Winchester

[SounderBruce 173]

Good to see Winchester alive and well once again!

[dfnva 34]

@Newyorkrunaway1

Thank you!

@Raysfan16

Thanks... I agree, mountain roads are not the most easy to drive on with all the switchbacks, twists and turns... especially if they're 1-lane dirt roads with no guard rails haha. Yet it's worth it for the scenery. I even out the grades with railroads, I should get the slope mod, but as yet have been please with how it looks. In real life, mountain grades are pretty steep anyhow.

@Schulmanator

Thanks!

@Ironicepitome

Haha... glad you liked the update!

@TmiguelT

Thanks... never seen that movie, but I'm assuming that maybe they're racing up mountain roads or something?

@Petrovar Ambassador

Thanks! Glad you think the update is picturesque.

@Chrissc94

Thanks. I love driving in rural areas in Virginia, and Pennsylvania for that matter, and try to capture that.

@Benedict

Thanks... glad you're back making Ellis Valley updates.

@Computerguy890100

Thanks... it's still alive, but been very busy lately, hence the long waits between updates.

And now....

Continuing on toward Pattonsburg, we're headed south along SR-642/Pattonsburg Rd.

I didn't know that they grew oranges in the mountains...

Now we go back up the mountain...

At the top of this mountain, Mount Jordan, there is a camping and recreational area run and funded by Piedmont County.

Notice the use of the brown street sign to denote a road into a park.

Here is a better view of the campsite area of Mount Jordan Park.

And thus, we go back down the mountain...

A sign for the upcoming intersection where SR-642 multiplexes onto SR-622 into the town of Pattonsburg.

In fact, as you can see we took the "long" way to get to this point. We could've taken a straight shot west on SR-622 from Rosewood, but we would've missed all the mountain "fun." 

Newer Clearview street signs with ultra-reflective sheeting....

And a redundant sign showing that SR-642 does go to the right here....

And that's it. Next time we'll most-definitely check out Pattonsburg.

-Dan

[jacqulina 162]

wonderfull work my friend

[Mayorm 14]

great updates, I love the road signs and the nice rural and wooded pics

[SounderBruce 173]

Great update!

[Schulmanator 5,787]

A very good looking campground. And, the signage is of course perfect!

[Raysfan16 5]

Nice update again, with emphasis on those signs. I like that campsite area too, it looks like a very nice place to have an adventure.

[Benedict 3,119]

Great update, looking forward to seeing what Pattensburg looks like. Hey, I'm your 900th reply!

And it's great to be back updating my cj... hopefully you'll stop by every now and again.

[TmiguelT 10]

Awesome update !!

Driving on the mountain is always fun unless you hit a deer or something ...

Great camping site

[PhilsCafe 8]

Wow, Dan... this must be the longest-running CJ ever! And it never ceases to amaze me... your road-geekery always brings me back to this. The new countryroads really add up to the realism on your countryside. Great job!

I hope I'll be back soon to see more of your awesome updates.

- Phil

[newcrusader92 0]

I wish I had seen this CJ from day 1. . . it took me several days to go through this and your other CJ covering the Alexandria metro area. . . it was well worth my time, though.

I first started at the Rosewood tour (via a signature link) and thought that you were recreating some part of Virginia I haven't seen, since it looked so familiar. . . it all made sense when I went to the very beginning.

I apologize for bringing up an apparently dead topic, but regarding the interchanges in your Tidewater preview which were based on Northern Virginia interchanges, I would not have thought of Seven Corners or Seminary Road/I-395 if it were not for the "inside the Beltway" hint (again, I wish I came across all of this sooner).  But to me, the similarities between the real life interchanges and the previews are vague in terms of road design. . . and I do drive through both areas rather frequently.

Anyway, it's great to see the evolution of the region. . . especially that medium-town "suburban" sprawl.  (Even real-life Manassas is starting to explode, with new restaurants, stores, and shopping centers along the Liberia Avenue corridor.)

[dfnva 34]

@Jacqulina

Thanks much!

@Mayorm

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the update.

@Computerguy890100

Thanks!

@Schulmanator

Thanks. Hopefully suitable for your camping needs.

@Raysfan16

Thanks! The campsite usually isn't too adventurous, except when the bears start wandering around haha.

@Benedict

Thanks for being Reply #900... wow... amazing I've gotten this far. Glad you liked the update.

@TmiguelT

Thanks. I almost hit a deer a month ago, and that wasn't in the mountains, it was here in urbanized Northern Virginia haha.

@PhilsCafe

Thanks... though I will refute that Schulmania and some other CJ's have run longer. Glad you continue to enjoy the roadgeekery and rural areas. Hope to see some updates from your CJ soon.

@Newcrusader92

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the drives through the region. Basically I'm doing my take on Charlottesville and Roanoke with this CJ, though there are other medium-sized cities and rural areas I think about as I work on the region as well. You make a good point about the interchanges... the volleyball interchange on I-395 Exit 4 is nearly identical to the JCT of SR-7100 and US-29 in Fairfax, however seven corners has quite a unique setup. Hope you come back for more updates.

And now...

We start where we left off at the JCT of SR-622/Mountain View Rd and SR-642/Pattonsburg Rd. SR-642 shortly multiplexes with SR-622 into the town of Pattonsburg.

We cross the Smith River into town.

Lots of lower-middle class homes as we enter town except for the Historic Lance Patton Mansion which is dedicated to the founder of the town as well as colonial patriot. (It's wierd how that house grew, but left it for that reason)

Signage at the intersection with Alton Av. Notice the white street signs used by Pattonsburg as well as the route number sign for T-1150. A T-prefix, as in Virginia, means the township does the maintanance for the road.

