I am leaving for my first long trip in January, about 6 months. I expect to stay off the interstate as much as possible.Many folks post that the RV experience enables them to Discover the wonderful parts of our country, get out of the metro areas and back to the great things they never would have discovered. It would be interesting to hear about those experiences from everyone.Can you share a Discovery, Surprise, Experience that you never expected to see and what led you there?

I think it's really in the "eye of the beholder" and one's personal experiences. If someone lives in a city, and has pretty much been a city dweller all their lives, a trip to Amish Country would be mind blowing!On the other hand, someone from the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains, whose lived there all their lives, would be equally as blown away visiting New York City the first time, or San Francisco, or Chicago.I've never seen the Grand Canyon. I hope to some day. People who live right there probably do not appreciate the wonder that's right in front of them, because they seen it all their lives. But someone from the Boston, Mass (or even me) would be blown away.Even the things that are right in our own back yards can be breath taking. Coming into work one day, a couple years ago, (I live in the country), the fog was settled over the new sown fields, so visibility was endless. But the fog was only about 15 feet high. So when driving over a higher spot in the road, you could look down over the fields. This was within 1/2 mile of my home and I was breathless that morning! I couldn't believe how beautiful and awesome that was!Then, there was the first time I heard coyotes howling, about 2 months after we moved into this same house. I'd never heard that before, even though I'd lived in this area pretty much all my life. Shivers went through me, and it was really eery. But awesome at the same time.So you see, it's not so much looking for the "big" things that's all "awe inspiring", it's the things that really grab us, and speak to us, and motivate us, and move our emotions. And that, my fried, is all around us. Just open you're eyes and mind and be "inspired!" We live in a great country!

Our pleasant discoveries were most often about the people we encountered during our trips. The South has some of the most helpful and gracious people I have met in my entire life. Complete strangers treated us kindly at every turn, for no particular reason.We enjoyed a similar experience during our trip through the National Parks in Utah. Kind, helpful people who genuinely seem to care.Enjoy your trip!

the country boy in me says to stay away from big cities, they have too many people and the traffic is bad, let alone the bad drivers. sorry to sound negative about this but I hate big cities. We have to go to Portland Oregon every few months for DW Dr app and getting to the other side of town is just the pits. takes an hour or more in traffic to go just miles.

I like to travel the side roads when possible, it's more interesting and enjoyable.Check Road Side America, maybe you'll find something interesting along your route.If you get to the Cincinnati OH area, check out Jungle Jim's International Market. Enjoy your travels.

My favorite unexpected lesson was my encounter with a couple of really down-on-their luck folks camped out way up along Icicle Creek. They weren't "squatters" or anything like that- just stopped for a few days on a trip back home. I was lost up there and approached their spot looking for directions. While there, I discovered that one of my trailer brake wires had gotten torn off- the fella got out his tools, jacked up the trailer, and fixed it for me. Wouldn't take a penny for it, either. They did accept my offer to make dinner by way of saying thanks, though.The only reason I even deduced their circumstances was little bits and pieces in our conversation....never a word of complaint, just plain facts here and there. Sure taught me something about the right way to deal with the misfortunes that life sometimes dishes out!

What Pleasant Discoveries Have You Made On The Road

IDman
Explorer
Dec 12, 2013
Don't rush, keep an open mind, stay flexible, and keep a sense of humor!
sdianel_-acct_c
Explorer
Dec 12, 2013
Crater Lake. Awesome!
New River Gorge Bridge in WV.
Driving to Cass Scenic RR in WV and seeing bear cub run across the road!!
Redwood Forest dirt road 9 mile drive near Crescent City CA.
Amish Restaurant fresh vegetables and home baked goods.
Balmorhea State Park TX. Like an oasis.
Palo Duro Canyon TX.
Hwy 2 in UP Michigan and pasties!
Waves crashing on Oregon coast.
Waterfalls, dams, bridges, rivers, lakes.
Kit_Carson
Explorer
Dec 12, 2013
Traveling the Natchez Trace Parkway from one end to the other. Many interesting things to see along the way, wildlife, etc. It is on this trip that I learned that slowing down is the best way to improve MPG. Speed limit on the Trace is an enforced 50 MPH.
Supercharged
Explorer
Dec 12, 2013
G and D wrote:
I am leaving for my first long trip in January, about 6 months. I expect to stay off the interstate as much as possible.

Many folks post that the RV experience enables them to Discover the wonderful parts of our country, get out of the metro areas and back to the great things they never would have discovered. It would be interesting to hear about those experiences from everyone.

Can you share a Discovery, Surprise, Experience that you never expected to see and what led you there?
If I go west my mother in law get farther away ever day.
Bill_Linda
Explorer
Dec 13, 2013
If you are in the neighborhood be sure to spend some time in Wallace, Idaho. Wonderful small town. It is the "Center of the Universe" after all.
BTPO1
Explorer
Dec 13, 2013
I enjoyed all of the previous posts. I love to travel on secondary roads and really get to see this Country of ours. You really can't appreciate it from the interstate system, sure you will get to your destination faster but will not be able to enjoy the trip. I like to travel at a slower pace which secondary roads provide, and there is almost always friendly people whom you come in contact with. JMT
Chock_Full_o__N
Explorer
Dec 13, 2013
My first thought was all the wonderful, helpful souls we have met in our travels. We have never had a truly bad experience (other than a couple of morons who made fun of my mentally handicapped son...grrr.) But we have had innumerable people offer to help us back up, hitch up, start a campfire, raise a tent, and even share their gumbo!

My second thought is how big America really is. I had never been farther than the Mississippi River, but in 2007 we took the kids on a 6,000 mile cross-country trip. There are many memories of that trip, but one that stands out took place in the privacy of my mind. We were crossing eastern Washington through fields and fields of potatoes, carrots, onions, and soybeans. For the first time I had an understanding of what America's breadbasket really means. As we crossed South Dakota into Iowa I had a similar revelation--here are the farmers and their families who work so hard to put food on MY table.

That's a along, gushy way of saying I fell in love with the USA in a way I had never experienced before.
2gypsies1
Explorer III
Dec 13, 2013
Eunice, Louisiana and popping into a music store to listen to awesome Cajun music.

We don't travel on interstates unless there's no other way to get from A to B (and usually there is). Enjoy your trip!
colliehauler
Explorer III
Dec 13, 2013
The road less traveled.
Pangaea_Ron
Explorer
Dec 13, 2013
I have discovered that my wife really loves our RV trips, more that I could have imagined.