Driving Across America

I mentioned a couple of days ago that I have been traveling. I did a road trip. New York to California and back. My companion along the way was my spiritual advisor, McGee, a nine-pound bundle of loyalty and love who traveled like a seasoned itinerant.

I’ve had some inquiries as to why my posts were silent for the holiday weeks, and now you know the reason.

Driving across America is always a unique experience. I’ve done it several times, and each time it's a wondrous experience. I’ve driven through many countries, and the drive felt like I was in one place.

In the United States both the terrain and regional cultures make you think you are in a different country. Sometimes same language accents contribute to the sense of an alien place. Sometimes it’s the divergent terrain or climate. Driving from the cold to warmth, from winter flora to flower vegetation, from prairie flat to majestic mountains, and from snow to desert in a single day creates the illusion of different nations.

What is unique about the American driving experience compared to many other countries and regions, is that you can drive over three-thousand miles and never be stopped and questioned unless you are breaking some law.

Observations:

Big truck drivers come in four categories. Aggressive, passive, rude and pleasant.
America’s commerce is moved by trucks.
Nobody obeys the speed limit.
The roads South and West are better maintained than in the North and East.
There is no fresh seafood in middle America.
It’s better to leave early when driving West.
It’s better to leave later when driving East.
A second driver would be nice. Very nice
Dogs are unaware of time changes. They go by a body-clock.
McDonald’s tastes the same everywhere.
Parents don’t control their kids in restaurants.
Phone and tablet technology is ubiquitous.
Hampton Inn’s have the same bed spread nationally.
It does rain in the desert, and it’s beautiful.