? So, I left, but not before telling the clerk I suspected "Bait and Switch" {bait you with a low rate, then switch you to a higher one}.

By that time, I was tired and didn't want to fuss around with searching for another hotel. Luckily, I found a Super 8 just up the road a few blocks. The price? $53 with AAA. Still a bit more than I would like to have spent, but OK. Other than being upstairs (with NO elevator), it wasn't bad. They even had waffles for breakfast (something that's becoming more popular, but isn't always seen). And I got reward points, which I can use for a free night eventually. I just have to stay, what, 9 more times?

I wonder how long Regency Inn will continue advertising $36 and charging $59 before someone files a formal complaint?

Happy Birthday to Me

2009-11-11T11:26:00.006-06:00

No, not me. My namesake: Us 71. Today is the 83rd anniversary of the creation of the US Highway System. Designed as a replacement for the Auto Trails, it was devised, in part, to create a uniform system of roads across the country. The Jefferson Trail became US 71, US 40 replaced the National Road and the Lincoln Highway became US 30.

Since then, numerous highways were replaced by the coming of the Interstate Highway System, such as US 66 by I-55, I-44 and I-40, and US 99 by I-5 , but much of the system still exists today. So take some time to explore and imagine what it must have been like 83 years ago.

Abandoned Classic

2009-11-10T08:29:00.003-06:00

I get to Memphis maybe 2 or 3 times a year anymore. Usually, I'm just passing through or headed for a specific place in town. Last March, I took an opportunity to drive through on US 61 just to see what there was to see.

When you get north of I-55, the area starts to look really run down and neglected. You'll occasionally pass a convenience store or grocery, maybe even a McDonald's or Walgreens. One thing that caught my attention was this abandoned gas station

Looks like it was a car wash in it's most recent incarnation, but what was it before that? OK, it was a gas station... that much is obvious. But what kind? They don't build them like this anymore...most are just a plain box with flashy lighting sitting on a street corner. So what kind of station was this? A few people on the Oil History list believe it may have been a Billups ("Fill-up with Billups"), but I wasn't able to find specific identifying marks (but then, I was nervous about stopping here for more than 5 minutes).

Anyone remember? Anyone know for sure?

R.I.P. Amite River Bridge

2009-11-09T22:27:00.003-06:00

As many of you know, one of my main hobbies is photography. Sure, I take a lot of photos of odd signage, old traffic signals and so on, but one of my strongest pursuits is bridges. I had a friend do a 2 bit psychoanalysis on me once and claimed this passion comes from my ability to "build bridges" between people. Personally, I don't see it.

I've photographed hundreds of bridges in the last 7 or 8 years (when I got serious about this hobby). Some I have found through research, others by happenstance. One bridge that caught my attention was the Amite River bridge on US 190 near Denham Springs, LA, a 1932 Parker Through Truss bridge. I first encountered this bridge in 2007 on my way home from an SCA gathering in Mississippi. Even then, it was looking old and tired, but it had a certain charm to it that I can't explain. Even then, there were signs of its impending doom due to upgrades along the highway. I only managed to get one photograph that day as the sun was preparing to set. This past March, I managed to get several more photos and promised myself I'd come back next year for more photos and to say my good-byes.

Well, I won't get that chance: the bridge was imploded October 22nd to make way for a new bridge. There's a video on YouTube, if you're morbid enough to watch it. I've posted the link, but I refuse to post the video: I'd rather remember the bridge as it was last March then what it became in October.

The Coming of I-49

2009-11-09T17:00:00.004-06:00

One of the projects included in the ARRA was construction along several small segments of future Interstate 49. Missouri has at least 3 projects in progress north of Carthage (at MO 126, Secondary Route DD and Secondary Route V), but I'll have more on those another time. In Arkansas, the only work I know of is east of Fort Smith along AR 22 near AR 59.

I-49 will actually cut through part of Fort Chaffee, crossing AR 22 just to the west.

This small segment was built along Fort Smith Blvd at Chaffee Crossing last year. Since then, work has started on expanding this part of the roadway.

These bridge piers will form part of an interchange at AR 22, while this area awaits construction.

And here we have what appears to be a future ramp

Since these photos were taken back in August, more bridge piers have been constructed south of AR 22, almost up to the roadway itself. On the north side of the future interchange, not a lot has changed... or at least nothing that is visible from the road. I have seen several construction trucks traveling in and out of the area, so I'll have to sneak up there some weekend and get a better look at the progress.

Finally Finished

2009-11-09T13:57:00.008-06:00

(I have a little extra time today so I'm trying to get a few things caught up)

For those following the saga of US 71 north of Mountainburg, the highway has finally been repaired and reopened. For those who have not been following, or have forgotten, a brief recap:

Spring rains caused a partial washout of US 71 approximately 5 miles north of Mountainburg. In May, AHTD let to bid a contract to repair the slide damage. The road remained open to one lane of traffic until mid-June, when it was discovered the slide damage was worse that anticipated, which necessitated a complete closure of the roadway.

