I’ve always been a serious fan of the road trip. No matter where I may travel, I’ve always made it a priority to spend a good portion of the trip driving from place to place. I really do believe it’s the best way to explore and fully experience an unknown destination. It offers a certain freedom that trains or planes just can not afford. Never regretted the decision to travel by car, I’ve driven across England, France, Italy and the U.S. I’m quite aware that I’m not the first person to celebrate the joys of the open road, as the road trip has been historically romanticized in books, movies and through song. Whether it is Jack Kerouac, Thelma and Louise or Simon and Garfunkel, the open road has always been the subject of many tales.
I’d like to focus on my road trip across America. In recent years, the good ol’ U.S. has gotten a pretty bad rap for which we certainly all know why. Despite foreign policy blunders, economic meltdowns and mortgage crisis, there is an aesthetic flip-side to all of this that warrants taking note. I’ve assembled a collection of photos from my recent journey which highlight a few places I thoroughly enjoyed.
When my best friend Jessica and I travelled the US, we didn’t choose to follow a guidebook. We loosely compiled a list of places we wanted to see, then just “winged it” in terms of our places of stay. What we learned is that it is possible to combine spontaneity with comfort when it comes to choosing a hotel. With the exception of Moab, Utah (our first stop), all of our hotels were booked day of stay. With a little ingenuity, the internet and patience, we were able to stay at great places along the way. Some were fantastic (The Rusty Parrot in Jackson Hole, Wyoming), some more unique than lux (The Canterbury Apartments in Madison, Wisconsin) but all of them were booked on the fly- but isn’t adventure and exploration the centerpiece of a good road trip? An added bonus of booking day of stay is that the rates are generally cheaper than if you were to book online. Most hotels will actually even negotiate based on your budget. Particularly if you book in person. Next month I drive across Spain, I can’t wait!
Travel Tip:
The price of gas can really get a girl down. If you are going to set off on the road and you want to rent a car rather than use your own, check out Fox Rentals. They rent Hybrids for around 25 dollars a day and have locations in many major cities along the west coast.