Jack Kerouac has a lot to answer for. The American novelist probably didn’t intend to romanticise the long-distance road trip when he penned On the Road in 1957. And yet, romanticise it he did.
“There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars,” he wrote wistfully.
More than 60 years later, the call of the open road has never beckoned more loudly than in a post-Covid-19 world of border closures and flight restrictions. But the truth, as anyone who has spent more than eight hours cruising the open road will know, is that simply jumping in your car and hitting the road is, in fact, the quickest route to all manner of frustration, regret and marital disharmony.
A great road trip requires planning, preparation and, most importantly, a well-curated playlist and assortment of tasty-but-tidy snacks. You need to know exactly where you’re going, where you’re stopping and where to find the best coffee along the way. Nail that and you’ll soon be soaking in those halcyon days of summers past (with the added luxury of modern automotive engineering and podcasts.)
PLAN AHEAD
This story is from the December 2020 edition of Gourmet Traveller.
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This story is from the December 2020 edition of Gourmet Traveller.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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