Road Trip From Hell...

[Steve5D]

There's a small steak house in Jeffersonville, IN, directly across the river from Louisville called The Cast Iron Steakhouse that I can recommend. It's on Market St. They don't appear to have a website but google and yelp and the like can get you there. Also, if you're into high cholesterol food you should have a Hot Brown somewhere. They were invented at the Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville so that wouldn't be a bad place to start. When are you planning on doing this?

My trip across country will begin May 31 or June 1.

And, yeah, I had a Hot Brown when I was in Louisville in 2001.

I shall have another...

 

[Fox_Racing_Guy]

In Wheeling WV they have a casino/hotel if you like that kind of stuff. There is also a Ramada inn right across the bridge.
West Virginia Hotel Rooms | Wheeling Island Hotel Suites

https://www.google.com/search?q=ram...hrome.0.57j0.11194j0&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

WV still allows smoking indoors so that might be a + or -, I can't stand cigarette, cigar, pipe, or weed so that's a disadvantage for me. I would stay 8 miles East of Wheeling in St. Clairsville, Ohio and save some cash and be smoke free at the same time.

Something else you might want to visit while in Wheeling is the old WV State Penitentiary just south of Wheeling in Moundsville. I'm not a landscape or structure photo guy so it's not my thing but I have seen some pretty creative shots come out of that place.
West Virginia State Penitentiary - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If you like old prisons there is another in Mansfield, Ohio where many scenes from The Shawshank Redemption were filmed, this is a couple hour drive West from Wheeling though.
Experience One of Our Nation's Most Historic Treasures - Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society

If you like Bald Eagles I have 3 different nest within 20 min of my home I could show you and I'm a hour NW of Wheeling. You would need a 400mm at least and a 600mm would be even better, my 200mm just doesn't cut it and it's the largest of my collection.

 

[orljustin]

Don't worry about taking pictures. You don't really have the time to do stand out stuff. Just drive and have fun.

 

[Steve5D]

If you like Bald Eagles I have 3 different nest within 20 min of my home I could show you and I'm a hour NW of Wheeling. You would need a 400mm at least and a 600mm would be even better, my 200mm just doesn't cut it and it's the largest of my collection.

I've got my Sigma 50-500mm.

As for the smoking part, I'm an ex-smoker (16 months!) and, while the smell of cigarette smoke is something I actually enjoy (while someone's smoking), I can't stand the smell after a cigarette's been smoked. Anywhere I would stay would have to be, if not a non-smoking property, at least a non-smoking room...

 

[TATTRAT]

I'm most familiar with the east coast leg of your trip, though you'll be further away from the area of WV I know... but according to Google Maps, you'll drive right by two state parks (Bald Eagle and Parker Dam) while driving through PA to Wallkill.

Should you for some reason find yourself in the Eastern Panhandle of WV, Mountain View 24 hour diner is worth a stop (best greasy spoon around!) and you may be interested in Hollywood Casino (aka, Charlestown Races and Slots aka, Charlestown Racists and Sluts... lol). Historic Harper's Ferry is right down the road, about 4-5 miles outside of Charlestown.

Man, 24 hour diners are the best!

Harper's Ferry could be an attractive stop, as well...

Harpers Ferry is pretty scenic, and you will be in good shape, weather wise to visit. I am SURE you could manage some great shots.

I wouldn't go out of the way for Charlestown R&S. . .just think of a ummmm, well, a WV casino with bused in senior citizens, and some local flavor.

Your route sure is rambling, I like that. The only time I had the chance to drive cross country, it was a hurry up and go type of thing, we did it in 3 days of shift style driving, lots of Red Bull, and lots of spirited driving. Nebraska was surreal. I'm not exaggerating when I say we spent most of that stretch well over 80MPH, and saw 2 other cars over the course of 4-5 hours.

You seem to know how to have a good time, I am sure you will find some trouble to get into. Have a great trip. Congrads!

 

[Steve5D]

I'm most familiar with the east coast leg of your trip, though you'll be further away from the area of WV I know... but according to Google Maps, you'll drive right by two state parks (Bald Eagle and Parker Dam) while driving through PA to Wallkill.

Should you for some reason find yourself in the Eastern Panhandle of WV, Mountain View 24 hour diner is worth a stop (best greasy spoon around!) and you may be interested in Hollywood Casino (aka, Charlestown Races and Slots aka, Charlestown Racists and Sluts... lol). Historic Harper's Ferry is right down the road, about 4-5 miles outside of Charlestown.

Man, 24 hour diners are the best!

Harper's Ferry could be an attractive stop, as well...

Harpers Ferry is pretty scenic, and you will be in good shape, weather wise to visit. I am SURE you could manage some great shots.

