little towns

Staying off the interstate and other heavily traveled four lane roads is a prerequisite for having a good time on a motorcycle trip. This means that you go rolling through a lot of little towns. While I wouldn't want to live in a little town I'm glad other people do so they can provide me with an enjoyable experience. I find a lot of entertainment in stopping at a ma and pa owned restaurant or gas station to stretch my legs and catch glimpses of Americana.

My favorite kind of town is the county seat town with the courthouse in the square and little shops lining the street on all four sides. I've found that you can park your cycle, find a decent locally owned restaurant, and a few interesting shops to stroll around in, which makes for a pleasant break from the road.

I buy Shell gasoline if I can get it, but my favorite kind of gas station is the kind where you can pump your gas, go inside and buy a Coke, sit down at a makeshift booth or table, kick back and look at some newspapers and magazines. Local people come in and make small talk with the owner who is also somewhat of a mechanic and is working on someone's car in an attached garage off to the side. Those kinds of places are disappearing from the landscape, which is too bad because when you're on a motorcycle trip your goal isn't usually to just "gas and go". I like to linger, stretch, and plan the next section of road which is always better than stopping along the side of the road like we did in the picture above. That was actually because I got cold and had to put on my jean jacket . My brother is very patient with me.

Small business owners have a rough go of it these days and so they try to put a lot of hooks out in the water to maybe snag a customer or two. That explains the combination library, restaurant and photography shop in the top picture. It's funny, and you can't blame a guy for trying.