5 Unforgettable Road Trips to Take in Your Lifetime

Ordinary Traveler

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ordinarytraveler.com...
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There’s something about being out on the open road that invigorates my soul. Even (or especially) when things don’t go as planned, road trips can lead to life changing experiences. Here are five unforgettable road trips to add to your bucket list.
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EASTERN NEWFOUNDLAND
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EAST COAST OF AUSTRALIA
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Australia has some of the prettiest beaches in the world and its famed East Coast is home to places like Bondi Beach, Angourie, Byron Bay, and The Great Barrier Reef. You could easily spend a month or longer to see the entire eastern coast, so it’s best to pick a few favorites if you only have a couple of weeks.
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We started in Sydney and spent fourteen days slowly driving up the coast, making our way to Maroochydore. Highlights of this itinerary include Newcastle, the Tweed Coast, Broken Head, and Angourie. If you have the time, take a flight to the Whitsunday Islands!
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CALIFORNIA'S HWY 1
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[BoX: I took this one twice to drive from San Diego to see my fiancee in Oregon. I had a Datsun 260Z to take it in. I loved it.]
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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
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THE FRENCH COUNTRYSIDE
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I also took the Yellowstone route. I think I enjoyed California 1 more.
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Certainly Yellowstone is without peer of its type. And, it's likely better to view it before the volcano blows again! LOL.
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I'd love to take the Aussie one and the French Countryside one. Has anyone taken those?
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What do you most enjoy about such a road trip?
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I most enjoy the varied scenery and the sense of a carefree experiencing of the diversity of life and people.
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What do you least enjoy?
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No fun trying to find lodging if you have not reserved one in a busy season. Yet, to reserve ties one to a schedule. Sigh.
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How many have you taken?
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I don't recall . . . probably 8-12. Most have been in the American South West and a couple in SE Asia.
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a reply to: BO XIAN

I have done California HWY 1 and Yellowstone. Both of those were amazing trips. I would put Yellowstone as the best simply because of the collection of natural wonders that I saw, buy HWY was also stunning. I am not sure about the others as I don't really travel out of the country much. Perhaps one day.

a reply to: Metallicus

I guess I'd agree about Yellowstone's natural variety.

However, that's the sort of thing I grew up around.

The ocean and such views as on route 1 were a new experience for me.

I treasure those scenes in my mind.

Yellowstone literally brought me to tears with its beauty. It's beyond words.

Thanks for the article.

a reply to: VegHead

It is that beautiful, alright.

But so is the California coast on route 1, imho.

And the Olympic Rain Forest in Washington State.

I'm surprised the Rocky Mountains didn't make that list.

a reply to: MaMaa

Nor did the Olympic mountains.

Nor Hawaii. LOL.

I guess the author had a more limited perspective?

great subject....lifts me up

really, if we are gonna tell the truth here...da rockies.....it gets even more like heaven in Idaho....the sawtooths

the cascades and sierras....no thanks....too dusty or unwalkable......in the rockies one can pick a direction and make good enough time walking....
in the cascades.....your azz is gonna get in a heap of tore up slippery uphill on moss....downhill on slime and moss....underthatch ten feet deep, ya see....only a bigfoot could get around in that.....cascades you're stuck doing the logging roads or go home.

I was thinking yesterday about different scenes in different areas....Wyoming ya expect to see dinosaurs in the badlands, Idaho has heavenly mtn. meadows up in the clouds, estes park say no more and the enchanted snake river plains are magic

edit...oh I live in texas.....texas, lets see now here...well, anyway....we have the road that takes you away to the rockies.....yezz

Have been all over continents beside America, Antarctica

But my favourite is putting the cats in the car put down the back seat in car fit it with mattress pack my bbq gear and hit the road jack. Anywhere is good

My imagination is my favorite travel destination

a reply to: BO XIAN

One day, I'd like to visit the Aussie Outback purely to camp beneath the stars. The flatness of the landscape, lack of light pollution and the vault of the southern skies should be breathtaking - so many stars and so much scale.

I was in Tenerife last year and drove from Santa Cruz via La Esperanza and upwards to Mount Teide. The views were beautiful and the silence was something else altogether; it was all flora and hardly any fauna. Up in the pine forests, the needles carpeted the ground and acted like a blanket to muffle sounds. We'd pull over, look at the views and feel the heat in the air. There were no bugs in the air and the only birds I saw were robins and kestrels.

