Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Eastern Shore Trip, Part 4: Back To The Mainland

Leaving US 13 for US 60.


Getting out to eat dinner, we saw this slightly odd US 60 reassurance shield.


Your inner 12-year-old approves of this road name.


The US 60 shield is hiding behind a pole.


A rare normal shield.


Meeting the east end of VA 170, with a circle shield.


And here's VA 194, with a triangle shield.


And US 460, with the awful Norfolk shields.


After stopping back at Elric's place, I departed down Ocean View to join I-64 and US 60 just before the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.


On the interstate.


Now on the north side of the tunnel. In my next entry, I'll have more photos from this area.


Sun.


Mercury Boulevard is very important.


Giant overhead.


Stubby I-64 shield.


Lights coming on.


Stopping for gas in Newport News.


VA 143 is long.


Old BMW.


The last photo that turned out.


I went back to Newport News, so I'll have plenty more photos from there soon.

Monday, May 13, 2013

Eastern Shore Trip, Part 3: #hoonage

Apologies for the delay in posting this part. I got another car last week and have been enjoying driving it. Yes, it's another Prelude. It's a 1997 Type SH, which had an experimental torque vectoring system in the transmission called the Active Torque Transfer System (ATTS for short) that enhances handling. New Acuras with SH-AWD (Super Handling All-Wheel Drive) have a variation of the ATTS in their drivetrains.

Crossing into Accomack County, the northern of the two counties of the Eastern Shore, we see VA 181. We'll come back to it later.


Finally reached the northernmost point that I wanted to get to this trip, VA 182 in the town of Painter.


Beginning east on VA 182. As was the case throughout the trip, Elric took many more pictures than I did. I was enjoying the drive.


Approaching the village of Mappsburg, where VA 182 meets secondary route 600. There was a cutout at their intersection until at least 2008, but it's now gone.


VA 182's east end is at the village of Quinby, where it meets SR 605.


Turning around, we both made a video of VA 182 westbound. I took a couple pictures along the way.


Back on US 13, heading southbound now.


We briefly explore VA 181.


VA 181 bumps VA 178 in Belle Haven. We then took VA 178 back to Exmore, which is wicked important.


Crossing US 13.


VA 178 ends at US 13 Business.


A little further south on US 13 Business is the east end of VA 183, which has some old signage in this area.


Outside town, VA 183 becomes a high-speed road with banked curves. I focused on handling the road, while Elric took a bunch of pictures. Here's where VA 183 ends, between Jamesville and Silver Beach.


Heading back down US 13.


Back at VA 184.


And we're back on the CBBT. I made a video but it was too long to fit YouTube's time limit.


One more part once we get back to the mainland.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Eastern Shore Trip, Part 2: Arriving In Northampton

After US 58, we headed back to Independence Boulevard, then onto US 13, which is Northampton Boulevard until it reaches the tunnel. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, which has carried US 13 since 1964, is $12 one way, with a $5 return rate if you come back the same day.


Just before the first tunnel, there's a rest area/restaurant/tourist trap on Seagull Island. We stopped and took pictures.


There are two mile-long tunnels on the CBBT, the Thimble Shoal Channel Tunnel and the Chesapeake Channel Tunnel. This is in one of them.


Emerging from the tunnel onto mostly bridge.


The third channel, the North Channel, has a pair of high bridges over it instead of a third tunnel.




Descending the bridge over the North Channel towards Fisherman's Island, which is just a wildlife refuge.


And we made it. Spoiler: we won't be going all the way to VA 175.


You see a lot more meanness in the city. It's the kind that eats you up inside.


US 13 reassurance.


Our first side trip on the Eastern Shore was VA 184, which decades ago carried US 13 to Cape Charles.


Beginning on VA 184. When this was US 13 (until 1954) there was a ferry in Cape Charles that took travelers between there and Hampton Roads. From 1954 to 1964, the ferry was in Kiptopeke near the CBBT.


These are the last VA 184 postings I saw. It ends somewhere in Cape Charles. Elric took many more pictures than I did.


Heading back east on VA 184 towards US 13.


Refueling. Mid-grade has no ethanol at this station, hence the price.


Random US 13 shots.


Approaching VA 183, which we came back to later.



VA 178 is the only state primary route on the Eastern Shore to enter both Northampton and Accomack Counties.


Shortly after VA 178, we crossed into Accomack County, which we'll see in part 3.