The Blue Ridge Parkway, Route 66, and the Pacific Coast Highway are sold as pure American freedom — open road, no agenda, just the view. But each of these routes was engineered and marketed by boosters, federal agencies, and chambers of commerce trying to move money through specific corridors in specific directions. Understanding the hustle behind the scenery doesn't ruin the drive. It makes it considerably more interesting.
Mar 13, 2026
Across American history, the side that lost — in court, in battle, in the voting booth — has a strange habit of building the most impressive monuments, courthouses, and civic structures. It's not a coincidence. It's one of the most consistent patterns in human psychology, and it's written in stone all over this country.
Mar 13, 2026