America on the Move

Like many others, I am fed up with the ways of Washington and Westminster. It’s summer, time for a break, an opportunity to get away from the trials and tribulations of the so-called political leaders and their disturbing utterances. Here in England, lots of people fly to Spain or Italy to get away, as well as motoring to France. The lunatic fringe go to Florida, a state where the inhabitants leave in July and August, if they are wise. No disrespect intended but who wants to stay in a humid furnace? The Brits, of course!

In America, people often get in their cars and go. The romance of the open road, or of reinvention and free mobility, seems to be part of the American Dream. Think how many songs and books describe it: Paul Simon, The Eagles, Kerouac and Steinbeck to name a few classics.

When I started my travels to the States in the late 1960s and early 1970s, I noticed that gas (petrol) prices went up substantially in June. I was confused. Why would this be? Surely more energy is consumed in the winter? One of my relatives patted me on the head and explained. “Supply and demand. School is out at the end of June. That’s when America goes travelling by car.”

Of course, he was right. Kids in America get out of school for the long summer vacation, stretching from mid-June to early-September. Years ago, American children were needed on the farm to help with the harvest. Time has moved on and nowadays many American families drive thousands of miles to visit relatives and friends and see the sights. Packing the family Studebaker and Buick (love the old names) with children, luggage and dog is the way to go.

Sometimes things come unstuck. When Mitt Romney was running for President, a story emerged that on a Romney family trip in June, 1983, the Romney car was so full, they packed their dog, Seamus, in a carrier on the roof of the station wagon. Seamus got diarrhea. Romney stopped at a gas station to wash the dog, the carrier and the car and continued on his way. During an interview with ABC News in his run for the presidency, Romney was asked about the incident and if he would take a dog on another journey like he did in 1983. He replied: “Certainly not with the attention it’s received.” He lost the dog-lovers’ vote.

According to Portrait of American Travelers magazine, road trips in 2015 represented approximately 22% of vacations taken by Americans. A year later that number jumped to 39%. In 2017, the upward trend continued. Many Americans see no need for a passport. They like to stay within their country. This is not just practical. America has an infinite number of beauty spots and places of interest. In addition, the flexibility of being able to stop along the way wherever you want influences the decision to use a car. It’s less expensive than fly/drive and a road trip offers more options in terms of schedule. Travellers can relax, leave at the last minute, and discover historical sites, local cuisine, museums, shopping, hiking, festivals and theme parks along the way.

I have been lucky enough to have experienced many wonderful road trips in USA, north, east and west. My American wife is a Yankee yet we managed to have a great time in Virginia, North and South Carolina and Georgia. I have seen the craggy coast of Maine and the tsunami coast of Oregon. I have driven by Big Sur and US1 from San Francisco into Oregon. I travelled through the South-west states of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico in a huge RV, taking in the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, the Painted Desert, Mesa Verde, and many other wonderful sights on the way. The Native American reservations were a sight to be seen and marvelled at.

Possibly my favourite trip took us from Minnesota into South Dakota and its Black Hills, Badlands, Mount Rushmore and the even more impressive Crazy Horse Monument. Through Wyoming and Montana, there are the National Parks of Glacier, Yellowstone and Grand Tetons and the Moonscape in Idaho. In these States it was de rigeur for me to wear hats in restaurants. If I had brought my cowboy hat with me, I’d have made myself at home. Then through Oregon and Washington, ending in Seattle, we travelled almost 6,000 miles of the most amazing countryside and interesting people of America’s North-west.

The key to all these trips is timing. The American family usually travels in summer when it can be ferociously hot. Places like Yellowstone could have temperatures in the 90s and be crowded. We tended to go in April/May or September/October, when the seniors are in evidence.

There are tips I could give but it’s also fun to find out for yourselves. However, if you travel ‘out of season’, it is amazing how many places are sparsely populated and driving becomes a real pleasure. It’s very much the open road. But you need a sat nav, a smart phone and/or iPad so you can find accommodation as you go. Taking pot luck can be a risk.

Sadly, anno domini has caught up with me and I have to accept I have made my last road trip in USA. I’ll now explore the beauties of the North of England and Scotland, at least for a while, so long at the authorities here don’t remove my driver’s licence on grounds of old age and decrepitude. There is also the risk that one of my daughters will remove my car keys but I’ll keep hold of the Jag as long as I can.

Hopefully, wherever I go, I will avoid those who create trouble, disturbance and terror in the corridors of Westminster and the byways of DC. It would be so tempting to tell these people to get lost and replace them with those who have less ideology and more common sense.