Every trip is special, but there’s just something extremely enchanting about the open road. There’s a natural optimism, all those opportunities for surprise and pleasure and fun, just around the next bend in the highway. You can make a right, or a left, and uncover a hidden beach, or a cool cafe, or a quirky museum—or whatever—with every turn of the wheel.
I’ve now visited well over 100 countries and all seven continents, and have flown more miles than (literally) I can count. But the travels during my upbringing? Those were always on the road. My family would save up all of our resources, all year long. And then in the summer, we’d load up the capacious trunk of our Pontiac Bonneville and take one big road trip. In part as a result, I’ve visited all 50 states and every province in Canada.
Our trips were never fancy affairs. They consisted of simple diners and drive-up-to-the-door motels. But we loved every minute of it, and to this day, I greatly treasure those memories. So here’s my ode to road trips, and how to enjoy them most. Especially now, as summer fades to fall with the leaves changing and the days still warm and sunny, this is actually the perfect time to hit the highway and head toward the horizon.
Don’t Plan Too Much
If you need to adhere to firm dates booked at a destination, leave time in your itinerary to breathe. They say that half the fun is getting there. On a road trip, I’d argue that it’s way more than half. Even something that at first appears quite mundane can turn out to be an absolute highlight.
One example is a recent multi-day drive across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The two-lane state highway, which more or less traced the southern shores of Lake Superior, included several map dots along the way. These were little towns I knew almost nothing about, and every one of them turned out to be not just charming and friendly, but also uber-beautiful.
My favorite was Munising, where fewer than 2,000 people make their home. They enjoy, along with plenty more tourists in the summer months, the almost-Caribbean aquamarine waters of the lake, with local joys that include hidden beaches and very good kayaking. The area also boasts the jewel in the crown of the town: the dunes, archways, and multi-hued sandstone cliffs of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. A boat cruise along this extremely scenic 42-mile stretch is definitely a worthwhile way to spend a day.
Grand Portal Point is a dramatic overlook along Michigan’s Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Gary McCormick/500px/Getty Images
Enjoy the Simple Pleasures
Especially on a long road trip, there’s no way around it: Some days can be long and boring. On those childhood journeys, we would sometimes drive for more than 12 hours a day. So my sister and I would make our own fun. This would include license plate games when we were rolling.
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And while my father filled up the gas tank in West Virginia or Utah or wherever, we’d browse the little attached station shop. In addition to shelf-stable sausages and candy bars, these stores inevitably included a little spinning rack of very cheap, and invariably ugly sunglasses that we would model for one another, with special recognition for the most unattractive pair.
So make the most out of whatever you happen to pass. That might mean tarrying for an extra 10 minutes at a scenic overlook and stopping at all the cheesy but fun roadside attractions that tend to pop up along the less-glamorous stretches of tarmac. These range from the famous 28-foot-tall goose in Wawa, Ontario, or Carhenge, which is built like England’s Stonehenge, but constructed out of 39 vintage cars in Nebraska.
A personal favorite is the utterly ridiculous and entirely amazing 76,000-square-foot Western-themed Wall Drug Store. After hours and hours of navigating the Great Plains on Interstate 90, this touristy, fantastical complex—a series of connected shops, restaurants, art galleries, and animatronic dinosaurs—appears as an oasis in the desert. They still offer their standard free ice water, which attracted the first weary travelers in the 1930s. Plus a cup of 5-cent coffee, which, trust me, if you’ve been the one at the wheel, you’re going to need.
UT-128 winds alongside the Colorado River near Moab, Utah. tobiasjo/Getty Images
Get There Fast, and Then Take It Slow
Right, so I know that this is in direct contravention to my first point, but there are many different kinds of road trips. Sometimes, particularly if you’re limited by a tight time schedule, it might make sense to drive hard, then tap the brakes (so to speak) and proceed at the vehicular equivalent of a wander.
Here’s another example from those childhood trips: Pennsylvania is a perfectly lovely state. I’ve enjoyed my visits to spots throughout the Allegheny Mountains and to historic Gettysburg, plus Pirates and Steelers games in Pittsburgh.
But often, we’d race diagonally across the state on Interstate 81 to reach warmer weather further south. One of our preferred places to slow down was Skyline Drive. It’s only 105 miles long, riding the Blue Ridge through Shenandoah National Park. But over the years and multiple visits, we spent many days there, and in the surrounding area, making every single scenic stop and little hikes to waterfalls. The views stretched forever, and the Bonneville drove like a dream.
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3 Handy Items to Pack
A few clothespins: This may seem like a weird recommendation, but they can be very useful for keeping the curtains fully closed at roadside motels.
A battery-operated headlamp: Bedside lamps don’t always work, and if you enjoy a little reading before finally nodding off, this can be invaluable. (Also: power outages happen all the time, everywhere.)
Everything you need to make the miles melt away: For me, this is my cell phone, a very dependable charger cord, and a good, long, multi-episode podcast that will keep you not just awake, but also compelled, for hours.
