I recently made a stronger commitment to photographing the signs of about 250 major colleges and universities.

1. Identify which institutions should be included.
2. Get the GPS coordinates of their signs. That was a two-fold process -- optionally contact the universities and ask 'Where on campus is your sign?' and about 2/3 replied although some were unhelpful. Regardless of a response, I would use the Google Street View feature to actually 'see' the sign and get the specific GPS coordinates. Spreadsheet! However, Google has photos several years old so some signs either moved or were added later.
3. Make a plan for traveling to these places in which years with the goal of completing almost all of them by summer of 2022.
4. Go on the trips and take the photos
5. Make a website of the results
6. Only problem is that I keep discovering more colleges that should be included. My original goal of 200 has grown to 250 and then almost 300!

This trip is much of a repeat of a trip in 2014 (and did not know any better to pre-find the signs). There are some new things included in this trip though.
TEXAS: I have been to this state a number of times including just eight months earlier but in the western part. Even after this trip, I still have a couple of other places to visit in the state. I have yet to make it down to the southern most part of the state including McAllen which is one of the top 100 largest metro areas that I am trying to visit. And because I missed visiting the Great Bend National Park in March, that is on the "To-Go-To" list.
LOUISIANA: Although I have been to Baton Rouge and New Orleans and Lake Providence, it was the first time for me across the northern part of the state. I have long wanted to see what Shreveport is like (and it provided one item for both The Best and The Worst for this trip). After the trip next year, that would be my last time in this state.
ALABAMA: I added some time to this trip to get in a couple of colleges now so that I can skip them on a trip next year. After the trip next year, that would be my last time in this state. And while in Tuscaloosa, the home of The Enemy of all Tennessee Volunteer fans, I tried to put a curse on the entire football program there. Guess I on the next weekend I will see if it worked when they host small school Mercer University of Macon GA.
MISSISSIPPI: I have been in this state several times in the past. For this trip I visit the colleges in the southern two-thirds of the state. The next-year trip mentioned for Alabama will finish the northern third of the state. Then that will likely be the last time I visit this state.
ARKANSAS: No colleges gotten in this state on this trip. Since I was close to the town of Hope where President Clinton grew up, I had to stop there since I am also visiting all places indicated as historical places for the US Presidents. I yet need to visit some colleges in the northern part of the state. But if my best ever friend does move back to the town where her folks live, then I will likely be back in Arkansas for visiting.

MISSED VISITING:
--President Lyndon Johnson Ranch in Stonewall TX, I was only at the visitor center in Johnson City TX
--Southern Alabama University in Mobile -- just not enough sunlight hours in a day in mid November
--University of Texas -- construction and/or weather and/or football game and/or just another "Hey Texans, let's all gather together in our cars and have a parking party" that they often seem to inexplicably do

OBSERVATIONS: Some observations made while traveling in this area:

