US60: A Proper End In The Desert

West of Wickenburg, AZ, US60 is your basic desert affair, a straight, flat, two-lane road in modest condition with not much to offer besides mountains in the distance; pleasant but nothing special.

After driving for an hour or so, I pulled off the road and was delighted to see it: A proper "End" sign, exactly where it is supposed to be, at the point where US60 becomes ramps for Interstate 10.

Happy and I took a few minutes to mark the occasion of finishing another end-to-end road trip together, me by taking photos and her by leaving p-mail. I congratulated her and she gave me the look of "Whatever, let's get back in my air conditioned dog house."

Here's my brief review of US60:

US60 is a good road trip route, but not a great one. Except for a few challenging spots (e.g. the mountains of West Virginia, the Salt River Canyon), it is an easy drive on good roadways. If offers moderate geographic diversity, from the lush forests of the east to the deserts of the west, but not as much as northern routes like US20 and US30.

US60 is what I would call a "blue collar" road: hard working and honest, but not especially pretty or interesting. Either there just aren't that many points of interest along the way, or I missed them.

As of now, I have driven all of the original, long-distance US Highways north of here: US2, US12, US20, US30, US50, US60 and US70 (US40 has been mostly subsumed into I-80). South of here, US80 and US 90 only run from the east coast to Texas and have also been greatly replaced by Interstates. I think that's my way of saying I'm probably done with "coast-to-coast" route expeditions.

Starting tomorrow, I have another "border-to-border" US95 drive ahead of me... Stay tuned!

US60: Arizona Crossing(s)

Today's drive on US60 was a crossing of almost all of Arizona. It also involved three more crossings of various US Highways I have previously driven on my many cross-country road trips.

First, in Springerville, we crossed US191 which I drove border-to-border back in 2014. West of there, US60 is mostly gentle ups and downs through alpine terrain with entertaining bends and turns.



After that, the route becomes a more challenging drive through the Salt River Canyon. It's a steep, twisty five miles down then back up, bracketed on each side by lesser but still significant dives and climbs. The scenery is stunning, despite one's tight grip on the wheel.



In Globe, we crossed the end of US70 which I drove coast-to-end on the same long road trip in 2014. West of there it's a high-speed run to Phoenix, which I was very happy to be crossing on a Sunday when traffic was light. Farther west, US60 is a rolling romp through lower and dryer dessert.



Finally, we've stopped for the day in Wickenburg, which is the starting point of US93 which I drove all the way to the Canadian border two years ago in 2017.

So, to recap, today we've crossed Arizona and three previously driven routes. I seriously think I'm running out of long-distance US Highways to drive! Tomorrow morning we will drive the last 75 miles to the end of US60 near the California border... Stay tuned!

US60 Detour: Alpine Revisited

About 30 miles south on US191 from its junction with US60 in Springerville, AZ, is an idyllic, high mountain valley, which is home to the aptly named very small town of Alpine, AZ.

I first "discovered" Apline five years ago during my US191 border-to-border drive. It was such a perfect place to take a break from being in the desert – and home to some really wonderful people – that I determined to take a couple of days off from this US60 road trip to revisit Alpine. Once again, it was a perfect respite.

Besides the obviously beautiful setting, cool air and lush greenery, Alpine also offers as a highlight the Foxfire restaurant, a culinary treat by world-class city standards, and a seeming impossibility in a remote small town.

I was delighted to have two dinners and a brunch at Foxfire, the latter including an adult morning beverage that didn't help my energy level for the rest of the day.

As usual during "days off" on the road, I spent some time sorting and organizing gear, also taking advantage of the local laundromat to set me up with clothes for the rest of the trip.



Happy used her skills to make the most of her days off by alternately sleeping in the sun and shade.



After a delightful and refreshing two day break, we are ready to hit the road again... Stay tuned!

US60: Pie On The Continental Divide

Today's drive on US60 was very pretty, easy and amusing, perhaps the best so far on this road trip. Heading west out of Mountainair, NM, early this morning, the soft overcast, wide open space and mountains in the distance were easy on the eyes and soul. Morning in the desert can be fantastic!



Along the way, I repeatedly saw signs for "VLA" and wondered if there could really be a town by that name. Imagine my amusement when I spied the "Very Large Array" (VLA)! We've all seen this many times in movies, I'm sure, but I had no idea where it is located. Now we know it's on US60!



A few minutes later we crossed the continental divide, for about the hundredth time on my road trips. I was going to stop and take the requisite photo, but saw a sign just ahead that grabbed my attention instead. There is a place called "Pie Town" in New Mexico, and it has four, count 'em four pie shops!



After a very rewarding stop for pie on the continental divide, it was back on the road for a truly beautiful drive into Arizona. These are the vistas that make the driving so worthwhile!

Pulling into Springerville, AZ, we intersected with another old friend, US191.

