If you search the forums for"Carefree Highway" you will get hundreds of topics I looked at a few then chose his old one to add a quote I was alerted to earlier by google alerts from the on-line Phoenix News Channel 5 at:-
http://www.kpho.com/Global/story.asp?S=4973457&nav=23Ku
"PHOENIX A once lonely two lane road made famous by Gordon Lightfoot is now a major east-west thoroughfare.
It's getting so busy, that Maricopa County this week launched a study of the Carefree Highway to guide future changes.
In 20 years, the population in the north and northeast Valley is expected to more than triple.
Today, residential growth in north Phoenix, Scottsdale, Cave Creek and Carefree has turned Carefree Highway into a heavily traveled link from those communities to I-17.
In 1998, Maricopa County road builders widened the highway to four lanes, with possibly more expansion in the future.
Rural residents say they're concerned their stark desert road will turn into a bustling thoroughfare lined with shopping centers, office buildings and apartment complexes."
In October 2002 during a visit to a conference in Scottsdale,Susan and I traversed the whole length of the fabled highway trying to find carefree itself:-
from the Western end where it starts on Interstate 17
John holding a hastily written sign (this was while Gord was still in a coma)
to the East end where it joins Scottsdale Road (the main artery into Phoenix at that point)
same sign but original picture doctored to make a 64th birthday card for November 2002
John Fowles
for more details and Carefree pictures please visit:-
http://www.johnfowles.org.uk/carefree/
No doubt Walter Bonestorder will have some pithy, as in "Pith", comment to make again!!