It is surprisingly difficult to find a travel advisor that will organize and book a trip in the United States. The industry is overflowing with advice on Caribbean resorts and European itineraries, but it takes a lot of research to find support for anything domestic. Trips in the United States are usually seen as DIY jobs or lacking in return on investment. Personally, I think it’s a shame, and I’m happy that MOTM recognizes the importance of planning trips in the USA.
I get it. There are few people who like getting their passport stamped more than I do, but there is also so much to see and appreciate right under our noses. The U.S. is home to 63 national parks and over 400 national park sites that include everything from Thomas Edison’s laboratory in New Jersey to the Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes in Hawaii. With the right attitude, you could throw a dart at a map of the U.S. and find something worth seeing or experiencing within a few hours of any location.
Being from Boston, I fully understand the downsides of driving (I may even be one of them). But there is something special about blasting “Life is a highway” with the windows rolled down on an interstate that you’ve never driven before. The roads may be bumpy and there might be traffic, but neither are significant enough to overpower the anticipation of a new experience. Plus, road trips always come with the added benefit of a new fast-food chain or go-to gas station snack. For me, nothing makes me feel better (or worse) than sharing a bag of Funyuns with my mom during a road trip or grabbing a dollar menu small fry from McDonald’s at 9:30pm because the hotel is still 2 hours away.
Beyond the destination, the best road trips are always bound to include unexpected side quests. Whether it is a series of funny billboards that clearly haven’t been updated since 1975, or a niche roadside attraction that you never knew existed, road trips are full of surprises. The first time that my family visited the southwest I remember stumbling into Little Hollywood Land in Kanab, Utah and being amazed by the assortment of old western film relics that existed in the middle of nowhere. After that unexpected childhood experience, it took me years to get over my obsession with cowboy boots (an obsession I still might not be over).
Even when the side quest seems unfortunate, they are rarely remembered that way. One time I navigated an alternate route that was supposed to skip the I-95 traffic running through DC, and instead led my family to the scene of a major accident in rural Virginia. We sat in park on a county road for 2 hours with our feet up on the dashboard watching a movie on my sister’s iPad. I apologized profusely, but everyone just laughed, shrugged, and embraced the beauty of rural Virginia. Despite the sea of red parking lights, you could see almost every star in the sky that night.
Road trips are special because they come with little to no expectation. They are an opportunity to learn how to be adventurous and imaginative. More so, they show you how to make the most of what you have available to you. Classics like the alphabet game and license plate game are sure to entertain. Sometimes yelling out the window and listening to your voice get distorted by the wind is funny. Other times there is a surprising peace in counting cows and horses and giving them names and personalities as you drive.
When I reflect on the road trips that I have taken in my life so far, of course I remember the excitement of arriving at the Grand Canyon or driving through an enormous Redwood Tree. But I also remember all the mini-moments in between destinations. I remember getting car sick during 17-mile drive in Monterey, California and how horrible the smell of the strawberry scented air freshner was (something my family still makes fun of me for to this day). I remember timing our rest stops to see how quickly we could all use the bathroom, buy coffee, get gas, and keep going (our record is 6 minutes!). I remember deep conversation about everything from what it’s like to raise kids to what our favorite TV shows are and why.
These memories are not positive nor negative, they are simply shared moments that keep the stories flowing year after year at family gatherings, and they are moments I wouldn’t trade for anything. You could have your own moments too, all it takes is a tank of gas and a small thirst for adventure.
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