“Blue Highways” is at the same time a memory of a wonderful book that first appeared in 1982 with this title by a writer named William Least Heat Moon and a metaphor for our retirement adventures. I was attracted to the book when it first came out because Least Heat Moon was a local writer (I was living in Kansas City at the time) and because Least Heat Moon used his moniker from Boy Scout days when he and his father and brother were members of the Tribe of Mic-O-Say. Reading the book was a sheer delight, traveling with Least Heat Moon as he explored the back roads of the nation.
The title came from the practice of cartographers at one time to represent major roads in red and minor roads in blue. Contemporary computer-enhanced maps may use different colors, but the term “blue highways” still suggests the back roads that connect forgotten villages and hamlets that travelers today avoid at any cost—the kinds of towns in which the highway is invariably the main street of town.
Our idea is the see the Hill Country—and that does not mean use of an interstate. We do have an interstate—I-35, that mighty road that runs the length of the country north to south from Duluth, Minnesota to Laredo, Texas. I’ve driven most of the length of this highway and have seen both termini, but I hope never to have to drive all of it in one long trip. Interstate highways are designed to get travelers from one place to another quickly, and they do not lend themselves to sightseeing. I-35 takes us to our Austin son in about 40-50 minutes if we travel north and to our San Antonio son in 35-40 minutes when we travel south, so it is very useful.
When we planned a day trip to Kerrville, southwest of New Braunfels, I did what everyone does today—consulted an online mapping service. Surprise—Google maps took us on 35 south to San Antonio and then on I-10 northwest to Kerrville! I tried seeking directions several ways, but always got the interstate routes. Then I realized that the Google default must be the interstate—Mr. Google assuming that anyone who seeks directions must want the most modern highway system available.
I resorted to an old-fashioned map, and found a “blue” highway system that took us into Kerrville one way and another system that brought us home a different way. Wouldn’t you know, we experienced some of our most spectacular and memorable scenery since we entered the Hill Country several months ago. Least Heat Moon was onto something!
The title came from the practice of cartographers at one time to represent major roads in red and minor roads in blue. Contemporary computer-enhanced maps may use different colors, but the term “blue highways” still suggests the back roads that connect forgotten villages and hamlets that travelers today avoid at any cost—the kinds of towns in which the highway is invariably the main street of town.
Our idea is the see the Hill Country—and that does not mean use of an interstate. We do have an interstate—I-35, that mighty road that runs the length of the country north to south from Duluth, Minnesota to Laredo, Texas. I’ve driven most of the length of this highway and have seen both termini, but I hope never to have to drive all of it in one long trip. Interstate highways are designed to get travelers from one place to another quickly, and they do not lend themselves to sightseeing. I-35 takes us to our Austin son in about 40-50 minutes if we travel north and to our San Antonio son in 35-40 minutes when we travel south, so it is very useful.
When we planned a day trip to Kerrville, southwest of New Braunfels, I did what everyone does today—consulted an online mapping service. Surprise—Google maps took us on 35 south to San Antonio and then on I-10 northwest to Kerrville! I tried seeking directions several ways, but always got the interstate routes. Then I realized that the Google default must be the interstate—Mr. Google assuming that anyone who seeks directions must want the most modern highway system available.
I resorted to an old-fashioned map, and found a “blue” highway system that took us into Kerrville one way and another system that brought us home a different way. Wouldn’t you know, we experienced some of our most spectacular and memorable scenery since we entered the Hill Country several months ago. Least Heat Moon was onto something!
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