Grab a Map - It's Summer Road Trip Time

June is here.  If you're thinking of a summer road trip, now's a good time to make a plan.  We put together a few themes to consider.

National Parks Always Beckon

Our nation is blessed with fantastic national parks, and every summer thousands of vacationers make a visit. NPS has put together a list of the iconic park road trips, mostly in the western US, with great info on roads, distances, what you'll see, popular activities, and more.  It's a great way to start your planning.

When you include historical monuments, battlefields, military parks, seashores, and other significant areas, the national park system has installations distributed in (almost) every state. (Sorry Delaware.)

Some families even have a goal of visiting every single park.  If that's you, get a copy of this paper map ($14.99) from National Geographic to record your trips and plan new ones.

Just Here for the Scenery 

Maybe you aren't interested in a particular destination, but just want to see some nice scenery.  In that case, there's no end to the options. Just get in the car and find a pretty spot. 

Of course, some areas really stand out for truly spectacular scenery. UK visitors have done a good job compiling their favorite US trips. The overall USA map clues you into the options, then detailed location maps for each trip give you an idea of the area covered.

 

 

Learn About Civil Rights History

Road trips highlighting landmark sites in civil rights history are a compelling way to expand understanding of the struggle for racial justice. And they are getting more attention this year, due to the recent opening of the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, aka The Lynching Memorial, in Montgomery, Alabama.

Here's a few information-rich sites with for trip suggestions:

https://bit.ly/2CxsFIe    https://bit.ly/2JadHaW

Food Truck Exploration

If you're just looking for something fun and easy, try searching out some food trucks in your region.  Food truck culture is thriving, and for good reason.  It's an inexpensive, adventurous way to sample a myriad of local and ethnic foods.  With quirky characters, inventive menus, and creative truck art to boot!

These 2 links are loaded with mouth-watering suggestions:

https://bit.ly/2JoCWtB  https://bit.ly/2xys5Zv

Local zoning and licensing has a big impact of the successful existence of food trucks.  See the cities where food trucks flourish, and where they are tamped down by the local regulations.

Food trucks have their serous side too.  If you want to delve deeper into some of the cultural aspects of food trucking, check out this article at Scientific American.

Don't want to drive?

Try public transport. There are always loads of complaints about bus and train service, but if you pick the right destination, and you like looking out the window, you could be happy.