Generic America

After 22 years of growing up and education, my wife and I deposited our daughter at graduate school last week to become a doctor of audio logy. It was a big experience and one that most parents hope for. I am very proud of her and the challenge she is undertaking.

This also gave me the opportunity to drive from Elon, North Carolina, to Mobile, Alabama. It is a drive of almost 700 miles and for the most part, the roads are in great shape. Here are some observations from the trip:

America is now almost exactly the same. Whether you in NJ or in Al, all the cities along a major highway have the same stores, the same restaurants, and the same banks and hotels. We are now generic America.

One thing we always do on trips, is to look for, (and it is becoming harder), to find the “local” spots, i.e., the places that are regional and local to a place.

Many local folks eat at the chains. They are full of people. Why is this when the local places are so good?

The Gulf Coast looks like a tough place to be. Dauphine Island off Mobile has about every other house for sale. The locals say it is due to high insurance costs. Insurance premiums are now almost $10k per year. $10k can buy a lot of exclusive vacation time in a very exotic locale. I suspect that the Gulf coast is what the entire coastal area of the US will look like after global warming has impacted fully.

Did you know that asphalt is made from oil? It is the bottoms of the crude oil fraction that is polymerized and laid down with gravel. So, not only are we dependant on oil as fuel but also oil as roads. This story just keeps getting deeper all the time.

I had some really good friends that watered my orchard while I was away and the temperatures rose above 100F for a week. Bless them for doing that.

People from the South are just gracious and nice. They go out of their way to be hospitable.

The Boiling Pot in Mobile has the best friend shrimp I have ever eaten. It is not a chain.

100 degrees for days on end will sap your strength and energy.

The average speed on I-85 is 74 miles per hour from Elon to Montgomery. If it was not for a couple of spots of construction, I suspect it would be close to 80 mph.

It was less stressful, riding in the car for 12 hours and driving, that it would have been flying to Mobile. We would have had to change planes twice and the difference would have only been 4 hours less, net-net.

That's all for now.

Sam