• Texan drivers are a different breed. For one, those incredibly annoying way-too-short entrances from what otherwise just seems like an outer road give very little warning to drivers on the main highway. And, those entering the highway expect the highways drivers to get out of their way because they neither signal nor slow down nor look for oncoming traffic.
• Texan drivers also drive over the speed limit in the cities but then, every 10 - 15 minutes they all decide to just come to a halt. A hundred or more cars just stop. No apparent reason for the stop. No construction. No accident. No vehicle on the side of the road. No pedestrians or animals. Nothing but normal. Everyone just decided to stop for a minute or three. Very strange.
• Somewhere in southern Louisiana (I think, else, it was in Texas) I saw a cute sign that said: Be kind to Strangers, visit your in-laws
• I encountered maybe about 40 highway construction sites. Signs up warning us to "Beware". But on all but a few of them, the only thing remaining about the construction sites were the signs. Nothing else except brand new looking surfaces of roads and shoulders.
• I do need to add Louisiana to the list of states that poorly handle construction sites, along with Kentucky and Idaho. Those are the only states that make traffic stop while the other direction goes, then, switch sides. All other states have one lane for each direction to keep moving, even if slowly.
• Probably the most noticeable thing I spotted on this entire trip was the dozens and dozens and dozens of billboard signs of lawyers advertising themselves. Mostly about road issues including injuries and tickets.
• The Natchez Trace Parkway is quite pleasant to drive along, particularly the sunny late fall day I was there. Few entrances/exits to the parkway but it does have many non-intersecting highways going under it or over it.
• During the 1-1/2 hours I was on the Natchez Trace Parkway I saw four different traffic radars including on fancy motorcycle that looked like it was designed strictly to check speed of oncoming traffic
• I was stunned to see several signs along the highways in Mississippi and Louisiana warning about bears crossing the highway. I expect to see that sign only out west.
• It was surprising how little traffic was on the highways in Mississippi. Maybe the bears keep people away! It was relaxing, especially without the big trucks.
• I had forgotten that New Orleans has palm trees
• The New Orleans streets of Broadway and St. Charles -- they are between the highway and Tulane University -- are absolutely NUTS to drive along. Does not help matters either that two trolley trains run down the middle of St. Charles and a car must be on the tracks in order to turn. And, cars park along the side of both streets. And, walkers and bikers go between so a car parker must watch for bikers before opening the car door. Ever since I first visited New Orleans in the 1980's I have disliked this city and it remains as my #1 least favorite city, just beating out Santa Fe NM.
• Adjacent to the campus of Tulane University is Loyola University of Louisiana. I did not photograph its campus sign although it was just a few blocks east of the Tulane campus sign.
• As I noticed when I was here a few years earlier, the entire area around SMU is quite beautiful, as is the campus itself
• The highways competition games continued in this part of the country. They are what I call "Truck Leap Frog" vs. "Car Chinese Checkers". When one is played, the other cannot be played. Truck drivers are really good -- and annoying -- with their game.
• So what are those two games? "Truck Leap Frog" is when one big truck is following another one. And, when they see cars coming from behind, the truck behind the other quickly pulls out into the passing lane to block the oncoming traffic. The truck that was in front slows down to five miles under the speed limit. The truck doing the passing slows down to four miles below the speed limit. Then, it takes several miles before the passing truck finally gets around the truck originallay in front. Meanwhile, a long line of cars stacks up behind the truck doing the passing.
• The game "Car Chinese Checkers" is when cars get into the passing lane to block big trucks from doing their game of "Truck Leap Frog". They must wait their turn.

  The Bests:

  1. Twisted Root restaurant at 8690 Line Avenue in Shreveport. I had the Vegabond veggie burger, fried green beans and carrots, and, a strawberry custard shake, first time to have a custard anything
  2. Natchez Trace Parkway, at least the part north of Jackson MS
  3. The warm weather highs -- 60's and low 70's -- on most of the trip
  4. SMU campus and the area surrounding it are beautiful
  5. LSU campus is beautiful and peaceful, one of my nieces is currently attending there
  6. Got an earlier flight home after finishing faster than expected, and, have window seat in the exit aisle with that wonderful legroom

  
  The Worsts:

  1. Shreveport interstate traffic -- maybe the worst I have driven in
  2. Texas drivers who, for reasons I never could determine, just decide to get together and have a traffic jam on the interstate. Maybe there is some signal they have after everyone has been driving 75 MPH and they say "time to come to a halt for a 2 - 3 minutes, then let's get going again"
  3. Austin Texas. I wanted to go there to photograph the campus sign just southeast of the stadium. But between construction and a game against Kansas, of all teams, the line to get off the interstate looked about 400 cars deep. No Thanks!
  4. SMU has a major mystery. When I was on campus a few years ago I photographed one sign and forgot, at the time, to indicate the location of the sign. I wrote to the campus to inquire (no responses) and "drove" all around campus using Google Street View. But there was one spot that I was certain the sign was located and that it must have been installed after the last Google Street View drive by. But, not there. I drove around the campus while there this year. Still could not find it.
  5. New Orleans for all the reasons for 30 years that this town is still my #1 least favorite US city

  The Totals:

  • Miles Driven: 2272
  • Driving: 34 hours
  • States: 5 -- Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas
  • Major Universities: 19 -- Baylor, Texas State, Texas San Antonio, Houston, Texas Southern, McNeese State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisiana State, Tulane, Southern Mississippi, Alabama, Mississippi State, Jackson State, Alcorn State, Louisiana-Monroe, Louisiana Tech, Grambling State, Southern Methodist, North Texas
  • Pictures Taken: 142 (and deleted 13 of them)
  • National Parks: 3 new ones: Lyndon Johnson Ranch, Bill Clinton Boyhood Home and Natchez Trace Parkway (two sections on either side, north-south, of Jackson MS)
  • US Presidential Places: 2: Lyndon Johnson Ranch and Bill Clinton Boyhood Home