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My Road Trip
This summer, road trips are back, mainly because most of us can't afford to fly anywhere for a vacation, let alone pay for a resort hotel or a trip abroad. But in my book, road trips are just about the best form of vacation ever invented.
Tomorrow morning I'm heading off on my own road trip across America -- driving with my eldest son, Adam, and his huge mongrel of a dog, Herb. It's not a vacation, exactly. Adam needs another driver. But when he asked, I jumped at the chance. First of all, I love driving across America. Done it six or seven times now. You can't see anything of this country from five miles up. But on the road, especially when you get off the interstates, you can see it in all its beauty and craziness, its crassness and its charm. And you can't help but understand it just a little bit better.
The other thing I like about road trips is you have a chance to talk. After all, your favorite CDs or radio can carry you only so far. A long road trip lets you hang out with someone and bring up whatever's on your mind, and let's them do the same. Something about going a long distance as driver or front-seat passenger, eyes staring straight ahead, that relaxes the mind and the tongue.
And it's also OK to be silent for long stretches, which can be its own kind of intimacy.
I don't want to minimize the bad consequences of this lousy economy. Too many Americans can't even afford a road trip, let alone a fancier summer vacation. But in many ways, the economy is causing us to slow down, and that's not all bad. There are pleasures to be had, for example, in taking a few days with your kid and maybe a big dog, and doing nothing all that special except listening to music and talking and looking at the country.
Tomorrow morning I'm heading off on my own road trip across America -- driving with my eldest son, Adam, and his huge mongrel of a dog, Herb. It's not a vacation, exactly. Adam needs another driver. But when he asked, I jumped at the chance. First of all, I love driving across America. Done it six or seven times now. You can't see anything of this country from five miles up. But on the road, especially when you get off the interstates, you can see it in all its beauty and craziness, its crassness and its charm. And you can't help but understand it just a little bit better.
The other thing I like about road trips is you have a chance to talk. After all, your favorite CDs or radio can carry you only so far. A long road trip lets you hang out with someone and bring up whatever's on your mind, and let's them do the same. Something about going a long distance as driver or front-seat passenger, eyes staring straight ahead, that relaxes the mind and the tongue.
And it's also OK to be silent for long stretches, which can be its own kind of intimacy.
I don't want to minimize the bad consequences of this lousy economy. Too many Americans can't even afford a road trip, let alone a fancier summer vacation. But in many ways, the economy is causing us to slow down, and that's not all bad. There are pleasures to be had, for example, in taking a few days with your kid and maybe a big dog, and doing nothing all that special except listening to music and talking and looking at the country.
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Enjoy your travels in Rocinante. Be sure to meet the real folk. They have a lot of stories to share.
July 30, 2009 9:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Have a great trip Señor Reich! I do love road trips.
July 30, 2009 9:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
Great post, RR.
I became a road-trip fan during my pre-teen years. I would ride along with my grandfather, a long-distance truck driver, during summer vacation. It was great, but stops were short and infrequent.
A few years back, my wife and I had reason to visit NYC, something I had always wanted to do. So we took off from NC on Friday morning and spent that afternoon and night in DC.
The next morning we drove up to NYC. Stayed a stone's throw away from Times Square, saw a few sights, and even took an impromptu meeting with the founder of this very site.
The total trip costed about $800, gas, meals, hotels, the works. While I definitely recommend spending more time than that in a NYC visit (not so much DC, no offense), it is amazing what you can see in just a two-day road trip.
For less than the cost of a week at the beach, I touched the Washington Monument and walked the streets of Times Square. I met Josh Marshall, several members of the Howard Stern Show, and had a drink with a former NBA star Jalen Rose.
Long live the road trip!
July 30, 2009 9:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Professor Reich, there's nothing like the open road.