At 3000m or so, the forests gave way to the caldera of an extinct volcano and the landscape became desolate and rugged. The road wound through hairpin bends with butt-clenching drops and no fencing. The strangest things to be seen near the top of this world-class peak were dragonflies. Yes, in a place with almost zero annual rainfall and not a river or pool in sight, a couple of larger dragonflies flew around.

Up there in the desert land, there was no breeze and no sounds whatsoever. There was a sense of peace there like I've never felt elsewhere.

a reply to: GBP/JPY

LOLOLOL.

Texas has it's own beauty--and lots of land to hide it in. LOL.

Yeah. I'm very partial to the Rockies. Grew up gazing at them.

Very inspiring and refreshing.

a reply to: Kandinsky

Sounds wonderful. Great pics.

Guess I'll have to search out what region of the world that's in. My geographic knowledge is lacking to that degree. LOL.

Thanks for sharing. 3,000 meters . . . would that be close to a mile high?

Cheers.

a reply to: BO XIAN

I'd love to take the Aussie one and the French Countryside one. Has anyone taken those?

I've driven up and down the east coast many times. I have to disagree with it being an amazing road trip though (compared to other parts of Australia), you'll spend most the time just driving though large suburban towns... it gets interesting once you get past the Sunshine coast, if over crowded tropical beaches and extremely expensive tourist towns are your thing. All well and good if your there to party, but you won't see the iconic Australian outback anywhere on the east coast.

Now the North Western drive from Darwin to Broome on the other hand, is absolutely amazing. The landscape appears ancient and it feels like you've gone back in time... consistent giant blue skies and perfect weather everyday with barely a cloud ever seen (in winter).

The night sky is just incredible too...Considering the Kimberley's has a population of less than 50,000 in an area twice the size of the UK, light pollution is obviously not going to effect your view of the stars out there.

Anyway, the East coast has nothing on the Kimberleys, imo.

101,
Blue Ridge Parkway,
A51,
Yellowstone
I40 coast to coast

My favorites.

We just got back from a trip in which we visited the castles of the Loire valley.
That is REALLY something to do!!! It was awesome!

This is the Chateau de Chenonceau- my favorite! Not to big, but really lovely!

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

I'm convinced.

When do we leave?

Wish I could. Sounds splendid.

a reply to: smirkley

I'm not familiar with A51. Will have to look it up.

What do you like most about it?

Thanks for your kind reply.

a reply to: Bluesma

Sounds like a lot of fun, alright.

What common threads and themes did you discover by visiting so many castles?

originally posted by: BO XIAN
a reply to: Bluesma

Sounds like a lot of fun, alright.

What common threads and themes did you discover by visiting so many castles?

I didn't get to see many (there are 80 ) as we didn't have many days, but there were two things that stood out for me-
one is the aesthetic effect - I was so overwhelmed in some places, I actually cried a bit (was discrete about it, but still...).
I find it incredible all the work by so many people, that can go into making beauty. The skills of artisans, that simply do not exist anymore! We have machines that make functional and disposable objects- takes no skill, no consciousness, there's no beauty....AND there are less jobs for people now.
Thinking of how the construction of things like castles, cathedrals, even pyramids gave the whole society a common project to focus on. People were proud to put their skills and talent into these things; some had generations of the same family working on them. This brought communities together, gave individuals a sense of pride and value....both "intellectuals" and "manuals" had roles to play in it.

Could that not be something we could remember and turn to now?

Then the other thing is simply the history I learn. I do some research before each stop, and end up learning sooo much! There is such a rich and enthralling history here. I get fascinated by certain characters through this too. I seem to have walked away from this trip obsessed with Diane de Poitiers. There's always someone who grabs my interest....

a reply to: Bluesma

INDEED!

Folks fail to realize that

when

we throw away skills, thoughtfulness, passionate work, carefulness, patience, community . . . we eventually will throw away people.

There are consequences for arbitrarily and inaccurately decreeing that man is nothing more than a rat, a radish or a rock.

What a great way to tour--study beforehand and a goal of learning. Congrats.