Roads

I have always been fascinated with roads. Not sure why. But roads, where they go, their numbers, the way they curve . . . all of it has always fascinated me.

I have particularly been interested in the beginning and ending of roads, to know that a road begins somewhere and ends somewhere, and doesn't just go on forever, to locate where it starts and where it ends. That stuff really gets me going.

Route 66 is probably the most famous road in America. I feel honored to have seen where it begins, in Chicago, and where it ends, on the Santa Monica Boardwalk in Los Angeles.

The two places, its beginning and ending, are very different. As you can see, its beginning is barely marked. It is in downtown Chicago and if it were not for this sign, no one would have a clue (although, if you go one block over, there is also a sign on a one-way street going the other way, marking its ending). I had to dig fairly hard to even find this sign. A travel guide book told me of its whereabouts. I had been by it a few times on The El, the Chicago downtown inner-loop subway system, seen in the background. But I had to walk the streets for probably thirty minutes or so before I found the signs. In fact, I almost gave up, thinking I was in the wrong place.

The road's terminus, on the other hand, is done in typical American kitschy style. There are all sorts of markers along the boardwalk, complete with many touristy shops where you can purchase all sorts of paraphernalia. And, if my memory serves me correctly, there is one shop that is completely devoted to Route 66 with lots of interesting information.

Two completely different places. I guess that probably says a lot about Route 66 . . . and America . . . and the world we live in. Neither of them are necessarily right, neither necessarily wrong. It's interesting to be able to go to both places and not discount or put down either of them.

The Importance of Place

Florida definitely has the best beaches in the USA (in my opinion, anyway). But, that does not mean that other beaches are not good, in their own right, or as special.

I have been to California twice. Awesome place. Can't wait to go again. On both of those trips, I was able to visit Laguna Beach, in between L.A. and San Diego:

Unfortunately, these pictures do not do the place justice. No picture fully captures one's experience in a place. But these pictures were taken on my cell phone, which lags far behind the camera abilities on other phones.

But nonetheless, this is Laguna Beach. It's no wonder that a television show was named after and set in the place. It's amazing. On my first trip through the place, I enjoyed a very tasty brunch with family at a restaurant overlooking the shoreline. That was really nice. On my second trip, I was with two friends on a quick trip through, on the way back up to an Angels/Braves baseball game. We did not have a whole lot of time to spend there. But what we did spend was very nice.

We spent an hour or so on the rocks of the beach doing nothing. And it was fabulous. We had been running around trying to see some sites in the area during our brief stay. We decided to pop down to Laguna Beach. Once we got there, we found it difficult to leave. Being on the beach that day was very peaceful, rather tranquil. I remember leaving the place feeling refreshed and renewed, feeling better about the stresses and challenges going on in my life.

That's the power of place. Often, the exact setting does not matter because simply allowing ourselves the freedom and the opportunity to sit, to rest, to unwind, perhaps meditate and to think deeply can be so enriching. Places like Laguna Beach allow us, or even call us, to do that. I can think of a number of places that have had that effect upon me. Then, when I return there, for whatever reason, I feel the same sense of peace and hope that I originally felt.

It is good, and necessary, for us to find and then continue coming back to those kinds of places, whether they are in the forest behind our house or halfway around the world. Once we find them, we cannot help but realize how important they are to us.