Traveling Country Roads 101

Across the Fence #503

It’s time for a refresher course on how to travel on country roads. Many people never take time to slow down and take a leisurely ride through this glorious countryside we live in. I think most people will agree that we are in a hurry these days. The roads are filled with people trying to get from point A to point B in the shortest possible time. Our Interstate highways are racetracks. City streets are clogged with bumper to bumper traffic. That’s not the kind of road I like to be on or want to travel. It doesn’t lend itself to peaceful meanderings and wonderful discoveries.

Lets spend a few minutes and get off the fast track. Lets start by exiting the Interstate and finding a lesser traveled state highway where the posted speed limit is 55. Granted, very few people go the speed limit. They like to travel 5-10 miles an hour over the limit. That’s 75 on the Interstate and 65 on state highways. That’s way too fast to enjoy the countryside around you. 

To really explore the country you need to find a sideroad, a country road that takes you off the beaten path. Most of those roads are blacktop these days. Slow down to 35 and start noticing the scenery, the wildflowers in the ditches, the old farmhouses and barns, and watch for wildlife in the fields and hills around you. Maybe you’ll see a turtle crossing the road, deer and fawns, or cranes in a marsh. If you come across a gravel or dirt road, you’re really getting back to basics. Slow down even more, so you don’t raise too much dust. If you’re really lucky, you might come across the ultimate country road that’s more of a pathway. That’s where you have a couple of dirt ruts with grass and weeds growing between them. You need to have an adventurous spirit to start down one of those pathways because you never know where it will take you or what you might find at the end of the trail. If there are “No Trespassing” or “Private Property” signs at the entrance to a road, respect their privacy and don’t enter. Those signs are there for a reason. You don’t want to be staring down the barrel of a shotgun at the end of the road.

Traveling a country road isn’t meant to be a race. When Linda and I go for rides around the countryside, we don’t have the pedal to the metal. To enjoy country roads you need to slow down, open the windows, and turn off the radio. There’s so much to see, hear, and smell and it’s not the same with the windows rolled up tight and the air-conditioner and radio on full blast. Here in Vernon County, in the heart of the Driftless Region, going for a country drive is like riding a roller coaster. Up, down, and around you go, constantly winding back and forth around every hill and valley in the landscape. It’s hard to find a straight road in the whole driftless area, and there’s still plenty of wild country. When Linda first experienced all the wild country around here, she laughed and said if I ever wanted to get rid of her, all I’d have to do is take her for a ride and drop her off on some desolate road, and she’d never find her way back. 

All the curves and hills are another reason to slow down and enjoy the scenery. You never know what you might encounter around the next bend or over the crest of the next hill. Even so, many people are still in a hurry on country roads. When we get an impatient driver on our bumper, we find a place to pull over and let them speed on by. Or, we turn at the first sideroad we come to and hope the other car goes straight. If they turn too, we start the process all over again.

When traveling country roads we don’t have a destination in mind. We let the road and scenery determine which way we’ll go. Generally our destination is back home again, but we seldom know what roads we’ll take when we start out. That’s all part of the fun and adventure of exploring country roads.

We often ride though Amish Country. Much of the area between Bloomingdale, Cashton, and Ontario is now farmed by the Amish. It’s a great area to visit if you want to see how farming was done back when I was young. No matter how busy they are, they take time to smile and wave as we pass by. We always return their greeting. I want to make a plea to everyone who drives through areas where Amish live and work. Please slow down and be alert for buggies and people walking. You never know what you’ll meet as you come over the crest of a hill. If you’re going too fast you’ll never be able to stop in time. I see too many impatient people speeding along and taking chances by passing a horse and buggy on a hill or blind curve. A horse-pulled buggy, farm wagon, or tractor, has just as much right to a country road as my car.

The key to traveling country roads is to slow down, enjoy the scenery, listen to the chorus of the countryside, and experience the wonderful world of nature.

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