Blue Highways

Have you ever hopped in your car with a direction in mind instead of a destination. You know, instead of, "Alright, we are on the road to our vacation destination," you might say, "Let's get going, we are headed west." There is an endless number of possibilities to what you might encounter. You might find a restaurant along the way, or some interesting homeless man to buy a meal for, either way it makes for a good story.

Several years back, the book Blue Highways by William Least-Heat Moon was recommended to me by my friend Shawn Sechrest. I read it and henceforth had my eyes opened to a new world and way of seeing the country. The book is the story of a man who simply set forth on an adventure around the United States with nothing in mind, but a general direction and a desire to stay off the interstate as much as possible.

Highways are what existed and transported Americans around the country before the massive interstate network criss-crossed our nation. It is this, in some people's opinions, prehistoric road system that leads travelers through the hearts of small towns and away from the bustling interstate.

It is on these blue highways that my friends and I found some of our most memorable adventures. A snow covered Massachusetts town, a homeless couple we ate with, a cascading waterfall; we came across all these things because we took the road less traveled. So next time you are thinking about hitting the road, opt out of the normal, boring interstate and take a chance on the highways.

The following picture was taken while traveling down the road on vacation with my in-laws. That white car in the wheel of the semi is us.

Our Car, Somewhere in East Tennessee