12/25/07

Day Two - Sunday, 4 September 2005

Got up in the morning to take advantage of the free breakfast, which is standard Hampton Inn fare.  After all, when you pay $114 a night (typical room rate in the area for a decent hotel, that is) you want to definitely take advantage of what's offered.

After breakfast I set out on a little adventure which took me on Interstate 95 south and onto the Interstate 495 beltway on the eastern half of Washington, D.C.  On the way I crossed from Maryland soil and onto Virginia soil across the Potomac River using the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, which is one of the rare drawbridges on the Interstate Highway System. From there I exited onto Interstate 395 north which took me back across the Potomac from Virginia soil onto District of Columbia soil and I followed Interstate 395 under the tunnel to New York Avenue, where Interstate 395 dead ends.

According to Scott Kozel's website Roads to the Future the section that is now Interstate 395 today was originally planned as Interstate 95.  However, getting the segment from New York Avenue to Interstate 495 in Maryland could not be finished because of a successful campaign by residents of the affected area (where the proposed interstate would have to go through) that stopped the project from being built.  So, this left a gap in Interstate 95 which was resolved by routing Interstate 95 over the eastern half of Interstate 495.

Then it was back onto Interstate 395 to find my way out of Washington, which can be a nerve-wracking experience for drivers who are not prepared.  Eventually I made my way out of Washington by way of Interstate 395 and Interstate 295 which brought me back out to the Beltway and Interstates 95/495 and back onto Maryland soil once more.  After that I found my way onto the Baltimore/Washington Parkway (which is maintained by the National Park Service for about half the way and by Maryland DOT for the other half towards Baltimore and is signed as Maryland SR 295) and back to the hotel to unload the photos onto the laptop.  Later on I took a ride to downtown Baltimore by way of Baltimore's light rail (which was a great ride).

After that it was time for my evening meal, in the hotel room of course.  Now to plan tomorrow's activities...

Pictures from Sunday, 4 September 2005

Distance to Washington, D.C.:  35 miles.  Also notice that Richmond, VA is 146 miles; when I took a road trip with my mother to Washington back in 1996 I noticed signage on Interstate 95 for Miami as far away as Richmond.

Signage for Exits 43A-B, MD 100 to Ellicott City and Glen Burnie.

Signage for Exits 38A-B, MD 32 to Columbia and Fort Meade.  If this was Fort Meade, Florida, we would be on US 17 now instead of Interstate 95.

Signage for Exits 33A-B, MD 198 to Laurel and Burtonsville.

Advisory signage for motorists to use Interstate 495 west to Interstate 66 and points west.

Overhead signage for Interstate 495, Exit 27.  Traffic on Interstate 95 uses the eastern half of Interstate 495 while traffic headed to Silver Spring and Bethesda uses the western half of Interstate 495.

Signage for the Greenbelt Metro Station from Exit 24 of Interstate 95.  Notice that this exit is for commuter use only and there is no return to Interstate 95 southbound.

Signage for Exits 11A-B, MD 4 to Washington and Upper Marlboro.  Also on the left is advance signage for Exit 9, MD 337 to Andrews Air Force Base.

Signage for Exit 7, MD 5/Branch Avenue to Waldorf and Silver Hill.  Notice the good design Maryland puts into their interstate guide signage.

Advisory signage indicating that the Woodrow Wilson drawbridge is upcoming in 5 miles and to prepare to stop if needed.  As I mentioned earlier this is one of the rare drawbridges in the interstate system.

Another mile to the drawbridge ahead and prepare to stop if the lights above the sign are flashing.

Just as I am getting ready to cross the center draw of the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.

And we are now on Virginia soil!  Here is signage for Exits 176A-B, VA 241/Telegraph Road to Alexandria.  Now that we are on Virginia soil, it's another 176 miles to the North Carolina border.  (Then South Carolina.  Georgia.  And finally, Florida and Ft. Lauderdale and Miami!)

Just a friendly reminder if in the event of a fender bender:  Move your vehicles from the travel lanes.  The larger signage conveys the message well compared to the smaller signs of the same type in Florida.

Signage for Exit 173, VA 613/Van Dorn Street to Franconia as well as advance signage for the interchange with Interstate 395.

