Joyfully Retired

Taking a drive along the back roads is an old tradition. People did it on horseback and in carts and buggies. And then the automobile came along and road trips have become high art. This time of year the ancient gypsy blood comes up to the surface and we long for that open road.

If you are a road trip lover like me, you are always looking for suggestions on new places to check out. My husband and I have been on a four-year road trip since retirement but it never grows old. I’ve put together a list of my favorite resources below. In addition to these, I always buy the newest edition of Rand McNally’s Road Atlas.

1.  Off the Beaten Pathby the editors of Reader’s Digest is one of our favorites. I did a review of this book last year. It’s excellent for finding those little-known places that are so interesting but not overrun with tourists. It’s organized state by state with at least 10 to 15 out of the way place per state. Great for day trips or longer vacations.

2.  The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips by Robert J. Dolezal
Here you will find a list of the best drives within the various regions of the country. Each drive has a good map, has an informative description of the trip, and suggestions for different sights along the route.

3.  National Geographic Guide to Scenic Highways and Byways, 3d Ed.This one is a gem of information about various drives, some famous and some mostly locally known. There are lots of maps and, as expected, gorgeous photographs.

4.  Road Trip USA: Cross-Country Adventures on America’s Two-Lane Highwaysby Jamie Jensen. As the subtitle suggests, the best way to see the United States is by getting off the interstate highways. This book focuses on the cross-country roads that horizontally and vertically span the nation. This is the super fun guide that covers the oddball museums, nostalgic diners, out of the way attractions, tons of trivia and even local radio stations. Be sure you are getting the latest edition (fifth, 2009) as some things may no longer be valid.

The last suggestion I have is to stop at the nice Welcome Centers that you see along various routes and near bigger towns. Most of them offer state maps that are the latest. Almost every attraction prints up a brochure and has it waiting for you to pick up. Generally the people in those centers are super-nice.

Our family loves the story about a brochure and my mom. She picked up one on a road trip to New England a few years ago. The brochure was titled “31 of the Best Quilt Shops In Maine.” My mom was instantly determined that we would visit each shop, take pictures and, of course, buy fabric. We didn’t get to all 31 but we gave it our best shot.

Just like our quilt shop tour, a road trip can be personally designed to suit the each traveler. So, whether you want to see all the national parks or just go to the country to show the kids where their milk comes from, a great road trip is available wherever you live. And then you can always fly to some great place, rent a car and start your road trip from there. Whatever you choose, I hope you’ll plan to get out and see the country. And, of course, I hope you’ll check out some of these books.

Some of the books I mentioned above we own. They are all available at most libraries. I’ve also linked each book to Amazon.