Back Roads

Nowadays, when traveling from one city or town to another unknown location, the use of Google Maps or our GPS navigation systems in our cars can take us many directions to our destination.

It can even take you on a journey along the back roads where we have never traveled before, which was the case during my trip this weekend.

I had a mid-morning Saturday task of driving from Huntsville, AL to Cullman, AL without knowing that I would never get on I-65 in reaching my destination.

I believe the route that I took this past weekend was predestined in preparation for my visit to the experiences of my visit to Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, Alabama, at Sacred Heart Monastery.  It was a route that allowed me to focus on my surroundings.

It also put me in a state of mind about why I was giving my time to visit the Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, Alabama, at Sacred Heart Monastery.

It was our annual Adopt-A-Sister event entitled Claver’s Christmas in Cullman (CCC).  In short, members of the Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver #286 and St. Joseph Community adopted 30 Benedictine Sisters and had lunch with them and provided gifts on December 13, 2025.

Little did I know the sister I had adopted this year had been living on site since 1949-1950. The conversations we had during our two hours together were amazing.

It’s a visit with fellowship, food, and fun that I will look forward to doing again next year.  Mainly because it was a spiritual uplift for me to support these sisters. It was the largest turnout since its inception five years ago and I’ve already marked my calendar for next year’s event.

About Us | Benedictine Sisters of Cullman, AL

As mentioned previously, I believe the route that I took was predestined in preparation for my visit to the experiences which I was about to receive, because it allowed me to focus and reflect on how blessed I was.

The route from St. Joseph Catholic Church in Huntsville to the Sacred Heart Monastery in Cullman took me through various towns where houses were spaced so far apart from each other that you could tell no Homeowners Association was governing how they were living.

The route also taught me that if I were ever on I-65 again with traffic backed up close to the Cullman exit, there is a back road now that I can take to Huntsville, which I was unaware of until last Saturday.

We all have probably taken backroads before to avoid traffic jams and if we only knew the area well enough, we would find a way to keep it moving.

In my case, it was a back road I had never driven on before and I was able to enjoy the drive in solitude and enjoy the scenery.

I am aware that some of the back roads at night are not well-lit like other roads, and if your vehicle were to break down, there are limited chances of someone finding you.

How often do we shy away from taking back roads because it would slow us down, knowing that there is an Interstate close by?

Although once I put in the address to my navigation system, one hour and fifteen minutes was my arrival time, it was up to me to accept the route.

Because I was traveling solo and didn’t have to carpool with anyone or carry passengers, I had nothing to lose by accepting the route, even though I thought I knew my way down I-65, which I never got on until my return trip heading back home.

I have always been one to trust my GPS when given a new travel route.

For those who know who Minnie Pearl is, she say’s “Take the back roads instead of the highways.”

“To read the papers and to listen to the news… one would think the country is in terrible trouble. You do not get that impression when you travel the back roads, and the small towns do care about their country and wish it well.”  Charles Kuralt

Between Minnie Pearl and Charles Kuralt, there is some truth to what both were saying, and I just didn’t know it until I had my recent back road experience.

It was one of those moments you would have to have been there to understand it.

Although there is some irony for me traveling down the back roads this past weekend.  The irony is I know if it were fifty years earlier it would not have been a safe bet to travel the back roads.

Although I said back roads and not dirt roads, many of the back roads are more developed with people living off of them. As I reflected on my trip I also didn’t see many traffic light except four way stops or stop signs.

I believe there is a lesson in each trip I take, regardless of whether it’s on the highway or backroads. It just happened that this weekend was a lesson to take it slow and enjoy the ride.

This week, I challenge you to look back and think about all the back road experiences you have encountered, and if you are still willing to travel these back roads. The question is, are you up for the challenge?

Blog source: https://mckinleysthoughts.com/back-roads/