The alluring emptiness of the open road
Traveling the historic Santa Fe Trail, a Kansas photographer finds less is more


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(Image credit: (Max Mikulecky))

(Image credit: (Max Mikulecky)Today, the old trade route, commemorated by the National Park Service, is known as the Santa Fe National Historic Trail. The two-lane highway roughly follows the path's origina)

(Image credit: (Max Mikulecky))

(Image credit: (Max Mikulecky))

(Image credit: (Max Mikulecky)More than a century ago, it would take pioneers in stagecoaches weeks to travel the dangerous trail. Today, Mikulecky can cross the state in a day, zipping across burial sites)

(Image credit: (Max Mikulecky)"Originally, the project was meant to focus on these towns and the people who occupied them," he said. "But through a combination of my shyness and traveling through while most)

(Image credit: (Max Mikulecky))

(Image credit: (Max Mikulecky))

(Image credit: (Max Mikulecky)To see more of Max Mikulecky's work, check out his website or follow him on Twitter and Instagram.)
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Lauren Hansen produces The Week’s podcasts and videos and edits the photo blog, Captured. She also manages the production of the magazine's iPad app. A graduate of Kenyon College and Northwestern University, she previously worked at the BBC and Frontline. She knows a thing or two about pretty pictures and cute puppies, both of which she tweets about @mylaurenhansen.