Backroad (noun) – a little used secondary road especially one through a rural or sparsely populated area
The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 was signed authorizing the construction of the Interstate Freeway System. By 2010 there were 47,182 miles of interstate highway costing close to $425billion to construct. Today most travelers speed “down the highway” stopping only to grab a hamburger or stop at one of the 2,500 rest areas along the interstate.
Left behind are the “little used secondary roads” which for many years were the life veins of America. Many people wonder today if good old American Values still exist – they do – most folks do not slow down enough to see that they do.
Only on the back roads of Texas can you find towns with emotional names such as Happy, Smiley, Comfort, and Friendship. Towns with names that will make you hungry like Bacon, Noodle, Oatmeal, Turkey, and Trout. Towns that you will swear you took a wrong turn like Memphis, Reno, Miami, Pittsburg, and Detroit. Towns that sound international but the people still talk with a Texas drawl such as Athens, China, Egypt, London, and Paris (Viva la Texas). Texas is even the center of the Solar System with towns named Earth and Venus. One of my favorite Texas town is the perfect little town of Utopia – only in Texas can you find Utopia.
Each of these destinations is special. It may be the history, it might be the people, or it might be the little cafe on the corner that serves the best pie in the world (every small Texas town has one of those cafes). These are the reasons that make me WANNA TAKE THE BACK ROADS!