Road Trip

Starting off 2014 in the middle of a road trip from California to Indiana. I never can take one of these trips, or even cross from California to Nevada for that matter, without thinking of our intrepid pioneers. How did they ever bring themselves to cross the country in covered wagons, leaving people and most things behind or losing them along the way, things like pianos and rocking chairs—and grandmothers? It was too hot, too cold, too dangerous, too rough, and most of all too long of a trip.

First cross-country trip I ever made was in 1960 in a brand-new VW Bug. That was before the Interstate highway system was built, before the country became so homogenized that nothing new appeared around the bend. So, going to the South from New England meant a different eating experience. "Bottomless" cups of coffee were the norm. An order of breakfast of bacon and eggs meant not only b&e but also, hash browns, toast, stewed apples, and—if luck was with you—grits. A bottle of Dr. Pepper in Texas provided a jolt of—well—pepper. Eating lightly before reaching Amarillo rewarded the hungry traveler's appetite with the best steak along the way.

It's totally different now. 'Course you can find good eating everywhere if you look, or have recommendations from Foodie friends. But, along the beaten track, it's pretty much the same thing. Lots of burgers that those 1960 steak lovers might not identify as burgers. Lots of the same food everywhere at eating establishments that all look the same. Restrooms are better, though, I try to remember that before I wax too far into nostalgia.