Autumn leaves a lot to be discovered

(Kenton, OK)

 

Falling leaves, scrapes of snow particles and blustering cold air are signs of a change in the season. As I sit in my apartment on a November afternoon, just hours after a recent flirtation with snow (less than an inch, which melted by high noon), I begin to ponder, what next? The thesis is in full stride, but while I would love to hit the road to get away from it all, like most things in life, it costs money. Developing a moderate attitude (go on a day trip rather than an excursion to unchartered terrains) and maintaining an abundant desire to remember past road trips are crucial during times like this, however, it is imperative to keep the soul stimulated in other ways. In particular, by reading.

For all writers reading is an important activity that allows the imagination to run rampant, especially when time and money are limited. However, distractions have been my biggest impediments to reading a lot more. The biggest culprit has been the use of social media, Facebook and Twitter in particular. Fellow writer Kim Ulmanis extrapolates my problem very well, "The media that is social, also known as Facebook, will still be there when I put the book down after 30 or so minutes of reading. The world, okay fine, social media will not implode if I leave it to do something that challenges the mind somehow."

That said, I want to offer you a list of my favorite books as it pertains to the open highway. Some may be obvious, while others may be more symbolic or metaphorical in nature. Perhaps, re-reading one or two will help (somewhat) satisfy my strong desire to just get in the truck and ride.

 

Fred Harvey played an instrumental role in American History. Harvey was the "Walt Disney before Disneyland. He and his partners at the Santa Fe played a huge role in the development of American tourism as we know it." (xxviii) On a Jet Blue flight to New York to attend my cousin's wedding, I began reading this book and instantaneously was transported onto a Santa Fe dining car relaxing with a beverage as I was being catered to by a Harvey Girl (who were created, according to Fried, so they "could help alleviate racial tensions, and maybe even make the cowboys a little more gentlemanly.")

Forget New York, the spirit was on a ride from Union Station in Kansas City to the adventurous Las Vegas, NM. Stephen Fried does an excellent job at not only capturing the immense history of Fred Harvey and his corporation, which embodies Fred's spirit, but his language and descriptions allowed me to transport back in time and transform from an average 33 year old with auburn hair and an uncertain destination to a man following Horace Greeley's advice of "heading west young man."

Another favorite is the legendary Blue Highways.

 

William Least Heat-Moon goes through a mid-life crisis before one day getting into his Ford van, known as Ghost Dancing and beginning his journey. The plan, "to set out on a long (equivalent to half circumference of the earth), circular trip over the back roads of the United States" (p.3). From Nameless, Tennessee to Frenchman, Nevada, which has a population of four and sat on a "fault zone that still wobbled the seismographic instruments around," (p. 197), Heat-Moon explores a side of the American landscape that few have ventured into. His interaction with every day people from various walks of life helped decide to become a highway writer.

 

As to the journey seeker themselves, John A. Jakle in The Tourist: Travel in Twentieth Century North America explores the motivations as to why people went on vacation. Tourism, according to Jakle (1985), "is a significant means by which modern people assess their world, defining their own sense of identity in the process" (p.xi). That quote alone helped me think why I love to travel, what is it that I am seeking and how does it or has it shaped who I am. Most vacations begin with a quest, either to a new location or to seek some unknown element, along the way I meet new people, visit different places and it begins to alter my existence. As I head back home on the road, I don't only reflect on what happened, but how I will adapt to my new self as I re-enter my every day world.

Finally,

 

Mr. Truman is one of my favorite historical figures as he enjoyed reading about various topics ranging from President Andrew Jackson to Ancient Greece. However, it was his passion for roads that gravitated me to this humbled, spectacle-wearing man born in Lamar, Missouri. In Matthew Algeo's book, the author retraces Truman's wheel tracks from Independence, Missouri to Philadelphia, PA where he delivered a speech to a military convention.

One of my favorite sections of the book took place during the early stages of their trip.

The Truman's reached Hannibal, Missouri where they went to eat at Osborne's Cafe. However, they parked in the parking lot of Bud's Golden Cream. As the former president and first lady got out of their black, four-door sedan 1953 Chrysler New Yorker, Bud Toben's (owner of Bud's Golden Cream) daughter Toni recognized the famous couple.

"Toni knew her father didn't like Osborne's customers using his lot.
'Dad,' the twelve-year-old shouted, 'Harry Truman's out in front. Do you want me to have him move his car?'

He thought she was mistaken, of course, but when Bud looked for himself, he saw that it was indeed Harry Truman.

Bud told Toni to call her sister, nineteen-year-old Mary--and to tell her to bring a camera. Well, it is time to get off the soapbox and head back and do some research. I hope you enjoyed the entry. Hit the road and explore the unknown. Bud went outside and introduced himself to the Truman's. The two men talked for a few minutes about the weather, with Harry claiming, 'I've seen it hotter.'

Mary arrived with her little Kodak-Brownie camera. She asked Harry if she could take a picture of him. Truman struck a deal with her; he told her she could take a picture after he and Bess finished lunch- but only if she promised not to tell anybody else they were in town. Mary agreed, and the Truman's went into Osborne's. Bud Toben didn't make them move their car."

The rest of the book features the author retracing each step of the trip and informing the reader of the current state of the places the Truman's visited or passed. Very informative and a piece of American History few people think about.

Until the next time, enjoy the journey.