The Road Otter

Madness In Macadam

I already know.

Pictures on this website have been taken from moving cars, in the rain, the snow, the bright shiny day with harsh glare, all sorts of adverse conditions. If you don't have a better picture you're willing to share, don't tell me how bad the pictures are. I already know.

Archives for February 2015

Lonely signs on a lonely road

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Some months ago, I was in California. In my meanderings, I found a couple of “Historic Route 6” signs at the very north end of Sierra Highway.

Historic US 6 marker on Sierra Highway northbound just before left turn to CA 14 to Mojave. Sierra Highway continues on to a dead end, and one can see where it used to run, before CA 14 took its place.
Historic US 6 marker on Sierra Highway northbound just before left turn
to CA 14 to Mojave.
Historic US 6 marker on Sierra Highway southbound just after turn from CA 14 from Mojave. Sierra Highway continues on behind me to a dead end, and one can see where it used to run, before CA 14 took its place.
Historic US 6 marker on Sierra Highway southbound just after turn
from CA 14 from Mojave.

 

North end of Sierra Highway, where CA 14 cut off access to the town of Mojave.
North end of Sierra Highway, where CA 14 cut off access to the town of Mojave.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the lonely north end of Sierra Highway. The power poles follow the old route, and the trains still run alongside. The end of the road, past the marker, seems to be used by a construction company for staging. Just beyond the pile of brown stuff is a pile of black stuff. And beyond that is dirt, running in a straight line until it hits CA 14 just outside of Mojave.

Unexpected delights

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I thought this guy deserved a post of his own.

Westbound on US 20, in Nassau.

Unexpected bit of fun. Outside the NAPA auto parts store, a snowman with a NAPA hat.
Unexpected bit of fun. Outside the NAPA auto parts store, a snowman with a NAPA hat.

 

I turned around to get this shot. Eastbound, it’s just several lumps of snow. Westbound, worth a doubletake. And a laugh. Outside the NAPA Auto Parts store in Nassau is a snowman, wearing his NAPA hat and taking it easy.

Road Otter Has First Ends

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The bad jokes that can be made from that title…nevermind.

Today was a bright, clear, sunny day. Sunlight off the snow made sure that everything was well lit. Grab the sunglasses and the camera. We’re going for ends. For no other reason than I felt like it.

And it’s not snowing. [Read more…]

Happy Birthday Road Otter

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I was going to take myself for a drive today. I’ve been doing research on the various US numbered highways (see About for far too many details), and realized road ends are a big thing. Going to start my official roadgeek life by driving to where US 20 crossed out of New York, and getting the New York/Massachusetts end for my birthday.

When I got up, I found it was snowing. Someone had replaced my vehicle with a hummock of snow. I unburied the car, moved it so the guys-with-the-plow could rearrange the snow in the parking areas from foot layer on everything to big piles along the sides. I moved the car back, came in the house, installed WordPress, started blithering. Happy birthday me.