My wife and I are driving out to TX from NJ in May and instead of driving out to Chicago on I-80 we were thinking about taking Route 50 through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois and hitting St. Louis and jumping on Route 66 to Tulsa, OK and heading south to Anna, TX. Is Route 50 worth seeing? I heard it is called the "Loneliest Road". Any sketchy areas? Also if you have any info regarding Route 66 shoot it my way too.
Haven't driven 50 but I can tell you I-80 is no fun. I drive it a lot and it is anything but "lonely", avoid it if you can, ESPECIALLY around Chicago!
Can't say about 50.I would go a little north and and get on 40.It's the old National Road and was the E-W route before the interstate. Lots of old gas stations,dinners,hotels, cool Art Decco buldings and old tin in backyards. In Ohio it goes over the top of 2 dams built after the 1913 flood. If your wife likes antiques,your brownnie points will rize bigtime,as the shops are endless. A cool old road. My 2 cents
My personal view is that it would be a wonderful trip-plenty scenic with frequent small towns to stop and eat/shop/checkout. But! You can't be in a hurry. The route invites dawdling but even while moving you won't be able to maintain a 50 m.p.h. average. Just lean back, relax, and don't worry about a deadline.
I live on route 50 It's a nice drive from Cincinnati to Vincennes but there to St Louis is kind of uninspiring. Pick up I-64 at Cincy and see S Ind, rolling hills, Hoosier Forest etc. Very little traffic on this road to St L. then find 66 ond go west. Uff-Da Pete
If you do decide to take 50 across Indiana be sure and stop to eat in Montgomery at Gustoffs (sp) amish buffet about 1 mile north of town lots of antiques good food, good price, it's really not a bad drive across Indiana just my 2 cents and not worth a penny more....
I live not to far from 50.My brother Lives inD.C. we took 50 home from D.C. it is great you will love it.Not a fast trip though lots of road side stuff to stop at.Stop at 7 Caves west of chillocothie ohio
i've been most of they way across illinois, it's a nice little road, too. it'll get you primed for 66...
If you do, stop at the Fiftee-Freeze in Hoagland outside of Hillsboro, Ohio. A cool old drive-in restaurant with kick ass food.
Take it!! Iv'e been across Ohio and Indiana its entire length...and bit of Illinois and West Virginia well. US 40 is also a great road, but since 50 is so close to me, I get on it every now and then for a cruise, everyone knows old US 66, and US Routes 40, and 30, but somehow other old highways do not get as much attention, and IMO are much more cool. I have taken old roads to locations whenever possible....to St. Louis, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Orlando to name a few....without touching an Interstate, and following original and bypassed routes as much as possible. Have Fun....either way you decide to go...the old highways are much more fun than the boring, mindless Interstates, and even though it may be longer, it does not seem so....it is not so monotanous.
Through Cincinnati, especially on the west side, its a potholed mess. Once you get west of Cincy, it is cooler. I used to live in Tulsa. Once you get west of St Louis, IMHO, about any road in Missouri is good. I love the hills and trees through there.
Yea, I live less than 5 minutes from 50 in Cincinnati, cops in certain parts are complete assholes, they WILL pull you over for 56 in a 55, little part called Cleves and Addyston. I drive through there all the time, they HATE my hot rod, not car friendly people what so ever. It is a GREAT scenic route once you get a little further into Indiana, going through Auroura is pretty nice, LOTS of historic buildings and sights. Good luck with your journey!
Well right now all I have to drive down is my 91 dodge, but Im in the market for a late 50s pickup. Maybe a Dodge or GMC. Anyway, my wife wanted to stop off in Pittsburgh, PA....so Im gunna take US-40 and work my way down to St. Louis. Im gunna try and stay off the beaten path though.
Not any more, California moved here! A lot of 50 in the west was the Lincoln Highway,the first marked coast to coast road. It had several alignments over the years and was renamed when they numbered the highway system. It went from New York City to San Francisco. Check it out and I bet you can hit a lot of it. Man, I love driving across this country!
