I agree.  If my trip had been on the Blue Ridge Parkway I wouldn't have been too concerned.  But since it was in the north central states where curves are a relative term, I thought better to change it out. 

I was so happy to cross into Kentucky on my way home and be back on curvy roads!

I would have.  I've seen tires visibly wear before my eyes on that road.  It's like riding on sandpaper.

Changed out my PR3 last thursday.  Looked exactly like the one in the picture.  Rain groove just visible intermittently around tire.  Tech said it could last a thousand or a hundred.  I agreed.  Not taking chances when out on a trip.
Had to go to a PR2 to get the 55 profile (out of stock on the PR3).  I'll give that a try,  totally confident in that tire also.

I wouldn't say I got great mileage out of the PR3, but our roads are chip sealed slabs that eat tires for breakfast.  Without the dual compound technology I'm sure the tire would have been gone in half the time.

(chip seal is crushed pebbles to provide sharp edges and gluing this to the pavement with asphalt oil.  great winter and rain traction but hell on tires.  Snow plow operator once told me he wore out a set of blades in a forty five mile run)

I probably would have run that tire till I got home, it didn't look that bad compared to some of the PR2's I have gone thru... I see they haven't figured out the correct tread brakup on the PR3's yet to prevent left side wear... very disapointing, especially with a dual compound tire... arggggg...... I just put a set of PR3's on LAST NIGHT...
we'll see how they last.....

oh, I pulled of PR2's that still had lots of miles left (heheheh.... that is untill you get 500 miles from home, and look again.....) but seeing as I'll be 2 up with Momma next week, and pulling a trailer.... I figured what the heck.... ditch em and install new....
Now I have a set of "emergency" tires sitting...

The nice thing about the PR2s and PR3's is that they don't seem to go to the cords suddenly like some tires do.  They  are pretty predictable right down to the last drop.