Gribblenation

The second day of the trip took us from Lonoke, AR to Albuqueque, NM.  The route along Interstate 40 was overcast and rainy though the sun did poke out around Amarillo, TX.  We made a number of stops in Oklahoma and in Texas, though not as much as we would have liked to because of the rain and cloud cover. For the entire set on flickr (115 photos), head here : We did see the sun first thing in the morning at Lonoke, but as you can see from this photo heavy clouds loom towards the west. After a stop at a scenic view on I-40 West at Lake Dardanelle and one at the Oklahoma Welcome Center.  We approached Oklahoma City, where these interesting Interstate shields were found at the junction of I-35 and I-40. We took exit 136 to access Old US 66 in Yukon.  11th St through Yukon has been renamed for Garth Brooks . The first town we hit on old 66 is El Reno.  This handsomely done mural was recently created. I'm wondering if there was something else (pe...

Last Saturday, it was time to set out on the big cross-country roadtrip.  Joe Babyak and I would spend a week driving out to and then exploring New Mexico and Arizona before heading back to North Carolina. Day 1 took us from Raleigh, NC to Lonoke, AR via I-540; I-40; Business I-40; US 52, I-74, I-77, I-81, and I-40. Our original plan was to go from Wilmington, NC to Lonoke via I-20, future I-22, and I-40 but last minute plans changed the route the first day.  The trip was straight driving so unfortunately no stops at small towns or things like that but still as always some good photos. For the entire day one set on flickr (31 photos overall) head here . One of the prettiest freeway backdrops in North Carolina is approaching Pilot Mountain along US 52 North. Pilot Mountain sits 2,421 feet above sea level and US 52 runs amazingly close to it.  I doubt that a new freeway today could run this close to it.  US 52 has direct access to Pilot Mountain State Park ...

I-40 near the NC/TN border will reopen Tuesday after being closed for just over six months from a rockslide on October 25, 2009. For more: Asheville Citizen-Times

Apparently not having seen enough construction on Saturday, I traveled to Winston-Salem and back to check on the progress of building the US 74/US 311 freeways near High Point. 1. High Point 'East Belt' A. Open Portion Why did I start in Winston-Salem. Part of the contract for building the 'East Belt' portion of I-74 (from now former Business 311 to I-85) calls for updating signs to include I-74 (the plans indicated full interstate, but it may now be Future) and the placing of I-74 mile markers along the already opened portion of the road to Business 85. I was checking to see if there were any indications this was happening, which would mean the route is closer to opening than NCDOT has announced, by the end of the year. The only change on the existing road I could find though were to the overhead signs at the now former Business 311 interchange heading east (Exit 65). Both signs, except for the exit tab, had been removed: The sign on the left read 'To NC 68'. I...