The joy of road trips

There’s a particular kind of madness that comes from the open road. Just asphalt, an aging playlist and the nagging question of where to eat tonight. Road trips are a reminder that there’s still mystery out there, beyond the next bend.

I’ve always been drawn to it. That sense that you’re not being herded like cattle through security gates at the airport. That if you see something strange, beautiful or edible, you can just pull over and have a look, unlike being stuck in a smelly airplane cabin.

Highway One, California.

You are free to choose between the packed freeways or the lonely dirt roads. The journey is the goal in itself more than the actual destination, to paraphrase TS Eliot. Some of the best moments happen when you’re nowhere in particular. The road breeds surprise, revelation and, occasionally, intestinal distress.

Smooth parking in Barstow.

USA is a great place for aimless driving. Even though Route 66, the most classic of road trips, is mostly gone there are still a lot of options. One of my favorite drives was in California where we crossed the Golden Gate bridge, roamed Highway One south along the Pacific Ocean, battled the endless highways of Los Angeles and rolled through the Mojave desert.

Have a look at Road Trip USA where Jamie Jensen shares his best routes, and the list of ten top drives compiled by Australian Traveller.

“If you ever plan to motor west
Travel my way, take the highway that is best
Get your kicks on Route sixty-six
— Bobby Troup, (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66 (1946)

A friend gave me the idea of traveling from Gibraltar to South Africa by land, but it has already been done by none other than actor Ewan McGregor. He went on a 24 000 kilometer motorcycle adventure across Africa in 2007, going all the way from Scotland down to Cape Agulhas, the southern tip of South Africa. This was documented in Long Way Down and adapted into a TV series. You might also want to check out their first journey in Long Way Round.

Off the beaten track in Shoshone.

The most important part is the company. Traveling for a prolonged period is a great test of friendships and relationships. While being on the road, you aren’t really aware of what lies ahead around the next corner. How will you and your travel company deal with uncertainty, stress and hunger while being tired and lost?

“The best of traveling companions are relentlessly curious, tireless and totally without fear.”
— Anthony Bourdain

Bring me that horizon.

Road trips are bound to go wrong. Flat tires, bad maps and worse weather can happen to everyone. Timetables are made for overriding. You’ll run out of gas five kilometers from nowhere. Even though you most likely won’t be an unwilling guest star in Texas Chainsaw Massacre or hang with the silly youngsters in Eurotrip who end up stranded in Bratislava, things can still go sideways pretty fast. But that’s part of the deal. That’s travel. That’s life.

So roll down the windows. Let the bugs smear the windshield. Chase the sun until it dips behind some nameless town with a name you can’t pronounce. And when you finally pull over for the night, look up at the sky and realize you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.