Highway 12

For all of my two, maybe three, readers: if you missed my "weekend links" last week that is because I was on the road.  US highway 12 to be specific.  Why 12? Well, because when I was a kid, before I94 even existed, US12 was the main (only) east-west highway going through Minneapolis.  It was like a river (had to throw than in for "RiversHedge" sake) flowing west.  When I finally figured out later that it went from all the way from Detroit to the Pacific, that particular fact tweaked my imagination and I decided I wanted to drive it all the way to the end some day, which I did, finally, carbon-shame notwithstanding, last week (except for the DTW to MSP leg which I had already driven). 

I won't describe the entire drive here as a blog post but my advice for anyone that has not seen the US or for anyone that has not gone west of the 100th meridian is to consider the Hwy 12 route/methodology.  This is for several reasons which I will describe here:

1. US Route 12 is a great and representative slice of the northern tier of the western US.
2. It is almost entirely two lane roads so that one can get a feel for small towns and back country rather than interstates and truck stops and big cities.  That also means there are very few trucks.  Or other cars for that matter.  
3. Forcing yourself to follow a specific route number forces you to go to places you might have otherwise not gone to.
4. The first half of the trip follows for the most part, the Milwaukee Road Pacific Extension (1901-1909) which, though it was not the first railroad, is at least a part of the history of the opening of the west by the railroads.  Many of the towns are named for things that are affiliated with the rail history: conductors, home towns, directors, investors, etc.  Try to figure out, just for fun if you go, how the RR men scouted and graded and bridged their way west. Currently it is one of three major active BNSF routes bringing things like grain, coal and oil (among other things) east. 
5. The second half of the trip follows, for the most part, the Lewis and Clark expedition.  One can appreciate the difficulty of the journey, especially going through Lolo Pass through the Bitterroots. 
6. The second half of the trip covers quite a few parts of the Nez Perce Trail where one can contemplate the various subtleties of the perfidy and genocide of an earlier generation. 
7. Quite a bit of the route is the same as the Yellowstone Trail which was one of the first interstate highways created out of local boosterism during the growth stage of American driving.
8. If you are a rock fan, the terminus in Aberdeen WA is hometown of Kurt Cobain. See his memorial park there. 
9. You'll drive by the site of the last great buffalo hunt near Hettinger or Haynes ND.
10. You'll get a great, surprise view of Mt Rainer coming around a corner in WA.
11. A good, close, side trip is the grave and monument to Sitting Bull in Mobridge SD. 
12. Even the great plains are great on this route.