Blue Earth, Minnesota: The Golden Stripe

That's a pretty exciting picture of an on-ramp, don't you think? Right in focus and well-cropped?

Well, this isn't just any on-ramp. It has the Golden Stripe on it.

Interstate 90 is more than 3,000 miles long, and for whatever reason the road was repaved from Boston to Seattle in 1978. The east crew met the west crew in Blue Earth, located in southern Minnesota.

You've heard of the Golden Spike in Utah, where the transcontinental railroad was finished. Here in Blue Earth, a ceremony was held to mark the finish of the project. Miss America even showed up. As a marker, the highway authorities thought a golden stripe, like a golden spike, should be added to the rest areas on either side of the highway. Here's the eastbound version; I got the idea quickly and didn't need to go on the other side.

For those seeking the official story, there is a highway marker at each rest area.

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