Highway 83 – From North to South
By Charles Roamer
My name is Charles Roamer, and I'm the author of 83 Odyssey---An Adventure Down the Spine of America on U.S. Highway 83. I'm an old road warrior who wrote a book for travel story enthusiasts, and those from the High Plains region where U.S. 83 courses through would, I think, be especially interested in my story. I found that many people who live near the highway don't realize that it runs from the Canadian border in North Dakota to the Mexican border in Brownsville, Texas. In the autumn of 2014, I drove solo down the entire length of U.S 83 in my '06 Toyota Corolla on a 36-day journey from Fort Collins, CO, which inspired me to write about my experience. The result is a narrative that's a mix of personal adventure, interesting facts about local history and geography, people experiences, and some social commentary.
This year is especially appropriate for my story because 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of U.S. 83 and the whole U.S. Highway system, which was authorized by the Federal government on November 11,1926. This was the nation's first national highway system, which preceded the modern Interstate system by thirty years. So, U.S. 83 is one of the original highways planned in the old system, though not as a border to border highway originally. Famous Route 66, which was a U.S. Highway until 1985, was also one of the originals. This legendary road that also runs through the High Plains has been getting lots of attention during its centennial year, which it certainly deserves. But I feel U.S. 83 should be getting more attention for its own centennial because it's another fascinating historic road, and my book pays homage to it.
83 Odyssey is somewhat in the style of William Least Heat Moon's classic Blue Highways, as far as being a narrative about a solo journey by a highly curious road tripper drawn to two-lane roads, though my focus is on an old U.S. Highway. I have a lot to say about the whole U.S. Highway system, though, and I present facts about every other U.S. Highway that 83 crosses paths with. I also give brief histories of the towns along 83, and, of course, describe interesting people I encountered---from a 93-year-old retired physician who volunteered at a museum, to a young female strip dancer in a small town bar. Readers also get to know some of my quirky habits like often sleeping on the backseat of my compact car to avoid the high cost of lodgings.
Driving down U.S. 83 through the Plains states didn't result in hair-raising experiences and a lot of drama to write about, and I didn't want to make up fiction to add more spice to my story. But I think telling it like it was stands strong for those satisfied with a slower paced travel story that's engaging, informative, and I hope even inspirational---especially if it inspires some readers to make the same journey or a similar one.
Most outsiders regard the Plains states to be "flyover" places that are "flat and boring." In fact, an old moniker for U.S. 83 is the Road to Nowhere. One of the themes of my book is that traveling this highway revealed a region that has much more beauty, diversity, and interesting places than the common perception of it. And I personally love the feeling of liberating openness in the Plains landscapes that 83 courses through. An interesting and great contrast, though, is between the bucolic and sparsely populated northern end of U.S. 83 in North Dakota, and its congested, metropolitan southern end in Brownsville, Texas.
Although 83 Odyssey---An Adventure Down the Spine of America on U.S. Highway 83 can be ordered online, I encourage those interested to get or order it from an independent bookstore to support these often struggling local businesses. I'm Charles Roamer for the HPPR Radio Reader's Book Club's Summer Reading List.
