Monday, April 21, 2008

Off the Beaten Path; or, Backroadin'

Like most men, I like to make good time when I drive somewhere. "I went from Tupelo to Oxford in 45 minutes! Yes!" I'm often in a hurry because of my job or my kids or whatever. It's times like that when I'm glad we have four-lane roads and interstates.

Down deep, though, I'm a backroad guy. I love driving them, but only when I have the time to enjoy them. Because driving a backroad should be savored. Every twist and turn, every rise and drop of the road, the towering pines or oaks overlooking the winding narrow path of asphalt.

When I was a teenager in Ruston, La., I knew the backroads of Lincoln Parish – and some of the other parishes – like the back of my hand. I could get to Monroe in 30 minutes on I-20, but it was more fun to hit Highway 80 for a few miles and then wind my way through the countryside on roads with more than two numbers.

I've already found my favorite backroad around here. It's actually between the Natchez Trace – a beautiful route in its own right – and the tiny town of Houlka. It's called Devil's Tail Road, and that should be all the description you need. It's even more fun to drive at night, when my headlights will catch a thick group of white oaks straight ahead, meaning another sharp curve is fast approaching.

I love backroads because they're lonely, uncrowded. You can escape the real world for a while, where people speed past you, unless you're caught in a construction zone. And the rougher the backroad, the better. I'm all for those substandard roadways. I can identify with them, because they're scarred, uneven and honest.

Too bad they're either disappearing or getting paved over. There's always a quicker way, and while I will often take the faster route, I won't enjoy it that much.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

My husband and I much prefer the backroads. Interstates are boring! My parents love to cruise in their convertible. They don't necessarily have to be going anywhere, they just go. Backroads are the best for that. I really enjoyed going to the football games this year in the backseat of their convertible. Most of the games were in small towns out in the middle of nowhere so we took backroads or small highways mostly. Since it didn't actually get cold until the playoffs started we were able to go to almost all of the football games with the top down. To me that is hard to beat!

Glad to see that you are feeling better.

Brad Locke said...

Man, I need a convertible. … Being a sports writer, I go to a lot of football games, too, and basketball games, and baseball games, etc., and love going to those small schools, which usually aren't right off the highway.