Cool! We took the Dixie Highway across the South to near Savannah long ago, great trip.

This week I got to experience some great US Highways. US 90 through West Texas is always a thrill, the wide open and dramatic landscape. Okay so we didn't actually see the mysterious Marfa lights, but it was still cool to camp by the side of 90, train rumbling nearby. Detouring into the Davis Mtns for the observatory. And the newish visitor center/museum Texas has built off 90 at Langtry in honor of Judge Roy Bean etc. was fantastic, shows up before you cross the Pecos, tailgated by Border Patrol.

Spent a lot of that drive singing "You Ask Me What I Like About Texas". Which does not mention US highways, but might as well.

Later I cut north on US 83 from Uvalde, where the west begins if you ask me. On the east side of the road, more green fields and cedar, on the west, more mesquite scrub. This road skirts the west side of the Hill Country and so has not been ruined yet, unless you count the aggressive drivers. But close enough to Austin for a truckload of radio stations to suddenly appear, 90% various varieties of country but a sprinkling of Hispanic-Christian and whatnot. Where else can you hear "Delta Dawn" twice in one hour? Nowhere, methinks.

Then it was time to fire up "East Bound and Down" by the mighty Jerry Reed, get on US 190, blast through goat, pecan, and sheep country through San Saba etc. Regrettably, like many places, 190 disappears, and you get forced onto a horrible interstate loaded with horrible new buildings, through the concrete sprawl and construction mess around Ford Hood and Killeen.

But, at trail's end near Temple, a delightful campground overlooking limestone bluffs and a lake, little deer herds, live oaks, and swooping birds, not to mention warm temperatures and a homey southern host lady. Ahh.   

Where was I? Oh, sorry. My point was, along US 190 I heard Charley Pride singing "Is Anybody Going to San Antone" wherein he mentions "walking down 66".   A damn good song which deserves to be sung more.