Are sectional paths correct across "long" distances?

The controller doesn't care, and has no reason
to care, why you pick a particular route. They just want to know what the
route is (and much of time, they aren't too terribly concerned about that
either, if you're VFR).

An amusing incident: 20 or 30 years ago, I left central PA for
Rochester, NY, and asked for flight following. (Pretty wild country
much of the way.)

Since thre ae no VORs along that route, Center asked me for my route.
I said "Direct Rochester." A pause. Then he asked, "Do you have
RNAV?"

I said, "No, I have a line on a chart."

There was a long period of silence. I guess it was a young controller
who had never heard that before.

vince norris