Roadsign Philosophy – The Road to LA, Day 4

(Click for Day 1, Day 2, Day 3)

I’ve made it to California. I’m about 15 miles west of the California-Arizona border, in a Best Western in Needles. It’s a small town in the middle of the desert. I don’t quite know how to describe it; it seems like a mix between people who have lived here all their lives and people who are just staying while doing outdoors stuff. The Colorado River is nearby. No, that’s not the Colorado River in the picture.

While I was driving through New Mexico, I saw a sign that said “Warning: Dust Clouds May Exist.” Usually when putting up any sort of caution sign, it’s wise to avoid implying any sort of existential ambiguity. Sure, dust clouds may exist, but perhaps they do not. Are we really seeing the dust clouds, or is our expectation of their existence causing us to see dust clouds that aren’t really there? Do any of us really exist at all? How can you be sure that everyone you know isn’t just a figment of your imagination, that you’re really a vegetable in a hospital bed on life support? Those are the things I thought about when I saw that sign.

Questioning my own existence aside, what the hell kind of sign is that? The Yeti may exist. The Loch Ness Monster may exist. Aliens may exist. Maybe the whole Roswell thing permeates the New Mexican culture, and that sign is just a subconscious expression of that weird Fox Mulder “OMG Aliens!” culture. Would you ever see a sign near a crosswalk saying “Warning: Pedestrians Crossing Street May Exist”? If you did see that sign, would your reaction be “I’ll believe it when I see it (or run over them)”?

I stopped at a “scenic view” in New Mexico right off I-40. It’s like a rest area, but with no restroom facilities or vending machines or tables or benches or those things with the maps that show you exactly where you are in the state. It’s nothing like a rest area, actually. It’s just a place you can exit from the highway and, uh, look at the scenery. I did see the scenic area, which was quite scenic indeed. There was also a bunch of makeshift shacks set up, where a few Native Americans were selling pottery, jewelry, and other things. I talked with Faye, pictured below. Between the cars passing by on the highway and her very soft-spoken manner, I could only catch about half of what she was saying. She loves painting. I bought a piece of pottery from her and wished her well.

Arizona was an excellent drive, besides the steady rain I encountered from about 60 miles east of Flagstaff through the start of the mountains. Huge mountains in the distance, and vast valleys in between. It was every long shot from every Western/cowboy movie ever made. You have to see it yourself to appreciate it. No pictures – not mine nor anyone else’s – do it justice. I drove through some mountains as well, and would have tried to snap some pictures of those too were it not for the curvy roads and the number of trucks around me on the road.

My only regret with this trip is not allotting more time, like a week and a half, to stop at places I want to see, or even just pull over on the side of the road and snap pictures. For example, today I missed out on the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. At least with those landmarks, I’ll be relatively close. I would have loved to go to any number of random museums I passed along the way (the Museum of Nuclear Science in New Mexico is one that stands out). I’d have loved to go to some grimy blues bar in Memphis, or explore Nashville, or do whatever there is to do in Oklahoma City. Eh, maybe I’ll get a chance to do this again in the future. In the meantime, I need rest; Los Angeles is tomorrow!

Advertisement