What makes a good road trip? The single most important requirement of a road trip is driving. Outside of that there seem to be wildly conflicting points of view. My beloved Merriam Webster defines road trip as: an extended trip in a motor vehicle. Somewhat lack luster. Wikipedia on the other hand, that wildly verbose collection of the “worlds wisdom” has multiple pages of definitions, examples, guides, and references, all of this plus a definition of road trip with 8 separate sub-types.
How’s one to sift through all of these competing views and articles to discover the real truth about what a genuine road trip is? Simply read the next line.
A road trip is any trip where the primary reason for going is the journey. There’s a saying that has become seemingly ingrained in our collective conscious that goes, “It’s about the journey, not the destination.” Despite the cliché nature of this aphorism its sentiment sums up the essential requirements of a road trip.
After establishing this truth technicalities can be added such as requiring a vehicle (not hiking, sailing, or flying), or sub-definitions definitions such as: speed run, park hopping, regional, international, etc. And those are all great things to think about if they lead to further interest in road trips, but ultimately a road trip must stay about the journey.
Having said all of that, a road trip typically has an ostensible “purpose”. This purpose helps to inform the itinerary, map out way points, and provides motivation when the generic concept of “going out and driving for 2 weeks” starts sounding too vague to get excited about. With that knowledge it’s easier to understand why the first step of a road trip would be to choose a destination, even though it’s really about the journey.
Interested in some good locations? How about going on a road trip to see 3 of the wildest holes you’ll ever see? The link below lists 7 of the most extreme holes in the world, 3 of which are in the US. If you want to drive to Canada or Central America (Belize/Guatemala) you could do a road trip to see 6 amazing holes (second link).
http://deputy-dog.com/2007/09/09/7-amazing-holes/
http://maptrot.com/mapView.jsp?mapId=a0a236bc-c3e7-49d5-bc17-48b6255e3ae4
Not interested in ridiculously large holes, then why not drive route 1 or route 66. Maybe do an east coast tour or just take a drive to see each of the house you’ve lived in? So many possibilities…
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3 comments:
1. It is my belief that the Wieliczka Salt Mine in Krakow is missing from the "amazing holes" list. http://www.photo-exhibits.com/europe/poland/wieliczka_salt_mine_photos/wieliczka_color_photographs.html
2. The best road trips involve monks.
3. How about Philadelphia for a roadtrip destination! (I know a place you could stay.)
my brother actually just did this and he documented the whole thing... www.thegreatamericanroadtrip.net
check it out...
"where ya been is good and gone
all ya keep is the getting there"
-Townes Van Zandt
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