I have found these recommendations to be fairly reliable most have at least a few miles of interesting local scenery, offer driving experiences ranging from a rambling bucolic feel to truly stunning views of America the Beautiful, and pay off handsomely for those with the time, patience, and inclination to wander a bit. road maps have some indicator of whether a “back road” is an interesting one the map I use most has small red dots along those roads recommended as scenic routes. However, some “blue highways” (as certain back roads were called in the popular book by William Least Heat-Moon) are not much more than endless strip malls. Unless you have a specific destination and a strict schedule, there is little point in hitting the roads to see the country if you don’t spend some time on the back roads. Get off the highways-but beware the Blue Highways. On a trip through New England a few years ago, our plan was simply to pull over when we got tired to crash in a hotel after taking three exits without success, we finally stopped at a place at which the front desk person asked, “Are you staying the whole night?” Ugh. On the other hand, having no plan at all is only recommended for the hardiest souls. If you overschedule your road trip, you’re almost guaranteed to find yourself slogging the last few miles long after you had intended to be asleep, trying to cancel one hotel reservation so you can pay for another well short of your originally planned destination. You don’t have to have seen a lot of Chevy Chase movies to know that things aren’t always going to go your way. Admittedly, the archetypal “BRIDGE OUT” sign is a rare sighting these days, but the flashing “Road Work Ahead, Merge to One Lane” message is not. Have a loose plan.ĭelays are the one thing that you can count on when driving significant distances. Even if you can tolerate some chaos (as I can), the accumulated junk and minor filth will start to drive you mad in the close quarters that define a road trip. A few days into your trip, when the old gum wrappers are joined by new fast food wrappers, when the glove box starts overflowing with hotel receipts and local maps, when dog hair starts sticking to your luggage and your gear, you’ll rue the day you failed to pull out the Shop-Vac.Īs your trip proceeds, take time every couple of days to purge your car of undesirable flotsam and jetsam. Don’t sweat the dog hair in the back bed … but you’ll be sorry. Leave the receipts from your last business-related drive in the glove box. Go ahead, leave the napkins and gum wrappers under your seat. Clean your car before and during your trip. To get the most of your experience, don’t miss these road trip tips. There is a richness to traversing the land an inch at a time that is absent from the experience of climbing into a metal canister and climbing out at your destination. There is no denying that the lure of the road is undeniable and probably eternal it almost seems embedded in our very makeup.
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