I’ve been doing my share of driving lately, so I thought I’d post this little series. It has run here before, but that was about seven years ago, I think. I used to spend many hours on the road but not so much in the past few years. Now, I’m back at it to a degree. I’ve been traveling the same roads a lot, a back-and-forth type journey. I get bored with the same old scenery and the same old obstacles. I know to slow down for this speed trap. I know when the traffic in that city will be terrible. I know where ALL the bathroom stops are. Well, that last one can be a good thing, but I find myself looking at road maps (or MapQuest, etc.), searching for alternate routes, the “blue highways” popularized in the 70s by William Least Heat Moon’s book of the same name. Do you do that? I have wound up in some amazing places.
On another note, I have been contacted by visitors to this site who are worried about a regular who has been conspicuous by his absence lately. Popularly known as “Ghost,” he is so regular that others are worried, because he has failed to post in the past 10 days or so. I certainly share hopes that Ghost is all right, but I am afraid I am powerless to do much, beyond encouraging him to let his friends know he is all right, if his absence is deliberate for whatever reason. I’m proud of the feeling of community many of you share, but that is your doing, not mine. I hope Ghost will return soon.
62 responses to “On the Road, Again”
Thanks for posting your concern about ” Ghost. ”
My BIL and I do back road trips via Google Maps. We pick destinations, deliberately assign obscure waypoints, then let Google map it out. Get to explore back roads and countryside we might otherwise miss.
Thank you Jimmy. And I like the retro strip. I still can look at maps and dream of travel. Even in this day of GPS-equipped cell phones I still buy a road atlas if I plan to travel anywhere. After all, you can’t always get a signal. Two years ago I took a driving vacation to Florida. When I got almost to the AL/FL line, my cell signal dropped and it did not come back till I got nearly to I-10.
After spending the better part of a week in the mountains of NC, I can verify that there are many places with no signal. We always travel with a box of atlases, other travel guides, bird ID books, etc.
Starbucks may be Seattle, but Portland is really big on coffee. Local small roasters just abound there, with Stumptown probably being the most famous.
I don’t think Washington is more coffee than Oregon is.
Janis is right. Robin is wrong.
Jimmy – you need one of those Amazon commission buttons – just ordered a copy of Blue Highways.
I love Blue Highways. It is the book that Steinbeck wanted to write when he did Travels With Charlie. All of Least Heat Moon’s books are good but Blue Highways set my path. Well, actually Steinbeck did but WLHM cemented it.
Since I began my peripathetic wanderings long before either book was written perhaps I should say they justified them.
Today is Go Braless Day in support of awareness of breast cancer. I was hoping it would bring out Ghost.
Sorry, the groups on net I am moderator of gives me access to emails and names, way to reach members, I work through Yahoo and Google groups so am not familiar with this format. I was hoping JJ could reach Ghost.
Don’t know that I don’t agree on Washington and craze for coffee.
I don’t drink coffee, never have, but I spent over seven weeks there this summer and fall and it seemed to be an obsession.
My vote is for maps – but I do use mapquest – The GPS (Garmin) sometimes gives you strange routings
I was in my insurance office awhile back, and the lady that care of business asked me if I still used Road Atlas. I said, sure, I keep one in the car, and one by my ‘reading chair’ at all times. She said many of the ‘younger’ generation did not even know what she was talking about, that everyone now uses their smart phones….it seems GPS is going by the wayside already. Anyway, she gave me their latest.
I almost bought one last night in a convenience store for 16.95 because the paper looked heavier and more durable than my Walmart version. It was a brand I wasn’t familiar with.
Wow! I didn’t know you cared. 🙂
Seriously, I’m OK; my Mom is OK. I apologize to those who may have been concerned that “figurative Ghost” had somehow become “literal ghost”. In my defense, I will say that my stars have been far out of alignment the past couple of weeks…several physician appointments for my Mom; three out-of-town trips (two over the weekends; one of them unscheduled and on short notice); a couple of personal issues with which to deal; a rush project at the Skonk Works. Add to that my continuing problems with InterWebNet connectivity at home, and you have a recipe for schedule overload.
As of this moment, things are pretty much back to what I laughingly refer to as normal, and this evening, if the DSL gods so deign, I’ll catch up on all your posts made during my absence. Again, I’m sorry if I caused anyone to worry about me. But thanks for your concern. This is indeed a Community.
