Something I cant fathom

[AK49er]

As many of you know, we will be leaving next week for a snowbirding adventure with visits to the east coast to see family. Well, I pulled out the atlas and started looking for ideas on where and what to see and do. I have never been east of MN up north and never east of AZ on the south end. Some of the east coast states are pretty small compared to western states, but I never really realized how small until I got to Rhode Island page.

North to south, RI is about 60 miles give or take according to my atlas and about 40 miles east to west. According to the atlas there are a little over 1 million folks living within the state.

When I leave my house I drive about 5 miles to get to the highway that will take us either north or south. If I turn southbound, it will be about a 25 mile drive before I see the first stoplight. From the junction of my road and the highway, to the stoplight, about 3,000 people live there.
If I turn north, it will about 70 miles to the first stoplight. 70 MILES!! Maybe 10,000 people will be spaced out in that distance, with about 90% living far enough off the road that you cant see their house.

I can only guess how many stoplights there will be from the north end to the south end of Rhode Island. What could possibly go wrong?

[obgraham]

Yessir, Northeast ain't nothin like out west here!

Fortunately, as we toured there, I noticed there were lots of highways heading West. Escape routes, if you will.

[Davydd]

I lived in tiny Newport, Rhode Island during my US Navy stint. As small as it is there is still some open land. Most freeways in New England are like driving in a tunnel of trees and you don't see many buildings. However it is jammed with people behind those trees. The fall colors are beautiful especially in Vermont but on a weekend you will be bumper to bumper for miles on end to see them. It will be different for you. But it is not that different than from Anchorage to Wassila.

[bikerbill]

In 1983 we took our daughters, 15+13 on a cross country driving trip of 5 weeks. From eastern PA to TX, to CA, to UT and back and many areas along the way. Our one daughter noticed that in the western states they "brag" about their town or city starting in the late 1800's. Her comment, "Dad we live in PA in a house built in the early 1800's. So what's the big deal?"

Ya got to love them. Outta the mouths of babes.

I remember telling them both, its all relative to when the west was developed.

[wincrasher]

I highly recommend checking out this site:

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/

Lots of quirky type stuff to check out, if you like the oddball experience.

Personally, I want to go to Maine to see this:

http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/4364

[AK49er]

Thanks wincrasher.