Your Best Road Trip!

[SarahS]

Summer is prime time for road trips, whether you're going cross-country or just out for a long Sunday afternoon drive. So let's get in the spirit! What's the coolest road trip you've ever taken? Share your best memories here.

Related Story:
Road Trip Center

[travelmel]

A few years ago I was in Maine for a wedding and drove up the state's gorgeous coastline. Other than that, my favorite drives are fall foliage ones -- through Massachusetts' Berkshires.

I'm planning to road trip a little bit for my honeymoon next year through California wine country!

[KimberlyB]

My parents were all about road trips, so I had plenty of them growing up. Best memories? Well, it wasn't officially summer until we hit the Blue Ridge Parkway! Dad would wake us up around 3am and -- still in our jammies -- we'd pile into his van with anxious stomachs and hopes of an eventual McDonald's breakfast. After a few hours, we'd watch the sun come up with the truckers.

We had a destination -- my grandparent's house in Greenville, South Carolina -- but the trip there was just as great as the hugs, kisses and cookies that would be waiting for us at the front door of 304 McCrary Street. I remember feeling so excited to see the "Shenandoah National Park" and "Skyline Drive" signs in Virginia, knowing that the "Peachoid" -- the peach water tower in Gaffney, South Carolina -- was just a few hours away.

A simple 14-hour road trip from here to there would take us (in a good summer) as many as five days. You see, my folks actually STOPPED. We wouldn't just drive by landmarks and beautiful sights, we'd actually get out, learn, and play a bit too.

[soliteyah]

Ahh, great thread...but which road trip to choose?

Kimberly's post sparked memories of driving to Ocean City, NJ every summer with my parents, and how excited my brother and I always were to cross the Delaware Memorial Bridge into New Jersey...it meant the four-hour trip was about half over, plus we always got a charge out of crossing such a big high bridge.

But then there was also the road trip SO and I took from Philadelphia down to Tampa for spring break about five years ago. That was a heck of a drive -- about 20 hours each way, with the two of us switching driving duties every couple of hours. We had such a good time on the ride down, playing our favorite tunes and celebrating as we crossed into each new state and as we watched the temperature gauge rising (40 in Philly, 75 in Florida!). And that was the trip when we saw our first palm trees ever, somewhere in Georgia. Good times!

One other honorable mention: driving in a rental car with my parents through western Scotland. The scenery was gorgeous -- peaceful lochs, rushing waterfalls, craggy hills, and lots of sheep! The mood in the car wasn't always so cheerful though, as my parents struggled with the whole driving on the left side thing. My dad practically veered off onto the shoulder every time someone came along from the opposite direction.

[BadByron]

I live about 10 miles from the Gaffney Peachoid.It truly is a roadside must see.Most people who live here swears it looks like a giant butt. My favorite roadtrip so far was driving from South Carolina to California.We got to see alot of cool stuff on the way...Grand Canyon,Roys in Amboy,Route 66, etc. Were doing it again next month, but with a twist.We will drive to Colorado for a few days then head through Utah and Nevada before getting to California.We are looking forward to this trip with a lot of anticipation.

[soliteyah]

Originally Posted by BadByron

I live about 10 miles from the Gaffney Peachoid.It truly is a roadside must see.Most people who live here swears it looks like a giant butt. My favorite roadtrip so far was driving from South Carolina to California.We got to see alot of cool stuff on the way...Grand Canyon,Roys in Amboy,Route 66, etc. Were doing it again next month, but with a twist.We will drive to Colorado for a few days then head through Utah and Nevada before getting to California.We are looking forward to this trip with a lot of anticipation.

Ha! After I read your post I just had to google that peachoid, and, well, you're right...it does look like a giant butt!

Your SC to CA road trip sounds awesome -- how long did it take you?

[WackyHeathen]

Sup Ya'll.

Haven't really been on any hardcore roadtrips, but I did really enjoy traveling between cities in Spain by rented auto. Was fantastic way to get a feel of the changin' landscape.

Also been messing around with the idea taking a motor bike around Ireland, but intertia has stultified that notion. I also have to learn how to drive a motorcycle first.

Cheers,

Wacky.

[BadByron]

It was about 36 hours of drive time.We stayed the night in Pecos Texas on the way there.If I remember right it was home of the first ever rodeo and they were also famous for their cantalopes.Going through Texas on I-20 takes forever.We came back I-40 in the panhandle and it didnt seem to bad.Had a super lunch at some little cafe,the kids loved the fact they served gravy with french fries.

[topwaystosave]

Ever since I got it I do like to go for more drives. Even for shorter drives that I have always done in the past I now use it. I'm amazed at how many little short cuts I have passed up in the past and how much more direct some of my drives are.

[couchsurfer]

NJ to Delaware (lol) that's as far as Iv driven....I wish I could afford and have the patience to go on a road trip....your stories all sound so great!!

[W. Schmae]

I dropped off my rental car at the Portland, OR rental car company last Sunday, 5 July 2009, and noticed the fees were higher then their estimated amounts. Upon closer examination, I determined that the already high 12.5% County Rental Car Tax and the 10% Airport Concession Recovery Fee were applied not only to the cost of the rental car, but to the energy recovery fee and the fuel charge as well.

I only paid the $7.09/gal fuel charge because, after spending 25 minutes driving in all directions from the rental car drop off location, I failed to find a gas station.

To top it off, the 25-minute fuel search caused me to miss my flight which resulted in an airline re-booking feed on top of the baggage fee.

The only good thing about this experience was that the car rental company read my complaint and reimbursed me for the entire fuel charge (but not the taxes and fees applied to it).

[travel_kim]

A couple of years ago, my boyfriend and I took a road trip to everywhere Western state except Utah. We traveled to the national parks--Yellowstone, Glacier, Olympic, Sequoia, Yosemite, Redwoods, Grand Canyon, Crater Lake--and hiked. We were gone for a month and stayed in cute towns. It was awesome. I wish I could do it again.