The road reopened to one lane of traffic in mid-July while work continued on rebuilding the roadway, including raising the height of the northbound lanes to allow for better drainage.

In early August, repairs were completed and the road finally reopened to full traffic

So this section of US 71 is good to go for many more years of service. BUT there are potential problems along numerous other sections of 71 from just south of Mountainburg to near Winslow. This is an old roadway, predating the US highway system by a number of years. Just because I-540 is nearby and carries the bulk of traffic up and down the mountain, there is no excuse to neglect this or any other road in the area.

Only in South Dakota

2009-11-09T09:40:00.007-06:00

Only in South Dakota, or at least in Mitchell: light pole bases with corn designs.

But then, Mitchell is home of the Corn Palace

Even the street signs are corny

As well as the palace itself:

First in the Nation

2009-11-09T08:30:00.007-06:00

This past July, Missouri debuted the first Diverging Diamond Interchange in the U.S. at Interstate 44 and MO 13 in Springfield.

In brief, the Diverging Diamond temporarily shifts traffic into the opposite lanes so that left turns have no opposing traffic to cross. In this instance, the Northbound lanes of MO 13 cross into the Southbound lanes while the Southbound lanes cross into the Northbound lanes. This diagram should help explain:

The lanes themselves are separated by a Jersey Barrier and the crosspoints are signalized.

Simple enough, right? Well, not quite. MoDOT reports that once people become accustomed to this type of interchange, it works fine. However, the local TV stations reported at least one motorist going the wrong direction within a hour of the interchange opening to traffic. Fortunately, there was no report of a collision with other motorists.

Overall, MoDOT seems happy with the Diverging Diamond and has begun work on another at James River Freeway (US 60) and National Ave in Springfield. This one, however, will entail building extra lanes along US 60 between National and Campbell (US 160) and construction of an underpass to improve connection to the nearby Cox Hospital and provide easier access between CoxHealth facilities located on both sides of National Ave just north of US 60.

Eventually, more Diverging Diamonds will be constructed, including along I-435 in Kansas City and US 65 in Springfield.

What a Waste

2009-11-08T17:10:00.004-06:00

OK, you've probably all heard of the ARRA, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The federal government was going to spend over $700 Billion to help the economy recover from the Recession. Of that money, $27 Billion was to go for bridge and highway projects, including improvements to or replacement of deficient bridges.

According to deficientbridge.com, there are over 72,000 structurally deficient bridges in the US and nearly 79,000 functionally obsolete. So, one would expect a large chunk of money to go for replacing bridges, right? WRONG!

Missouri, to their credit, is replacing several bridges with ARRA funds as well upgrading US 71 between Carthage and Kansas City. MO 126, for example, is being upgraded to a full interchange in preparation for 71 eventually becoming Interstate 49.

Arkansas? Well, some work is being done along future I-49 east of Fort Smith, but a lot of it is being wasted. Back in May, I noticed US 71 being resurfaced in the vicinity of Needmore, as well as around Mena. Neither one of the stretches of highway was in any desperate need of repairs, yet AHTD spent ARRA funds to repave them anyway. Were there no bridges to repair or replace? Or was it simply easier to do these projects and claim you're using the government's money? Now, I for one hate to see the old bridges disappear, but if the government gives you money to replace or repair them, whay are you repaving roads that don't need it?

And one other thing: those ARRA signs you see along the roadside? They cost anywhere from $900 to $7000 each and are considered part of the bid.

Fix the bridges, fix the roads, but quit wasting money on extravagant signage or roads that don't need work.

November?

2009-11-08T11:31:00.012-06:00

November, already? I've got a lot of catching up to do. I've been on the road so much, I haven't much time to keep things updated. Maybe I'll have to spring for a laptop so I can blog from the road.

So, where have I been? Everywhere and nowhere. One weekend I'm in Missouri, the next I'm in Mississippi (where I found another hanging 4-Way Stop along US 51 in Durant)

A couple weeks later, I found myself in South Dakota visiting Mount Rushmore and Badlands National Park. Including this tunnel along US 16A

and this wooden arch bridge at US 16/16A

and a Palindrome along US 81:

I also briefly set foot in Minnesota where I crossed the West Fork of Des Moines River along US 71 at Sterling

then made my way into Iowa where I found numerous bridges

Plus some old traffic signals in Clarinda and a tribute to a native son

In other news: US 71 has finally reopened north of Mountainburg, sign upgrades continue along Interstate 40 and work continues along Future Interstate 49. More details on this later. I am hoping to get to the point where I am blogging 2-3 times a week, including how the ARRA is being wasted on perfectly good roads.