Cassels Garage

Travel the Blue Highways

Published on February 9, 2016

Here is a recommendation for all of you who find yourselves making the same road trip over and over for years: Vary your route, and see more of the world. In 1982, William Least Heat Moon published a travelogue titled Blue Highways in which he encouraged road trippers to get off of the interstate highways and literally take the roads less traveled.

My wife and I moved eight hours away from her parents and her extended family over twenty years ago. Since then we have made over fifty road trips back and forth to visit our family. For way too long, we stuck to the same route, the fastest one we could find. However, several years ago we embraced a dramatic change in our attitudes toward these trips. We decided that the vacation could start once we pulled out of our driveway rather than when we arrived at our destination.

At first, we took small steps toward enjoying the journey on the way to the destination. We started by taking time to enjoy a nice meal at a restaurant with a server rather than just grabbing the fastest food we could find. We found that routine to be a nice break in the trip that did not add too much time to the trip.

About five years ago, we took our explorations a step farther. We determined to “add to our collection” at least one new place every time we made the trip to see family. Usually our destinations are within an hour of the interstate, and we will spend anywhere from one to three hours exploring before we get back on the road to our ultimate destination. Sometimes we will just pick a new town and walk through downtown looking for an interesting restaurant. We have also taken trolley tours and toured forts on these side trips.

One of the grand things about having family so far away has been our ability to create memories along the way. We have discovered incredibly unique places all by taking a chance and getting off the road. One memory none of us ever wants to deal with is a breakdown on the side of a country road. The vehicle you take on your road trips undoubtedly plays a role in the kinds of experiences you will have along the way to your destination. It is always wise to make sure your car is ready to handle the journey.

At Cassels Garage in West Melbourne, we will be glad to give your vehicle a checkup before your next road trip. We are a family-owned shop well equipped to provide routine maintenance or do major repairs on your car. We have been serving Brevard County since 1966.

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