Traveling a Fast Road

I prefer traveling the back roads; interstates offer a great deal of sameness and make for a tedious ride. The interstates are what Americans want to believe the country is: fast, commercial, egalitarian, clean, efficient, well-organized. The side roads are where we find the real United States, a much more complex society: full of small business, local history, cafes, diners, and people who are friendly not because they are being paid to be so. It is a good place to observe the angst of the country as well. It is not uncommon to see shuttered storefronts and closed local schools. Nevertheless, sometimes, for efficiency sake, we must travel those fast highways to be where we are supposed to be, when we are expected to be there.

Often, I find myself traveling west on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, perhaps the closest thing to a compromise between the efficiency of an interstate and curiosities of an early twentieth century route. The turnpike was opened in 1940 and served as a model for the interstate system of highways that dominates the United States today. While it has limited access, the turnpike does have views and sights that make the drive entertaining and interesting. Thus, there are two places near Somerset, both of which capture my imagination in different way, and serve as mental waypoints for my journey.

An old brick structure that is sits closer to the road than would probably be allowed in the modern construction, conjures images of travel from days past. While driving through the countryside just east of Somerset, I can catch a glimpse of this evocative old structure and imagine it to be an old inn, perhaps from the 19th-century. Perhaps it was a railroad hotel; but there are no railroad tracks nearby. Maybe the turnpike took the place of an older road which this inn served. Or, perhaps this is just an old farmhouse, with an interesting design, and I have let my imagination get the best of me. Each time I drive through this section of the turnpike, I take a quick peak, and the building sparks questions in my mind: How can I find out more? What would have been here before the turnpike was built? This is why I probably enjoy this part of the drive so much. The building (the inn) gives me a pleasant distraction from the mind-numbing monotony of interstate driving.

"Cranberry House," near Somerset, PA

After passing the structure numerous times, I began making notes about its location and calculating an investigation. I was able to determine that the structure was located near the village of Wells, adjacent to Cranberry Road. A nice name I thought; in my mind, I have named the structure Cranberry House.  Its location is, decidedly, on private property. Yet, the bridge on Cranberry Road, which traverses the turnpike, affords a vantage point to observe and photograph the building. There is, of course, a temptation to research and learn more. But maybe it is more entertaining to create stories in my head about what it might have been.

Birds atop the globe

Just a few miles down the road is a structure that offers a great deal of mirth. A large tower, with a globe atop, marks the headquarters for Jenny Steam Cleaning Products. The globe is noticeable and attracts attention from passing motorists. What catches my attention, why I make sure I look every time I pass, is that there are always birds, specifically pigeons, who perch on top of the globe. In all kinds of weather, and every season, as I pass the Somerset exit, I take a quick look at the revolving globe to make sure there are birds, slowly spinning, watching the busy humans, as they travel the Pennsylvania Turnpike.