[robtcorl]

The second Wally's travel center is going in not far from us on the site where a Chrysler plant used to be.
Looks like quite the place for truckers and other road travelers.
Link is to the one in Pontiac, IL.
Home of the Great American Road Trip | Wally's

[lesmore49]

The second Wally's travel center is going in not far from us on the site where a Chrysler plant used to be.
Looks like quite the place for truckers and other road travelers.
Link is to the one in Pontiac, IL.
Home of the Great American Road Trip | Wally's

Looks huge. I've never been to one, although I have been to a number of Flying J's, wonder if they are similar. There's a Flying J in town, ooff the Trans Canada Highway, right before the entrance into town and right before the perimeter highway, which if a driver wants can take to avoid the city....which is a good idea. Who would want to take a large tractor trailer through a congested city if they don't need to deliver any goods there.

[Racer X 69]

I've been through the salt flats on Interstate 80 many times. Fascinating place during the day. Really spooky at night.

An arrow straight road on the flattest place on Earth. It feels like 200 miles, but is only about 45.

So you have seen this.



Metaphor, the tree of Utah is an 87-foot-tall sculpture that was created by the Swedish artist Karl Momen in the 1980s and dedicated in 1986. Located in the desolate Great Salt Lake Desert of Utah to the North of the west bound side of Interstate 80, about 25 miles East of Wendover, midway between the former railroad communities of Arinosa and Barro. The sculpture, which is constructed mainly of concrete, consists of a squarish 'trunk' holding up six spheres that are coated with natural rock and minerals native to Utah. There are also several hollow sphere segments on the ground around the base.

Inscribed on the plaque are the words from Ode to Joy by Friedrich Schiller; also used as the chorus of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. It has been said that Momen was moved to create the 87-foot-tall tree after having a vision of a tree while driving across the desolate Bonneville Salt Flats.

I shot this in 2001 when Mrs. Racer 2.0 and I took a winter vacation.

Down the West Coast to LA and out to Arizona, through Williams and The Grand Canyon, up into Utah through Bryce Canyon, I skied at Alta (the base is 8,500 feet, I had to go) then we drove out to Wendover and the Bonneville Salt Flats (it is a wet lake in February, not dry, so I didn't drive out on the race track), back to Salty City, out to the Golden Spike, and the desert where they tested the space shuttle rocket motors, and up to Idaho, through Twin Falls and Boise, up through Oregon past Baker City, La Grande and Pendleton and crossed back to Washington at Umatilla and back over 90 to The Emerald City.

I also too the Dodge four wheeling in the snow.



Heading North from Bryce Canyon we stopped at Butch Cassidy RV Park in Salina, Utah for the night. It snowed while we slept. We awoke to a foot of snow on the ground that wasn't there when we went to sleep. It was magical.

I saw this the next day, along US89 I think.



It was an awesome vacation, in our new Ram. We had a great time, and saw America.

The day we got home was the 2001 Daytona 500. The race was over before we got home, so I missed it. My neighbor saw us drive in and gave me the news about Dale Earnhardt as we were just getting out of the pickup.

A sad ending to such a great trip.

[lesmore49]

An arrow straight road on the flattest place on Earth. It feels like 200 miles, but is only about 45.

So you have seen this.



Metaphor, the tree of Utah is an 87-foot-tall sculpture that was created by the Swedish artist Karl Momen in the 1980s and dedicated in 1986. Located in the desolate Great Salt Lake Desert of Utah to the North of the west bound side of Interstate 80, about 25 miles East of Wendover, midway between the former railroad communities of Arinosa and Barro. The sculpture, which is constructed mainly of concrete, consists of a squarish 'trunk' holding up six spheres that are coated with natural rock and minerals native to Utah. There are also several hollow sphere segments on the ground around the base.

Inscribed on the plaque are the words from Ode to Joy by Friedrich Schiller; also used as the chorus of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. It has been said that Momen was moved to create the 87-foot-tall tree after having a vision of a tree while driving across the desolate Bonneville Salt Flats.

I shot this in 2001 when Mrs. Racer 2.0 and I took a winter vacation.

Down the West Coast to LA and out to Arizona, through Williams and The Grand Canyon, up into Utah through Bryce Canyon, I skied at Alta (the base is 8,500 feet, I had to go) then we drove out to Wendover and the Bonneville Salt Flats (it is a wet lake in February, not dry, so I didn't drive out on the race track), back to Salty City, out to the Golden Spike, and the desert where they tested the space shuttle rocket motors, and up to Idaho, through Twin Falls and Boise, up through Oregon past Baker City, La Grande and Pendleton and crossed back to Washington at Umatilla and back over 90 to The Emerald City.

I also too the Dodge four wheeling in the snow.



