I recently drove down to Florida (The Villages) from our home in East Tennessee to help out when my mom had hernia repair surgery. On both the trip down and the trip back, I decided to go "the back way," avoiding Interstate 75 as much as possible. As my wife might have needed a car while I was gone, and as she can no longer drive a manual transmission, I took the Miata (leaving her the E-Class).
My trip on the backroads got me thinking about how the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System did irreparable damage to the small towns of America. Until the highways replaced the spider's web of smaller roads draped across the US, the roads passed through small towns and burgs. The hotels, motels, restaurants, and other businesses patronized by the travelers were owned, operated, and staffed by people from the local communities through which the roads passed. The locals also patronized these businesses, and people tended to know those who owned and staffed them.
Then the interstates took over, bypassing all those little towns and their businesses. The towns were replaced by rest stop businesses, franchises and company stores, owned by people far from the communities which supplied the workers who staffed them. Even then, the workers came from no single community, but were drawn in from miles away, few knowing those with whom they worked. Meanwhile, the small towns died.
And now we are left with traveling through places as homogenous, and anonymous as tapioca, everything the same, with nothing left but a frantic urge to get to our destination before the indigestion sets in from yet another fast food sandwich in one hand while the other aims the car down another stretch of highway indistinguishable from the last.
I didn't take any photos on the trip down, but did so on the way back.
My first detour, after having left The Villages, was to Micanopy, Florida, a small, artsy town where they filmed "Doc Hollywood" staring Michael J Fox and Julie Warner.
Along the way, I stopped at a great little restaurant where the nice lady at the cashier's window said, "you know it's rib day. Just took them out of the smoker about a half hour ago."
The life of a writer...
So many of the roads were just beautiful!
Took the opportunity to get a good shot of the Miata at this roadside Coca-Cola advertisement (I think this was in Micanopy).
Listened to a little 4-piece at a stop for food.
Got a big ole headache and stopped at a great little bookstore/coffee shop.
Saw some interesting roadside 'attractions'
And stopped for gas at a place with a better view than that from by own backyard.
And the best part was, despite having to take the trip in two days because of the added miles and time, I arrived at my destinations much less fatigued than I had ever been when taking the highways.
Hope you enjoyed the trip!