You may recall that I drove US191 border to border back in 2014.

There is a very special place nearby that I have decided is worth a detour, so I'm going to suspend my US60 road trip for a couple of days.

Stay tuned!

US60: Texico

Heading southwest out of Canyon/Amarillo, TX, US60 is a high-speed transportation conduit. Trucks almost constantly wind-rattled my vehicle due to our combined closure speed of about 140 mph. Every few minutes, very long trains passed by on the tracks that parallel the road the entire way.

The border between Farwell, TX, and Clovis, NM, is the convergence of three major highways – including US70 which I drove a little over five years ago – and is a massive transportation hub.

For about ten miles, I covered ground that I've already driven, something that happens more and more often now that I've driven so many of the old US Highways from end-to-end.

Happy and I took our half-way-for-the-day break in Fort Sumner, NM. While there, we visited the "real" grave of Billy the Kid. The information sign tells about how the gravestone went missing, was found, returned, etc. It is now shackled to the ground, kept inside a locked cage.

It isn't the actual grave, and not the original gravestone (which was made of wood and washed away shortly after burial), but who lets facts get in the way of a good tourist opportunity?

There's a Billy the Kid museum in town, mostly filled with unrelated items, but there are a few authentic items that are worth a few minutes if you ever find yourself passing through.

I didn't spend much time in the museum, since I pretty fully explored the history and legend of Billy the Kid on my US70 transit when it passed through Lincoln, NM, where most of the action was based.

After lunch, the weather had fully cleared and the road was a good, high-speed, almost entirely straight run through the desert to Mountaineer, NM, where we have stopped for the night.



We have already driven through so much empty, wide-open space, and there's more in our future... Stay tuned!

US60: Texahoma, Again!

It was already 80 degrees when I left Enid, OK, early this morning, with a strong, gusting crosswind coming from the south. Texahoma is hard to describe and, as usual, the photos don't really do it justice. There is so much wide open space out here that it boggles the mind. Some of it is green, but much of it is brown. Either way, there's not much to see and little to explore on a long drive.




Shortly after crossing into Texas, it looked like I was heading into weather. True to the old adage – "Put your back to the wind, the high is on your right, the low is on your left" – I was preparing for rain.



A few miles down the road, I saw what looked like a wall of water ahead. I pulled into a turnout just in time to be hammered by a torrential squall, the kind where you can't even see out the window. In less than a minute, the temperature dropped from 85 degrees to 65 degrees... Yikes!

After a few minutes, the rain let up to a drivable rate and I continued down the road. I passed through Amarillo because I've already stayed there more times than I care to recall. Instead, I'm spending the night little farther along my route in Canyon, TX.

I can't recall how many times I've driven across Texahoma, but I'm ready for this to be my last!

Happy: Rest Stop Skills

Hi, I'm Happy! One of the first things to learn if you're going to be a road dog, is how to make the most of your so-called "rest" stops. I really don't understand why Boss Macgellan calls them that, because I get plenty of rest while we're driving. When we stop, it's time to roll around in the grass!



All our stops are really fun, because besides rolling in the grass, I get to check up on everybody's p-mail and see who has been here leaving messages. It just occurred to me that if I'm going to be a modern dog, I should probably call it a p-instagram. Anyway, we're having another great road trip!

US60: Northern Oklahoma

Yesterday was a long but uneventful day on the road. An hour west of Springfield, MO, we crossed into northern Oklahoma and began a 200+ mile run on good, not great, roads to Enid, OK.

Unless you've driven across the US, it is hard to imagine the vast expanses you encounter along the way. I could offer you dozens of photos from yesterday, but they all look pretty much the same:




One thing that's noteworthy is the variety of small towns you pass through at fairly regular intervals. While almost all show signs of being depressed and depopulated, they do so to different degrees. Some show signs of persisting, while others seem like they've just about given up the fight.




After three straight days of driving, Happy and I were ready for our regular "day off' from the road. I was hopeful about spending it here in Enid, OK, because of several amusements on offer that seemed appealing. Sadly, they are all closed on Mondays, so I'm not sure we'll be able to enjoy much diversion.

Nevertheless, we will enjoy some relaxation, catching up with ourselves, resetting our gear and generally preparing for the next lengthy stints... Stay tuned!

US60: Southern Missouri

Here's a trick I've learned about cross-country driving: Heading west, start early and stop early; heading east, start late and stop late. That strategy will minimize the amount of time you're driving into the sun, which is much more fatiguing than having the sun behind you or overhead.

Accordingly, Happy and I were out of Paducah, KY, early this morning on a good two-lane road heading west. Pretty soon, we crossed the Ohio River, spent a hot minute – only about a half mile – on the very southern tip of Illinois at Fort Defiance, then crossed the Mississippi River into Missouri.



US60 continues as a good two-lane rural road, among smaller agricultural fields and copses of trees.



