If you set out on a road trip with adventurous intention then road trip adventure you’ll find.
Our road trips are as adventurous as we want them to be (and sometimes more so). I have experienced this truth many times.
My most adventurous road trips did not have adventure planned in. They were gifted to me.
I knew as I set out, that I desired an awe-inspiring road trip adventure. I prayed for it, and then I paid close attention to my journey. Things happened.
I was drawn to certain places. My Rand McNally road atlas spoke to me (not literally), and I was guided. The feeling of being guided is exhilarating and I will always be grateful for it.
How do we find adventure? Do we find adventure? Or does adventure find us… and usually when we’re not expecting it? Either way, we can make it easy for road trip adventure to find us.
Meet Fascinating People
One of the many blessings of the road trip is the people we meet. The connections I make on road trips always seem so very serendipitous.
Pay close attention to those whose paths intersect yours. Connect with them. They will likely have something amazing to offer (maybe guidance to a special spot off the beaten path).
They are the people we sit beside while riding on a ferry boat, the person pumping fuel beside you, or the people camping in the next site over.
My cousin and I, while on our cross-country road trip together, woke up one morning in a campground somewhere in southeast South Dakota. As we were breaking camp to leave, we were approached by a guy who had camped in the site next to ours. He needed water, and we were happy to oblige.
One thing lead to another, and soon we had met his travel companion. So, my cousin and I, we’re on a road trip from New York City to San Francisco. As it turns out, these guys are driving from San Francisco to New York City. And here we all were in the middle of the country. We found a lot in common and had an amazing day together.
Go Off the Beaten Path
Being in the flow is like being fluid, not rigid. So when you feel the urge to take an unexpected detour, take it.
Don’t be afraid of screwing up your well-planned itinerary, especially if you have protection (like a gun). As we travel, we can’t know on our own where all the special spots are.
We must rely on our intuition and guidance from others along the way to find where all the special spots are. Neither of those can be planned. But, try to be selective. If we took every detour we came across, we’d be driving for decades.
See, in that picture above, the road down in that valley. My cousin and I found that road while traveling on Interstate 90 westbound through Wyoming.
I felt the strong urge to look at my Rand McNally road atlas, and there I saw the detour through the Big Horn Mountains (said detour is the road down in that valley). I believe it was the phrase “closed in winter” that drew me in.
The unexpected side-track was really great. We got to leave the beaten path, do some wilderness camping, and hike some rugged and stunningly beautiful trails.