Here we pass more houses, some stores/offices and Pattonsburg Baptist Church.

Pattonsburg's downtown, nothing too much of excitement here. SR-642 diverges to go south toward I-34 and the town of Harris which we visited on page 5.

Another older sign as is common in the mountains with older-style small shields which look really small next to the normal-size I-34 shield.

Continuing on, to the edge of town.

Here's an overview of Pattonsburg.

SR-622/Mountain View Rd continues along paralleling the Smith River.

SR-622/Mountain View Rd continues Northwest into Laurel County from here which is out of the bounds of my region.

And thus completes this drive through the region... Here is a region map (click to see full resolution) and the dotten green line represents our route through the region.

 <-- Click to see full resolution.

And that's it for now... I'm trying to figure out where to go from here, but the next update may consist of a tour down I-34 and MP-427 (road construction)... or the next update may showcase some stuff I've been working on in the Tidewater region.

Thanks for visiting and continued support!

-Dan

[SounderBruce 173]

The end has come! That was a great drive! Can't wait for I-34!

[Benedict 3,119]

Great update and region map - looking forward to seeing where you take us next.

[Schulmanator 5,787]

Always a pleasure to drive through Massopax. I am glad to see the historic house - don't think I have noticed many before. Cool!

And, I like your new effects for the pictures. Always top quality here!

[PhilsCafe 8]

I enjoyed the tour of Pattonsburg... what a lovely place. I epsecially liked Downtown... they way you worked with special BATs to make it unique. That's actually what I try to do, giving each place some special feature. Anyhow... I don't know when I'll be able to pick up SC4 again... I've had so much to do this year and it'll be like that at least until February.

- Phil

[chrissc94 1]

Great ending to this roadtrip through Piedmont County! I'm looking forward to Interstate 34 and Tidewater.

[DCMetro34 576]

This is such an interesting CJ! I eagerly await even more!

[dfnva 34]

@ComputerGuy890100

Thanks!

@Benedict

Thanks... glad you liked the update and region map.

@Schulmanator

Thanks... the "historic" house was just a random growable, but it looked good in it's surroundings so I left it.

@PhilsCafe

Thanks. Glad you liked downtown Pattonsburg. You sound like me this fall, I was incredibly busy, and probably I will be once again come January. Good luck.

@Chrissc94

Thanks, glad you enjoyed the update.

@DCMetro34

Thanks... are you a fellow Northern Virginian?

And now...

Amazing, I'm updating again a day after my previous update. That hasn't happened in a long time!

I debated what to show next as I'm working hard on a portion of the Tidewater Region, however, even the part I'd show is not to the showable stage yet, so I thought I'd begin us on the next Massopax Piedmont road trip...

We're going to start the new drive not far from where we just ended, as I-34 enters Piedmont County and leaves Laurel County. We're heading east on I-34.

A melange of signs greets us...

Continuing on...

MP-DOT has been putting wildflowers in the median strips of interstate highways.

Here's a sign for the Exit 29, SR-642, which we recently were on in our previous update through Pattonsburg. This is a classic button-copy relic, though the exit tab and SR-642 shield were added in the last few years.

Here is the gore-point for Exit 29.

Here is a zoomed-out view of the interchange, just a typical diamond interchange since we're out in the boonies. If you would like to see the town of Harris, click here.

And we keep on trucking eastward.

Here is a sign for Exit 31. MP-427 functions as a western bypass of Winchester and Salem though it is still 2 lanes in some places and has some at-grade intersections (see the map in my previous update).

Here is the gore-point for the exit, we're going to get off here to go south on MP-427.

Here is a zoomed-out view of the interchange, nothing special, a partial cloverleaf.

And here is the view as we start southward on MP-427.

That's it for now! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

-Dan

[chrissc94 1]

Thanks for the speedy update, can't wait to see how 427 is coming along! Merry Christmas!

[Schulmanator 5,787]

Awesome! Back to back updates!

So, what do they serve at the Harris Grille?

[Raysfan16 5]

Yeah! I'd certainly enjoy more of this! Nice update through the countryside, and I like that trumpet interchange. However the interchange with Harris Road has a REALLY steep grade, weeee!

[N106 10]

That was a good rural highway. I am glad to see the 2nd update in 2 days. Usually, your updates are spaced 2-3 weeks apart. Can't wait for the next update!

[Larks2242 251]

Wow really cool CJ! i really like how you label all your roads!

[ecoba 28]

Wow, good to see some new updates up here, Dan.

Winchester's looking good, I liked all the mountain updates, something new from you. I'm really fond of Route 427, so I hope you're back up soon so we can ride that highway.

Have a Happy Holidays!

Ethan

[SounderBruce 173]

I love the interstate! Reminds me of home.... Can't wait to see 427!

[Hawkeye9 0]

Wow really awsome updates!!! I really love your work with the RHW!!! I will be lookin out for more!!!

[DCMetro34 576]

This is such a unique CJ! I love how you did the RHW!

[dfnva 34]

All,

I will do replies next time, but due to Bruce's inquiry, I scrounged up a menu for the Harris Grille (which is in the town of Harris on p.5 of this CJ).

Click the thumbnail to view the menu...

The Harris Grille is known for down-home delicious southern food at modest prices and has been the recipient of a "Best of Winchester" award from Winchester Tribune Readers.

-Dan

[Benedict 3,119]

Great update, just in time for Christmas - thanks!