So far without fail, my GPS has always got me where I needed to go — although I must admit, it doesn’t always led me down the fastest route. The route it picked for me today from Tunica to Atlanta led me through small town America. Not that I minded its planning — I wasn’t in any hurry to get to Atlanta and I enjoyed taking something other than I-40 for a change.

Every small town in America needs at least one of each of the following things: a church, a cemetary, and a gas station. By small, I’m talking about towns in Arkansas like Blevins (Population: 365) and McCaskill (Population: 84). Slightly larger towns add a few things to their inventory: Wal-Mart, fast food restaurants, pawn shops, and pickup trucks (bonus points for those with four-wheelers in the bed).

Number of McCain/Palin signs spotted in southern Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia: 18.
Number of Obama/Biden signs spotted in southern Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia: 0.
Favorite strip club spotted en route: Wesley’s Boobie Trap.
Number of arcades found along the way: 3. Number that were open: 0.

By the time you near Atlanta, all signs of small town America are gone, replaced by warnings of my speed being monitored by aircraft, and traffic lights monitored by camera. My enjoyable pace was replaced too by an hour-long traffic jam. Welcome to the big city; enjoy your stay, if you can.