Heading North from Bryce Canyon we stopped at Butch Cassidy RV Park in Salina, Utah for the night. It snowed while we slept. We awoke to a foot of snow on the ground that wasn't there when we went to sleep. It was magical.

I saw this the next day, along US89 I think.



It was an awesome vacation, in our new Ram. We had a great time, and saw America.

The day we got home was the 2001 Daytona 500. The race was over before we got home, so I missed it. My neighbor saw us drive in and gave me the news about Dale Earnhardt as we were just getting out of the pickup.

A sad ending to such a great trip.

What a great trip. Truly illustrates why the best part of the trip is about the journey, not the arrival.

Regarding Dale Earnhardt, I was watching the Daytona 500 on TV, that dark day. It was hard to believe that he passed away . From my memory of watching that situation (memory maybe faulty) I don't think many at the track that day, TV viewers, announcers, safety crews till they got the accident....realized that he had died. Sad day.

I recall that he competing at an endurance sports car race (Sebring ?) running a race Corvette (think with his son Jr. as a co driver) earlier that year, doing ok in the race, and I think he was considering doing more road racing.

[Racer X 69]

Looks huge. I've never been to one, although I have been to a number of Flying J's, wonder if they are similar. There's a Flying J in town, ooff the Trans Canada Highway, right before the entrance into town and right before the perimeter highway, which if a driver wants can take to avoid the city....which is a good idea. Who would want to take a large tractor trailer through a congested city if they don't need to deliver any goods there.

I always enjoyed the 2 lane highways over interstates when driving big trucks.

So much more to see than on the boring freeways.

Out on the Alberta prairie, a very important intersection.




The Chugwater Soda Fountain in Chugwater, Wyoming, home to the Chugwater Chilli cookoff. I stopped there everytime I passed by. Get off the interstate, take the old highway a few miles and there it is. Always has a pot of chili on. Grab a cup or bowl, crackers, and hit the road.




Amish people doing what they do best. Somewhere in Ohio.




They still move sheep the old fashioned way near Cokeville, Wyoming. US30, one of my favorite cutoffs, between Pocatello, Idaho and the US30 junction with I80 near Little America, Wyoming. It passes by Kemmerer, home of the orginal JC Penney store. There is a Flying J at Cokeville, I stayed and fueled there many times. It also passes through Soda Springs where there is the only captive geyser in the world, and Lava Hot Springs with a hot springs resort and world famous Olympic swimming and slide complex.




White Post, Virginia. An obstacle at the intersection of two narrow country lanes, painted white. I don't get it.




Dana, Indiana, home of Ernie Pyle.




Paris, Illinois. Look at that architecture.




Rockville, Indiana. More cool buildings, and ancient trees.




Clark Fork, Idaho, in the Rocky Mountains.




Somewhere in Montana.






Paradise, Montana. I would have to agree.




Lunchbreak and pee stop on the Alberta prairie, between Medicine Hat and Saskatoon. The traffic was brutal.






Another lunchbreak and pee stop in West Texas.




Lunchtime on the McKenzie Highway, between Bend and Eugene, Oregon. The earth looks black because it is volcanic cinders. The black behind the truck is lava.




Adair, Iowa. My trailer had two tires explode at the same time as I was heading West on I70, and this town was off the first exit, a mile or so. I managed to get the local tire shop to call a guy in to fix me up. It was late in the day, and may have even been the weekend.






Monstro on the Tswassen ferry to Sydney, British Columbia. Made that run many times, I loved it, it was always an adventure.




I dropped off a couple of boilers at a new hospital in Saint Maries, Idaho. Afterwards I had lunch overlooking the South end of Coeur d'Alene.






Last but not least, as there is bacon in it. On the corner of Junction Drive and South Washington Highway in Ashland, Virginia was the Smokey Pig restaurant. The business filed for bankruptcy in 2011 and closed after 32 years. Now gone and replaced by an O'Reilly Auto Parts store.

[Racer X 69]

I recall that he competing at an endurance sports car race (Sebring ?) running a race Corvette (think with his son Jr. as a co driver) earlier that year, doing ok in the race, and I think he was considering doing more road racing.

That was at the Daytona 24 race a couple weeks earlier. They finished second in class with co drivers Andy Pilgrim and Kelly Collins.

They were talking about Sebring, and even more endurance events together.

Then . . . . . . .

[lesmore49]

I always enjoyed the 2 lane highways over interstates when driving big trucks.

So much more to see than on the boring freeways.

Out on the Alberta prairie, a very important intersection.




The Chugwater Soda Fountain in Chugwater, Wyoming, home to the Chugwater Chilli cookoff. I stopped there everytime I passed by. Get off the interstate, take the old highway a few miles and there it is. Always has a pot of chili on. Grab a cup or bowl, crackers, and hit the road.




Amish people doing what they do best. Somewhere in Ohio.




