• BACKROADS PRESS NEWS

    I am proud to announce the launching of my new gallery site, Backroads Press. On that site I will be showcasing my landscape etchings and thoughts from the backroads of America. All of the work shown has been created and printed by hand on my own Takach Intaglio Press. I will be printing several new editions each month, so stop by the site often to see the progress and to find out about new scheduled showings.

    BECOME A BACKROADS TRAVELER

    Do you enjoy driving country roads like we do? Join our loose-knit group of friends. Read about the benefits of being a member. Click here for more info!

    NEW ON-LINE STORE

    We have opened a new on-line store for printed merchandise which is affiliated with CafePress. Follow the link at the upper right to find printed shirts and other fun stuff. We will be adding new designs each month, so check it out and let us know what you would like to see added.

    SUBMIT AN ARTICLE FOR PUBLICATION

    If you have an interest in writing about your backroad travels, we are interested in hearing from you. Follow "Join Our Road Team" link and read about our free-lance submittal requirements. We are soon going to be adding guest writers to our publication.

    NOTES FROM THE ROAD

    We invite you to follow along with us as we explore the scenic backroads. We will take you along as we undertake a great epic road trip covering 4200 miles to the California coast and back to the Heartland of Kansas and other future wanderings. The Notes from the Road link, on the black band above, will direct you to our travel blog. Check back with us often to get the latest from the backroads.

    A Publication of
    BACKROADS PRESS
    All illustrations, photos and text are copyright protected.
    © Stephen M. Perry 2008

  • Categories

Notes from the road

For a complete listing of all Notes from the road, click here

Notes from the Road - California Dreaming, Big Sur

Highway One and the Big Sur coastline are all they are hyped up to be and more. Skipping the tour of the Hearst Castle at San Simeon, we opted to spend our afternoon leisurely driving and stopping at the many pull-offs with view after magnificent view of the dramatic coastline. We would think we had just captured the most perfect photo, when around the bend there was another view that was even more spectacular!

Notes from the Road - California Dreaming, Day Two & Three

Sitting here thinking about the memorable aspects of two days of driving I-40 across the New Mexico, Arizona and California, the best word that comes to mind is progression. There were many scenic points along the drive and great stops to see the Old Town of Albuquerque and the red sandstone buildings of the University of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, but the experience of watching the landscape change, sometimes dramatically, as you pass from one ecosystem to another is fascinating. Travelers who board a plane in their hometown and suddenly arrive at the resort town of their choice have no experience of the progression and change in the land between the two destinations.

Notes from the Road - California Dreaming, Day One

I-40 through Western Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico roughly parallels the route of old Route 66, the Mother road. In its heyday Route 66 was the antithesis of backroads. It was the best and quickest route across the country and put vacation driving in the mainstream of the American psyche. Advertising hype and hucksterism lead to the iconic teepee structures and neon glow that is gradually fading away along the old highway. Exiting at Shamrock and McLean, Texas for breaks in the drive, we were able to experience some of the feeling brought back by the historic Route 66.

THE PRINTMAKING STUDIO IS LAUNCHED

INTRODUCING FINE ART ETCHINGS INSPIRED BY THE BACKROADS
I am proud to showcase my landscape etchings and a new direction for Backroads Press. We will continue to bring you stories from the backroads and do our best to encourage you, our readers, to take the road less-traveled with us, but we will also be illustrating [...]

Notes from the Road - August 2008

Inflation! Recession! REVOLUTION!
OK. OK. I know gas prices are high and going higher and this is a travel web site based on driving. It is obvious that things are going to change. Like it or not, we all will be seeing changes in our lifestyles. We can either hunker down and gripe about Big Oil and the cost of gas, feel sorry for ourselves and take it out on others or make changes to our way of doing things. My solution? Change. Change the way we consume. Change the way we choose what we need. Change what we do for enjoyment. Change how we travel.

Notes from the Road – April 2008

Passages…We all have times in our lives that stand out as a passage from one set of life circumstances to another. Sometimes they are planned and sometimes they take us by surprise. I have just gone through a passage in my life that I had planned for many years. On New Years Day I made the transition from my thirty-five year profession as a Landscape Architect to the full-time status of Printmaker, Travel Writer and Backroads Traveler.

Notes From the Road

I am extending this invitation to you to follow along on this journey we are embarking along the many backroads of America. This is not a new way of travel for us, but a new focus and a new purpose in our travels.