“See
the USA in your Chevrolet.” Many of you
may have never heard this 1949 jingle used on various television programs
throughout the 50s and into the 60s. It
still gropes up from time to time in revised promotions. But the very basic gist of the tune was to
sell automobiles to the returned military personnel who were now settling into
a family life and could use these calmer times to explore the wealth of
progress being felt in the post-war United States. All types of expansion was being accomplished
by the creative public that had returned from service during wartime and now
wanted to be part of “the great American dream.”
Think
about many of the great American icons of the restaurant phenomenon that began
during the 50s. In the 1940s brothers,
Dick and Mac McDonald ran a small but successful restaurant in San Bernardino,
California. Ray Kroc visited them in
1954 and in 1955 he founded McDonald’s System, Inc. (a predecessor of the
McDonald’s Corp.). You will probably
learn more about that story by watching the movie “The Founder” with Michael
Keaton. Founded in 1954, Burger King has
become the second largest fast food hamburger chain in the world.
The
founders of the Dairy Queen system were men and women who introduced a new kind
of dessert treat and, in the process, developed the foundation of the
franchising industry. With only 100
stores in 1947, it grew to 1,446 in 1950 and then to 2,600 in 1955.
Sonics’
history can be traced back to 1953 and a small root beer stand called Top Hat
in Shawnee, Oklahoma. In 1959, Troy
Smith and partner Charles Pappe christened the existing locations Sonic. And you may be able to think of other such
operations. But WHY did these businesses
become so popular and so profitable? It
was because the American population had hit the open road for adventure and
travel!
Then
with the support of President Dwight D. Eisenhower the first “national”
implementation of modern Germany’s Autobahn network as a necessary component of
a national defense system was deemed necessary.
So the Interstate Highway System was authorized on June 29, 1956 and
construction began. Now we certainly
appreciate this more convenient means of transporting across the countryside. Although it seems in every major location
there is constant construction being done on these roadways to keep them as
up-to-date as possible.
However,
we must also admit that by making the highways available, they were also meant
to be expedient in getting from one point to the next by by-passing many of our
wonderful smaller communities in the country.
Truly this is sad, but understandably a “modern” progression in our
unending desire for faster and more improved roadways. But what have we deprived ourselves of? Unfortunately I can’t consider every
possibility and small community, but consider a few examples of places you miss
if you only drive on the Interstate highways.
(1) Walnut Grove is a city in Redwood County,
Minnesota. The population was 871 at the
time of the 2010 census. It was plated
in 1874 and named for a grove of black walnut trees near the original town site
on the Plum Creek. Many of you may know
this small community from the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and the TV production
“Little House on the Prairie”. You may
be surprised to know that at one time Charles Ingalls was justice of the
peace! Check out the community at www.walnutgrove.org.
(2) Greenville
is a small city and the county seat of Washington County, Mississippi. The population was 34,400 at the 2010
census. It is located in the area of
historic cotton plantations and culture known as the Mississippi Delta. Greenville is located on the eastern bank of
Lake Ferguson, an oxbow lake left from an old channel of the Mississippi
River. Check out the possibilities at www.visitgreenville.org.
(3) Farmington
is a city in San Juan County in New Mexico.
As of the 2013 population estimate there was a population of 45,426
people. It is located at the junction of
the San Juan River, the Animas River, and the La Plata River and is located in
the Colorado Plateau. You won't believe
the list of family-friendly events held every year. Check out this wonderful vacation spot at www.farmingtonnm.org.
(4) San
Angelo is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County. It’s located in the Concho Valley, a region
of West Texas between the Permian Basin to the northwest, Chihuahuan Desert to
the southwest, Osage Plains to the northeast, and Central Texas to the
southeast. According to the 2014 census
estimate the population was 100,450. Get
more details by visiting www.sanangelo.org.
(5) Albany
is the county seat of Dougherty County.
Located in the southwest portion of the State
of Georgia. In the 2010 US census the
population was recorded at 77,434, making it (at that time) the eighth largest
city in the state. Many adventures and
activities are available in this southern-hospitality city. Visit www.visitalbanyga.com.
I
continue by adding in this blog I have not received compensation of any kind
(and don’t plan on receiving any) for mentioning the above communities during
this writing. I have only used them as a
small example of the great vacation and adventure spots we could miss if we
only limited ourselves to taking the faster routes as we commute across the
country. Why not consider looking in
your own neck of the woods for a future outing.
You may be truly amazed at what is available to you.
Life
moves fast enough on its’ own. Slow
down. Enjoy the view as you pass along
the road of life. You may find a more
enjoyable life style by doing so. But,
then again, we’re only human!
QUOTE TO CONSIDER
THOUGHTFUL GEM
"When no one wants to hire you for lack of experience,
why do they make you retire when you get it?"
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