Three of My Favorite Things in One Place-- Part 3-- US-421

Back on April 3rd, I wrote about an article from the Wilmington Star from February 1910 about a Good Roads meeting and mentioned this story had three of my favorite things involved in it: old roads, history and the Civil War.

I should also mention that I like the Beach, so make that four.

I do not know if the road they wanted to extend from Wilmington to Carolina Beach was ever built, but eventually there was a paved road in the form of US-421, one of only two major US highways I have driven from one end to the other (the other being US-66). Early on in my interest of old roads I drove from Michigan City, Indiana, to "The Rocks" in North Carolina.

I found no signage marking the end or beginning of 421 where it ends at US-20. However, there is a great "End 421" and "Begin 421" down at "The Rocks." Also, a few hundred feet from the end is the old Civil War Battery Buchanan, the southern-most part of Fort Fisher.

Also located here is the Fort Fisher-Southport Ferry you can take across the mouth of the Cape Fear River which cuts significantly into travel time instead of driving all the way back to Wilmington to cross the river.

At one time, North Carolina planned to have an All Ocean Highway of which this was to be the last piece.

Gettin' in a Beach Mood. --RoadDog