Do you travel a "famous" road? I do, every work day.

[Denninmi]

We all have heard of some "famous" roads -- Sunset Boulevard in L.A., the various avenues of Manhattan, such as Park or Madison or Lexington, Route 66, or Pennsylvania Avenue in D.C. just for a few examples.

In Detroit, we have Woodward Avenue. If nothing else, it's famous in the Detroit area. But, I think it's at least a little bit famous in other places, too. If not, it deserves to be for a few reasons:

It was the first road in the United States and the entire world to be paved in concrete, in 1908.

It is the route of the annual Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade which is broadcast to a national TV audience each year along with that other parade which originates in New York.

It is the route of the annual "Woodward Dream Cruise" which brings over a million people to the route one week each August to celebrate the culture of the automobile.

I drive a segment of Woodward Avenue near its middle each day to and from work.

What famous road or route is in your area or has been part of your life?

[Enrique]

1. i used to work on Jackson blvd in Chicago

at some point I learned that was the first leg of "Route 66".

[Denninmi]

3. As in "Get your kicks on Route 66" ?

Neat.

[Ikonoklast]

2. U.S. 40, The National Road, U.S. 30, The Lincoln Highway, U.S. 66.

Every week.

[NightWatcher]

4. I used to drive down part of Dylan's Highway 61 (revisited) daily

When I lived in NOLA, it was quicker for me to take Airline into town or west to Baton Rouge. I was constantly signing the song too.

It most certainly can be done, down on highway 61.

[ScreamingMeemie]

5. I used to drive down 8 Mile (thanks Eminem) every day.

We got nothing, that I know of, here in Houston.


**and I used to work on Woodward (NO, not that kind of work in the 90's. I worked in a salon in Royal Oak. But I don't find Woodward to be very famous.

[Denninmi]

7. So, you're a Detroit Ex-pat?

I drive Woodward every day from South Blvd in Pontiac to Birmingham, the I head east into Troy.

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. Yes, we moved there in 1982, from WI. I lived there until 2009.

I still miss quite a bit of it but the memories and the cold were getting to be too much. I grew up in Clinton Twp, and the moved to SCS (13 and Jefferson) with my husband. I was a real estate appraiser and spent a good deal of time in Troy. Back when it was worth it to get your home appraised.

[Denninmi]

11. Small world.

And yes, you're right, Woodward isn't famous the way streets like Rodeo Drive or Michigan Avenue (Chicago Version) are.

But, it's what I've got!

[hughee99]

6. I cross the starting line of the Boston Marathon every day

on my way to work.

[ScreamingMeemie]

9. Everyday you're a winner!

[RebelOne]

10. Highway 41 in Georgia as immortalized by the Allman Brothers in "Ramblin Man."

Used to travel 41 every day on my way to work.

[randr]

12. Highway 50

I have lived within 20 miles of this highway all my life and travel a section of it weekly. Originally from Ocean City, MD to San Francisco, Ca it is one of the most intact original US Highways left. Many towns are still peppered with the Deco Motels of the auto era. The longest loneliest stretch of highway in Nevada is a must for roadies.

[DiverDave]

13. I drive a truck in the Philadelphia region

and whenever I'm on us-30 I think of the farmers (mostly Amish and Minnonite) that would bring stuff from thier farms around Lancaster to Philly.
And how long it took them to go 30 miles before the train came in.

(Edit for spelling, god I'm a dope with spelling)

[Brickbat]

14. Every day I drive on the road where God said he wanted the killing done.

The road Howard pointed with his gun.

The road where things can be easily done.

The road where the second mother was with the seventh son.

The road where they put the bleachers out in the sun.

You know what I'm talkin' about.

[GeorgeGist]

15. -1

Court Avenue is a small street in downtown Bellefontaine, Ohio, United States, located adjacent to the Logan County Courthouse. Constructed in 1891, it is known for being the first street in the United States to be paved with concrete.[2]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_Avenue

An experimental pavement proved successful, and is still in use today.
In 1891, the (Bellefontaine) city council took the first steps in
concrete paving to see if this new concept had any
merit. It authorized the paving of a small section of a
roadway: an 8-ft (2.5 m) strip next to the hitching posts.
The experimental concrete pavement proved to be
successful and provided a durable roadway free of mud
and dust. Still skeptical about embracing this new
concept of concrete pavement, the city council took an
extremely conservative approach to its next step. It
authorized the paving of the square around the courthouse, provided George Bartholomew was willing to donate the cement and post a $5000 bond that
guaranteed the pavement would last 5 years.
The construction followed the same techniques th

http://construction.asu.edu/cim/Articles/concrete-road.pdf

[GeorgeGist]

16. (old) Federal Road ...

The Federal Road, originally called Georgia Road, was a federal toll highway passing through the Cherokee Nation in the northern part of the U.S. state of Georgia. From 1805 to the 1840s, the road linked Savannah, Georgia with Knoxville, Tennessee. The road also opened Cherokee lands to settlement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Road_(Cherokee_lands)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

17. Nearly every day, I either cross or drive on El Camino Real...the King's Highway. Route 1 in CA.

The missions were spaced one day's trip via horseback apart, to make things easier for travelers.

I very much doubt that any of those original settlers would recognize what we've done to that road.

[csziggy]

18. I used to live just off St. Augustine Road - the old route from St. Augustine to Pensacola

That started out as an Indian trail then was used by the Spanish to travel from their Fort San Marcos at St. Augustine to Pensacola passing the various Spanish missions along the way.

Once Florida became a state, the capital city was located by sending representatives from St. Augustine and Pensacola at the same time. The spot where the two parties met was near the former location of the Anhaica Apalache, one of the principal villages of the Apalachee Nation. As the central point between the two population centers of the new state, Tallahassee seemed to be an ideal place for the state capital.

In the 1980s when the ground was broken for a new office complex the state archeologist, Calvin Jones, spotted artifacts and later proved that the location on St. Augustine Road was the place where Hernando de Soto had his winter camp. http://www.exploresouthernhistory.com/fldesoto1.html

[Adsos Letter]

19. Before I retired I used to drive the Silverado Trail almost every day.

It is one of two routes through the length of Napa Valley. I was a painter, and our shop was in Napa, at the southern entrance to the valley. Much of our work was up toward the central and northern end of the valley.

A really pretty commute, especially in spring and summer.

[madinmaryland]

20. The Dulles Toll Road.

Freaking LynneSin has her tollbooths EVERYWHERE!!

[stevedeshazer]

21. Two days a week, I travel the Historic Columbia River Highway

[Kali]

22. I live near what USED to be Highway 666

but due to the obvious fact of too much sign theft and fundie types (not to mention it was an even number yet a N-S road) it got changed to 191

another one is Interstate 10 through this area was Highway 86. There is a restaurant in Benson called the 86 Cafe - 86 in short-order-speak means out or no more or kill that order.

[BiggJawn]

23. I cross the railroad tracks Lincoln's body travelled on...

On it's way back hone to Springfield.

Pretty much determined that it's not the branch D. C. Stephenson raped Madge Oberholtzer on.

[XemaSab]

24. I used to live a block from Hollywood Boulevard

My mom used to drive to work on the golden gate bridge.

Mmmm... I've lived less than two blocks from Highway 1/101 twice in my life. I've also lived a few blocks from Interstate 5 a couple times. I also used to drive to work on Highway 49.