They still move sheep the old fashioned way near Cokeville, Wyoming. US30, one of my favorite cutoffs, between Pocatello, Idaho and the US30 junction with I80 near Little America, Wyoming. It passes by Kemmerer, home of the orginal JC Penney store. There is a Flying J at Cokeville, I stayed and fueled there many times. It also passes through Soda Springs where there is the only captive geyser in the world, and Lava Hot Springs with a hot springs resort and world famous Olympic swimming and slide complex.




White Post, Virginia. An obstacle at the intersection of two narrow country lanes, painted white. I don't get it.




Dana, Indiana, home of Ernie Pyle.




Paris, Illinois. Look at that architecture.




Rockville, Indiana. More cool buildings, and ancient trees.




Clark Fork, Idaho, in the Rocky Mountains.




Somewhere in Montana.






Paradise, Montana. I would have to agree.




Lunchbreak and pee stop on the Alberta prairie, between Medicine Hat and Saskatoon. The traffic was brutal.






Another lunchbreak and pee stop in West Texas.




Lunchtime on the McKenzie Highway, between Bend and Eugene, Oregon. The earth looks black because it is volcanic cinders. The black behind the truck is lava.




Adair, Iowa. My trailer had two tires explode at the same time as I was heading West on I70, and this town was off the first exit, a mile or so. I managed to get the local tire shop to call a guy in to fix me up. It was late in the day, and may have even been the weekend.






Monstro on the Tswassen ferry to Sydney, British Columbia. Made that run many times, I loved it, it was always an adventure.




I dropped off a couple of boilers at a new hospital in Saint Maries, Idaho. Afterwards I had lunch overlooking the South end of Coeur d'Alene.






Last but not least, as there is bacon in it. On the corner of Junction Drive and South Washington Highway in Ashland, Virginia was the Smokey Pig restaurant. The business filed for bankruptcy in 2011 and closed after 32 years. Now gone and replaced by an O'Reilly Auto Parts store.

Those very important intersection signs, mostl in Alberta and Saskatchewan, with the attendant, slow down by 30 kph...drive me nuts. Invariably no one is there and sometimes the reduced speed limits go on for several kilometers for no reason.


The sheep herd reminds me of a dairy cattle herd I would come across on a semi regular basis on one of my routes (early '70's) when I made my daily pick up of product at the company factory which was out of town. The dairy cattle spent their non milking times at a pasture on the other side of the highway from their barn. In the afternoon they were herded back across the highway...by two farmers and two German Shepherds. The German Shepherds did an amazing job of running back and forth....stopping cattle if they could see vehicles coming , that were not slowing down. The two farmers stationed themselves at the highway on either side of the road. One dog would run up and down moving the cattle on, at a good clip...the other would move the cattle on on the barn side of the highway, making sure the cattle kept a good pace and didn't stop to smell the roses...LOL.

A lot of the road pics you show, remind me of a great trip we took through Manitoba, Saskatchewan, the Dakotas, Wyoming and Montana a few years ago. We split our travel between backroad highways and interstates. Lovely scenes, invariably something interest to see, lots of stops for pix, food and my need to take a regular whizz ....all contribute to the fun of a road trip.

We've been unable to go down one of our favourite day trips, due to covid. Looking forward to getting out there when restrictions are lifted. It's a run from Pembina border crossing west to and through the Pembina Hills...both in the ND and Mb. sides of the border. Lovely winding roads (parts anyways) with some ups and downs in the Pembina River valley....see wildlife and interesting yard or field art...old cars, trucks, farm equipment and very scenic.

We stop at a restaurant, can't recall the name, just know how to get there in Cavalier, ND. Generous proportions of really good, stick to your ribs food that appeals to country people. No Duck L'Orange on the menu, just things like excellent roast beef , mashed potatoes and the obligatory green vegetable.

[lesmore49]

That was at the Daytona 24 race a couple weeks earlier. They finished second in class with co drivers Andy Pilgrim and Kelly Collins.

They were talking about Sebring, and even more endurance events together.

Then . . . . . . .

That was it. I was looking forward to Dale and Dale Jr. co driving in sports car racing events. Dale Jr. has a new show on cable where old, abandoned race tracks are visited, history discussed, etc. Interesting TV.

[dbs]

Looks huge. I've never been to one, although I have been to a number of Flying J's, wonder if they are similar. There's a Flying J in town, ooff the Trans Canada Highway, right before the entrance into town and right before the perimeter highway, which if a driver wants can take to avoid the city....which is a good idea. Who would want to take a large tractor trailer through a congested city if they don't need to deliver any goods there.

Hi Les

The large fuel stops on the outskirts of a town on the highway end up ' killing ' the town because everyone is in a hurry nowadays and don't enter the town.
This is the experience in Australia .

