I-40, somewhere in Oklahoma We pass the world-famous leaning water tower of Groom; Texas’s first Phillips 66 service station in McLean; the U-Drop Inn in Shamrock. Roadside curiosities drift by to the accompaniment of Alex’s monologue, like illustrations from a coffee-table book come to life. We stop at each one and take photos. Time passes, but the landscape changes less and less. It makes me long for the interstate and dangerously high speed limits. We cross the border into Oklahoma, and though it’s nothing but a line on a map, it feels like progress. Oklahoma borders Missouri, and I live in Missouri. It’s a step closer to home. Luckily, Route 66 has been consumed by I-40, so we move fast through dust bowl territory. Looking out at the sandblasted, sun-scorched land, it’s hard to imagine how anyone ever survived here. Eventually the landscape includes some greenery. Matt pulls into the right lane and signals. “Why are we getting off?” I ask. “Because it’s lunchtime and I’m hungry.
What do You think about Thou Shalt Not Road Trip (2012)?
