Traveling by road is the cheapest way to travel across this vast country which is about 4 times the size if India. When the great depression hit the US in 1929, the government decided to provide employment to a large number of its citizens through an extremely ambitious project – that of building a fantastic network of roads countrywide. They took a huge loan from the world bank in order to execute this project, and have not been able to control their external debt sinceJ
In my opinion, it was worth the effort. This was the first time I regretted not having an international drivers license with me. A lot of my friends told me that they drive the roads of the country when they want to relax. I did not quite believe them till I saw for myself. A long road trip, from NJ to Cleveland and then from Cleveland to Carbondale prove to me that driving here can indeed be relaxing.
In the 1930s GM also made a huge investment, they put up rest areas every hundred miles or so along most of the highways, so travelers could rest and refresh themselves on long drives. They did this because they were convinced that travel by road was the way leisure travel would be done, and the existence of these rest areas have gone a long way to make driving the preferred mode of travel for leisure here.
Each rest area is like a picnic spot with tables and benches to have picnic meals on. Each table also has a grill placed close so that people can grill their food for their picnics if they choose. The main rest building has toilet facilities and if the rest area is near the entry into a state, it also has a visitor’s information desk. In the absence of this desk, a variety of literature is provided free of cost. These brochures cover information about the areas of interest in the vicinity as well as hotels and their contact numbers.
Watching the countryside, one realizes how green the country is and I wonder how they have managed to build these roads without destroying nature on either side.
Another invaluable feature of all the highways in the US is the slight rough patch on the shoulders of each road. This is so that the car shudders when it hits this patch, bringing to the drivers attention that he has crossed the road limits and is almost on the shoulder of the road. This is extremely necessary since it is very easy to nod off during long drives given the roads are excellent and there is seldom any traffic.
Signs along the roads inform you of the FM channel to tune in to, to get information on local weather and traffic conditions. President Bush has recently sanctioned several million dollars to repair roads all over the country and signs are also posted to inform you where this money is being put to use. The sign gives you information about how much of a delay this road work would cause, giving alternative routes that can be used if you so wished!!
It is not uncommon to spot deer crossing the road just ahead of you, especially if you are driving in the early hours of the morning or late in the evening. How delightful!! They are also considered a nuisance because not all drivers are able to stop their cars and avoid hitting the deer. If you hit a deer at 65 miles an hour, you can wish your car goodbye.
Oh, and satish’s van is equipped with a GPS system which will ensure that you never get lost, though the voice that the route guidance system uses is extremely annoying. The van also has 2 TV screens and a 6 speaker Bose music system!! Sigh!! I could just live on the roads of the US of A!!!
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