Dave

[lesmore49]

Hi Les

The large fuel stops on the outskirts of a town on the highway end up ' killing ' the town because everyone is in a hurry nowadays and don't enter the town.
This is the experience in Australia .

Dave

Dave,

Quite true. We're ok as I live in a city with more than 3/4 of a million citizens.

But for smaller burgs, it's different and they have suffered. I live about 70 miles from the U.S. border. In the '60's my parents used to take us camping at a small state park, just across the border. Lovely park. Often times , on our way to the park, on Friday night we would drive down a highway that was a lesser known road that went through both Canada and the USA. This region is farm land, in both countries.

I recall 55-60 years ago, as we were going through very small towns on both sides of the border...the towns were hopping....small businesses, the town restaurant, hotel, bar, pub were open with farmers and their families coming in on Friday evening. Buying stuff, eating and drinking, having fun.

Fast forward 55-60 years later, as we drove through these small towns, in both countries in this region, many have their businesses boarded up, hotels..restaurants..bars have closed. Not a lot of people live in the towns, they have gone to cities....both townspeople and farmers. Many small farms became big farms, and these small towns which were supply/equipment towns for the surrounding farms started to lose business ...less farms and the few big farms would do their business in larger cities...cheaper, more stuff, etc.

Unfortunately the way it seems and not just in parts of North America I would wager.

[dbs]

Dave,

Quite true. We're ok as I live in a city with more than 3/4 of a million citizens.

But for smaller burgs, it's different and they have suffered. I live about 70 miles from the U.S. border. In the '60's my parents used to take us camping at a small state park, just across the border. Lovely park. Often times , on our way to the park, on Friday night we would drive down a highway that was a lesser known road that went through both Canada and the USA. This region is farm land, in both countries.

I recall 55-60 years ago, as we were going through very small towns on both sides of the border...the towns were hopping....small businesses, the town restaurant, hotel, bar, pub were open with farmers and their families coming in on Friday evening. Buying stuff, eating and drinking, having fun.

Fast forward 55-60 years later, as we drove through these small towns, in both countries in this region, many have their businesses boarded up, hotels..restaurants..bars have closed. Not a lot of people live in the towns, they have gone to cities....both townspeople and farmers. Many small farms became big farms, and these small towns which were supply/equipment towns for the surrounding farms started to lose business ...less farms and the few big farms would do their business in larger cities...cheaper, more stuff, etc.

Unfortunately the way it seems and not just in parts of North America I would wager.

Hi Les

The rural areas ( where I now live ) are approx a quarter of the population they once were.
Broad acre farming is now the go and with that people go to the larger cities looking for work.

Dave

[robtcorl]

I came across this, thought you gearhead photographers would like the subject and the shot.
No, I didn't take it.
BACON

[StiffLegged]

I always enjoyed the 2 lane highways over interstates when driving big trucks.

So much more to see than on the boring freeways.

An old favourite read of mine is Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon about travelling around the US by the back roads, marked in blue on road maps... He liked his proper roadside cafes too, as well as finding odd place names.

[Racer X 69]

... . . . . . as well as finding odd place names.

Like these:









It looks like this is the place to be:



You probably don't want to take the next exit.





This is where the fat girls live.





This place is.






Of course a number of us here can claim this place, eh?

[lesmore49]

I came across this, thought you gearhead photographers would like the subject and the shot.
No, I didn't take it.
BACON

Beautiful photo and of a magnificent motorcycle that has a place in history, the Indian four. Four meaning cylinders. There is a guy that shows up at the local parking lot car shows in my burg, which of course I frequent. He has a '28 Indian Four, which was rumoured to have been originally a part of the San Francisco police fleet way back when. They were fast and could intercept pretty well anythig on the road at that time.

Interesting feature of the Indian motorcycle was that the throttle was on the left handlebar. Now some say this was an optional feature, so that police could control the speed with their left hand and shoot with their right hand. Some say this is a myth....some say nope, it's the truth. I say who knows...but it sure is interesting to ponder.

Wiki on the Indian Four.

Indian Four - Wikipedia.

When I was about 16 , a gas station nearby had about a 20 year old Indian Chief....Indian's top of the line 1200cc, V -Twin motorcycle. Now Indian had been out of business for a long time by then, and this Indian was painted an attractive red....but someone had used a house paint brush to give it a paint job, and the seat was just a steel plate, all upholstery gone. Also who knew what horrors the engine cases hid, from 20 years of what appeared to be sheer neglect.

It was going for 100 bucks, Canadian and for a 16 year old male, that was a strong argument in favour of buying this ancient bike. At that time the collectors market wasn't a big deal...an old car or an old motorcycle were often considered just that. An old vehicle.

I had a motorcycle, a new one, but I looked at this old Indian long and hard, finally deciding against it, for I knew what my father would say.

Now, it would be worth a bundle, a big bundle.

Thx for posting, What a great composition and B+W was the right choice.