Road Completionism
On finding all the roads not taken.
Have you seen those scratch-off maps where you can track the countries or states etc. you’ve been to? I feel like that kind of map is in my brain, but for roads.
If there are two ways to get to a destination, I’ll take the first route to get there and then the second route on the way back. You know, to ensure full coverage.
Of course sometimes there are multiple routings, which means multiple trips needed? There are worse excuses for going on a road trip I suppose.
I’ve done the San Francisco to LA drive on the 99, I-5, 101, and Highway 1 too (back in the days when it was open all the way through).
Look at the 101 and I-5 just in that SF–LA segment and count the number of roads that cross over the mountains between the two freeways — there’s the Pacheco Pass (CA-152), CA-198 through Coalinga, and many more.
Have I driven over them all yet? Almost. Must I? Yes. Does each route need film photos of all the rest stops and vista points documented? Most definitely.
