The Art of the Road Trip

It’s been 96 hours since I last sat here, pecking at the keys of a laptop, glancing outside at Pikes Peak while answering text messages and phone calls. In that short amount of time my girlfriend and I managed a road trip to the west coast in what has now become one of our most favorite trips of all. 

It started early Friday morning as we cut across ski resorts and mining towns, sometimes even dropping along side of the Colorado River at the bottom of the state’s highest peaks. Through grey stone tunnels, forests of Aspen trees, and partially frozen lakes we sped on a highway lined with snow reaching westward to Utah. As quickly as the Utah state line came, so did the change in scenery. Tall cold peaks gave way to coral canyons and pink mesas, and tall pines turned to two-foot bushes. As we cut through the tip of Arizona we found ourselves amongst rugged mountains again, winding roads would takes us over and down rocky plateaus and made for some amazing photos. As the radio stations began to fade out, so did the nearby scenery and into Nevada through the Valley of Fire we came. Shortly the mountains parted as if pushed by Moses and exposed the Las Vegas skyline. After Vegas came the Mojave Desert up into the San Bernardino National Forest and down the "Rim of the World" highway. From there we pushed towards the coast, through Santa Monica, up the 1 to the stony beaches of Malibu, and deep into the mountains via the Mulholland Highway. 

The cars changed just as much as the scenery did. In Vail, CO we were parked next to Audis and Jeeps as we ate breakfast. In Utah we stopped to fill up and were surrounded by a hot rod club traveling west for a show. Arizona highways were filled with RVs, and they were all towing ATVs and dirt bikes headed out to have some fun. On the strip of Las Vegas it was common to park next to a Ferrari, Bentley, or Viper. In Malibu I kept a slow speed as I wasn't accustomed to seeing so many new Rolls Royces. However the Porsche drivers would kindly honk to remind me to stop staring and speed up, or maybe they just wanted attention too. 

Every time I go on a road trip I’m reminded how simple but rewarding they are. I can’t help but get lost in nostalgia of 50’s and 60’s when the interstate system was new; piling the family and the dog into the car and heading off to the Grand Canyon. Even today you still see the diners, gas stations, and rest areas that popped up during that time and they all help to create such a unique American experience. Long road trips also help build relationships. The only time I ever got along with my sister as a kid was when we we’re stuck in a car for hours. After all we had to, there was no escape and the sooner we got along the better the trip was. The long stretches of highway in the car did what nothing else has since, allowed us to be civilized siblings who played license plate games and passed each other snacks. Fifteen years later and nothing has changed, I still hate my sister but thankfully I like my new co-pilot a lot and every now and then we get to build that relationship on the road. We get to explore new places together, see famous landmarks, try new places to eat, and overall get an experience that is not only once in a lifetime but also unique to us. I hate it when people say, “You had to be there to understand”, but I do get it. Seeing really is believing and no matter how much I try to explain the trip to someone else it just falls on blank stares. And that’s ok too, because they have their road trips that I can’t understand and that is what is so cool about traveling. You get such a personalized experience that helps build relationships with those who are traveling with us. In today’s age where else can you successfully sit next to someone for twelve hours and have quality conversations without being interrupted or pulled away. Road trips are one of the best environments to harvest stories, inside jokes, and memories that are truly unforgettable. I love them and luckily I've found someone else who does as well. Whenever we can we choose the car as our mode of travel and by doing so we have more jokes, more photos, and more fun than I could ever imagine. Buy Now! Right NOW!....never mind you just had to have been there.