The Lure Of The American Highway

American culture is best exemplified by the lure of the road – that wanderlust that inspires us to get behind the wheel. And – what a great place to wander. There isn’t one part of America that doesn’t inspire – well, maybe – there are some places that are just no place to be.

I believe there was a song from the late 1970s with the lyrics “Augusta, Georgia is just no place to be…” which doesn’t speak well of this Georgia peach though I think the songwriter didn’t quite mean it that way. I believe they closed their eyes and pointed at a map – or got a speeding ticket in Augusta and spent a night in jail.

When we were young, we had the energy and passion for travel. We were going to get the hell out of Dodge one way or the other and see the world. Gordon Lightfoot’s “Carefree Highway” presents this in music –

“Carefree highway
Let me slip away on you
Carefree highway
You’ve seen better days
The morning after blues
From my head down to my shoes
Carefree highway
Let me slip away, slip away on you“

The fictional “Carefree Highway” was, in essence, a metaphor – an escape – from the emotional pain of a lost love, a shattered dream, and leaving one’s discontent behind. The American highway was a means to escape – to slip away – with no idea where it would take you. It could also be considered the highway of hope.

People from around the world have aspired to come to America to see our vastness. We have some of the most incredible National Parks in the world. I’ve stood on the Southern rim of the Grand Canyon, and I’ve marveled at Monument Valley. Colorado and Wyoming offer a wealth of places that only the Rocky Mountains can offer.

I have been to Yellowstone and watched “Old Faithful” erupt, and I have stood on both coasts and watched both the sunrise and the sunset. I’ve driven out of Idaho west of Boise into Washington, heading toward the Tri-Cities, and been stunned at what I could see coming out of the mountains of Eastern Washington.

As mundane as the Midwest seems to a lot of people, it remains my most favorite place in the entire world. You can stand in Eastern Kansas and Nebraska and look across the flat lands as the sun sets and the storms coming. The Great Plains say so much because they are such an authentic part of America. The Great Plains yield a vastness unequaled.

There’s nothing quite like coming out of the high plains of Eastern Colorado and Western Kansas and being able to see for at least 100 miles to the horizon. Watching thunderstorms pop up on the horizon inspires us to observe the wonder of nature and the power of lightning.

There was a time when Americans didn’t have the wherewithal to travel great distances and have remained in their hometowns – never leaving the county. And would you believe I still know people who have never left where they grew up? They have never traveled and never had a desire to leave where they have been all of their lives. I cannot relate to how that must feel.

I’ve been in 49 out of 50 states. Thus far, North Dakota has had to do without me.