September is here and it's a great time to get out and enjoy the cooler weather, autumn color and the quirky places that are down country...

M. R. O’Connor writes about Sam Correro, the creator of the TransAmerica Trail, and the pleasures of navigating what the writer William Least Heat-Moon called “blue highways,” the dirt roads of America.

One summer evening, my husband and I got in our old truck and drove down a remote dirt road. We drove and drove and drove and didn't see a soul. I always wonder where the telephone poles go--no one seems to live out here. We explored the backroads for almost four hours and didn't see a single person. We saw abandoned farm equipment and an old truck but no people. As the sun was setting I jumped out of the truck and took this photo of the country road. I thought it was just a nice country…

Taken on a Cannon T1i with a 55mm lense, and color corrected in Photoshop.

A connecting road from the coastal road to the Ancient Road (Ara Metua) built in the 11th century. 0610

My favorite random spot we came across was Baby Head Cemetery. We drove by and then had to turn around when I realized what the sign said.