BIG BEND trip
Oct. 1-8 2011
PART 1
Congress's threats of a government shutdown didn't stop me from participating in a road trip to Big Bend National Park. I work hard and pay taxes to help support this excellent park, so I shall visit Big Bend as I please. Fair is fair.
It behooves us to start this photo shoot on I-71 in northern Kentucky. What I was trying to do though was get this video...
Southwest on I-71 near mile marker 65 near Napoleon, Ky. ("I'll munch to that!") I filmed this because of the banshee-like wail the road was making. Hear it? Reminds me of 5th grade when we blew bubbles through the straw in our milk how we added the spooky music to it. ("Oh no, R2!")
West on I-24 crossing the Luther Draffen Bridge over the Tennessee River near Calvert City, Ky.
Once again, it's the great 1976 span on I-155 over the Mississippi River. We're going west from Tennessee into Missouri.
US 412 crosses from Missouri into Arkansas. US 412 gives many Roads Scholars a case of the bunks because it doesn't fit the highway numbering scheme. (It's nowhere near US 12.)
This has to be US 63/412 crossing the Black River at Black Rock, Ark.
Northeast on US 62 as it crosses the Spring River in Imboden, Ark.
A view of the Spring River from the US 62 bridge.
Southwest on US 62 in Imboden, approaching US 63/412. Notice how US 62 squeezes through here. US 62 then joins US 412 for miles west of here.
US 62/412 near Cherokee Village, Ark. This is probably just after losing US 63.
I surmise this is AR 9 near Melbourne or Allison.
This too.
AR 9 near Shirley. These folks are going biking because they don't have arthritis and a bad gallbladder like I do.
AR 9 goes under this unusual walkway for a school in Shirley.
AR 16 crossing the Edgemont Bridge at Greers Ferry Lake.
AR 16/92 crosses the Narrows on Greers Ferry Lake.
Approaching US 65 on AR 25. An advisory speed of only 10 MPH looms due to the traffic island.
This is in Texarkana, Ark. The exit from I-30 to US 71 had very recently been rebuilt. The newly redesigned westbound I-30 frontage road runs horizontally across the photo where the hulking SUV is going. It had become one-way and is labeled as 51st Street. US 71 marks the state line with Texas.
This video starts in Texarkana, Ark., on the redesigned I-30 westbound-only frontage road. We cross into Texarkana, Texas, and take the ramp from the frontage road to I-30.
Now we're getting on I-30. The water tower asks, "TEXARKANA IS TWICE AS NICE." It's twice as something: Texarkana, Ark., and Texarkana, Texas, are of course 2 separate municipalities. The frontage road can be seen on the right.
Still I-30 in Texarkana. Texas was building new overpasses with this design.
I-30 in Texarkana again. The mention of Atlanta refers to a town in Texas, not Georgia. The new overpasses feature a star and a Texas outline.
On I-30 in Texarkana, this is exit 219, which was too new to be marked on any map at the time.
It would appear with all my might that this is US 259 right before crossing from Texas into Oklahoma. As we crossed the Red River, there was no signage indicating any state line.
A clip of US 259 just after entering Oklahoma. We pick up OK 87.
One of these construction deals. This is probably west on OK 37 just past Idabel.
South on OK 37 approaching the Texas line.
As we reenter Texas, OK 37 becomes TX 37. How convenient! Then we go west on FM 195.
In the Lone Star State, they think big, man. This is US 82 as it bypasses Paris, Texas.