Going Slow

Bosque County Courthouse, Meridian, TX built in 1886, featuring a High Victorian Gothic Revival design.

Sometimes you have to take the long way round. Yesterday, I did just that. I was returning from Dallas, heading home. It was early. The roads were clear. GPS had me on I35. But I stopped just outside Waco at the Hill Country safety rest area and reconsidered. What was the rush? So, just up the road I turned right on a country road and headed west, making my way to Highway 281 and home.

I crossed over the Brazos River, saw a data center under construction in Laguna Park just south of Lake Whitney, visited the Bosque County Courthouse in Meridian, stopped at Meridian State Park, and saw a side of Hamilton I’d never seen before, where I picked up Highway 281. It was a lovely drive, and I wish I’d had a paper map to pick my way along, because the digital map always wants you on a big, fast road, and I wanted long and slow. They should have that setting. Scenic. Back roads only.

But all things considered, I saw a part of the state I’d never seen before, and now I’m making plans to go back. Particularly, I want to see Meridian State Park, built in the 30’s by the Civilian Conservation Corp. It has lots of trails and a nice lake. It could even be a day trip if it was the right time of year. And it was instructive to see an actual data center under construction, because it’s big and if you’re looking for work there’s even a sign outside advertising data center careers.