“Life is a journey, not a destination,” as the popular Ralph Waldo Emerson quote goes, and this is especially true when you’re on an RV road trip with friends or family. Sure, it’s fun to arrive at your campsite, park the RV, and break out the vacation provisions, but it’s also important to remember that actually getting there is half the fun.
In this spirit of enjoying the journey to its fullest, we’d like to encourage you to skip the interstate on your next road trip! Yes, we know– interstates have high speed limits, so they get you where you’re going faster, and they can also be more direct. Still, there are lots of reason to take the back roads and the country lanes. Here are six reasons for you to consider when you plan your next road trip.
Interstates are boring, monotonous, and not very inspirational. Do you think Jack Kerouac would have written On the Road if he had taken I-80 across the country? It’s highly doubtful.
If you’re heading out on a road trip, you want to see the country. On the interstate, you get the impression that the country looks the same no matter where you are: grass that needs to be cut, trees blocking anything that might look interesting, green exit signs, and rest stops with the same five fast food joints. On state roads, you pick up a lot more local flavor.
Nothing puts a damper on a great road trip quite like bad traffic. Skipping the interstate means you’re a lot less likely to encounter the congestion.
When you’re off on a road trip, you want to spend your money on fun and adventure, not speeding tickets. Interstates are notorious for being full of hidden officers and troopers with speed guns. Take the back roads, and you probably don’t have to worry about the possibility of a speeding ticket.
Your RV or fifth wheel is no match speed wise for some hot shot with a lead foot behind the wheel of a six cylinder sedan. We don’t have to tell you how frustrating and annoying it can be to deal with unsafe drivers, especially when you’re piloting a much larger (and slower) vehicle. Take the back roads, and things should be a lot more laid back.
Remember, when you’re on a road trip, you’re on your own schedule. There’s no check in time, no boarding pass to print out, and no time table. It’s not as important to get there as it is to have a good and relaxing time.
It’s true that interstates are well traveled, but as Robert Frost so eloquently put, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— / I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference.” Your next road trip can be made more interesting, less stressful, and all around better by choosing to travel on the local roads — the roads less traveled. Give it a try for your next journey, and see what a difference it makes.
