I-35 the much maligned piece of road from San Antonio to Dallas in Texas its hellish stretch of incredible traffic and complete lack of beauty is to Texas what the mason Dixon line is to the USA. This essay to take another look at what is the I-35 and its past along how this road whose significance is mainly because you are some place between where you were and where you need to be. You have essentially much Texas hidden behind the cloud of haste. Even within the cloud of haste there is a Texas Story.

What elements of the Texas story are found within 10 miles of here? Within 5 miles of this corridor you have on artistic side, Willie Nelson, Little Joe La Familia, Six Pence None The Richer, the birth of conjunto music. Willie Nelson’s hometown Abbott Texas is just east of the corridor. Leigh Nash had a southern Belle first grade teacher at Lone Star Primary (29°41'7.85"N,  98° 8'39.30"W) within eyesight of the great highway! The rancheras met the accordion and polka in places like New Braunfels and San Antonio. Little Joe’s own biography have him growing up in the Temple Belton area.

On the military history side you have the Alamo, the power plant that drew Randolph and Kelly to the area which well the man who flew the Enola Gay into history was drawn here to learn to fly. Attached to this corridor lies one of the most ironic sub plots of aviation and cold war history spun itself off this corridor. Participants in the last USA v USSR completion before the fall of the Berlin Wall four them were based out of Robert Mueller. One of those men while being born in Germany the son of two Latvians fleeing the Soviets met his wife within 2.5 miles of this corridor. What cultural elements can be found off this corridor?

The agrarian state existed strongly off this corridor: Ranches and farms emerged from the coastal plains cotton, corn among other crops was grown and to a lesser extent growing off this corridor even today. Finally within the evolution of this corridor you have the evolution of Texas, dining and shopping constantly being reshaped.

Finally we have the story of a migration from South Texas to Dallas that shaped this corridor. This story rings true to my own story. My family thrice over had made the journey. My mother made the journey twice her older brother with family boldly made it once. The journey from South Texas and the oil patch to the opportunity of Dallas is a story that has been repeated often. Even the story of Nachos from South of the Border the invention of Ball park nachos at Arlington Stadium came up this corridor! Tragically the darkest moment in 20^th Century US history occurred also within 5 miles the death JFK.

For the Buzzard I-35 represents a challenge. There are local eateries to be found much has been lost along the way. Shoot I have gotten lost or confuzzled from South Austin to Buda recently. My hometown is unrecognizable when viewed from the corridor. There are however elements of local culture locally owned restaurants and flavor beyond the vomit of chain restaurants and chain hotels. There are echoes of the story of a migration that occurred.

I know the drive is stressful. I can think of thousands of miles of Texas roads that are far prettier. Despite all this the I-35 corridor warrants exploration local color elements and pieces of Americana can be found. Look up overhead north of O’Connor road and through Selma 1604- and I-35 military aviation continues much as it has since…..Schlitterbahn the monster New Braunfels created there is a local eatery near it that represents a touch. There are other locations that warrant if you are willing to look and explore one might be able to uncover richness of the story it just takes effort.

Back to roost

Secondary Link Part of Narrative Out of Alice