Take Blue Highways

America is Already Great

See for yourself

Our travels in the West continue to amaze. After leaving the high desert, we went to Las Vegas so my wife could present at her professional association’s annual conference. The difference between the natural beauty of the mountains and parks and the fake aura that is Las Vegas was made all the more stark by the blistering heat. We then crossed the low desert into the Los Angeles basin and remarked at the lack of apparent life along the way. Cactus and solar farms stretched for miles with little else to break the heat. 

Once in Southern California, the temperatures moderated some by nightfall. We went to one of our favorite haunts in South Pasadena, the Henry Huntington Gardens and Library. This was once the home of a railroad titan who spent his money collecting classic art and old rare books while building spectacular gardens to recall his various world travels. Thousands of plants along with an original Gutenberg Bible, an original Ellesmere edition of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and handwritten author’s notations on Mark Twain novels along with the original Gainsborough painting of The Blue Boy are on display for all to see. Couple those with an exhibit on Octavia Butler, an African American science fiction author from Pasadena, and it made for another memorable visit.

Leaving my home stomping grounds, we drove north to Moro Bay and then up the central valley from whence come most of our vegetables to Berkeley and then to Point Reyes Station across the Golden Gate into Marin County. Pt. Reyes is where the San Andreas Fault leaves the mainland and goes into the Pacific through Tomales Bay. It is home to a National Seashore preserve that protects many species of birds and sea mammals as well as providing miles of accessible beaches on the Pacific Ocean. It was good to be back at the ocean once more.

Once back on the road, we drove up US Highway 101 into Oregon. Once again, we were transfixed by the changes in scenery and topography. Open valleys filled with vineyards gave way to steep mountain ravines dotted with trees standing in brown waving grasses. We took a side jaunt before reaching Eureka that meandered along the Eel River through the Humboldt Redwoods State Park. The road is aptly named the Avenue of the Giants as the groves of those magnificent beings stretch to the sky on trunks wider than two cars. The canopy shadows the road even in full sunlight. The aroma of damp redwood is sublime.

Our journey the next day took us along the coast of Southern Oregon. Tall conifers line the highway until steep mountain cliffs to the sea provide breathtaking views of rocky coastlines and an ocean that does not stop until it reaches Asia. Many of the low areas sport signs warning of Tsunami hazard areas with well marked evacuation routes to higher ground. Our tornado sirens are replaced there with Tsunami sirens. Roads that hug the costal cliffs and provide the only routes connecting costal communities are engineering marvels. Many were carved out and maintained by hand to provide paths for lumbermen and gold miners of years gone by. The beaches and surf lines are dotted with rock formations that provide wonderful vistas. Small natural harbors along the way provide homes for fishing fleets that venture out to provide today’s catch to city eateries up and down the coast.

We finally turned east towards home and started up the McKenzie River along Oregon Rt. 126 out of Eugene. The mountains are heavily forested with old and new growth as logging is still in full swing here.  We will go over the McKenzie Pass and into Idaho on our way back to Wisconsin. 

We have driven to many great places in this diverse country over our years on the road. I think very few can compare to the span we have covered on this trip. We are a great nation because the people who inhabit it face unique challenges posed by their local environments and each have risen to meet those challenges in order to survive and prosper. Traveling and experiencing those differing environments while reflecting on the history of these places helps break down barriers of perceived differences among our peoples.

When you have the chance, get in your car and drive someplace you have never been. Take the blue highways. Get out and look around. Talk to the people who live there and eat local food. You will begin to appreciate how lucky we are to live in America.

Waring R. Fincke is a retired attorney and serves as a guardian for the elderly and disabled.