I’ve never tried to figure out the highway miles that I have traveled. Montana to Texas, Wyoming to New Mexico – way too many to calculate. On the longer trips, Dad had a daily goal of 600 miles. We witnessed the speed limits go up and down – trying to conserve gasoline, which immensely affected the travel time. An hour’s drive separated many towns. In particular, one highway on which we traveled numerous times was between Raton and Clayton, New Mexico. Not a very scenic, memorable drive, except for the fact that you pass a dormant volcano, Mount Capulin https://www.nationalparks.org/connect/blog/molding-new-mexicos-capulin-volcano. The rest of the drive is pretty monotonous, with only one lane traveling in each direction. They warn you before leaving either town that there are no gas stations for 70 miles.
When traveling the interstates like I-25 through Colorado and Wyoming, or I-35 through the Dallas and Houston areas, it was a much easier trip – interstate highways handled more traffic, and the speed limits were higher. We found favorite places to stop to eat and fill up the gas tanks. Although the downside was keeping two vehicles together – Dad was the leader and navigator, and mom was the caboose, with traffic weaving in and out. As Citizen Band Radios (CB’s) became popular, Dad equipped both our vehicles. Being the primary users, Dad and I had handles (names when talking to others on the CB) – mine was “Farrah,” and Dad’s was “Surveyor.” We would keep each other informed of traffic light stops and the like. It helped to pass the time listening to the truckers from all over as they chatted and provided road conditions and highway patrol sightings. CB’s are about gone now, the end of an extinct technology.
We can also correlate highways with veins leading to our heart. Remember the sentimental TV program “Highway to Heaven” featuring Michael Landon? Michael Landon was first on “Bonanza” and then played the father on “Little House on the Prairie.” I recently read that they are making a reboot of “Highway to Heaven,” which will air in early 2022. It will be refreshing to see a positive theme to television again.
When researching highway miles in the United States, I came upon a blog that outlines miles by state. https://blog.cubitplanning.com/2010/02/road-miles-by-state/. Of course, Texas has the most miles of highway, with the District of Columbia having the least. Another critical factor is the varying condition of the roads—some of which require more repairs and issues just like our hearts. The miles that we’ve experienced have seen love and friendship – as well as hurt and loss. We are all faced with tragedy, pain, and anger, and feelings of love, friendship, passion, joy, and peace. Throughout our lives, many deal with these situations better than others. Some are extremely sensitive – but some have tough skin. When dealing with people each day, we need to remember to be respectful and patient, learning how to better deal with others.
Since we are studying different aspects of highways, I wanted to share some of the popular road songs from the 1970s.
- Rockin’ Down the Highway by The Doobie Brothers
- Carefree Highway by Gordon Lightfoot
- Ventura Highway by America
- Roll on Down the Highway by Bachman-Turner-Overdrive
- Life is a Highway by Tom Cochrane
Music was my bond to the places I lived when the song was a hit, radios playing it over and over. Our minds are a mysterious organ. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as “the part of a person that thinks, reasons, feels and remembers.” I believe we all are looking for peace of mind.
I hope you find peace this week!