Don't know where you're going to or from, but if it's on your way, try to drive US52 or US41 through northwestern Indiana (Benton County), where one large wind farm has been built, and a second -- the world's largest -- is mostly complete. There will be over 500 windmills in this aream ultimately! It's pretty amazing to see. Near (south of) the town of Kentland, IN. Here's a link:
http://www.earlparkindiana.com/windfarm.html
-- ARG
July 30, 2009 10:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
The road can be a harsh, yet amazingly beautiful mistress.
(Of course, I tend to do it for work these days.)
There is still a large amount of the US I want to see. I envy you.
July 30, 2009 10:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Road trips always reveal something I didn't know about myself and the country. I love learning more about both.
Have fun!
July 31, 2009 2:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Could you please do all the rest of us a favor and put a couple of MSMers in the rear seat with you?
They really need to get out more.
July 31, 2009 8:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
What's the relative energy consumption?
July 31, 2009 10:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Probably about the same, from what I've read. Actually, a medium to long distance flight is about the same as a solo drive -- once you add people to the car, you're better off driving. Beyond that, at least from a greenhouse perspective, flying is much worse because of the altitude at which various gases are emitted.
August 3, 2009 12:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
Are you aware that you have described the ideal male-to-male/father-son means to communication and bonding? I have read that for women it's eye-to-eye, focused conversation. For men, it's side-by-side, looking forward, preferably accomplishing some task together - parts conversation, parts silent companionship. So lucky you, lucky Adam.
July 31, 2009 2:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Great post! It is inspiring to read something positive. We always seem to focus on crises.
We've been travelling the state (of CA), which as the nature of the state goes, can consist of long distances. This is primarily due to a particular airlines we earn miles with charging $75.00 per ticket to use earned miles for airline tickets, (head scratch).
It has actually been really great. We've ventured out south, east and north (west would be the ocean, so that isn't a possibility) about 2-3 miles away from us and have had some great long weekend trips. We're also trying to "spend local" to stimulate the economy here. God knows CA needs it.
July 31, 2009 2:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
You could write an update of Jack Kerouac's classic. You could call it On The Road 2009.
August 1, 2009 7:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
If you stop in St. Louis let us know, we have welcome you! umslblog@live.com or www.umslblog.com
I have a small cabal of progressives/food industry workers that would make you a meal you would never forget!
August 1, 2009 11:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
It is very relaxing! We did something similar on the west coast. It is interesting to read the guest book comments in the places you stay to see who else is traveling and their thoughts and observations. Your dog's not named "Charlie" is he, as in Steinbeck's Travels With Charlie? It's about time someone wrote an update of that classic.
August 2, 2009 12:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
It is very relaxing! We did something similar on the west coast. It is interesting to read the guest book comments in the places you stay to see who else is traveling and their thoughts and observations. Though your dog's not named "Charlie," as in Steinbeck's Travels With Charlie, it still has that sort of appeal to me. It's about time someone wrote an update of that classic.
August 2, 2009 12:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
i go across every chance i get, and on the bike.
if you find yourself in that neck o' the woods, they call highway 50 "the loneliest road in america." it's a two-laner that goes for about 700 miles i think, i've ridden it end to end (and solo) a number of times now. beautiful vistas, long stretches where you don't see another vehicle -- just be sure youve got enough gas!
one of my favorite alternatives to the interstate.
best wishes for the trip to you and yours :)
August 3, 2009 2:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
you said: "mainly because most of us can't afford to fly anywhere for a vacation, let alone pay for a resort hotel or a trip abroad"
?? uh, I don't think you are part of "us" in any sense. Most of us never worked for the President, and some of us actually CAN'T afford that. But of course, that has nothing to do with the attacks on the middle class that you oversaw.
All the former workers of the manufacturing sector are very happy about your fantastic road trip. They share your upbeat take on the lousy economy, there are a lot of things about being poor and unemployed that people underappreciate.
Sure, they can't afford electricity, but there are more chances for 'talking' and 'silence' now without radio, tv or food in the tent, so it's all good!
August 3, 2009 2:49 PM | Reply | Permalink