The last few years of my grandfather’s life, he went on vacation with us. He had an intense curiosity and keen interest in everything he saw from his spot in the front seat; nothing escaped his attention.

I want to think I inherited a bit of those fine qualities.

He was a map reader. Every time we’d stop for gas, he’d return to the car with a new map from the rack inside the station.

I know I inherited his love of maps.

Our route from Texas to our most-frequent vacation destination would have taken us through Santa Rosa, and maybe to this very station. It’s funny that I hadn’t thought about him, or the trips, or the maps for years, but the very instant I saw this old map display, all those memories returned as if the trips were just a couple of years ago.

Although, in my grandpa’s time, the maps would have been free.

Santa Rosa, New Mexico
photographed 5.4.2013