The first “road trip” on record dates back to days of Ramses II, and road trips continued to play a crucial role throughout ancient history, from Alexander the Great through the Crusades and onward. However, it was not until the days of the automobile and modern highways that the road trip would come to enchant the imaginations of young and old, alike.
In the United States, there are few modern romances that are more compelling and alluring than the myths from the open road. Legends were born on the most infamous American highways, such as the iconic Route 66. Given the relative youth of the United States, road novels might be the closest thing to a “national literature” that this country has. From Steinbeck and Kerouac to Easy Rider and Thelma and Louise, “road tripping” has become an institution in American culture.
While many Americans continue to romanticize the expansive freedom of the open road, in reality, the Highway is no Yellow Brick Road; and although Dean and Sal were based on real people, they are still fictional. Most of us cannot just hop in a car with a couple of our best pals and drive aimlessly wherever the road may take us. A real life road trip usually takes planning, and possibly consulting city travel guides to know where the heck we are going.
Sure, it would be nice if we did not need a city trip travel guide, and could insert ourselves into a work of fiction like On the Road; but most of us have jobs and other responsibilities that require us to do our road tripping within a certain time frame.
However, one advantage you do have over Dean and Sal is that you have your trusty mobile device, so you can access multi city travel packages and guides online. And when you utilize online city travel guides the end of your trip will be more Wizard of Oz than The Grapes of Wrath. But if you decide to pass on it, do not be surprised if your road trip ends more like Easy Rider.
