Without Seeing Anything

A Photo Essay - Crossing the United States on Interstate 80

The US television journalist Charles Kuralt hosted a travel segment on CBS News that ran for twenty-five years in the second half of the 20th century. Called “On The Road,” he and his crew cris-crossed the nation in a motorhome documenting American life. Kuralt stayed away from the interstates on these journeys, saying once that “thanks to the interstate highway system, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything.”

John Steinbeck wrote something similar in his book Travels with Charlie (which was an inspiration of Kuralt’s)--early on in his journey across the country with his dog Charlie, Steinbeck drives his overloaded truck on a fast, harrowing section of I-90 east of Erie, PA. After moving at speeds too fast to be comfortable, dodging truck traffic and crosswinds, he writes, “When we get these thruways across the whole country, as we will and must, it will be possible to drive from New York to California without seeing a single thing.”

At the end of June, into July, of this year, I had my own opportunity to drive a dog in an overloaded truck across the US. My friends were moving from the Hudson Valley in New York to the San Francisco Bay Area, and they asked me to drive their dog and their possessions in a U-haul so that they could more comfortably fly with their 5-year-old.

When on a road trip, I prefer like Kuralt and Steinbeck to stay off the limited-access expressways. But with a limited time frame and a twenty-foot box truck, I decided instead to take Interstate 80 the entire way - which also meant that I would drive the entire length of I-80 as well. And I would document it with my cheap point-and-shoot 35mm half-frame camera, both for simplicity of use and minimization of expenses, to test those travelers’ hypothesis.

Coincidentally, this journey took place in the days leading up to and including the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. But on the interstate it was hard to tell (the strongest evidence were the fireworks that frightened Jia the dog nearly every place we stopped), just as it was hard to tell that we were at war with Iran, or that masked government troops were kidnapping our neighbors, or that the bigotry, corruption, and sheer stupidity of the current government were reaching new highs, or that climate change was passing the point of no return.

So were Steinbeck and Kuralt correct? I think so, and I would go a bit further: not only is it possible to drive across the country without seeing anything, I believe that is one of the planned ends of the interstate system. It is designed for speed, efficiency, convenience, and maximizing economic gains—not for sightseeing, paying attention, or viewing the country as it is. And there are many more systems in the United States designed with such ends.

I want to mostly let the photos speak for themselves. But they are often unclear, abstract, or otherwise inconclusive images, and it may take some scrutiny to discern what, if any, meanings they hold or truths they obscure (click on each image to make it larger in your browser). It’s my hope that those who view them keep this in mind: that scrutiny and discernment are required–not just for these inconsequential galleries of photos, but for navigating the country in general.

A few technical notes: all photos were taken by me with a Kodak H35 half-frame 35mm camera, on Kodak Gold 200 film. Developing and processing by J&F Labs in Los Angeles, minor color correction and/or cropping by me. Dates of travel were June 26 - July 5, 2026. Interstate 80’s eastern terminus is in Teaneck, New Jersey where I-80 meets the New Jersey Turnpike/I-95, and the western terminus is in San Francisco at the US 101 interchange. I got on I-80 at Teaneck and exited in San Francisco, and in between covered all but 50 or so miles of the actual roadway. All photos were taken either on I-80 itself or in close proximity during stops for fuel, food, sleep, supplies, or dog park visits. All photos are available as prints--to order click here, or contact me here.

Thanks to Hayley, Steven, and Rye for the opportunity to make the drive, and special thanks to Jia for the companionship.