Complex Numbers

Exterior Deterior

As I mentioned a while back, I usually do these road trips on secondary roads. Of course, it takes longer; that's the point. The only downside is that, sometimes, especially west of the Mississippi, roadside service are few and far between, and those that exist cater mostly to local traffic. Tough to find fuel or food, sometimes, and don't even get me started on locating restrooms.

The main thing you notice on the back roads, though, is the utter deterioration of everything. Crumbling towns, crappy infrastructure, empty buildings with gaping windows. If you're not by an interstate, the world has passed you by.

But, this trip, I've mostly stuck to the highways because, unusually for me, time was a factor. And behold, roadside services have deteriorated there, as well. Many highway rest areas were closed; the open ones seemed poorly-maintained. Commercial services, like restaurants and gas stations, have become shabby and questionable. Not to mention the sorry state of repair of some of the highways, themselves.

Certainly, there are exceptions, places that are still nice. But they're exceptions.

Doesn't matter how rosy other economic indicators might be; my Road Trip Indicator is flashing, at best, a warning yellow. We're doomed, and I don't know how we can get un-doomed.

But... at least there's beer.

Tomorrow, probably, back home, and back to the usual in here.