Roads Less Traveled

Across the Fence 346

I think most people like to travel on main roads and freeways, where they can speed along and get to their destination in a hurry. That’s fine when you need to get from point A to point B, but I prefer the less traveled roads whenever possible.

People miss so many things when they have their pedal to the metal all the time. I guess if you looked in a dictionary under Sunday Drivers, you’d find a picture of Linda and me. We like to go for rides on back roads and cruise along slowly, enjoying the scenery, and watching for animal activity along the way. When an impatient driver gets behind us, I pull over and let them hurry on their way.

Some roads in Wisconsin are designated as Rustic Roads. When you travel on a Rustic Road, the speed limit is 45 mph. I think every road in Vernon County should be designated as a Rustic Road. It has to be one of the most beautiful, scenic areas in the country. Much of it is still wild, with a minimum amount of human habitation.

According to the Wisconsin DOT, a Rustic Road needs to possess the following qualities: It should have outstanding natural features along its borders, such as rugged terrain, native vegetation, native wildlife, or include open areas with agricultural vistas which singly, or in combination, set this road apart from other roads.

It should be a lightly traveled local access road, one which serves the adjacent property owners and those wishing to travel by auto, bicycle, or hiking for purposes of recreational enjoyment of its rustic features, and it should be a road not scheduled nor anticipated for major improvements that would change its rustic characteristics.

Most of the roads we like to travel on have those characteristics. They are definitely roads less traveled. It includes a lot of forested, wild country. I’ve often thought that a person who knew how to live and survive in nature, could hide out in those hills and coulees, and no one would discover them until hunting season, when the hills are alive with gun-toting, nature lovers. As my father used to say in his Norwegian accent, “Dose woods are really tick!”

Because the woods and vegetation are so “tick” this time of year, it’s such a different experience traveling on winding, hilly, country roads instead of the wide-open, busy interstate highways. The first thing you need to do if you want to enjoy a leisurely drive on a country road is slow down, roll the windows down, and turn off the air conditioning and radio. Then you’re ready to enjoy the ride.

As you drive slowly along, listen. Listen to the wind in the trees and grass. Listen to the birds singing. Listen to the gentle sound of water as it tumbles over the rocks if you’re alongside a stream. Stop and listen to the silence.

Feel the coolness of the shade on a hot summer day as you drive through a canopy of trees that reach out and form a tunnel over the road. It’s like driving through a time tunnel, back to a time when things seemed simpler and life moved at a slower pace.

As you wind your way slowly along those back-country roads, you’ll come across places that time has left behind. Abandoned farm houses and farm buildings are not uncommon. Their only occupants are now mice, birds, and the ghosts of the past. Quiet country roads are peopled with ghosts. I like to stop if there aren’t any no trespassing signs, and explore the old structures. I’m always looking for the story behind every door. Old barns and abandoned houses call out to be explored. You can almost hear the ghosts of past occupants, telling their stories.

As you travel slowly along country roads, you never know what animal or bird you may encounter around the next corner. We’ve come across deer eating alongside the road, deer and turkeys sharing the same cornfield, a red fox wandering along the ditch, bald eagles sitting in a tree or feasting on a carcass in a field beside the road. Rabbits, woodchucks, raccoon families, turkey buzzards, cranes, coyotes, cats out mousing alongside the road, and even an occasional skunk are spotted. Keep your camera handy for those Kodak moments.

When I need to slow down and unwind, a leisurely drive on country roads will do the trick. Be prepared to do a lot of waving too. The people you meet along those roads are friendly. They are down to earth, hard working people. They are people who also know about roads less traveled.

I’m often accused of never taking the same road twice. If we go one way, we always take another road home. I plead guilty as charged. As Yogi Berra said, “If you come to a fork in the road, take it.” He also said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you may end up someplace else.” When I come to a fork in the road, I never know which way I may go. It’s always fun to find and explore new roads, country roads, the roads less traveled, and yes, we often end up someplace else.

That’s what’s great about taking roads less traveled. It’s always an adventure.