The first 6-week college winter break symbolizes a lot for a freshman; it’s a gift for surviving the first semester away from home. When faced with the reality that I would have all this time without any schoolwork or a job, I turned to the affordable, easily-plannable, last minute travel option: a road trip. I know endless hours in a car sound less than ideal, but that is because such haters haven’t road tripped the correct way, with the three P’s:
Point of destination
When the trip’s end point is something to look forward to, the ride goes much faster. Just as important is the route that you take. The point of destination is a way of mentally consoling yourself; watching the miles fly by reassures you that you are actually making progress in your trip. That being said, all road trippers know that the route is more important than the main destination; each stop is a quick chance to emerge yourself in local culture, whether it be chatting with the rest stop attendant at a gas station or looking at the town’s Yik Yak. For the trip I decided to take, my final destination was New Orleans, but my route was not exactly what you would expect.
Playlist
Having something good to listen to is an absolute must; whether that means CD’s, the radio, or an audiobook. After two days of listening to the same country countdown on repeat, we switched to audiobooks; first, we listened to The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith and now we’re onto In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (your choices don’t have to be nearly as sociopathic or dark).
Pal
The traveling partner is more important than the trip; if you’re going to spend prolonged amounts of time with this person in a car, you should go with someone you enjoy. This is the perfect activity to do with cousins, old friends from high school, or new friends from college whom you can pick up along the way! My best pal happens to be my boyfriend, so he is my partner on my current road trip.
Without following those three P’s, you’re basically setting yourself up for hours of anxiously refreshing Google Maps, counting down the minutes until you arrive at your next stop. But if you follow those tricks no matter whatever route you take it is bound to be enjoyable. That leads me to the piece de resistance: the most epic and incredible road trip route you’ve ever read in your entire life. This trip starts in NYC and the final destination is New Orleans.
Stop 1: Montreal, Quebec (5.5 hours from NYC)
Montreal is totally overlooked by New Yorkers; we have access to a chic European city in just over 5 hours. Bring your passport because the border is about an hour before the tall buildings and mountains behind them become visible. Upon arriving here, my road trip pal and I were faced with the dilemma of where to park his gigantic truck. We had actually contemplated taking my much smaller Subaru for this reason exactly; Montreal isn't exactly built for large ‘Murican Fords. After we found a parking lot, we set out to grab dinner at Bar Deville, a restaurant I had seen on a food Instagram. Food Instagrams are really helpful on road trips to avoid eating bad food; search your location in the app and see who has Instagrammed pics of their food in that location! We grabbed some Poutine that night, knowing we would need the strength for our trek into Northwestern Quebec the next day.
Stop 2: Val D’Or, Quebec (7 hours from Montreal)
The ride to Val D’Or was beautiful: snow-capped trees, frozen lakes, and absolutely no traffic. Upon arriving in the quaint town, we stopped at a Chinese restaurant where the waiter said, “You’re from New York!? Why would you want to come here?” That interaction summarizes Val D’Or: sleepy, seemingly empty, and freezing. Except, all road trippers know that towns like Val D’Or are hidden gems; if they’ve never met a New Yorker, you’ve probably never met someone from there which means you’re really in unchartered territory as far as learning and exploring different cultures. When we checked into our hotel, the temperature was -12 F degrees; pack accordingly! Make sure to get gas (and snow tires) before you leave Val D’Or, because the next day’s trip is long and icy, with gas stations far apart.
Stop 3: Thunder Bay, Ontario (12 hours from Val D’Or)
This trip was daunting because the last four hours were spent driving along an icy, unlit, winding highway. We got a late start in the morning, so we were stuck on the “transcanadienne” highway in the dark. It was such a relief, after spending days driving through rural Canada to arrive in a somewhat-bustling city. After surviving that long rugged journey, make sure to really indulge your wild side with a Bison burger, one of Ontario’s specialties.
Stop 4: Fargo, North Dakota (7 hours from Thunder Bay)
Fargo is a typical Midwestern city; flat, industrial, and loaded with strip malls. The U.S. border is about 1.5 hours away from Thunder Bay, and right over the border, on the way to Fargo, is a cute town that sits on Lake Superior called Grand Marais. Make sure to stop there for some scenic breakfast before continuing on your way. The route to Fargo takes you through rural Minnesota, where sometimes the only marker of a town is its Cenex, which is a gas station/grocery store chain that’s all over the Midwest. Fargo, itself, is only a destination if you’ve seen the movie. From the accents to the shocking friendliness, we really felt like we were somewhere far from home here.
Stop 5: Billings, Montana (7 hours from Fargo)
This was the first real city we had seen since Montreal. It had the same look, just without as many large buildings. The people everywhere in Billings were so friendly and kind that it made it hard to believe we were still in the same country.
