Being a Roadie

Being a roadie is one of the best things to happen to me. While it took the form of being a navigator until I got my license at the late age of 24 (due to living in NYC where public transportation is efficient), the ability to see other places is like no other.

From North Carolina and Massachusetts to Arizona, the road has been good to me. It offers the expected, i.e. road signs,

and the unexpected.

While my favorite road is Route 66, some of my favorite road trips took place on other roads. For example, in early 2011, I drove to Lubbock to visit my girlfriend. Along the way, I decided not to take the Interstate 20 to US 84 route via Abilene. Instead, I drove across US 180 along many portions of the Bankhead Highway, one of the oldest named trails.

As I ventured west of Fort Worth, my nerves were on edge, as I drove a pre-1940 portion of the Bankhead Highway in Millsap.

After getting lost in a myriad of ranches, I re-entered 180 and headed to Mineral Wells, which was very interesting due to their burgers and bowling.

It was time to get back on a groove and continue down 180 until I got to Snyder where I would turn north on 84. The last stop I took featured one of my favorite characters of the open road, the nostalgic gas station.

In a couple of weeks I plan to head to Vicksburg, Mississippi. I hope to not only tour one of the famous Civil War battlefields, but traverse new highways and meet their inhabitants.

Who knows what Mississippi will offer, but I know one thing: the open road offers a plethora of geographical landscapes, people and businesses. Each facet is what makes the road what it is and that is why I have become a roadie.