Byways and Pullouts

Jack loves maps!  At the end of the day he pulls out his map collection.  Ranging from AAA’s finest, to locally produced tourism maps filled with cartoon characters pointing the way to local merchants to small plates in National Geographic’s Scenic Byways he pours over them reviewing the day’s route and planning the route options for the next day.  It all begins again at breakfast when he takes them to breakfast to review and give me an orientation for the day.  Many of his well laid plans come to pass just as they are planned.  But an equal number of plans fall victim to his ‘inner navigator’ who just can’t resist a side road.  There are many byways and back roads labeled and published on maps and in guidebooks fo tourists.  But Jack has found the ‘further back back roads’ and, much to our delight,  we’ve toured away from the bigger crowds.  Small towns and residential areas weave their way through these hills in a way that just breeds peace and serenity.  I thought we led a bit of a simple life in Olympia, but now am having to rethink that. 

A scene in Vermonth that is further back on the back roads.