“What is more beautiful than a road?
It is the symbol and the image of an active, varied life.”
— George Sand
U.S. Highway 50 is 3,073 miles long. It connects Ocean City, Maryland, and Sacramento, California. For much of its distance it is a two-lane highway serving local residents, while drivers from distant locations race along nearby Interstates. Nonetheless, it is clearly marked and ready for a cross-country traveler.
Route 50 is thus an anachronism: There is no longer a need for a national highway routed over mountains and rivers, along rural roads, around small-town squares, and through suburban streets and city blocks. But that is Route 50, and here is a romantic notion: The many people with houses on Route 50 can pull out of their driveways, turn east to Ocean City or head west to Sacramento, and never leave the road that passes home.
I’ve traveled the entirety of Route 50 many times, and this book is about places and things located within roughly 10 miles on either side of the highway. Since Route 50 extends more than 3,000 miles, that adds up to over 60,000 square miles. It’s a lot of territory to cover, and I don’t pretend to have covered it all. I hope, though, that some of the places I’ve visited will interest you.
Twelve days is a good length of time for a civilized trip across America. It allows interesting stops, plus restorative dining at the end of each day. This is not a guidebook, though, so you will find no evaluations of hotels, and you’re on your own choosing places to eat. Though if you’re in a town that’s a county seat, and you’re looking for lunch, head for the courthouse square and look for the place that’s full of lawyers and judges. You’re likely to get some good soup and a fine piece of pie there.
The photos here are mine unless otherwise noted, and the information and stories are largely based on my understanding of park signs, historical markers, web pages, Wikipedia articles, and other similar sources. Although I think my work is accurate, it should not be construed as authoritative rigorous research, and you should not be footnoting it in something you write. Rather, imagine yourself riding along with a person who is interested and full of stories. Unintentional mistakes may be made.
And one more thing: The content of this book has been assembled over a number of years. Each piece was current when it was written, but over time things may have changed.
Of course, on a real road trip, you’re stuck if you don’t like the other person’s conversation, but in this case you’re free to hit the road yourself. You could choose Route 50 — there’s lots more to find beyond what’s covered here. Or you could choose one of the other non-interstate highways that cross the U.S., some from east to west and others from north to south.
But enough talk. We’ll make a brief pause to honor the first person to drive across America and then begin our own road trip.
Enjoy the ride!
Scott
“The traveler sees what he sees,
the tourist sees what he has come to see.”
— G. K. Chesterton
ps. You might want to know how roads such as Route 50 came to be. Connections between the U.S. Highway system and bicycles, the Good Roads Movement, and auto trails are explored here.
Except where noted, all text and photos copyright © 2008-2023 Scott A. Seely. All rights reserved.