Our dogs meeting up

[gwd]

..... grab a handful of lapua rounds .....

I am impressed you are that specific ... you are just full of surprises

when you're inching forward on the 405, you have lots of time to think about specifics.

[JudyN]

I'm so ignorant, when I imagine US roads I picture a dusty track with open prairie to either side and the road stretching off into the horizon, with no other traffic apart from possibly a Greyhound bus

[jacksdad]

I'm so ignorant, when I imagine US roads I picture a dusty track with open prairie to either side and the road stretching off into the horizon, with no other traffic apart from possibly a Greyhound bus

I am sure those roads still exist in some states, Texas, the Dakotas, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming...just a couple that jump to mind.

[gwd]

I'm so ignorant, when I imagine US roads I picture a dusty track with open prairie to either side and the road stretching off into the horizon, with no other traffic apart from possibly a Greyhound bus

this is the 405. now you can see why we shudder at the prospect of having it part of a trip.

[DianeLDL]

I'm so ignorant, when I imagine US roads I picture a dusty track with open prairie to either side and the road stretching off into the horizon, with no other traffic apart from possibly a Greyhound bus

I am sure those roads still exist in some states, Texas, the Dakotas, Arizona, Montana, Wyoming...just a couple that jump to mind.

Judy,

Yes, some parts of those states. But rarely these days. In Arizona for example. There are bottlenecks on Interstate 10 going through Tucson, Casa Grande, through Phoenix. I hit horrendous traffic from Phoenix through Palm Springs into LA.

Now, Interstate 10 going from Arizona through Texas can have some empty areas. But, when they get down to two lanes each direction, you can run into scores of semi trucks, people with RVs, and others on the roads. And when we are driving cross country, there is always road work with at least one lane closed. The dustiest two lane highway (one lane each direction has been Interstate 54 from Tucumcari, New Mexico (eastern part of the state) through Texas and Oklahoma and Liberal, Kansas (known for the Wizard of Oz) and into Wichita, Kansas and then pick up interstate 35 to Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri. It is pretty slow going and usually spend the night in Liberal and then Kansas City, MO. Then, we pick up interstate 70 which is another major cross country route. If we stay on interstate 40, we go through Amarillo, Texas and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Oklahoma and Arkansas have the more horrendous roads, and there is always one lane closed for road work.

Basically, that is why when we drive cross country, OH likes to be on the road no later than 4am. When we drive north and south in the east interstate 81 has so much truck traffic, it is horrendous. And then interstate 95 which goes from Florida through Maine has tolls and so much traffic, it resembles at times what gwd showed of the 405. When we drive 95, we leave Virginia at 1:30am which will help us avoid some traffic until Connecticut.

As far as interstate80, yes, there are open areas in Nebraska, Wyoming, and further north in North and South Dakotas and of course Montana here the speed limit is 90 mph.

Even truck drivers complain that the days of open roads have pretty much come to an end.

Now, where Fundog is located, I would assume that there are some empty roadways.

And gwd, when OH was living in San Diego and was active with the Raiders when they were in LA, he would drive the 405 at 2-3am to El Segundo and then rest and wait for things to begin with the Raiders. (That is a US Football team now in Oakland, but at the time while they were in LA, OH worked with them in the front office in management.)

And, gwd, thanks for the photo. Reminds us why OH left California.

Diane

[JudyN]

Erk, that 405 looks scary! I know I'd panic if I realised my exit was coming up and I was in the outside lane (Generally our motorways have three lanes - I think there may be a few stretches with four, but they're very rare, as far as I know.)

OH commented how when in the US he tried to walk to his hotel to a bar which was practically next door, but it was almost impossible - US planners seem to assume that people wouldn't want to walk anywhere beyond their front gate. I'm a bit bothered that to walk from the main shopping centre in Poole to the supermarket, just the other side of a dual carriageway and a roundabout with a flyover involves crossing several roads, without any marked directions - again, the planners didn't seem to realise that people may want to walk between them

[jacksdad]

Erk, that 405 looks scary!

Driving in LA is quite the experience.

I still remember my first driving experience in LA. it was the early 90's, I was driving a 74 VW bus that has a larger engine in it than when it left the factory, so I actually had no issue keeping up with the flow of traffic (Diane, GWD...imagine a vw bus going 60 to 70 going over the grapvine. it was fun passing newer cars ).

The issue I had was in LA, traffic can go from 50 or 60 MPH, to dead stop in "zero seconds" or from dead stop to 50 or 60 in "zero seconds"...ok not literally, but if your not used to the LA traffic flow and patterns it can sure feel like it. Then there is the lane changes...the small gaps that people use to change lanes... can send your heart on a roller coast from racing to stop and back to racing.

Driving in LA isn't for the faint of heart that is for sure.