A Route 66 Fix
This column was written by CBS News Early Show co-anchor Harry Smith.
Sometimes I think our nation's manifest destiny is tied to our intake manifold. You know, like, like Charles Kuralt, or like the National Lampoon vacation pictures.
Tell me you don't just love a two-lane blacktop road that's off the beaten track — where you can roll the windows down, listen to your favorite tunes a little too loud and maybe test the speed limit a little bit.
But gas prices and global sensitivity to the environment are changing that. Add to that our clogged roads and endless strip malls and, let's face it, the joy in joy riding is just about gone. It's hard to imagine — a world of little cars taking little trips like in Europe, where gas is double what we pay. But can that all be so far way?
So I came up with a solution.
Pick a short drive to a local road where the two-lane blacktop gives you a quick Route 66 fix. It might not solve anything, but a sweet measured ride on a road where there's nuthin' might just make you feel like we still have everything.
Harry's daily commentary can be heard on manyCBS Radio News affiliates across the country.