How often do we long to get away from it all, go on vacation, and return only needing a rest from the very vacation we hoped would rejuvenate us? Definitely vacations can be fun and exciting, but also hectic and nerve-racking; yet there is one form of get-away that can be the most rejuvenating of all. Though rarely undertaken, it is the lone road trip. For those who have no fear traveling alone and who enjoy their own company, this is the very thing to refresh a weary body and a worrisome mind. If you’ve never done one, perhaps this information will encourage you to do so.
A trip of 3-6 days usually works well, depending on how much time you have, and how much money you want to spend. Pick an area of the country you would like to see, a state you’ve never been to, or a national park you’ve always wanted to visit. Plan your route and get a tour guide book from AAA, or on the internet research places you might like to see along the way. Decide the route you want to take and approximately how many hours a day you want to drive to determine roughly how long it will take you to get to your destination, if you even have a destination. One joy of taking a solitary road trip is that you don’t necessarily have to get anywhere. In fact, you can just drive and end up wherever your car takes you. After all, you have no one to appease. You can do exactly what you like, when you like.
A road trip is about getting away from schedules, responsibilities, and must-do’s. In fact, there is absolutely nothing you “must” do, except feed yourself and fill the car with gas occasionally. There is no taking care of the kids. No feeding the dog. No phone calls or business that needs to be seen to (that is, if you keep you cell phone turned off and only use it if you feel you must) and absolutely no one to answer to. It is the ultimate freedom!
As you plan your trip, use the freeways or highways when needed but also take the scenic routes as much as possible. Plan to drive through the local towns and stop at the mom and pop local eateries to experience what life is like outside of your personal world.
The morning of your departure, throw your suitcase in the trunk, put some munchies and your favorite CD’s in the front with you, and hit the road!
Once you leave your responsibilities behind and it’s just you, your car, and the open highway, notice how the landscape expands before you. How vast and beautiful is the country when you are aware of it with a quiet mind, unburdened by concerns left behind!
Don’t rush yourself because there is nothing you must see and nowhere you must be. The road is yours to take in – the trees, the plains, the desert, the mountains, the ocean. Truly be aware of nature around you. Breathe it in. Sense how quiet it is in the absence of traffic and human noise.
Stop here. Stop there. Eat when you want to. Drive into a town you don’t know and consider staying at the local motel rather than looking for a well known hotel chain. If you like to rough it a little more, you could find a camp ground, or rent a cabin for the night. Do whatever frees you from your usual routine but that still allows you to be comfortable.
If you go to a national park consider doing something you might not ordinarily do if someone was with you. You might go on a horse back riding trip at Yellowstone or rafting at the Grand Canyon. Get out of your car in Death Valley and stand on the hot desert ground, marveling how ancient people traversed that valley so many, many years ago.
A lone road trip can be the ultimate relaxing vacation, soothing to the soul and the mind. With total freedom to do as you choose, leaving all responsibilities behind, you can experience parts of the country you’ve never seen before and you can bask in the grandeur and silence of nature, far from the hectic crowds.
If you have never done so, perhaps you will now consider a solitary road trip for your next get-away.
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