I wouldn't go out of the way for Charlestown R&S. . .just think of a ummmm, well, a WV casino with bused in senior citizens, and some local flavor.

Your route sure is rambling, I like that. The only time I had the chance to drive cross country, it was a hurry up and go type of thing, we did it in 3 days of shift style driving, lots of Red Bull, and lots of spirited driving. Nebraska was surreal. I'm not exaggerating when I say we spent most of that stretch well over 80MPH, and saw 2 other cars over the course of 4-5 hours.

You seem to know how to have a good time, I am sure you will find some trouble to get into. Have a great trip. Congrads!

Yeah, I'm not too much on the whole casino thing.

I've driven cross country twice, both times east to west. The first time, I'd planned on a five day trip, but made it in three. I was getting transferred from Charleston, SC to San Diego. I drove from Nashville to Alberquerque in 17-1/2 hours, amped up on coffee the whole way.

That was 24 years ago. Not only do I tend to take things a tad more leisurely these days, I also wasn't into photography back then. I owned a camera, that was it. But, for me, this is a bucket list level trip, and I intend to make the most of it.

Both Harper's Ferry and West Virginia State Penetentiary look like good possibilities. Some friends have already started trying to goad me into a trip to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. I'll have to look at where that might fit in.

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. Keep 'em comin'!

 

[DiskoJoe]

Denny's??

Man, I have a difficult time with "chain store" restaurants.

I'd rather eat in a real diner with a blue "B" in the window than eat at a Denny's...

When in doubt for road food check the diners, drive-ins and dives website on food network. Bring clean sheets too if you plan to stay in questionable motels. Sometimes staying in the car is nicer. You could check for state parks along the way too. Nice cheap way to go but you need a tent.

 

[jowensphoto]

After all these cool sounding places, I'm totally jealous. lol

 

[CCericola]

From Missoula stop by Bozeman (my home town). On the way to Wyoming drive through Yellowstone. In SD you'll see signs for Walldrug, SD. It is a tourist trap but kitchy and fun. Good bison burgers and cheap motels. There are greasy spoons all along the highways. If you have a CB ask truckers in the area. If you don't have a CB, get one. They are too much fun on the road. We drove from Montana to Maryland and Montana to Florida almost every year. Loved those road trips.

 

[Ilovemycam]

I've always liked your posts, some of them really helped me out. You got a great trip planned. Make the most of it.

I like shooting in Wheeling WV. I would like to go to Pitts PA to shoot but the traffic is hell downtown.

Good luck!

 

[Ilovemycam]

Don't worry about taking pictures. You don't really have the time to do stand out stuff. Just drive and have fun.

3 weeks is plenty of time to shoot. Just forget about the blogging crap. Shoot now ~ post later.

 

[Ilovemycam]

Here are a few from Wheeling I took last year.



















...Take 4 or 5 weeks to do it and really shoot like hell!!

 

[Steve5D]

From Missoula stop by Bozeman (my home town). On the way to Wyoming drive through Yellowstone. In SD you'll see signs for Walldrug, SD. It is a tourist trap but kitchy and fun. Good bison burgers and cheap motels. There are greasy spoons all along the highways. If you have a CB ask truckers in the area. If you don't have a CB, get one. They are too much fun on the road. We drove from Montana to Maryland and Montana to Florida almost every year. Loved those road trips.

I've been to Bozeman; visited the Gibson Acoustic Guitar Factory there a couple years ago. Had dinner over in Belgrade. Good times.

I hadn't really thought about a CB. I had one the other times I drove across, and I certainly made use of them. Hell, I wouldn't even know where to go to buy one these days. Does Radio Shack still sell them? Man, I don't even know how to hook one up!

 

[Steve5D]

3 weeks is plenty of time to shoot. Just forget about the blogging crap. Shoot now ~ post later.

Well, we'll see.

Certainly, the focus is on shooting. I'll probably never have a chance to make a trip like this again, so I'm going to want to do as much shooting as possible. But, if the opportunity presents itself, I wouldn't mind blogging while on the road, as I may not have a chance to do it once I get to Pennsylvania...

 

[TATTRAT]

3 weeks is plenty of time to shoot. Just forget about the blogging crap. Shoot now ~ post later.

Well, we'll see.

Certainly, the focus is on shooting. I'll probably never have a chance to make a trip like this again, so I'm going to want to do as much shooting as possible. But, if the opportunity presents itself, I wouldn't mind blogging while on the road, as I may not have a chance to do it once I get to Pennsylvania...

With the emphasis on "not doing a trip like this again", why not stops in places like Chicago, or Nashville, Memphis, or St. Louis?

I didn't ask in the first round, but now I'm just curious, as your route certainly isn't hitting the more "gonna go to" type spots. Have you been already, prior to this trip?