trucker's atlas/father's atlas
Memory lane is a two-lane highway.
For five years, my father and I took roadtrips, trailing the asphalt in different corners of the country. Dotting around New England seeing college towns; moving from the beaches of my native south Florida to the mountains of North Carolina; down the whole Oregon coast; from my birthplace, St. Paul, Minnesota to Colorado; then from Colorado to Washington state.
We loved the American West the best, and we still do. And we’ll always remember the music too.
One song guides me back to the places, the western landscapes, bleak and lush. I want you to listen and see what I saw.
I’m going to Colorado
to unload my head…
This truckers atlas roads the ways,
The freeways and highways don’t know
The buzz from the bird on my dash,
Road locomotive phone
I don’t feel and I feel great I sold my atlas by the freight stairs
I do lines and I crossed roads I crossed the lines of all the great state roads
I’m going up, going over to Montana
You got yourself a trucker’s atlas
You knew you were all hot
Well, maybe you’ll go and blow a gasket
You start at the Northwest corner
Go down through California
Beeline, you might drive three days
Three nights to the tip of Florida.
All images were taken by me.