Just to have one other corner of the world heard from, "back road" is common here in Kendall County, Illinois (50 miles WSW from Chicago). I grew up knowing it was not the most efficient and direct route, but rather the more scenic and slower road to choose. Time available often made the difference in our mother's choice. I still do a lot of back road driving so that I can watch what's happening with those neighbors as well as the ones I probably see more frequently...fields plowed or planted, house with new paint, a barn that is leaning more than last time, etc. Is it customary to say "back road" because of the Yankee settlers, the English, the Germans...or maybe the Scots taught it to all? Kristy Lawrie (with Anderson, Brown, Taylor, Ferguson, Finlayson, Hiddleson, Weir and many other good names in my tree and all connected to Plano)