When getting to Indiana I'd take 50to Dillsboro and get on senic 62. 62 will take you right past Madison IN, an old river town that holds a powerboat race every July. Lots of antiques and old mansions to look at. Out of Madison on 62 until you get to hiway 56. Take that to Scottsburg IN,more antiques, keep going on 56 thru Salem IN, (ask about Becks mill for local history view). Later on 56 you will pass thru Paoli, but then the prize is the next towns of West Baden and French Lick (Not what it sounds like . But in those two towns there are two fabulous hotels that flourished in the 1920s,and both have been restored to that grand era of gambling. In West Baden the hotel had the largest unsupported dome until the texas superdome was built. French Lick hotel has also been totallly restored and is attached to a casino if you are one that likes to pull a lever now and then. Take a look at this for more info. http://www.frenchlick.com/default_.asp For a realy curvy drive take 45 out of French Lick to 64 then on to Huntingburg and hit 231 to I 64 then on out of Indiana. I've spent many days wandering thru these old roads in Southern Indiana, many more that what I've described. Have fun Ol Blue
Don't listen to these damn kids.. They get hasled cause they drag race there 400HP (Yes, four hundred horse) Street HONDA's around there... (You knew I had to mess with ya brian) TAKE THE TRIP ON 50!! hell, The president lives on rt. 50. Yep, the road in front of the white house.. I grew up on a lil country side road off 50. Its a great trip! If your looking for Hot Rod shops or collections to view, PM me. Theres a few good ones to see in and around Cincy. ZAKIRA's is on 50. they restore OLD rare indy cars and hot rods. Seven caves is real good. Joshua Shaw. p.s. Check out the street sign... you never know what your gonna see on 50. ...just an unmolested barnfresh 32 Three window!!
Don't know about 50, but we drove Rt 40 from Cumberland MD to Vandalia IL with the "Tin Can Tourists" two years ago and had a ball. Rt 40 is the first federally funded highway, the first part of our national highway system, and on it's opening in 1806 was the ONLY land route from the east westward for the pioneers. It exists today mostly on it's original route, is improved two and four lanes, a nice drive thru small town midwestern America. You'd have fun I'm sure, it's more intact for the most part than Rt 66, although it doesn't same mystique. It is a great way to get across Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, ending in St Louis. It passes thru all the state capitals (as of 1806) of the route, and you'll see some historic sights and cool things if you're into relaxed touring. It's beautiful through the mountains of Maryland, West Virginina and Pennsylvania, then flattens out thru the praries of the midwest Here's a couple of photos of our trip, with 29 other vintage trailer rigs. Brian
If you take Route 40 you will enjoy it. I live right on the original route in the small town of Casey, Illinois. There is a group dedicated to preserving the route and can provide information. I think you would enjoy your trip. If you get close stop in!
I've been on 50 from Cincinnati- east to Parkersburg. Honestly, it's a really nice drive. It's not just a state route through some nondescript farmland, you'll pick up some really distinct nostalgia vibes--- this was an important route PRE-WWII and interstate highways- possibly it hasn't changed much since then. Most of the way it shoulders the Ohio River- and is called the Ohio River Scenic Byway- within 10 or so miles of Cincinnati it picks up the title "Columbia Parkway"- and on a clear warm day when boats are out on the river, and you can see wayy into the remoteness of Kihn-tucky, the scenery rivals much of what I've seen out west. It's great! There are plenty of places to stop along the way- Athens is a small college town home to Ohio University. Chillicothe is another quaint small town that seems to have had a period of growth around the turn of the century, but really hasn't changed much since then. Overall, though- it's not a squeaky-clean trip with pristine white picket fences the whole way. I mean- it winds through the Appalachians, right? But it is very interesting, and if you're into history you will love it.
I drove US route 50 from Cincinnati to Pueblo, Co. in my A coupe in 2004. It wasn't the fastest way but a lot of fun.
Thanks for all the info guys. my wife and I are really looking forward to this trip. Only thing that sucks is that I haven;t been able to find a pre-59 PU in my price range that will be worthy of the trip to TX and wont break down every ten miles
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