Advance signage for Interstate 395 to Washington and the continuation of Interstate 495 to Tysons Corner.  Traffic headed to Richmond on Interstate 95 south must be in the left lanes.

Signage for Exit 3B, VA 236 West/Little River Turnpike to Lincolnia on Interstate 395 northbound.  This is an exit to a side street, not to another toll road.

Advance signage for Exit 5, VA 7/King Street, on Interstate 395 north.

Huge advance signage for Exits 8A-B, VA 27/Washington Blvd. on Interstate 395 north.  Notice the excellent organization put into the design of this guide sign.

Signage for Exits 10A-B-C on Interstate 395 north.  This is the last exit in Virginia before crossing the Potomac onto District of Columbia soil.

And we have already left Virginia and into D.C. and this is signage for US 1 into downtown Washington.  Notice the sign corners are like Florida's (how about a home state feel while you are visiting in the nation's capital?)

Upcoming exits for South Capitol Street, C St SW and D St NW from Interstate 395.  Notice that Interstate 395 continues on the right through the tunnel that goes under the National Mall.  You will also notice that the US Senate and the US House of Representatives each have their own exits.

A view of the Capitol as seen from New York Avenue.

Signage for Interstate 395 south from New York Avenue.

Advance signage for DC 295 north (Pennsylvania Avenue) and Interstate 295 south.  This is just past the exit where Interstate 395 turns north under the tunnel to New York Avenue.

Final signage for Pennsylvania Avenue and Interstate 295 south.

And we are back onto Interstates 95 and 495 in Maryland!  This is advance signage for which exits to use to reach FedEx Field; one of the exits (Arena Drive) is only open during events.

Signage for Exits 22A-B, the Baltimore-Washington Parkway as well as advance signage for Exit 23, MD 201 to Bladensburg and Greenbelt on Interstate 95 north.  Notice that trucks are not permitted on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway; instead trucks headed to Baltimore must use Interstate 95 instead.

Signage for US 50 westbound to Washington as well as Interstate 295 south and US 50 east to Richmond and Annapolis on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.  This is just before you cross the border from Maryland to the District of Columbia.  Also notice the font of the signs is I believe to be in Clarendon, which is standard for the United States national park system.

Northbound on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and advance signage for MD 197 to Laurel and Bowie.  Notice the lack of exit numbers on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway as well as the Clarendon sign font on the federally maintained section of the parkway.

Signage for MD 197 to Laurel and Bowie on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

Looking northbound on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.  Notice the rumble strips on the right shoulder; sure reminds me of the Suncoast Parkway the only difference being that the Baltimore-Washington Parkway is a free road while the Suncoast Parkway you have to pay to use it.

Signage for MD 32 to Columbia and Fort Meade (remember, this is Maryland and not Florida).

Advance signage for MD 100 east to Glen Burnie.  You will notice that maintenance jurisdiction on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway has changed from United States Government (US Park Service) to Maryland DOT at a point south of where this photo was taken.

Advance signage for Interstate 195 to the Baltimore-Washington Airport (BWI) as well as Catonsville.  Notice the lack of rumble strips on the Maryland DOT maintained portion of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway as opposed to the federally maintained portion.

Baltimore Light Rail Photos

Baltimore has a great subway and light rail system; the light rail takes people from downtown to BWI airport and vice versa for a reasonable price - I paid $3.50 for a one day pass.  I took a ride on the light rail from the BWI park and ride station to downtown and back.

Looking north at the BWI park and ride station.

Nice view of the countryside surrounding BWI as I was headed north on the light rail.

Going under Interstate 95 nearing downtown Baltimore.  Notice the piers that support Interstate 95 look like typical Georgia style highway overpass piers.

Coming into downtown Baltimore on the light rail.  The highway on the right is part of Interstate 395, which is a downtown connector just like Interstates 175 and 375 in St. Petersburg.

Nice view of the Baltimore Convention Center from one of the light rail stations.

View of the southbound light rail train approaching the downtown station.

Looking at the stadium where the Baltimore Ravens football team play.  Don't worry, Baltimore residents cheer for their Ravens while we in the Tampa Bay area cheer for our Buccaneers (besides, both teams have Super Bowl championships to their claim - the Ravens in 2001 and our Buccaneers in 2003!).

Proceed to Day Three - Monday, 5 September 2005