We live about 20 minutes north of Tucson, in a newer community of Marana a few miles off the main interstate running from Tucson to Phoenix. In the last few months, a new road was completed just off the freeway, with four lanes and a wide, beautiful median of desert floral. It replaces the bumpy, lumpy frontage road and two lane jaunt through the cotton fields.
After taking the ‘new” road for over a month, I got to thinking that it was LONGER to take the new, smooth road at 45 mph, than the old, construction truck-frequented bumpy, 35 mph lane. So, in my typical analytical fashion, set my odometer and set off to measure time and distance.
My findings were that the smooth “new” road took 5 minutes, and was 3 miles long. The former pathway took 6 minutes, and was 3.5 miles long.
Again, I mention my analytical nature because I couldn’t just drop it at that. Upon reflection of my results, I began to parallel it with life, past and present.
I remember being a passenger as we drove across the Dakotas. We swore that if we looked far enough down the road we saw ahead of us straight and narrow AND SMOOTH, we’d see our night’s destination. BORING, LONG, UNEVENTFUL!!!!
Or...When you’re sitting in a jury duty waiting room ALL DAY, it seems to take forever. However if you’re sitting in the aisle awaiting TRAFFIC COURT…your time can come too SOON!
Or... how about the safe pleasure of a merry go round—at what age does the majority begin to desire speed, thrills, spins, flips….
For us the drive to Phoenix is pretty dull until you get close in. It’s a flat, barren land broken by occasional small towns and farm areas. We enjoy our mountains as we near Tucson and find the canyons, peaks and rocks of Arizona preferable to the scrub-filled flats. I have driven all day on the dirt backroads of AZ along the southern border and found that more “fun” than the first 80 miles driving north to Phoenix…
So, what do you think? Bumps or smooth sailing?
Don’t the potholes and curves and detours in life add the interest, the spice, the COMPLEXITY to life?
Or from another perspective….the differences between the roads we journey help us to appreciate both as they come…at least in hindsight?
Or digging deeper…the curves the bad roads toss our way prepare us to be better drivers on the straightaway?
See…I told you that road is long going home…lots of time for reflection….
By the way...the photo above was taken at the tip of Door County, WI...the final 2 miles to catch the ferry to Washington Island. Gorgeous summer, winter and fall. The best part???? The ric-rack, zig zag, up and down!!!!!
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3 comments:
I hate all the highways in Arizona. Any route in Arizona that begins with I- is one I'd prefer to avoid. Unpredictable gusts, too many trucks, and maniac drivers makes for a not-so-fun drive North.
When Ashley and I drove down to Tucson two summers back, the Washington-Oregon-California coastal highways 101 and 1 were great...(although it was not at all pleasant being on the unprotected curves of coastal california, after dark (not really being able to see what was coming around the next corner), with impatient locals riding our @$$, knowing we were just an errant few feet from a 250+ ft plunge down to the pacific).
We had lower expectations for the return trip, taking I-10 or whatever it is that goes west from AZ, and then I-5 from California all the way up to Seattle. That was actually a very beautiful drive...Mount Shasta is gorgeous.
So that was interesting to find that the Interstate route was actually quite interesting, smooth, and a much, much less demanding drive than the two lane coastal route.
Anyway, you were probably trying to elicit something more complex with your seemingly grander and more metaphoric post, but like Sarah Palin, I'm just going to ignore that and respond the way I want to respond and talk straight to America so they can decide for themselves without the filter of the mainstream media.
I thought the picture you posted was from Tucson when I first skimmed the post...now I finally get it. Yes, the last stretch before WA Isle is great.
Glad to hear there's a way to get to your house that doesn't involve that old frontage road. I wasn't a fan.
How is the house sale coming along? Have any homes sold in Tucson over the last 12 months? When are more people going to start commenting on your blog?
Most of my comments have come in personal emails... I think they don't want to "sign up" in order to comment. Cara
yeah signing up sucks. you should fix that so we can comment more easily and also so we can comment using fake and imposter names.
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