With airlines able to drop you off on any corner of the globe, it’s easy to forgo the once ubiquitous road trip for a quicker flight straight to your destination. While one can’t argue with the value (sometimes) and quick travel that flying can afford, there are certain aspects of travel you miss out on, that you would otherwise experience on the road. Plus, I mean, it’s just damn romantic. You and the open road stretching ahead of you, the only limits being the amount of time you have and how much gas you have left in the tank. A road trip could be exactly the adventure you have been craving.
Spontaneity
When you take a flight your literal experience of traveling, of going from point A to point B, is pretty limited. You might have your interest peaked when the pilot announces that you can see the Grand Canyon out your window, but he sure as hell isn’t stopping. On a road trip, taking a detour is as easy as finding the closest exit. The entire area between your home and your destination is an open world at your fingertips. The spontaneity that comes with a road trip is one of the best aspects. You can charge ahead straight to your destination if you want, as much as you can take your time and explore all the areas along the way. Road trips open up the world around you and let you see the world as one connected , not separate points on a map.
The Car
There be no more iconic duo then the car and the road. Great road trips can transform your relationship to your car, whether it’s owned or rented . The car no longer stays an inanimate object, but an active participant in the road trip. It gains its own personality based on the length of the trip, the functional capability of the car, and how fast it can or can’t go. A person who goes on a road trip in a RV is going to have a totally different experience than someone in a convertible. A person with a clunker you aren’t sure would make it up a mountain will have a totally different experience than a person with off-road dune buggy. Factor in the hours you spend scanning radio stations, chomping on sunflower seeds, and staring out the window and you’ll realize the car you choose is going to have a large impact on your trip.
You Can Go Anywhere!
Often road trips appear limited. The road has to end at some point. While it’s true that cars can’t cross oceans (yet), you still have a very wide range of travel. You can go from Patagonia at the Southern tip of South America, to the wilds of the Alaskan North, and hit the Amazon, the Panama Canal, the American Southwest and Canada all in a car, on a single trip. If you ever get the urge to road trip across Asia you can hit China, India, the Middle East, Siberia and still be able to cross over into Europe or Africa all from the road. Your destinations are only limited by your willingness and imagination.
Wrap Up
Road trips offer unique experiences that you don’t get from standard air travel on top of still letting you get almost anywhere in the world. If you are planning a vacation in the future, consider a road trip for an unforgettable experience, filled with life-long memories.