The road trip is a distinctly American phenomenon. Due to Eisenhowser's plan to construct a highway system across the States instead of a train system like Europe, Americans have been roadtrippin' it since the 50's (think Kerouac's "On the Road").
This comes to mind as I am heading down to Austin this weekend, with a stop in Waco along the way. The evolution of the road trip is an interesting thing... from the
Egyptians to the "Manifest Destiny", a ride up to Sturgis, or an
impromptu trip to Austin... there's something about getting out on the
road with a good music mix and just driving.
I'm a Texas girl. Never lived anywhere else. The road trip in Texas is one of my favorite things to do. And as a "buffalo", it's in our nature to be nomadic and spontaneous (see our
RV Trip or
Taos Retreat post). Traveling is one of my passions. I enjoy experiencing new cultures, new places, and new people. The people you meet along the way on a road trip can make you or break you.
I recently met some backpackers from Denmark in a Kinko's. We randomly started talking and they ended up crashing with me for about 3 days. Backpacking in the States is pretty much unheard of, but apparently it happens. Now, they were doing it WITHOUT a car. They were taking trains and buses. This isn't the 60's... roadtripping via bus when you are a 20 year old girl from a country as safe as Denmark is quite an experience! However, I just happened to run into them and I set them up with friends across the country for the remainder of their journey. In addition to being nomadic and deriving inspiration from a new environment, it is the OFB nature to make new friends in all places.
See some of my favorite road trip pictures!
Read
here for a complete "Road Trip" history....