A Long Drive Home
Just thought I'd pass the time coming home from
North Carolina taking pictures of signs and
such things.  The trip up the east coast on the urban
highway known as I-95 seems to get worse every time.

Starting out on I-95, Exit 41 in NC I-95 in NC approaching Virginia On to I-295 around Richmond Starting out on I-95 in NC at Exit 41.  The easy part of I-95 is between I-85 and Florida.  After that, it is an urban nightmare.  Before that, we exit off I-95 onto I-295 around Richmond.  It saves time and headaches.  North of Richmond, we enter I-95 again.
And back to I-95
I-95 North of Richmond I-95 splits apart South of Washington This is where the trip can get nasty.  I-95 splits apart until the junction of I-395 and I-495, The Washington Beltway.  Serious backups are common.  We then get on The Beltway but I am working on an idea to take us up I-395 through Washington instead of around it.  It only has a southbound exit onto I-295 instead of a northbound exit.  I need to find the correct surface streets to make this happen. On the Beltway, we cross the Woodrow Wilson Bridge over The Potomac River and enter Maryland. Now we get on the 2nd I-295 though Washington. It turns into DC-295 and you can even see I-395, you just can't get there to here. It then turns into MD-295, The Washington Baltimore PKWY, the most beautiful freeway ever.
Approaching Washington's Beltway Stay on 95-495 now
Woodrow Wilson bridge on 95 over The Potomac Bail through Washington
DC 295 DC 295 Baltimore/Washington Parkway--Maryland 295
Balt/Wash Pkwy I-895 through the tunnel Again approaching Baltimore, instead of I-95 and The Fort McHenry Tunnel, we take I-895 and The Harbor Tunnel. Now back to I-95.
Off I-95 again onto I-295 The rest of the way through Maryland is usually not to bad but it can be. Next is Delaware where we leave I-95 again and get onto the 3rd I-295 which goes east of Philadelphia because I-95 has a section missing north of Philadelphia. On I-295 is The Delaware Memorial Bridge over The Delaware River.  After that is, we enter New Jersey.
I-295 Delaware Memorial Bridge
Welcome to Hell, The NJ TKP Where'd 95 go? Welcome to The New Jersey Turnpike.  An overburdened piece of crap road. Why some alternative route has not been established, I don't know. We lost at least an hour and a half in back ups. You see it just says To 95 until it turns into I-95 again. 45MPH was a joke, try 5MPH up until the road split into two corridors.
 Turnpike splits 45mph, what a joke. Try 5
95 is back Good-bye TKP, hello I-287 Exit off the turnpike onto I-287.  This road is usually pleasant and it was yesterday.
Approaching the NY Thruway Approaching the Thruway Ahh, The New York State Thruway, called I-87 here.  More backups, even worse going the other way.  Home to tolls and  busy overpriced service centers.
The dark evil Thruway, I-87 at this point turns into I-90 I-890, close to home The Thruway changes from I-87 to I-90 and then we exit onto I-890.
Exit Erie Blvd Erie Blvd Erie Blvd and home, here we come.
 

Driving to Duncan's hometown on the eastern side of North Carolina is a
momentous task at best.  There's no way you're going to avoid a traffic
jam.  There are go arounds in some places, but for the most part,
it's not escapable. Driving to the Charlotte area takes you through the
mountains mostly and only a few smaller urban areas via I-88,
I-81, and I-77. A fun drive. It's sad that a person loving a road trip
could hate this drive so much.  My goal is to map out alternative routes,
maybe Interstates 88 to 81 to 77.  Instead of continuing south on 77 toward Charlotte,
we could get off on I-74  and go through Winston-Salem and south of
Asheboro, exit and take some back roads east.

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