World’s Best Road Trips

by Willy Volk on

In March, my wife and I drove from Florida’s east coast to its west coast for a long weekend. In total, we put 600 miles on the car. Does that qualify as a road trip — or is it just a long drive?

In August, we’re planning on taking our two dogs and driving from Florida, through Georgia, and up to Indiana. We plan to be gone for 2+ weeks, and that trip will add about 2500 miles to the car. Does that qualify as a road trip — or is it just insanity on wheels?

Want to spin your wheels out on the open road but can’t figure out a good route? Check out Concierge, which has put together a dreamy list of the world’s best road trips, including:

Finally, after you read the piece, you can vote on your favorite road trip — or nominate a new one altogether.

In case you’re wondering, my all-time favorite road trip was the three-month tour my wife and I took along South Africa’s coast, from Durban to Cape Town: wicked pretty, varied scenery, friendly people, and lots to do.

Do you love road trips? See also:

What’s wrong with this picture?

by Justin Glow on

Ah, the joys of a road trip. Sit back, relax… take in the wind, the open road. But wait, something weird is going on in this picture. It took me a while to notice it, but once I finally did, it reminded me of that road trip I took with Manute Bol last Summer. Though I’m not quite sure, I’d guess this photo was taken somewhere in Central/Eastern Europe, where the automobiles are often battered, and the men gigantic. I’m thinking Hungary.

[via a welsh view]

Roadtrip Time Lapse Video

by Dave Luna on

Last year, I did a roadtrip with my good friend Dom Panarello. I wanted a simple way to remember the 45-day excursion, so I rigged my car with a windshield-mounted webcam that snapped a picture every 60 seconds while the car was running. The other day I looked at the 15,100+ images, and I decided to string them together as a time lapse video:


[Music: FC Kahuna – “Hayling”]

Sure, it’s not Matt Harding dancing on the dark side of the Moon, but I think it’s still mind-blowing. Each frame of the seven-minute video equates to one minute behind the wheel. If you don’t blink, you’ll experience the entire 16,748 mile trip across 45 states. The drive includes tours through national parks*, national forests, and historical sites. You’ll also see thousands and thousands of miles of open tarmac.

* Acadia, Joshua Tree, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Death Valley, Yosemite, Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Carlsbad Caverns, Mesa Verde, Mammoth Cave

Restless Kids? Printable Car Activities!

by Willy Volk on

I mentioned yesterday that my family goes on road trips with some regularity. To pass time in the car, we always make sure we have: fresh music on the iPod; several magazines with lots of pictures; one box of Trivial Pursuit cards; and a hip flask filled with grain alcohol. (Just kidding, we hardly ever take the Trivial Pursuit cards.) We don’t have kids. If we did, we might be looking for other ways to pass the time in the car. What about printable car activities?

Mom’s Minivan is a site dedicated to providing kids travel games and road trips ideas. In addition to details on how to make a cootie catcher and art from aluminum foil, Mom’s Minivan has some pretty great Printable Car Activities, including car bingo and — my favorite — Travel Scavenger Hunt Cards.

The cards are so cool, that, even as an adult, I’m thinking about printing off a couple for our next trip to the Keys. Bonus points for the person who sees the snowman!

Cerenia, A Motion Sickness Pill for Dogs

by Willy Volk on

Whenever my wife and I go on a road trip, we try to take our dog. We believe he likes the change of scene, and it’s fun to get to spend time with him, since we’re usually at work. Fortunately for us, he’s a great travel companion — aside from the shedding! — but evidently, lots of dogs get car sick.

The owners of those dogs will no doubt celebrate the FDA’s recent decision to approve the use of Cerenia, a pill that prevents vomiting associated with motion sickness in dogs. Interestingly, during the clinical trials, some of the reactions (PDF) dogs suffered from ingesting the pills included hypersalivation, anorexia, flatulence, and vomiting (NOT caused by car sickness).

Depending on the severity of your dog’s motion sickness — and the severity of his flatulence! — you may want to think carefully about Cerenia. Maybe a homeopathic approach would be more appropriate. Or maybe you should just leave your dog at home.

[Photo: Willy Volk]