Skip to main content

Zigzagging through Eastern NC

Took one more weekend trip today. This time it was all over Northeastern NC. The main purpose was to get photos of some of the missing NC Highway Ends.

Route: I-540, US 264, US 264A, NC 581, US 64A, US 64 Business, US 64, I-95, NC 43, NC 48, NC 481, NC 561, US 258, NC/VA 35, VA/NC 186, US 301, NC 48, NC/VA 48, Va. Secondary 611 and 659, US 58, VA 4, US Bike 1.

Whew.

Accomplishments: Clinched NC 481. Added miles to: NC 43, NC 4, NC 48, NC 581, NC 561, US 258, NC/VA 35, NC/VA 46.

Notes:

Over 50 photos on the trip. Of course, head over to flickr, if you want to see 'em all!

At the crossroads of Glenview, which is the Western Terminus of NC 481, is this old abandoned B.M. Sykes General Merchandise store.

A few years ago, a short NC 481 bypass was built to the south of Enfield. The reason was to bypass the heavily traveled train crossing through the center of town. Well, here's proof of why.

At NC 481's East end in Tillery was a great former gas station.


Who would've thunk that $3.19/gallon gas would be so cheap!

Here's a sign shot I like in Pendleton, NC.

I was able to get all the missing ends I targeted on this trip except one. NC 186 where it crosses the NC/VA line. There wasn't a great spot to pull over, and my windshield was all buggy to where I couldn't take a shot while driving. Oh well.

Did you know that Brunswick County, Virginia is the "Original Home of Brunswick Stew"?

Well now you do.

Surprised that there wasn't a VA 46 North shield until about five miles after crossing the state line.

VA 4 is a short route that runs from US 58 (between South Hill and Boydton) to the North Carolina State line becoming a secondary road. Now, that would normally make it worth possibly a yawn or two. But, there are a few nice things about this road. First, it provides access to the very popular Kerr Lake Recreation Area. Second, it is a rare highway that crosses on top of a dam.

And finally...views like these.


And even the Southern Terminus is a little more than non-descript, as it is also the state line crossing of US Bike 1. And upon entering both states, the Bike Route gets mentioned.


All in all, a pretty good trip. I got all but the 186 end...and I got a number of new NC Crossroads photos. If only, I can figure out how to create it.

Comments

Doug said…
Kerr Lake... I'm not related to that Kerr.
lisavanews said…
love your blog :)

I am in Union Level Virginia and the bike route is awesome to watch so many bikers ride through here

you pointed out some interesting perspectives about our area

http://www.youtube.com/user/lisavanews
http://picasaweb.google.com/lisa.va.news
Anonymous said…
you arent too worried about gas prices with all these road trips

Popular posts from this blog

The 1915-era Teilman Bridge (the only known Concrete Pony Truss Bridge in California)

The Teilman Bridge is a semi-abandoned structure over Fresno Slough west of Burrell siding near the intersection of Elkhorn Avenue and Elkhorn Grade.  This structure is the only known Concrete Pony Truss Bridge constructed in California and was designed by Ingvart Teilman.  Teilman's Bridge would open in late 1915 when the Elkhorn Grade was the primary road between Fresno and Coalinga.  The structure would be replaced in 1991 but was left standing as it carries pipelines over Fresno Slough.  Part 1; the history of the Teilman Bridge In the early Twentieth Century the most direct highway between Fresno and Coalinga followed the Elkhorn Grade.  The Elkhorn Grade began at Fresno Slough a short distance west of Burrell siding.  From Fresno Slough the Elkhorn Grade followed a generally southwestern course through San Joaquin Valley into the Kettleman Hills towards Coalinga.   The Elkhorn Grade can be seen on the  1914 C.F. Weber map of Fresno Coun...

The Dummy Lights of New York

  A relic of the early days of motoring, dummy lights were traffic lights  that  were  placed  in the middle of a street intersection. In those early days, traffic shuffled through busy intersections with the help of a police officer who stood on top of a pedestal. As technology improved and electric traffic signals became commonplace, they were also  originally  positioned on a platform at the center of the intersection. Those traffic signals became known as  " dummy lights "  and were common until  traffic lights were moved  onto wires and poles that crossed above the intersection.  In New York State, only a handful of these dummy lights exist. The dummy lights  are found  in the Hudson Valley towns of Beacon and Croton-on-Hudson, plus there is an ongoing tug of war in Canajoharie in the Mohawk Valley, where their dummy light has been knocked down and replaced a few times. The dummy light in Canajoharie is currently...

Prunedale Road (Monterey County)

Prunedale Road is a short 2.6-mile-long frontage corridor of US Route 101 in the namesake Monterey County community of Prunedale.  Prior to 1932 US Route 101 bypassed Prunedale in favor of the San Juan Grade to the east.  Prunedale Road along with nearby Moro Road served as an alternative connecting highway between Salinas and San Juan Bautista.  Following the realignment of US Route 101 onto the Prunedale Cutoff the former through route along Prunedale Road would be rendered as a western frontage.   Part 1; the history of Prunedale Road Prunedale Road is located in and is named after the Monterey County community of Prunedale.  Said community was founded near the junction of San Migeul Canyon, Langley Canyon and Echo Valley.  Watsonville settler Charles Langley (namesake of Langley Canyon) was one of the prominent early community settlers.  The Prunedale Post Office would open for the first time in 1894 but would close by 1908.  Early agricu...