Greetings Fellow Travelers,

The road has kept me busy over the last few months, as it so often does. As it is the time of year where we give thanks and reflect on all that we see as we journey along, I wanted to say thank you to all who have passed by and shared in my tales. I hope that these stories, and the ones yet to come, have given you some entertainment and some further knowledge into the history we are surrounded by on our travels.

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, or Turkey Day, as I call it. Now while I enjoy a turkey leg or two like many of you, I could not help but think of one of my recent travels in my home state of Iowa.

Cruising through Central Iowa, heading north on the Jefferson Highway, that lovely stretch of road that runs from Winnipeg, Canada, to New Orleans, one cannot help but enjoy the pungent aroma of the many turkey confinements along the way. In recent years, this aroma has been enhanced and spread out along the rolling plains with the help of the many wind turbines that have sprouted up, exposing even more travelers to this particular scent. Now I cannot help but wonder if the turkeys ruffle their feathers and stir up that smell a bit more at this time of year. Maybe if we could these poor birds a reprieve, rather than sentencing them to be served tableside across the country, perhaps they would give us thanks and provide a more welcoming scent.

The Colonel driving along in his chicken-powered “Roast”er

My thought is to give the Colonel a bit more business and rather than spend hours cooking over a hot stove, we should enjoy some of his finger-licking good chicken. Whatever your preference may be, original, extra crispy, or one of those new flavors, let us enjoy one of the Colonel’s recipes. So this holiday season, let us give thanks for what we as blue-blooded Americans truly can appreciate and enjoy – some delicious, fried chicken.

So happy holidays to all my fellow travelers. I hope the road will be kind in the weeks to come as we journey on to the new year.

From the Open Road,

Lincoln Highway Johnny