Stop 6: Gardiner, Montana (2 hours from Billings)
Upon leaving Billings, we stopped for gas about an hour into our trip in Big Timber, Montana. This little town holds the most amazing rest stop I’ve ever seen; a food mart/hunting supply/deli/ souvenir/clothing store/liquor store all in one. You definitely need to stop there en route to Gardiner. We actually ended up in Gardiner accidentally, because the road we were planning on taking to Cody, through Yellowstone was blocked by snow. However, this error in planning was the best thing that could’ve happened. The town sits right before the large stone arch entrance to Yellowstone National Park along the Yellowstone river. We found a little riverside cottage overlooking the river where elk and moose fed. The cottages were very inexpensive, because, as you guessed it, nobody goes there during the winter. That meant that the hot tub overlooking the river and the mountains was all mine from which I watched animals feeding. During the day, we drove through Yellowstone, which was beautiful and empty; we shared the road with bison, which walked right up to the truck. This stop along the park is definitely a must!
Stop 7: Salt Lake City, Utah (7 hours from Gardiner)
I am currently reading Under the Banner of Heaven by Jon Krakauer about a small-town murder in a Mormon community, so I wanted to stop in Utah instead of Wyoming to see the Mormon Tabernacle choir rehearsing. Salt Lake City is beautiful and sits at the base of a mountain and was just about as urban as Montreal, with big name stores, restaurants that deliver, and public transportation. It was hard to believe that just days before we were in Val D’Or where there were none of the above mentioned urban indicators.
Stop 8: Aspen, Colorado (6 hours from SLC)
I’m going to have to switch up the tenses a bit because I am writing from my Salt Lake City hotel room now, as I am in the middle of this trip. Consider it live reporting from here on! Aspen really is a ski town, so make sure to tap into the luxuries of mainstream travel destinations while they’re available; at this point I’m really looking forward to a restaurant that serves salads.
Stop 9: Albuquerque, New Mexico (8 hours from Aspen)
I was originally worried about going to Albuquerque because I thought I would be poorly dressed with sweaters, leggings, and Docs for the warmer weather I was expecting, but it actually is cooler there in the winter, according to my weather app. I was picturing "Breaking Bad"-esque heat, but apparently there’s snow in New Mexico now. Albuquerque is a lively southwestern city, so it should be exciting to see the change of culture in dropping down from Midwestern cold, indoor-based cities to the warmer climate and culture of New Mexico.
Stop 10: Amarillo, Texas (4 hours from Albuquerque)
Amarillo is really a southern, dry climate. The mountains have morphed into canyons, and the cold-weather animals, like bison, that we saw along the highway are now horses. I’m not a big hiker, and Amarillo is really considered a tourist destination for that due to its canyons, so instead I’m looking forward to experiencing the saloon-style restaurants that cover the downtown area. Amarillo is real southern Texas; not a city like Houston or a "top 10 city for entrepreneurs" like San Antonio; Amarillo is boots and lasso Texas. I doubt we’ll have any trouble finding a parking spot for the truck there!
Stop 11: Houston, Texas (9 hours from Amarillo)
I’ve read so much about Houston as an “up and coming city” or as the the “New York City of the south,” that I had to include it in the trip. What I do know for sure about Houston, however, is that it has a mall with 375 stores, so I am definitely looking forward to buying some cowboy boots.
Stop 12: New Orleans, Louisiana (5 hours from Houston)
New Orleans is my favorite place in the world. I’ve road tripped there before, so I had to add it to this trip so my road trip pal could see it too. From the French Quarter, to river cruises, to alligator tours on the bayou, there is so much to see here. Walking down Bourbon street is like being on a conveyor belt of NOLA culture; pick up some jazz music in this club, some crawfish across the street, listen to some zydeco three doors down, snag some beads on that corner, etc. My boyfriend re-watched American Horror Story: Coven with me so he would have some idea of what the French Quarter looks like, and I’m so excited to go and explore all the voodoo shops and houses there this trip. In my opinion, is it really even a road trip if you didn’t stop in New Orleans?
Stop 13: Savannah, Georgia (10 hours from New Orleans)
The drive to Savannah from New Orleans encompasses several states; the southern coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. The best part of the route, however, is through Georgia peach country. Although production is closed for the winter, local shops along the county road that you take still sell peach products. You must watch Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil before going to Savannah because the storyline there still affects the historic district to this day. The last time I road tripped there, the woman who ran the inn said that all rooms in all the inns in Savannah have a copy of that movie in the DVD player. Make sure to walk through all the squares, admire the architecture, and take a ride on a horse-drawn carriage. Savannah is home to an arts college, so the dining experience is hip with many different upscale options.
Stop 14: Washington, DC (8 hours from Savannah)
Once you’ve figured out the uber-confusing highway system here, settle in with the pride of knowing that you’ve almost just travelled across the entire country, Canada, and back. There are so many monuments and museums to see in DC, but my favorite place to go that's not too overwhelmed is the Georgetown area. In this neighborhood you’ll find restaurants, shops, cupcake bakeries without the massive crowds of tourists that you’d find everywhere else in DC.
Stop 15: NYC (5 hours from DC)
Welcome back. You know it’s really over when you get onto the New Jersey Turnpike and see the industrial wastelands of Newark.
Make the most of this winter break and spare two weeks to experience what’s foreign to you in your very own country (and Canada). Take lots of pictures, make an album, and incessantly show people every time someone mentions a place that you have now voyaged to!
