@ballpeen said:

Mt. Eagle just west of town has two runaway truck ramps on I-24 heading to Chattanooga.  It always smells of burning brake parts on that section of road.  I have never seen one go in but have seen them 2 feet deep in gravel waiting for recovery wreckers to arrive.

I wonder how much that costs.

I remember when we went on a short vacation in 1986 to the Uniontown PA/Ohiopyle/Ft Necessity area smelling my truck's clutch smoking going up some of those hills there.

They had a few runaway truck ramps there...... always nice when you're downshifting and smelling clutch.   Oh and we stayed at the budget Hopwell Motel across from the then HoJos and just down the street from a Pizza Hut at the base of one of those memorable inclines.  Memories.

I wonder how much that costs.

Zombo said:

No e because it was founded by Jacob Ridgway.

And in 1986 that rig hI ad to go down Boot Jack Hill... before they built the bypass ... many a rig lost their brakes on Boot Jack and their drivers lost their lives at the bottom in the parking lot of St. Leo's Catholic Church. 

Great place to grow up, clean town, educated folks, nothing Deliverance about it. 

I spent a night in Beckley WV recently. I heard the Banjos. And by look of the people there is plenty of meth available.

Z

The first time I ever saw those emergency truck pull offs was in PA, saw another one last weekend on my way to Franklin, then Oil City. When you start heading towards the river (Allegheny?) you are heading down fast, and there's a pull off on Rt 8 just before 62. 20mph signs for trucks heading down the hill. 

@dutch-oven said:

And because 80 is nowhere near either, you almost get the impression that maybe 5000 people live in Pennsylvania. 

And that is so true about PA. If you aren't near Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, you are in Deliverance Country.

Sounds like deep east Texas where I swear the DNA is about 75% Neaderthal.

Though I should say one of the most treasured and functional things I own is from Kansas... Way, way back the state of Kansas did a promotion "Linger Longer in Kansas".   Sounds like a terminal disease no?  The deal was- you had to stay a night in one of their hotels- done- Goodland. Have dinner (forgot where). And visit an "attraction" the free Great Plains museum in Goodland qualified.  So send in your completed ticket- and I got  a nifty Coleman 16 cooler (made in Wichita) for our not so great trouble.  It's the best cooler I own- and I'd be pretty distressed if it ever failed. We've had it 30+ years and it's still in great shape.     

Zombo said:

Ridgway PA, a little off the beaten path but worth the trip. Exit at Dubois or Clearfield. I'm from the Sticks.

Z

Oh yes I remember back in 1985 or maybe 1986, my feeble ol' mind is starting to get those senior moments from drinking beer and shot ? chasers in those Youngstown area dive bars....... where was I oh yeah I was working for NUCOR STEEL'S steel joist and deck division and we had a small order for some steel joist for a little county store expansion in yes a little dot on the PA map Ridgway, PA ..... and yes there's no "e" in Ridgway (there probably should be but someone just forgot it on the map).

Well we had to figure out how to get one of our beautiful semi tractors a a big steel hauling trailer up there and find the place and get out to get back on the PA turnpike and back to our plant in St. Joe, IN also in a podunk IN town but not lost in the woods in upper Pennsylvania.

I remember our driver calling us a few times with all of the problems getting his rig to the site and turned around and get out...... but the joist got delivered and he got out, safely.

He later said the people there were very friendly and helpful....... and no he didn't have to marry anyone's daughter before leaving.

But I was thinking about the movie Deliverance at first.  

@sdbacker80 said:

PA...Shittsburgh and Philly with Alabama in between.  

And because 80 is nowhere near either, you almost get the impression that maybe 5000 people live in Pennsylvania. 

And that is so true about PA. If you aren't near Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, you are in Deliverance Country.

@dutch-oven said:

Route 80 across Pennsylvania is a pretty boring drive too... 

PA...Shittsburgh and Philly with Alabama in between.  

Zombo said:

Texas is one long-ass state where the view never changes and the road never curves in West Texas. Perfect place to have one of those robot cars so you can nap.

Florida can fool you too, 13 hours from Key West to Pensacola. 

Z

West Texas the Perfect place for a roadside appliance drop off too.  I saw more appliances, junk, old crap on the side of the highway than just about any place.  
 

Dairy Queen too. 

Zombo said:

Texas is one long-ass state where the view never changes and the road never curves in West Texas. Perfect place to have one of those robot cars so you can nap.

Florida can fool you too, 13 hours from Key West to Pensacola. 

Z

I was going to mention Florida.  

I guess for a lot of people the difference in scenery is enough to take their mind off of things.  My wife and I go down all the time to check on her mother .  We always laugh a bit when we hit that Florida line because we know people get all excited and don't know how much further they have to go.  Georgia is another long drive.  It's the largest state east of the Mississippi.  

@texasag1969 said:

Make that 3. I lived in Wichita a couple of years. Moved out as soon as I could. They don't call 'em the great plains for nothin.

Been to Wichitittieinthearmpitofkansas.. It looks just like downtown Painesville , Ohio.. its weird..

Zombo said:

Ridgway PA, a little off the beaten path but worth the trip. Exit at Dubois or Clearfield. I'm from the Sticks.

Z

A few years ago on my way to New Jersey  I got off at the Dubois exit and stopped at a Ponderosa because, well, there's like no Ponderosas left anymore and it sounded delicious. 

Zombo said:

Unless you stop by home hometown and get hammered at the Brew Bank. Good homemade craft beers.

Z

Where is that?

Plus, a Browns or Indians flag makes for good conversation with the locals at a campground. Most people seem to like Cleveland, which is cool.

On any trip a long drive in the same state gets old.  I guess we just like to see new state signs...a sign of progress.  Here in Tennessee, the drive from Bristol to Memphis is a long ass drive. Hell, Bristol is closer to Canada then it is to Memphis.

@diehardbrownsfan said:

Kansas is one long boring state to drive thru.

@nickers said:

I can vouch for that...

Make that 3. I lived in Wichita a couple of years. Moved out as soon as I could. They don't call 'em the great plains for nothin.

@nickers said:

I can vouch for that...

Kind of like western Ohio from Lake Erie south until you get near Cincinnati.

GO BROWNS !  Getting  more interesting again real soon.

@diehardbrownsfan said:

Kansas is one long boring state to drive thru.

I can vouch for that...