As I write this post, we are 2500 miles or 4000 km into our road trip.
Our route took us from Toronto to Chicago, then down to St. Louis and Joplin, Missouri. We rode mainly on the interstates – with frequent diversions onto the historic Route 66 – as we went through Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Amarillo, Texas.
As we ate spectacular Mexican food in the Old town of Albuquerque, my son had an observation. Why would people go to Taco Bell in the South West when places like “La Hacienda” are so accessible? And yet, truck stops in every small town seemed to sport the familiar national brands; you needed to head an extra block down the road – Route 66 – to find the local “Craig’s Burrito” shack across from the local high school football field (a scene in Shamrock Texas that seemed right out of “Friday Night Lights”).
As the various new entrant wireless telephone companies put together their business plans, how will they try to differentiate themselves from the big national brands? Can they expect consumers to take side trips onto the old Route 66 to sample the unique local flavour?
Don’t miss an opportunity to try “Deep fried pie” if you’re ever presented with it at a roadside stand near the Texas / New Mexico border. And by the way, we had great Mexican food at La Hacienda in Old Albuquerque, despite having made made a wrong turn.