I just finished reading one of my Christmas presents -- Bill Bryson's book,The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America.
Bill's humor (after traveling to 38 states with him, it feels like we're on a first-name basis) is great. My husband's not so keen on it, though, because I burst out laughing at 2 a.m. when I'm still up reading in bed.
Bill's humor (after traveling to 38 states with him, it feels like we're on a first-name basis) is great. My husband's not so keen on it, though, because I burst out laughing at 2 a.m. when I'm still up reading in bed.
The only disappointment in Bill's book was that he spent most of his time driving instead of actually spending time in the small towns he passed. And, although I laugh at his wicked sense of humor, I tend to look at small towns and their inhabitants with a lot more grace than Bill does.
Since I've been writing one-tank trips, focusing on destinations near Atlanta, I've visited my share of small towns lately. In the South, there seems to have been a golden age for small towns -- for the white inhabitants, that is. From about 1870 - 1920, trains brought freight and passengers to towns like Winder, GA, Meridian, MS, and Gadsden, AL.
With the trains came wealth (relatively speaking). Each small town had its own department store, housed in a multi-story building. Some built ornate theaters and opera houses. Small colleges were founded. Victorian mansions were built. It's fun to imagine living in one of these towns (again, if you were white. African-Americans had it especially hard in the South in this post-reconstruction era).
But when tractor-trailers took over from freight trains, and passengers began driving their own cars, these towns stagnated. The grand old buildings stood empty. The gorgeous mansions were sub-divided into apartments. It's only in the last decade or so that individuals and businesses are rediscovering these gems. It's heartening in this time of dark economies to see these downtowns recover their bustling lives.
So in honor of Bill Bryson, and just for fun, visit a small town in 2009. I guarantee you'll find at least one good restaurant (a lot cheaper than in Atlanta, too!). And you'll stroll sidewalks, browse in boutiques, and enjoy a slower pace of life for a few hours.
(The photo above is a detail from a building in Meridian, Mississippi. I haven't yet learned how to attach captions to photos)
