Skip to main content

Richmondville...and I-88

Image
By
Headed southwest to our Richmondville store this afternoon. It was for a store visit and I was overseeing a product reset.

Route:
NY 7 West, I-88 West, NY 7 East/NY 10 North.

Notes:
To most this is an uneventful trip, a 30 minute drive down I-88 to a rural store. And it is just that, an uneventful 30 minute drive from my office down I-88 to a rural store. But I figured this would be a great time to just comment on one of my favorite Interstate drives, I-88.

I've never traveled in the Mountain West (with the exception of a weekend in Alberta in 1996) but for some reason, Interstate 88 is what I would think how the Interstates in the Rockies would look. I-88 is rural...desolate..and (not as high as the Rockies of course) mountain scenery. One of the more spectacular views is heading west on I-88 approaching Exit 23 (NY 7/30/30A) The interchange is at the bottom of a valley so both the east bound and west bound approaches to the exit is down hill. However, heading westbound the road rises and curves thruogh a mountain pass. What is also visually appealing is on the south side of the highway is another mountain range that shoots southwards towards Schoharie. The mountain that is on the southbound side is called Terrace Mountain and Schoharie creek runns at the base of the valley.

It is also a great view from NY 7, which runs parallel on the north side of the highway. A few weeks ago while on lunch, i drove down to this point. Lake effect snows were going through the area and you can see the effect of low clouds mixed with a blue sky with mountains poking through the low clouds. A pretty impressive site, no camera oh well. It's a little spot of country that looks great no matter the season.

Here's a photo by Chris Jordan from an overpass before the entire valley comes into view.

If you have travelled I-88, and specifically through the area I just described..what are your thoughts of it?
Labels:

Comments

Anonymous said…
I took I-88 from Richmondville to I-90 as part of my daily commute for a few months last year, and have travelled other parts of I-88 quite extensively as well. I do favor I-88 east of Oneonta because of the abundance of hills, particularly the stretch between Worcester and Richmondville.

I-88 going across the Schoharie Creek is majestic, but it can be a pain to ascend the corresponding hills.
9:16 PM
Anonymous said…
I must agree that Interstate 88 is a beautiful drive, especially now that I have seen it during the day. Carter Buchanan and I traveled it during this past Summer, and the vistas along the rural freeway are striking as the highway cuts across the Catskills.

However when comparing it to the Rocky Mountains, there are some similarities, but the mountain peaks are so high along Interstate 70 for instance, that you rarely get a wide open view like you do in that photo taken by Chris Jordan. Also many of the mountains in the west are devoid of any trees, especially those toward Grand Junction in western Colorado. A lot of that has to do with the more arid climate that you get out there.
3:04 AM
Georgia Road Geek said…
Nice picture of I-88 in New York State. :)
8:23 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Establishing the numbering conventions of California's chargeable Interstates

By
The Federal Highway Aid Act of 1956 brought the Interstate Highway System into existence which would largely be constructed by Federal Highway Administration fund matching.  The Interstate Highway System was deliberately numbered to run opposite the established conventions of the US Route System.  While the Interstate Highway numbering conventions are now well established there was a period during the late 1950s where they were still being finalized.  This blog examines the history of the establishing of the chargeable Interstate Highway route numbers in California.  The above blog cover depicts the Interstate Highway route numbers requested by the Division of Highways in the Los Angeles area during November 1957.  The establishment of the numbering conventions of California's chargeable Interstates The Interstate Highway System was not created in a vacuum by way of the passage of the 1956 Federal Highway Aid Act.  The beginning of the Interstate Highway System can be found in the
1 comment
Read more

Legend of the Ridge Route; a history of crossing the mountains between the Los Angeles Basin and San Joaquin Valley from wagon trails to Interstates

By
Over the past two decades I've crossed the Interstate 5 corridor from Los Angeles north over the Sierra Pelona Mountains and Tehachapi Range to San Joaquin Valley what seems to be an immeasurable number of times.  While Interstate 5 from Castaic Junction to Grapevine via Tejon Pass today is known to most as "The Grapevine" it occupies a corridor which has been traversed by numerous historic highways.  The most notable of these highways is known as the "Ridge Route."  This article is dedicated to the Ridge Route and the various highways that preceded it.  This blog is part of the larger Gribblenation US Route 99 Page.  For more information pertaining to the other various segments of US Route 99 and it's three-digit child routes check out the link the below. Gribblenation US Route 99 Page Ridge Route corridor introdution The Ridge Route as originally envisioned was a segment of highway which was completed in 1915 between the northern Los Angeles city limit
1 comment
Read more

The western end of US Route 6 and Laws Depot on the Carson & Colorado Railway

By
Back in June of 2016 I visited the western terminus of US Route 6 at US Route 395 located in Bishop, California of Inyo County on my way to Laws Depot. US 6 is one of the longest US Routes at 3,205 miles between Bishop, CA east to Provincetown, MA.  Historically US 6 was the longest US Route ever when it ended in Long Beach at 3,652 miles.  US 6 is known as the Grand Army of the Republic Highway and is mostly known for traveling through some of the most rural corners of the Continental United States. The endpoint of US 6 expanded wildly westward during the early US Route era.  Below is a summary of endpoints for US 6 that are listed on USends.com: 1927-1931 -  Provincetown, MA west to Erie, PA 1932-1937 -  Provincetown, MA west to Greeley, CO 1937-1964 -  Provincetown, MA west to Long Beach, CA 1964-Present -  Provincetown, MA west to Bishop, CA US 6 was one of the routes heavily truncated during the 1964 California Highway Renumbering.  US 6 had a large mul
Post a Comment
Read more