An Extended Trip in a Motor Vehicle.
That’s Funk & Wagnalls definition of a road trip. What’s yours?
How do you define a road trip? How many are going?
When?
How long?
Why?
That query is a variation of the “Where is the best place to ____” question, isn’t it? There is no right or wrong answer.
How Many?
I go on road trips by myself all the time. Well, if you don’t count all the voices in my head. And I have been driving the get-away car for groups of six or more. So “how many” does not seem to be a significant factor.
Phone-a-friend, pack the car-pool or invite me, myself and I. The number doesn’t matter. Of course, when you travel down the road and back again, it’s better with a pal and a confidant.
When?
Does a road trip have to be spontaneous? Last summer I drove from Torino Italy to Venice and around six Greek Islands. I started planning in January. Weren’t those road trips?
Does a detour to Fatburger at 2:00 AM fall under “extending the trip?” So “when” doesn’t seem to be a deal breaker.
How Long?
With some people having an attention span of five minutes these days, how long is long enough? Or too long? Is it different for the person who commutes for more than an hour each way?
Is my five-day trip different than you driving across town to that out of the way restaurant? Or to a bakery in another city? They are both trips, making use of the road and taking longer than a trip to the grocery store.
That means you may not even know “how long” when you start.
ARRRGH. So what is a road trip? And how do I make one?
The Why Question
Why do I want to hit the road? Do you want to get to the other side? To go somewhere or to go nowhere at all?
Indeed, a road trip can get you to the other side. Across to the other side of town, across time zones or the country.
I like jumping in my car and going to the beach. It’s not that far, but it is further than the bank or store. Sometimes I say, “I’m getting up in the morning and going to watch the sunrise!” Some days, I am up before sunrise and decide then.
There are days I want to hurl the computer at the wall and scream “Calgon take me away”. Twenty minutes later I am feeling the sand beneath my feet. I don’t swim or build castles, and yet 30 minutes later, it feels like a mini-vacation.
Loadin Up the Trunk
Let’s play word association. What comes to mind when I say:
“Station Wagon?” interesting.
“Imaginary line in the middle of the back seat?” I see.
“Last day of school?” Fascinating.
Just about every one of us has a road trip somewhere in our memory. Maybe to a campground, state fair or amusement park. A trip to the mountains, the seashore, or Wall Drug.
Can you see the glove (the what?) compartment overflowing with maps that never refold? What about travel books from the local travel company?
Yes, little Willie did keep putting his feet across on YOUR SIDE of the backseat. Maybe that motel didn’t have a swimming pool or color TV. Perhaps you never (ever) need to hear about Mr. Jingleheimer-Smith’s kid John again.
But, if you could make just one of those trips again, would you? So do it!
Cars today have air conditioning and even radios you can hear when you are between towns.
Leave the tent in the garage where it has been rotting for the last 20 years. Stay where you get to make your own waffles in the lobby. Not where you wander across a parking lot to an “adjacent” coffee shop or cafeteria.
Take a trip on Route 66. Or part of it. Do another section next year.
Google “official tourism website (your state.)” There will be a “visit,” “See,” or possibly “wander” link waiting just for you.
Most of these sites have a section with the most scenic drives in that state. Some are a few hours, others a good part of the day. Take a drive in your back yard. How about this afternoon?
Luggage Free
Search “The best ______ in (your state.) Antiques, Beaches, Carrot cake, the list is endless. What do YOU like? Pick the top three. Can you do a road trip to all three in a day?
Be different. Go to the beach in winter and ski resorts in summer.
What about a road trip down memory lane? The last orange roof with 28 flavors is no longer. (There is one in upstate New York, but only in name and roof color, no fried oysters.) Lunch at a Woolworth counter will also need to stay on the memory shelf.
But isn’t there somewhere fun (still open) from your childhood? How about a drive-in restaurant or drive-in movie? That kinda screams road trip.
Fun fact – There are still more than 300 drive-In movie theaters in (seasonal) operation in the USA. Every state has at least one. Click on the orange link to find one near you.
From my hometown, I still drive 90-minutes each way to a burger joint in another state. It is in a beach town where we would go for our summer vacation.
Do you have a special place you are living to see again? Go!
Plan to be Spontaneous
I am a traveler, so I plan most of my trips, road or otherwise.
Is it any less of a road trip if you spell it out?
Take the Rockies, Blue-Ridge or Smokie Mountains. Visiting these are better with a plan.
Are roads open in February? They look so close on a map, can I drive between them in less than an hour? Are there any rooms available within 60 miles in August?
Even with my maniacal planning, sometimes I miss something. I have been some places 20+ times and still find new things. So leave a little wiggle space for the unknown, for the spontaneous.
Just Go
Sometimes, I just get in the car and head somewhere I haven’t been before. I have done it for a few hours, I have done it overnight. Nowadays with a GPS on everything, it’s really hard to lose yourself totally.
Have you ever wondered where that road goes?
Hit the Road Trip, Jack!
You say, “I hate to drive.” Then you need to find someone who doesn’t.
Even if you DO like to drive, be a passenger sometimes. Last week I saw something in my city I have never seen before. It has been there the whole time I have. I just never saw it when I was driving.
Fly or, (gasp) take the train somewhere and then drive when you get there. This action could reduce driving by two days or more.
Leave for mom and dad’s a few hours earlier. Or, the wicked person that you are, leave a whole day earlier, and stop somewhere on the way. That’s not wicked? Then why don’t you try it?
Leave the driving to someone else. National parks have shuttle services. Most cities have organized excursions. I LOVE the on/off buses for general orientation in a new city.
If the budget allows, there’s nothing quite like a private driver who knows the ins and outs of a location. It often includes door to door service, so you have more time to explore.
I have no interest to drive in Rome. On a recent trip, I took six friends. When you divide the cost of a driver, guide or both by seven, it’s no longer such a scary number.
So hit the road, Jack. But do come back for more.
Please “Leave a Reply” below to this: What was your favorite road trip? Would you do it again?
“See Thessaloniki” Continued on Page T3 “Taste Barcelona” Continued on T4
My favorite road trip was from San Francisco to Big Sur along the Pacific Highway!!! Heavenly!!!!
My favorite road trip is a recent adventure from Thessaloniki Greece down through Meteora, the length of the Greek mainland, through the Peloponnese, and ending in Athens. I was thoroughly emersed in Greek culture and have a fond appreciation for the country, it’s history, food, and especially the people.