Road-trips.

[Sam Gamgee]

I just got back from a trip to the mountains of New Mexico for a week. It was glorious.

From my home in the Dallas area it was about 11 hours one-way with stops along the way for gas, etc.

I love long drives, seeing the country, and devouring entire albums along the way (as opposed to just single tracks). Jeff Lynne’s ELO was on heavy rotation this time.

A lot of the people I meet on my travels don’t ever seem to travel. This is an insanely beautiful country with a wonderful interstate system (thanks, Dwight Eisenhower). It somewhat amazes me that many show no interest in travel.

What about you: do you enjoy road-trips?

 

[bullet08]

Brings back some memories. One particular Saturday morning in Atlanta, my roommate and I went to another friend's apartment, and wake him up. Decided to go to the Panama City. It was 1993. Roommate was keep saying it will take 3 hours. We pack up the car with 3 cases of beer and clothes on our back and took off. It took 6 hours and 3 cases of beers to get there. The friend just saw "My Cousin Vinny". When we reached Alabama state line, we asked this old gent for a picture. The gent couldn't figure out which side was the front. From there on, the whole drive was talk about how screwed we were and we'll end up a jail like that Vinny movie. Along with my friend's beer farts. After 6 hours, we reached the Panama City, took a leak at the beach and passed out. Next morning, we found out it was MTV's first spring break in Panama City. Good time was had. There was a bar, "Salt Dog" I think. Learned to drink Fucking Willie all night long with few girls. End up in a cheap hotel that smelled like urinal. Next morning, drove back to Atlanta. On Tuesday, woke up with whole face peeling from passing out on beach. It's something my friend and I still talk about. My roommate has taken his life some years ago. Still miss that dude.

 

[ashdigger]

I love road trips, especially since my work requires them. I just did a 14 round trip. Last week was a 11 round trip.

I listen to books on tape. Music makes me nod off. My genre is heavy punk. Lol.

I listen to history non fiction. Love it.

 

[trudger]

We just did southern Utah: Vegas to Bryce National Park & Zion NP. Amazing part of the country!

 

[cshubhra]

I love road trips. Sometimes day trip and other times overnight.

Since we start driving late, can only do 400-500 miles per day. I have even done day trips which is 400+ miles round trip.

Some recent trips

1. New Jersey - Finger Lakes, NY - Niagara Canada

2. Day Trip - NJ to Lake George NY

3. NJ - DC - Shenandoah

4. NJ - Boston - Plymouth

5. NJ - Baltimore (Day Trip)

6. NJ - Endless Mountains PA (Day Trip)

7. NJ - Lancaster County PA (Day Trip)



Many more to list. Planning another trip to Shenandoah and another to Pittsburgh soon. We had also planned to drive to Florida from NJ, but canceled at the last minute and chose to fly. Even though we flew to Orlando, I drove to Miami in a rented car.

 

[AcesAndEights]

Back in my traveling band days, I spent pretty much every weekend and then some in a van with my mates. Just four idiot dudes having the times of their lives. It was awesome. Lots of good memories!

 

[Sam Gamgee]

I love road trips. Sometimes day trip and other times overnight.

Since we start driving late, can only do 400-500 miles per day. I have even done day trips which is 400+ miles round trip.

Some recent trips

1. New Jersey - Finger Lakes, NY - Niagara Canada

2. Day Trip - NJ to Lake George NY

3. NJ - DC - Shenandoah

4. NJ - Boston - Plymouth

5. NJ - Baltimore (Day Trip)

6. NJ - Endless Mountains PA (Day Trip)

7. NJ - Lancaster County PA (Day Trip)



Many more to list. Planning another trip to Shenandoah and another to Pittsburgh soon. We had also planned to drive to Florida from NJ, but canceled at the last minute and chose to fly. Even though we flew to Orlando, I drove to Miami in a rented car.

I’ve done a few road-trips to the northeast and it’s my favorite part of the country. It takes a long time to get to PA, NJ, New England, etc from Dallas but it’s a lot of fun when you finally get out of Texas.

If I lived up in the NE, I’d be road-tripping most weekends.

 

[fireground_piper]

Not much, I love home and my town.

 

[cshubhra]

I’ve done a few road-trips to the northeast and it’s my favorite part of the country. It takes a long time to get to PA, NJ, New England, etc from Dallas but it’s a lot of fun when you finally get out of Texas.

If I lived up in the NE, I’d be road-tripping most weekends.

Yes. NE is

 

[Chasing Embers]

Not at all, takes me too far from my recliner. Got all of my traveling out of my system in the late '80s/early '90s.

 

[The Amish Tyrant]

My road trips have been limited within the state (Michigan) for long weekends.

