In our last blog we wanted to get you pumped up for the holidays and get you all geared up for the open road as you make your way back to see family and friends.
In doing so, it got us thinking about the pastime of road trips, especially here in the United States.
Road trips are like a rite of passage. Often times they occur when we head away for college and leave the family nest. It often commences a new chapter within our lives as we embark into the unknown.
They are just as much a part of being an American as baseball or apple pie.
Many of us have had the good fortune of traversing this great country at some point or another; and if you haven’t, what are you waiting for? Get out on the open road and get a true taste of America.
For those of us that have done our fair share of road-tripping across the U.S., do you ever miss it?
Do you miss the long hours of driving, the open road, the changing landscapes, and vistas? What about the bathroom breaks, pit-stops, gas runs, diner food, and endless adventures?
We most certainly miss it!
This week, we want to continue with the sentiment and excitement that a road trip undoubtedly brings, but this time we want to explore some of the nostalgic aspects that traveling this great land of ours brings about.
If you’ve had the chance to travel through the Heartland of our country or the Deep South, there is a sense of a slower pace of life; one that isn’t filled with the noise of big urban centers like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, or San Francisco. The feeling harkens back to simpler times where you have wide-open spaces and friendly faces close at hand.
Life slows down a little and it’s that easy-breezy sense of living that becomes attractive as you discover new towns along your journey.
Read on further to discover some of our favorite aspects of road tripping through the U.S.
Old Cars
In traveling from town to town, one of our favorite things to encounter is all the old cars on the road. And if you’re a fan of vintage muscle cars and trucks, then you’ll surely encounter plenty while hitting 65 mph on historic Route 66.
It’s such a treat seeing a classic Ford Mustang, Chevy Charger, Volkswagen Bug or Bus on the open road of black asphalt. For us, it’s a reminder of that time between college semesters, spent exploring states like Virginia, The Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida, where the long summer days bled right into the hot, sticky summer nights.
Seeing beautiful pieces of machinery and manufacturing leaves us in awe over spectacular design and engineering; because let’s face it, they don’t make them like they used to.
Vintage Signage
Since we’re on the topic of vintage stuff, let’s delve into another one of our biggest joys of being on road trips across the U.S.
We are huge fanatics of vintage decor and vintage signs. From rusted metal signs, marquee signs, neon signs and everything in between, we love the notion that such old artifacts tell a story and are relics from once upon a time.
Surely, you know what we’re talking about.
You know when you’ve been driving for hours and you’re almost out of gas, clutching the steering wheel with white knuckles, hoping you have just enough fuel to make it to the next station? Realizing once you’ve arrived there’s a classic American diner right next door or across the street.
And when you walk into that diner, it feels as if you’ve been transported back to the 1950s for 60’s. The space is covered with vintage signs from old beer bottle signs and openers to Coca Cola or Pepsi soda shop signs and gas station signage as well as classic car memorabilia.
The roadside diner is by far one of the most iconic elements about being out on the open road. It serves as a respite for the weary, providing nourishment, rest, and relaxation. It’s a space to sit down, fill and fuel up. It ends up being the best pit-stop you decided to take as you fill your tummies with greasy burgers, fries, and shakes; forever etching that moment into your memories.
Diversity
Lastly, road trips in the U.S. also serve as a cultural awakening into the people of our country. By traveling this vast land of ours, it would be truly surprising not to come across someone from a different walk of life.
Whether from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast, traversing north or south, you will inevitably be exposed to a variety of people from different cultures and backgrounds that compromise these United States of America.
It’s always been our experience that the similarities and differences among the citizens of this nation are what makes us one of the most diverse, culturally rich, and accepting populous this world has seen.
So why not get out on the road and make a new friend or two.
Post in the comments below about some of your favorite road trip stories. We’d love to hear from you!