Minutes later, US60 joins I-57 for a few miles, then continues as "Future I-57" for about 50 miles. After crossing I-55, US60 continues on its own as a major east/west corridor. For about 200 miles to Springfield, MO, it is a high-speed, divided four-lane thruway.



We have stopped for the night in Springfield and will continue west early in the morning.

US60 Extra: Diverging Diamond Interchange

Leaving Paducah, KY, this morning, drove through my first Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI).



I had seen videos about them in the past and they looked quite innovative. After driving one this morning, I declare that they are genius! By shifting the arterial lanes, they vastly improve flow on and off the highway, greatly reduce backups on the ramps, and speed up traffic on the arterials.



If the US ever seriously undertakes nationwide infrastructure improvement, I hope as many interchanges are converted to DDIs as possible!

US60: Southwestern Kentucky

Our day-long drive across southwestern Kentucky completes our transit of what I would describe as the state's three distinct geographies: Mountains in the east, rolling hills in the middle and wide open flatlands in the southwest. It's hard to describe and even harder to photograph from a moving car.



As a result of the flatter terrain, farm fields out here tend to be much larger than in the rolling hills.



It's harvest season, so there were a few times when we got held up and had to pass some extremely large farm equipment. Besides that, it was a smooth, fast drive.



We are spending the night in Paducah, KY, just a few miles from the Missouri border. We plan to transit most of the Show-Me State tomorrow... Stay tuned!

US60 Detour: John James Audubon State Park

Happy and I were just looking for a quiet green space to take a walk, when we found a gem in Henderson, KY: John James Audubon State Park

During the Depression, local admirers of famous naturalist and bird illustrator John Audubon lobbied congress to create a park in his name.

From 1810-1819, Audubon had lived in the Henderson area, roaming the woods, finding and painting birds in their natural habitat.

As a result, a crew of some 150 young men from the Civilian Conservation Corps were dispatched to the area and worked for a number of years.

In 2005, this statue was erected in honor of their excellent and enduring work.

In the process, they built roads, campgrounds, picnic shelters, hiking trails, and cottages like the one shown below. They even hand dug the large lake in the background.



The twin jewels of the facility are the Norman style museum building, in honor of Audubon's French heritage, and the Tudor style park headquarters, in honor of his wife's English background.





Happy and I spent far more time there than we planned for a simple mid-day walk, but we could have easily stayed longer. The park is a lovely mixed-use facility that is well worth a visit for as long as you can spare, whether an hour, day, weekend or longer.

US60: Northern Kentucky

Almost all of US60 across northern Kentucky is an excellent, hi-speed, two-lane roadway. It is worth noting that most of the roads in Kentucky are very well maintained. Maybe because of that, drivers tend to exceed the posted limits and will ride your bumper until passing at the barest opportunity.



It's a pretty drive, but I didn't see anything especially noteworthy in the landscape. After a hard day of mountain driving, it was a pleasant cruise. Imagine periodic drive-throughs of various sized small towns (plus a couple of easily transited cities) and what you see is what you get.



We have stopped in Shelbyville, KY, where we will visit with friends tomorrow... Stay tuned!

US60: Midland Trail

West of Lexington, VA, there are some stretches of US60 where it is a rural or mountain two-lane road, but much of it is subsumed into and co-signed with I-64 as it crosses the mountains in earnest.



Soon after you cross into West Virginia, US60 splits off on its own and becomes a wild ride through the mountains. You're in for either a thrilling or exhausting drive, depending on your personal taste.

For a solid couple of hours, you'll face steep uphill twists followed immediately by steep downhill twists. It's a pretty road that could be fun in a nimble vehicle. I do not recommend it for trailers

Throughout West Virginia, US60 is co-signed as the Midland Trail which has a story that is worth reading all about in the link. Meanwhile, here's the gist:

"The Midland Trail follows the route of the historic James River and Kanawha Turnpike, an early road linking canals in the James River in Virginia with the navigable portion of the Kanawha River in West Virginia. It crosses some of the most rugged terrain of the Mountain State. The trail is believed to have been originally carved into the mountains by buffalo and native peoples. In 1790, George Washington ordered the trail cleared. The trail came to be traveled by stage coaches and soldiers in the Civil War."

Happy and I take many breaks on our road trips, especially when we spend a lot of time on a road like this.

Our favorite stop of the day included a pretty little walk in Hawk's Nest State Park to this overlook of the New River:



After that break, it was more of the same until we finally got down off the mountains to river level.



From there it was clear, smooth running down the river valley, through picturesque little towns nestled between the mountains and the river. By the time we reached Charleston, the river had become the Kanawha, and US60 became a four-lane urban service road. The road then becomes a high-speed two-lane rural road until it approaches Huntington and reverts to four-lane urban status.

We have stopped for the night just over the Kentucky border in Ashland... Stay tuned!