National Trails Highway
(Route 66), California
Astray (ongoing)
Shoes hanging in a tree
December 13, 2015 – 10:20am
Day two of our journey and we decided to drive historic Route 66. The road was deserted. When I get out of the car I can hear explosions in the distance, most likely from the nearby March Air Reserve Base. Hanging from a small desert tree are three pairs of shoes. My first reaction is could this be bullying or gang related? However, there may be another explanation. Shoe Trees are the embodiment of the American spirit and found primarily on road trips. This is a long tradition of people tossing shoes into trees trying to catch them on hard to reach branches ultimately ending up with a tree filled with many pairs of shoes. As this is a relatively small tree and there are only three pairs of shoes, could this be the start of a “Shoe Tree” or something more?
Megan Shaughnessy 