The magic of road trips
It's summer where I am and I'm kicking myself for not having planned a road trip. Road trips are magical. I once fell out of love with someone while on a road trip. On another trip, I fell in love with someone. A road trip helped me reconnect with my mom as an adult. I once got pulled over next to a farm full of yelling, angry goats. One time a weird guy wandering around on top of a mountain tried to get in the car with us. One time I ran into Martha Stewart at a junk shop. I learned that sleeping in your car is not nearly as bohemian-romantic as it sounds.
There's something special about being in the car and feeling like you have the freedom to go anywhere and that the memories from the journey are just as important as those from the destination.
What have been your favorite road trips? What was the most beautiful? What was the most memorable? Are there any places you long to go back to, or roads you've vowed never to drive again?
I did an engagement road trip that covered California, Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. It was wonderful. Rocky Mountain National Park has always been one of my favorite places on Earth. The Grand Canyon is something that everyone should look on once. Utah feels like a different planet. And California has the magic of the Sierras plus Steinbeck land plus insanely gorgeous coast. Gosh, you're making me want to hop in my car.
I moved from the west coast of the US to the east coast via a road trip, with all my belongings packed into a compact car. Yellowstone is truly awesome - and when I say that I mean that being in Yellowstone inspired awe in me. I wish we had been able to spend more than the couple nights we had planned there.
There's nothing quite like driving for hours with the windows down, no deadline to be anywhere in particular, getting passed Pringles from a can from the person in the passenger seat.
Semi related - if you're ever lucky enough to find yourself driving for hours with the windows down, getting snacks handed to you by the person in the passenger seat - consider wearing sunscreen so your left arm doesn't look ridiculous next to the rest of your body.
My favorite road trips are the ones i take hitchhiking. I usually spend at least a month during the summer to travel along my country's coastline and camp.
You will never meet so many different people while traveling with your own car. Some of the people i met on the road have had a significant impact on my life, and i often remember some of the things they have said to me.
Paranoid thoughts aside, everyone who will pick up a hitchhiker is open in a way most people aren't, and it is more likely to have a meaningful conversation with that person.
Plus, it is just a really liberating feeling, being on the road with just your backpack and a jug of water.
Some day i will probably get tired of it all. Not any time soon though.
You are far more adventurous than I am! Care to share any words of wisdom you picked up from the people you've ridden with?
I've been daydreaming about going on a road trip for several months now. I've never been on one, but I feel like it's exactly what I need. No schedule, no destination, and no responsibilities to bog me down, just seeing where I end up going and experiencing along the way.
Someday :)
Maybe try a weekend camping trip. It's amazing how it can make a weekend last so long. I like to pick a spot 2-3 hours away and explore.
I can't even begin to tell you how much I've been missing camping. I used to camp with my family a few times a year. For the last several years, though, I went through college (with the low budget and debt that entails) and at present lack a car or the income to afford one, so that's not really in the cards right now.
Believe me, as soon as I can afford to, I'm going to be camping :)