Frankenmuth (small little Bavarian town with lots of festivals) is a standard. Touring the Jackson State Prisons was surprisingly good. I also learned to love local speedways (despite not liking racing) - the people watching alone is worth the price of admission and demolition nights (like busses on a figure 8 track) are awesome.

My genre is heavy punk.

What bands? Bad Brains, Black Flag, Misfits, Ramones, and Minor Threat are my standard punk fare. Face to Face and Rancid are more modern classics.

 

[ashdigger]

What bands? Bad Brains, Black Flag, Misfits, Ramones, and Minor Threat are my standard punk fare. Face to Face and Rancid are more modern classics.
[/QUOTE]


Those are definitely in my lineup.

 

[irishearl]

We just did southern Utah: Vegas to Bryce National Park & Zion NP. Amazing part of the country!
View attachment 262878

Yup, saw them in my 20's some 45+ years ago when a geology class I took visited numerous national parks throughout the western US. Nowadays. I find my body gets too achy cooped up in a car for more than 2 hours.

 

[DesertDan]

Back in my traveling band days, I spent pretty much every weekend and then some in a van with my mates. Just four idiot dudes having the times of their lives. It was awesome. Lots of good memories!

Same here, probably should have stayed in school instead of playing in every crappy bar, VFW hall and backyard BBQ across West Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma, but I wouldn't trade those experiences for anything.
I have always found driving long distances to be cathartic.
It has been a few years since my last road trip. I need to hit the road again someday soon.

 

[georged]

Live load flatbed of non-standard items for the lower 48 plus Alaska and Canada for a dispatcher who knew I liked weird loads, "blue highways" (state, county, and backroads), and had no wife/situation that needed regular loop-throughs or stopovers.

Got to see all KINDS of cool stuff.

 

[kcghost]

Never cared too much for road trips. They seem to diminish my pipe smoking, Increase my cigar smoking but play hell with the pipe smoking I normally do.

 

[Tbaggins]

Live load flatbed of non-standard items for the lower 48 plus Alaska and Canada for a dispatcher who knew I liked weird loads, "blue highways" (state, county, and backroads), and had no wife/situation that needed regular loop-throughs or stopovers.

Got to see all KINDS of cool stuff.


View attachment 262929

I railroad and get to travel if I want to. Every once in a while I’ll hear truckers hit the horn at us. Very nice you get to take the odd jobs and see new stuff!

 

[RookieGuy80]

My folks are both from central Massachusetts and moved to Baltimore shortly before I was born. So growing up taking those 8-10 got road trips from Baltimore to Worcester (pronounced Whistah) several times a year.

I haven't made that journey with my own children yet, although I really should drag them up at some point. So far all of our road trips have been centered on the Mid Atlantic through Pennsylvania, both Virginias, Delaware, and Maryland. But we do still go for 8-10 hours in the car. Sometimes more.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

Took a big one from Iowa to northern Cali and all along the coast and back a couple of years ago, when we were in Scotland and Ireland renting a car and road tripping was what made it special for us. Note to anyone: never drive anywhere near Salt Lake City at or close to rush hour, although the traffic through there is about the worst ever any time. Had to go out of town for work last week - just a 4 hour drive but really enjoyed just driving, seeing final fall field work getting done, whatever along the way. And yep, always a chance to devour music.

 

[bobomatic]

I just got back from a trip to the mountains of New Mexico for a week. It was glorious.

From my home in the Dallas area it was about 11 hours one-way with stops along the way for gas, etc.

I love long drives, seeing the country, and devouring entire albums along the way (as opposed to just single tracks). Jeff Lynne’s ELO was on heavy rotation this time.

A lot of the people I meet on my travels don’t ever seem to travel. This is an insanely beautiful country with a wonderful interstate system (thanks, Dwight Eisenhower). It somewhat amazes me that many show no interest in travel.

What about you: do you enjoy road-trips?

I got one for you Sam. If you just got back from NM, chances are you drove right by it.

A few years ago I took my daughter on a road trip to west Texas. You'd think not much to see but you'd be wrong. Driving I-10 out to Pecos Texas and just west of Pecos is a little town called Toyah.

Kevin Costner shot the opening scenes of a movie (Fandango) there in the old school house. Nearby, they shot some other scenes at a fictious restaurant "Chata Ortegas". It was part of the movie set they built just off interstate 10. I can't remember if it's before or after Toyah, but you can see the remains from the interstate. Park on the side and walk to it. There are some other movie locations nearby.

Anyway, we continued on to Marfa and stopping at the McDonald observatory, which I highly recommend. That area is more like Colorado than Texas. We had such a wonderful time. Great memories. Road trips are the best.

Here's a video of "Chatas" and the school house: