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| KANSAS...THE FLINT HILLS |
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| OKLAHOMA...WINSTAR CASINO |
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| TEXAS...AN ASPIRING RANCHER (with one less chicken) |
For what they are worth, I will tender some of our observations made while traveling on I35, that great north/south bisector of the of the homeland which reaches from Duluth, MN on the shores of Lake Superior to Dallas, on the plains of Texas.
I must admit that if one truly wishes to see the country in all its diversity it is best to stay off the I Roads, but the Interstste system is a great indicator of overall economic health and commercial and social activity, and is itself a palpable tribute to the long range planning and engineering capacity of a great nation.
I 35 traverses or touches on a number of biomes along its route, from the edge of the boreal forest in the north, through deciduous forest and lake country in Minnesota and oak opening country in Iowa to the true prairies of the Flint Hills of Kansas, and the oak covered hills of Oaklahoma and Texas and the Texas prairies. These ecosystems are still evident but now are mostly changed or adapted to the growing of corn, wheat and cattle.
But now for what we saw on this trip of Christmas, 2014:
Gasoline prices declined precipitously, from around $2.50 per gallon for regular in Duluth on Dec. 18 to under two dollars in Texas by Christmas. By the time we returned, gasoline was as low as $1.78 in Texas and Oklahoma, and remained under $2.00 on the way back until Wisconsin, where it is now $2.29. Motel nightly rates also have declined since last year at this time, and we paid on average $65.00 per night with Buddy at pet friendly LaQuinta motels. Our trip expenses were at least $500 less this Christmas trip than last. Most of this is in my opinion due to the new economics of oil and natural gas brought about by fracking and the discovery of new carbon deposits throughout the US.
CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) is showing up at truck stops along the I Road, also a direct result of the energy revolution (and that is not too strong a word).
Economic activity and job creation are evident everywhere now, with advertisements for truck drivers prevalent, but also for welders and various manufacturing and service jobs. One does not realize how decentralized and diversified American manufacturing has become until one notices all the small and moderate sized manufacturing facilities there are along the highways and in almost every small town. Restaurants, motels and roadside facilities are doing a brisk business.
Social and economic change is also evident everywhere. If one ventures off the highway, most of the small towns look prosperous. Minneapolis is an evident economic powerhouse; Des Moines, Kansas City, Wichita and Oklahoma City have become dynamic metropolitan areas. The Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is almost beyond comprehension.
American Indian Casinos are everywhere, with I35 through Oklahoma being what I will call "Casino Alley." A popular song of my youth, probably never heard on the radio now because it would be considered politically incorrect, had these lyrics; "Way down yonder in the Indian Nation, the Redskins live on the reservation, in the Oklahoma hills where I was born." Now every Indian nation, Chocktaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee or whatever, has their own multi-million dollar casino, where the pale faces flock to voluntarily relieve themselves of there monetary scalps. Whether any of this bodes good or ill for Native Americans long term is anyone's guess, but they are certainly making their mark on the American consciousness and American society.
And, from Dallas to Minneapolis, Mexican and South American immigrants man the truck stops and fast food restaurants. All along the way, we saw these cheerful, hard-working, family oriented people adding their energy and spirit to the vibrant chaos that is modern mid-America.
If we make the same I 35 pilgrimage next year it will be interesting to see further where all this change is leading us.
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