[dreamspeed]

wonderful!

[monkawekrue]

badass write up. thanks for sharing the pics OP, inspired me to drive somewhere all wicked like this

[Jonjt]

This is incredible. I also have to complement you for parking and taking a picture on main street in my home town!

[crawfordbay]

Incredible! History, travel and BMW in one article!? This is my ultimate read! I'm inspired to get out on the road and explore. Thanks!

[vrmoreno3]

SPEECHLESS

[wrickem]

Great write up and beautiful pictures!!! It was really interesting to see my entire "home area" through fresh eyes (and also learn a little something about things I see every day) Thank you for this

[Silververtu]

Did you switch car?

Great write up!! I always read your articles in zpost.

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by hockeyplayer

That was very entertaining and a great read. I also enjoyed the link to OpenSeaMap and will definitely be using that in the future.

Thanks for posting.

HP,

Thanks! Google Maps used to have a Wikipedia layer, and I relied on it very heavily. I was devastated when they decided to drop it. Thankfully I found OpenSeaMap. It's optimized for sailors, but it's got the Wiki layer and also a fairly good satellite view, both of which are invaluable for finding what you're looking for.

Happy travels,

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by rohitsja

Excellent write up and great pics, thanks for sharing

rohitsja,

Hey, thanks for the feedback--I appreciate it!

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by E92 M Sport

Excellent pics. Thanks for sharing. May I ask what camera/lens you used?
Thanks!

E92 M Sport,

Thanks, it's my pleasure.

Regarding the camera, I'm using a Canon SX40HS digital "super zoom." (I think they have an SX50HS out now; Canon seems to upgrade this popular camera every year or so.) I like it because it's got all the manual controls and features you might want, plus a 24mm - 840mm lens, which really comes in handy. And good image stabilization and excellent HD movie capability, with stereo sound. I think it cost around $300.

A big part of the photos shown in the tour report is High Dynamic Range photography (HDR). Check out http://www.hdrsoft.com for some examples and tutorials on how all this works. It's fun and useful--but also addictive. Don't say I didn't warn you!

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by SHEEDI

Rick........ you again, I remember your tours on Z4 forum,i used to have Z4 and used to read your tours on Z4 forum ....
The moment I saw first pic in this thread,i had feelings that this guy sound familiar, still using same camera !!!

SHEEDI,

Guilty! I may have changed cars, but I'm still out there touring and writing hopelessly long reports!

And yes, it is still the same camera--although, in fairness, I've owned two early versions of this model as well, upgrading from time to time to take advantage of new features.

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by jcf1

I just wanted to say thank you so much for sharing this! As a college student who's currently studying in Massachusetts and is ready to go home, this really makes me happy. I grew up in that area and we've never moved, so that's where I go when I go home from college. It's a truly beautiful, remarkable place and seeing that other people are able to appreciate that really makes me happy. It's a truly fantastic place to live that's rich in history and full of beautiful, quiet areas.

I'm from Yardley, PA by the way.

jcf,

I'm always glad to help pep up a slightly homesick college student! And you're right, the Delaware River Valley is a wonderful place for all the reasons you mentioned. It's definitely on my list of places to go back to for further exploration.

Good luck with your studies!

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by BMW335iOn18s

No way!! I'm from Richboro (Churchville). I drive by the churchville station several times a day - kind of surreal seeing it on the internet! Next time you're in the area say hi!

BMW335iOn18s,

Way!

I'll give you a shout the next time I'm up that way. I read that the Churchville railroad station is now being used as a residence, but it looked more like a little museum. Do you know which it is?

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by Dackelone

Very nice road trip! Love your "then and now" photos.

Dackelone,

Thanks! There's something fascinating about "then and now" photos. I usually find the "then" ones after I've returned from a trip and am researching the area. Once in a while I get really lucky and find a historical shot from the same vantage point that I used.

If I had more patience, I'd find the historical photos first and then go looking for the modern-day equivalents--but that's really time-consuming. I tend to blitz through an area taking a million photos and then figuring out what I've found later on.

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by Ghetto2315

I didn't like his thread...














I absolutely LOVED it. Thank you for sharing. I have lived in NJ for 30 years and your trip makes me want to get in my M3 and do something similar. Thanks again!

Ghetto2315,

Ha ha, thanks--you had me worried there for a moment!

And by all means, get that M3 out there and see what you find. Of course, you might want to remove every other spark plug first, so that you'll be able to see roadside places of interest without undue speed blurring…

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by Bavarianrules84

By far one of the coolest write ups I've seen, LOVE IT, Thanks for sharing

Frankie,

Hey, thanks much! It's a lot of fun for me to write up these tours for other folks to enjoy, and I appreciate your comment.

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by Double Bubble

Wow thanks for sharing!

Double Bubble,

Glad to! I'm glad you enjoyed it--and be sure to look for more to come.



Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by spuntyb

Beautiful write up and a great looking car! Not the usual fare around here, so this was a refreshing read.

My heart skipped a beat when I realized you wrote A Nice Morning Drive. I'm an avid Rush fan and a drummer, so it was a real kick to learn you were the one writing this post. Thank you!

I hope Neil is lurking on the boards and stumbles across this...

spuntyb,

Thanks, both regarding the trip report and the new 335i.

Neil does, indeed, read these posts, and he even claims to enjoy them. (He's such a diplomat!) Of course, he writes his own articles from time to time, and they're outstanding. Check out News, Weather, and Sports if you haven't already discovered these.

Happy drumming,

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by BenTrovato

Fantastic report, well done! Thanks for sharing.

Ben,

I'm very glad you liked it. Stay tuned for more from time to time.

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by P1et

What a write up and what an adventure. Thanks a million for posting all this. I know it takes time. There is so much to see in this wonderful country, and although I'm not from here originally, I'll need another lifetime to see it all. I'm partially obsessed with train, railroad tracks and trains stations. Good to see a few of them in pictures.

P1et,

You're very welcome! One of the best "ghost towns" I ever ran across was a former railroad village in West Virginia. Originally, it could only be reached by train, although now you can drive there. Check out the Thurmond, WV section of Almost Heaven, West Virginia.

Rick

[Rick F.]

Originally Posted by Franko's B

NO eating in the car!!!!!! Sorry thought about my kids when we go for scenic drives.
Not just a fantastic post but also filled with beautiful photos and great American history. Thanks for sharing and I look forward to read some more of your stories this weekend while I drive my 335 as well.....jk jk

Franko's B,

I will confess that I've been known to eat while driving--even in a BMW! The worst time was when I was driving my 6-speed Z4, at night, while trying to eat Thai sticky rice with some sort of gooey sauce on it. Boy, what a mess!

However, I always clean it up carefully. I just hope that whoever ends up with my prior Z4 doesn't find a moldy donut or anything like that under the seat!

Glad you enjoyed the report!

Rick

[MSteve5036]

Wow. This thread delivers. I am from Easton, PA and your thread was still teaching me things about the area. I also bought my first bimmer from Doylestown Definitely a great trip and story.

I was kind of hoping you were going to touch on a couple cool facts about the area. Since you were in Phillipsburg, NJ and Easton, PA, I wasn't sure if you knew about the annual thanksgiving football rivalry. Since 1906 the two schools have played each other in football on Thanksgiving Day (stopping only once during WWII). It is played at Fisher Field at Lafayette College, and was the first nationally televised high school football game. It is a huge tradition for families in the area and is part of some of my fondest memories growing up.

Another fun fact is that Easton was one of the first three places the Declaration of Independence was read. It was first proclaimed in Philadelphia on July 8th and later that day in Easton and Trenton.

Anyway, thought you might enjoy that. Again, awesome post