BigRedM

Wow, a Pennzoil station! I didn't think any of these existed anymore! (I believe the brand was bought by Shell a few years back.)

I'm sorry; did I make anyone believe I visited all 23 counties in Wyoming this trip? Entering the trip I had 19 finished and got the final four (north central part to be specific).

Is it me, or is the American flag flying at half staff?

Hey, Ink, I've visited Harrison more than a few times. Did you know that US 52 used to run through there along the main drag before it was rerouted on I-74? I got some pictures a few years ago; a friend I know collects pictures of highways and I helped him with this one, particularly where it crossed the state line. Was the state line marked when you went through? It wasn't when I was there in 2005. US 52 also used to run on Harrison Avenue west of Cincinnati; now it's Hamilton CR 457 if memory serves.

I may be replying to myself, but I just got back from my trip to finish those four states, which I did. I also got a fifth state finished, Wyoming (hey, there are only 23!). I also got 11 more in Kansas (94/105, with all I need toward Colorado) and 15 more in Montana (50/56, with all I need toward Idaho). I think Maine will have to wait; I plan on finishing up Maryland (I'm at 13/24) in late March and early April so I can catch the cherry blossoms. I also plan on getting a lot of Virginia done this trip (I'm at 26/134, pretty much just in the Blue Ridge Mountains). I spoke with an expert on collecting and he suggests I stay in Frederick, MD, Saturday night and get northern Virginia (and other Washington suburbs; I have the District itself clinched) on a Sunday morning when there's little to no traffic.

Ah, Heaton Street, the old name for present-day Village Street. The switch occurred in either the late 1980s or early 1990s if memory serves.

Wow, and I thought Rittman was depressing when I drove through back on July 3, 2004, two years before that factory closed! :-(

Breezewood is a little town in south central Pennsylvania where I-70 and I-76 split, with I-70 heading east (and south) to Baltimore (I believe the big green signs say "Washington D. C.", too, even though I-70 doesn't go to the nation's capital) and I-76 heading east to Philadelphia. In order to continue east on I-70 (coming off of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, on which I-70 and I-76 travel) one has to negotiate a bunch of traffic lights along US 30 before connecting to the free Baltimore-bound I-70. I have read that efforts to connect these segments with a free-flowing highway have been met with resistance by the businesses that make up Breezewood. Also check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breezewood,_Pennsylvania . Trust me, I've been there.

:clap: Thanks for getting Ashtabula on UO.com! My aunt was born there, as a matter of fact! Even though it is not a county seat, I have been there myself; I went through there just to see what the city looked like ten years ago when I was collecting Ohio's counties like you were recently doing. I took OH 531 along the Lake Erie coastline from Geneva over there, then I-90 back to my motel in Mentor. It took forever to find a postcard with Ashtabula on it, and I think I know why from the story you tell! I believe the one I found had a bunch of lighthouses on it, Ashtabula included.

I've eaten at this City Barbeque place quite a few times. There is a Graeter's attached to it. Such a combination also exists in Beavercreek, making me believe that these two chains are related like Wendy's and Tim Horton's used to be. What gives?

All right, a SOHIO station! (For all of you not in Ohio, it was called Boron.) It looks like RUNL was $1.10-something. I miss SOHIO. FWIW I miss Amoco, too.

Congratulations, ink! I have also visited all 88 Ohio counties and their seats! I got my last one (Meigs, county seat Pomeroy) on June 28, 1999. Buckeye1: I have completed both Kentucky and West Virginia. Other states whose counties I have completed include the following: Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Illinois Indiana Iowa Michigan Minnesota New Hampshire* New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Rhode Island Vermont Wisconsin * - I have yet to visit Colebrook, Haverhill, and Grafton, which are secondary county seats. I can probably get them done when I get my last nine Maine counties on a future trip! It won't be this summer because I am set to finish up Missouri (one left), Nebraska (two left), North Dakota (four left), and South Dakota (16 left)! My total stands at 1,980.

I'm kind of surprised the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago White Sox are not on the list. :whip: What gives? :?

Interestingly, Fremont has "city routes" that go through town since US 6, US 20, OH 19, and OH 53 run on a bypass around town. (Hey, Indianapolis, are you reading this? You can sign US 31, 36, 40, 52, and 421, as well as IN 37, this way! But I digress!) In most other places these "city routes" would be marked as business routes.

:clap: Thank you very much for the tour, Ink! One thing I noticed was it being "opposite of Italian Village on the west side of the Great Miami." Where is the Italian Village? That's a new name for me! Is that where Gordon and Webster Avenues run on the other side of Two Mile Creek?

Lima is also home to the 5-unit restaurant chain Happy Daz (pronounced "days", think of Richie, Ralph Malph, and Fonzie!). I have visited two of the locations: I-75 Exit 125 (OH 309/117), head west into the city and bear a right where OH 309 turns, ultimately to 1064 Bellefontaine Avenue and on OH 65 north of the city at 2025 N. West Avenue. You can't go wrong with a breaded tenderloin sandwich! I have a shirt from the West Avenue location!

I live in Congressman Hobson's district, and I read that his successor will probably be State Senator Steve Austria. The Democrats' hope to take this district rests on Clark County Commissioner Roger Tackett, most likely.

UnionStation13, Indianapolis is one of my very favorite cities. Keep up the good work!

Another thing, when I was in high school I used to ride my bike in this area to recapture old memories. I'm glad to see it's pretty much the same!

It looks very much like it. I went by it two years ago and noticed it was painted that shade of purple. (It was beige when I lived there.) Congratulations on getting my old house! Yes, I went to Wilson. It was for my junior high school term. As for elementary school I went to Fillmore, even though I was in the Lincoln area (long story). As to the move to Random Hills, my parents wanted a bigger house. I'm pretty sure that's the reason.

Ink, if the one on the right is 338 Sherman Avenue, I lived there from 1972 to 1980.

Ten years ago I saw a game at County Stadium. It's too bad the Brewers deserted it. Which brings me to this: LET'S GO CUBS!!!

The village perished? How could that have been? Did you mean "flourished"?

Hey, I work at the "new post office"! Truth be told, it was finished in 1970. Thanks, Jeff, for the pictures!

In the past I have inquired with other people and discussion groups about driving in Gary, downtown to be specific. It is my understanding that it is right off of I-90, which feeds into the Chicago Skyway, at Exit 14B/IN 53. My folks are against me doing it, but I have been told by someone closer to the area that if you stick to the main highways (state roads like SR 53, as well as US 12/20) and keep your doors locked you should be OK. (No, I haven't driven these Gary streets ... yet.) I remember stopping at a Speedway gas station down in Merrillville (which is to Gary what Huber Heights is to Dayton) on 73rd Avenue/old Lincoln Highway at State Road 53/Broadway, and there were vertical metal bars on the windows. That gave me some cause for concern. Does that part of Merrillville have a crime problem? This was April 2006. One thing I picked up is that I-65 tends to be the dividing line between the safe and questionable areas of the Calumet region. Last year I stayed at two motels, one in Merrillville on US 30 east of I-65 (heading towards Valparaiso) and the other in Portage. Both were on the east side of I-65.