Off the interstate

[bhh]

Developing wish list for trips with our new travel trailer.

Has anyone ever done either "National Road" or "Lincoln Highway" from say, Ohio-Indiana line east to the coast?

Is this a worthwhile trip to see local flavor and sites or just a bunch of hills to climb or small towns to slow down for?

I remember going to Colonial Williamsburg maybe 25 or 30 years ago before the interstate was done in WV. It was the longest 50 or so miles I ever drove and just pulling a pop-up. Lots of logging trucks with flashers on during the rise and on your tail during the descent.

[Bigdog]

I can't speak too much for US 30 from Ohio east,but have traveled a lot of #30 west of there.Most of that was in the 50's and 60's with my parents from Olympia Wa to the Green Bay area on US 2 and then back from Joliet Il on #30 in '55. (I actually was born in Joliet at the Catholic Hospital that was on the street that was the highway and my dad was the preacher at the 2nd Presbyterian church a couple of blocks away.)
There are still a lot of stretches of that road that are accessible across Iowa,Nebraska,Wyoming,Idaho and Oregon. In several of the states,it was kept seperate from I-80 and I-84,so you can still get a good feel for it.

[johnhicks]

Speaking of US highways, in the past couple of weeks we've come from northeast Georgia to the central Gulf coast of Florida, usually on US highways with a bunch of state and county roads thrown in, and we've been marveling about how _empty_ the roads are. More often than not we're crusing down four-lane with no traffic in sight.
Amazing!

[Veebyes]

We have done almost all of 50, in bits & pieces, eastbound & westbound over the past 7 years. Most of it is great highway but some of it goes through towns & over hills. Thats the joy of secondary roads. If you want mind numbing cruise control speed, stay on the interstates.

[tatest]

Traveled US-50 and US-60 from Rockies to East Coast, but only sections of US-40, about Mississippi to Appalachians (western Pennsylvania). I've also taken US-30 and US-36 into western Pennsylvania.

To me, it is worthwhile for local flavor and scenery, and yes there are small towns to slow down for; that is the local flavor. Hills only where there are hills. To get to the East Coast you have to cross the Appalachians, those are mountains, not hills.

Definitely slow in places, as the US numbered highways are used heavily by regional trucking, because the Interstates do not go everywhere and are limited access. On US numbered highways, the traffic mix often includes large slow-moving agricultural equipment, oil field equipment, manufactured homes, wind generator parts, and animal-drawn vehicles. If local traffic slowing you down bothers you, stick to the Interstates. That big slow stuff is not allowed on the Interstates.

If you want to travel the US numbered highways, double the travel time in your trip planning, to cover slow sections and stopping to see things.

Pulling a TT across the Appalachian Mountains, I would use the Interstate system. It is about having enough traffic lanes to not be holding up faster traffic and being slowed by slower traffic.

[paulj]

Books and guides stick with numbered highways, usually 'US'. But why do that? Why not use state highways, or even county ones? Back in 1919 the Lincoln Hwy was the only way through many parts of the country, and sometimes even that was barely passable (look up the Army expedition that Eisenhower participated in). But now nearly all towns are accessible via paved roads.

With an online map like Google, it is possible to evaluate routes in great detail. You can zoom down to the point that you see every curve. In some areas the aerial views are detailed enough to distinguish the front from the rear of cars. Streetview shows the road as you would see it while driving. Terrain mode shows contours, making possible to estimate grades. Photos show things off the highways. Wiki articles give statistics on towns and notable sights.

[jgolden]

I did RT 66 pretty much from one end to the other in 1962,
but my kids tell me it has changed since then:)

Seriously, the strategy that works for me is to park the MH and use the toad to hit the old roads.

US 20 through upstate NY has some interesting areas.

[Jim_Shoe]

Double post. Nevermind.

[Jim_Shoe]

Route 66
US 50.
Here's a couple of links to articles about both routes.
Interesting reading, but neither trip was made in an RV, and both roads have parts that have been replaced by interstates or bypassed by newer roads, turning their towns into virtual ghost towns. If I was going to open a campground, I don't think I'd pick either route for a location.
BTW, another good book is Frommer's "Exploring America by RV". The copyright is 2002 and is the second edition. There may be a newer one.

[paulj]

http://www.roadtripusa.com/index.html
Describes US20 and US50

[Lowsuv]

as ' naturist " says :
I have the book "Road Trips USA ."
We have used it repeatedly .
We stop at most of the attractions .
Plus it gives us suggestions to plan a trip .
Available cheap on the world wide web .

[agteacher]

US 40 - National Road is not a bad trip. You will find that in some places it follows I-70. Others, it crisscrosses back and forth. For instance, I would prabably jump off onto I-75 south and then take I-70 East until on east side of Springfield. Then around Columbus on I-270. I don't remember what Zanesville is like on 40, but the rest isn't too bad. There are a couple campgrounds just east of Springfield and then some state parks east of Cambridge and a private campground around St. Clairsville.

[K_Charles]

We did a lot of the Cumberland Road once and enjoyed it. Don't be in a rush when you do it 'cause there is stuff to see.

[paulj]

A recent thread on Lincoln Hwy
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/27260512/

[naturist]

There is a book I'll recommend to you: Jamie Jensen, "Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America's Two-Lane Highways." It details 11 different east-west or north-south coast to coast or border to border trips. #8 of these traverses Cape Cod to the Columbia Gorge, passing through Niagara Falls, Chicago, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone and points in between.

So, short answer to your question is YES.

For what it is worth, we've done most of trip #7, US Rt 2 along the Canadian Border (sorta) and trip #11, old US Rt. 66 and trip #9 from the east coast through St. Louis, Denver, and Provo, UT. Much of the latter two are actually not 2 lane anymore.