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Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Road Trip

Do you know what today is?

No?

Today is the day that Jim and I sprout our "wittle wings" and fly south. That's right. These snowbirds are leaving Dodge and heading for warmer weather.

I thought it would be fun to share with you some trivia facts about the highways and byways of this great nation of ours. Therefore, these apply to the United States only.

Let's talk INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS.

Did you know......

that the interstates were originally designed to be able to run military equipment from coast to coast on flatbed trailers at sustained speeds of 75 mph?

that ALL  [or mostly all]  interstates going east or west have EVEN numbers?  ALL interstates going north or south have ODD numbers?

that if a city bypass has an even number it loops  [called a LOOP]  back to the same interstate. i.e. I-440 ends back up on I-40?

that if a city bypass has an odd number it does NOT loop  [called a SPUR]  back to the same interstate.  i.e. I-540 does not come back to I-40?

that if you’re on interstate 5,  you have 5% of the U.S. left to the west of you?  If you are on interstate 95,  you have 95% left to the west of you?

that if you are on interstate 20,  you have 20% of the U.S. left to the south of you?  If you are on interstate 90,  you have 90% left to the south of you?


Let's talk MILE MARKERS.

Did you know......

that ALL mile markers go down as you head south and go up as you head north?

that ALL mile markers go down as you head west and up as you head east?

that if a mile marker looks like this:  195|5  what does it mean?  It means you are at the 195 and 5 tenths mile marker.  The use of the tenths in a mile marker can be very helpful if you are broke down to allow police or other help pinpoint your exact location.

Let's talk EXITS

Did you know....

that if the exit number on an interstate sign is on the top right of the sign that you will exit to the right no matter if it says exit only or not?  See the illustration:

Exit to the right

Exit to the left

(All of the above information courtesy of www.thetruckersreport.com)

It's interesting when we drive and cross into a new time zone. We don't feel a thing, but suddenly we're an hour ahead. I like how our cell phones immediately reflect the change. At least they are accurate. We, however, are always a little dazed, not quite sure when we stop for the night as to the correct time unless we check our phones!

Did you know that Arizona and Hawaii do not observe Daylight Saving Time? (The Navajo Indian Nation in Arizona observes DST.) Supposedly the Arizonians didn't need to have an extra hour or so sunlight - it being so hot when the sun is out - and they tend to do more activities when the sun has set.

With funding being cut in several states, many rest areas will be closed down or are ALREADY closed. This means that people have to train their bladders to "hold it a little longer". Luckily, we DO carry our toilet with us, so if the urge should occur, we'll just have to pull over to the side of the road and make a "piss" stop, so to speak. Too bad we don't have a motor coach where we can just walk into the back area and use the bathroom!

So I bid adieu to IL and head westward, ho!

22 comments:

Valerie said...

It all sounds very confusing... thank goodness I'm not a truck driver!

Gail said...

That's a lot of knowledge. Good to read, because I did not know it but gone, because I can not retain.

Happy trip...be safe.

Brian Miller said...

these are some cool facts...many that i did not know....hmm....

Unknown said...

Wow! that was interesting. I didn't know about the left and right exit signs. Good info!

becky said...

I have noticed the past 2 years that A LOT of the rest stops have been closed during my travels. Kinda a bummer. Hope they don't do away with them completely. Safe travels (again) & look forward to seeing what your seeing... & maybe seeing you!
:)

Historical sites with charmine said...

Pat good day!Love your header pic.These are some very interesting facts,never knew all this.

Have a safe trip and enjoy!

Anonymous said...

As always you taught me a litle something and brought a smile to my face;)

Happy travels friend;)

Anonymous said...

what interesting facts....I can't wait to hear of your adventures on the road

Snowflake said...

Have a safe trip!! We should be packed and ready to head south by the end of the week, can't wait to have a face to face visit with you!!!!

Maude Lynn said...

I can't believe that I didn't know some of this stuff!

Where are you guys heading?

betty said...

safe travels! I knew some of the road facts, but didn't know about the exits; that is a good thing to know (and I wonder if my husband knows it, might catch him in some trivia about it)

I know when we lived in Montana a lot of people were snow birds; always fun to see them leave and then in the spring come back, having enjoyed the more pleasant weather wherever they decided to plant themselves for winter

now in Southern California, we receive some snow birds, so it is all good :)

enjoy!

betty

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

Have a wonderful trip exercisin' those wing and flyin' south. I lost my Daddy about a week and a half ago and we're waitin' to have his Memorial Service down in Brownsville after all his 'Winter Texan' buddies get down there after the holidays in Jan.

Hubs and I had a truckin' company for many years and he can tell ya what mile markers are where....it's just amazin' all the stuff stuck in his head.

Have a safe trip and a good time seein' old friends again. God bless and have a marvelous 'fall' day. I'll just envy you right now, especially when we're feenin' cattle in an Ozarks ice storm!!! :o)

Teresa said...

When you pass through Kansas, give me a honk! LOL - wish you were taking I-135 south - I'd make arrangements to maybe meet you for coffee or something.

Missy said...

I did not know these things! I love it!

Lynda said...

Pretty interesting stuff - - - and even though I work in a library, I did not know all of it. When I first started following your blog, you were in AZ with at least a month or two left before heading north. It makes me tired to think about it - - - but packing for a trip is part of the tiring and you don't really have to pack since you carry your house with you!

So after living this way for a few years - - - do you still love it? You seem to have a zest for life so it must agree with you. If you need something to post about, tell us about your mail delivery while on the road. Do you wait till the end of the trip to get it all or do you pick some up on the way?

Joann Mannix said...

Thank you for all that trivia, Pat. I hardly knew any of it. Be safe. Be bladder strong. And we'll talk to you soon.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Safe and happy travels Pat!

Angel Rogers said...

I love traveling with my family and loved all your facts. Most helped jog my memory but a few I didn't know! Makes me want to put on my travlin' shoes, too.

Mike said...

truthfully, I knew about 75% of those facts. I am weird! lol

Enjoy your trip south!

Donna B. said...

I LOVE all the stuff I learn on your blog! Next time we play Trivia Pursuit, YOU will be the reason my team will win!

Betty Manousos said...

Thanks for the info. Really interesting facts!
I didn't know many of them.

B xx

Kathy's Klothesline said...

I wish more of the folks stopping here knew all this. It would be easier to direct them here. I am easy to find, as you know, but people get so confused when I tell them I am on the north side of the interstate on the outer road that runs parallel with the interstate..........