Oh, and happy I could make it back for Go Braless Day. Film at eleven? 😉
I use road atlases, too – and I check off the different states’ license plates on its index page as we see them on a trip. That habit goes back more than 70 years for me!
Glad you’re back, ghost.
Welcome home Ghost. When you read back you will see how much your absence has affected some of us. You owe Anonymous a new manicure and set of nails!
Anonymous, I have seen some that were designed mainly for the trucking crew. They had listings of all facilities available at the interstate exits. Don’t know how they can keep them accurate with the constant turnover in eateries and gas stations. I got a Rand McNally at either Sam’s or Wally World, don’t recall which. It was large print format and spiral bound so no trouble getting pages to stay open or lie flat. Very handy.
Just checking in for my “weekly” or “weakly” chat. I don’t use MapQuest or phones. My travels of great distances are done by mega cruise ships, so, I leave the navigating to Captain Guiseppi What’s His Name and his crew. They are usually Italian since we go on Carnival mostly. (The port of New Orleans is only 75 miles away!) I’ve been in the captain’s area and all the instruments are labelled in Italian. I can still read a good bit of it. No road trips coming up until the Halloween date Auburn has with the Bears from Ole Miss. (Auburn is emphasizing academics this year instead of football! We had an open date Saturday and had to go into overtime to win it!) We even have a tour of the Hyundai plant in Montgomery, AL as part of one of our trips in November.
Blessings on everyone. ‘Til we meet again! (On to the local health club!) Sure good to have Ghost back!
Well once and for all Jimmy has proven that he does not “look into our windows”, at least in Ghost’s windows. Maybe I should tell my kids that I post on here pretty regularly so maybe they need to check in if something ever happens to me. Truly it is great to be concerned about someone that we not physically met, but actually care for.
I have used Google Maps and Google earth to take “trips” before. Clicking on places that I used to live or have visited can be pretty fulfilling.
Ghost it reminds me of when my kids would not come home and “claim” that they told us that they would not be home and where they were at. Sometimes they told the truth. Cell phones helped with that.
One time I went to pick up my daughter at the East Lansing train station and Justin Verlander was pitching a no-hitter (that he lost in the 9th inning). About 5 miles out I realized that I left my phone at home. When I got to East Lansing, there was a bunch of construction and I had NO idea how to get to the station. I kept driving around in circles when I then started to look for a pay phone. I stopped at a convenience store to use the phone and my daughter happened to be standing there. I over heard her say “DAD’s ALL RIGHT!!!” Because I had my phone on vibrate, my wife did not know that I left it at home.
Happy 240th Birthday, United States Navy! You don’t look a day over 230. 🙂
Welcome back whispy one. As you noticed you made a stir in the ether and gave a few the frights.
Thanks, sand. Chalk it up to an early Halloween, I suppose. 🙂
Hugs, Ghost!
I love maps of all sorts- dead tree or electronic, current road maps or historic renderings. Like JJ, I like to imagine life in these other parts of the world. Google Street View is a favorite of mine, I love to drop in randomly around the world.
Number 2 Son and I talk about taking a cross-country trip via the blue highways- maybe next summer between his graduation from college and before entering the working world.
Welcome back GR – IMHO the reaction to your absence shows why deciding to keep those who care about you in the dark is a bad idea. You may think you are sparing people from bad news, but imagination usually comes up with scenarios much worse than reality. Glad to hear the absence was simply schedule overload (which happens to us all at one time or another).
Thanks Jimmy, for responding to queries.
I’m another map lover, and I used to use Map Quest for online searches, but recently I’ve become intrigued with Google maps. I’ve found it helpful to know what the place I’m trying to find will look like when I finally get there (sidewalk view). Not every place has pictures, but it’s fun sometimes to revisit previous residences or vacation sites to see what they look like in recent times.
Well, I am glad Ghost has returned! Not only do you owe me a set of nails but a 6 pound weight loss. When I ran out of fingernails I needed the toes for driving so Dickens and I ate nuts, beef jerry and Diet Coke. Well, Dickens didn’t hit the Coke, he likes cheese.
Now I will catch up. My quinoa and stir Fried vegs are here. Love.